Most staff members fly from Fairbanks to Tanana in a small airplane. We'll meet your flight in Tanana, and then it’s a two-hour boat ride (65 miles) on to camp. Your first three days will be spent in training and orientation. This staff training is mandatory for anyone wanting to counsel at KHBC. Each week of camp, 30 to 75 campers come from up to a dozen The Kokrine Hills begin right behind the camp. These foothills of the mighty Brooks Range offer unparalleled wild and scenic beauty for hiking. If the Yukon is low enough, you may have a chance between camps to catch northern pike and sheefish. The Kokrine Hills give us some of the best water in the world in a nearby mountain stream. A diesel generator runs during the daytime. You can bring hair dryers and curling irons but you probably won't have time to use them. You’d be better off with a hairdo that doesn't require much attention. We pretty much live and work outdoors. The weather in June is usually very nice, varying from the upper 30's at night into the 80's in the daytime. With 24 hours of daylight, it’s impossible to truly have "lights out." Casual clothes are all you’ll need. You can plan on most everything getting stained, worn out, or torn. A washing machine is available for you to do laundry but you should bring enough clothes to last 7 days. Clothes are all hung out on clotheslines to dry. You’ll want: Your total baggage weight allowance on the flight between Fairbanks and Tanana is just #40. If your bags weigh more than that, the airline may charge you $1/pound or more for the excess pounds. Pack in duffel bags, not suitcases. You can mail things ahead to yourself at KHBC, Tanana, AK 99777. We have basic First Aid and basic emergency medical supplies at camp, but we’re a long way from a hospital. If are prone to getting ear infections, sinus infections, or strep throat, see if your doctor will give you a supply of antibiotics "just in case." That can save a $200 trip to the Tanana clinic. You might also want to bring some zinc tablets, Band Aids, cough drops, and vitamin C for colds. There is no way to call into the camp, however, someone at camp calls out on the satphone most days to update the weblog. If you need to get in touch with someone at KHBC, call Vicki Arnold, in Gresham, Oregon (503) 313-5366 (cell). Staff/counselors coming for less than two weeks can pay the lesser of $300, or -- Friends, churches, and family members can help with your expenses by sending contributions to KHBC, 108 Campbell Ct., Palmer, AK 99645. Be sure they include a note saying the contribution is for your staff account. 
KHBC staff members are carefully selected to provide a safe and caring environment for kids who come to camp. Staff and counselors come from churches in Alaska and the Lower 48. They are all volunteers.* No one connected with KHBC has ever been paid for their work. In fact, staff members pay the camp for their food and transportation! Minimum age for staff is 16 years old.
*(We do criminal background checks on all staff as part of the application process.)
Serving on staff at KHBC is rewarding but it can also be very hard. This is not an "entry level" summer missions opportunity. Men and women applying to be counselors must be mature emotionally, thoroughly grounded in the Bible, and able to disciple others. Our goal is to have half of our staff from Alaska and half from churches "Outside" Alaska. 
different villages. The kids are mainly Athabaskan Indian or Inupiat Eskimo, although many are of mixed blood. The camp is rustic. There are no cell phones, no roads, stores, or newspapers. While at camp you won't hear a single news broadcast! No TV of course. The only contact with the outside is through ham radio and satellite telephones. (You can use a satphone to make calls out while you're at camp. The cost is $2.30 per minute). For more than 30 years, everyone slept in 12 x 14 white wall tents pitched over plywood platforms. That has all changed now that we have nice new cabins . Each cabin will hold eight campers -- along with a couple counselors. We provide mattresses but you'll need your own sleeping bag and pillow. Everyone uses outhouses. There are no flush toilets. We do have showers — or you can jump in the Yukon or the icy creek with a bar of soap.
During camp, many activities center on the Yukon River which is about a mile and a half wide at camp. Although the river is cold and muddy, we have a lot of fun tubing, swimming, kayaking, and canoing.
Your friends can send you letters and "care packages" to Your Name, Kokrine Hills Bible Camp, Tanana, Alaska 99777. They sh
ould allow up to two weeks for packages to arrive. Boxes should be mailed Priority Mail only (not UPS or Parcel Post). At the end of each week of camp a boat brings the mail back from Tanana.
There are LOTS of coquillettidia perturbans (mosquitoes) at KHBC. That’s the truth, but ample mosquito repellent, and a hearty smile takes care of the little pests. If you react to mosquito bites you’ll want to bring Benadryl tablets and an anti-itch cream. (If you’re truly allergic to mosquitoes don’t even think of coming!) If you’re allergic to bees, bring a bee-sting kit. 
If you have any questions about serving on KHBC's staff, please contact Camp Director Brian Arnold.
Notice: Staff Application deadline extended to April 1.
Staff $$Questions
Unless arrangements have been made with us, staff members should book and pay for their own travel, Fairbanks-Tanana-Fairbanks*. You can be reimbursed for the cost of travel, however, if your money is all "in" to the KHBC office and you send in receipts.
*We have a MARC airplane reserved for June 14. The airplane will be shuttling work team members from Tanana to Fairbanks and staff/counselors from Fairbanks to Tanana throughout the day. We're estimating the one-way cost to be $110.
KHBC Staff Costs for 2008:
$300 For "multi-week" staff/counselors. Covers boat transportation, food, admin. (Includes free staff jacket but you must let us know your size on the Staff Application form. Jacket order deadline is May 1.)
Money raised in excess of your needs cannot be returned or transferred to another staff member. You can, however, use up to $75 in "excess funds" as a personal KHBC "store credit."
We realize all this money stuff can be confusing. If you have questions, email kokrinehills@gmail.com.
You can request a printout of contributions made by emailing the KHBC Palmer office.