Digital reset
Move technology away from the centre of everyday life for a week and experience what changes when your phone is no longer the default place to turn.
FIELD TEST 001
CARPATHIANS / RO
...LEAVING SIGNAL
Unplug to Reconnect presents
One week offline.
Less digital.
More analogue.
A one-week outdoor experience for young adults in a rural corner of the Romanian Carpathians.
10–12 PEOPLE7 DAYSAGES 18–25
01 / THE POINT
Step away from the digital noise for a week.
At 18–25, many of us are making some of our first big decisions about study, work, relationships, where we want to live, and what kind of life we want.
At the same time, much of what we see, hear, and compare ourselves with comes through a screen.
We don’t offer answers. We create a different environment where you might find your own direction, inspiration, or perspective through doing things, spending time in nature, and talking face-to-face with other people.
DIGITAL
ANALOGUE
Your phone will survive a week without you.
Confidence
Hike, cook, camp, learn practical skills, take responsibility, and discover more of what you can do for yourself.
Real connection
Live, work, eat, disagree, laugh, and spend time with a small group of people, face-to-face.
02 / A TYPICAL DAY AT CAMP
A general rhythm, not a packed schedule.
Every day will be a little different, but most follow the same simple structure. There is time to learn, time to help run the camp, and plenty of time when nothing is scheduled.
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01 / BREAKFAST
Start slowly
Eat together, drink coffee or tea, check the weather, and get ready for the day.
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02 / MORNING WORKSHOP
Learn or discuss
A practical session where we learn by doing, or a discussion and debate session where we explore a topic together.
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03 / LUNCH
Eat together
A local cook prepares fresh, traditional regional dishes, the kind of generous food a Romanian grandmother might put on the table.
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04 / FREE AFTERNOON
Nothing scheduled
Read, sleep, walk, play cards, help in the garden, or talk. Learning to spend unstructured time without reaching for a phone is part of the experience.
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05 / DINNER
Cook together
Everyone helps prepare dinner, clean up, and look after the camp.
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06 / EVENING
Campfire, games, conversation
After dinner come music, conversations, and stars.
UNSTRUCTURED TIME / 01
BOREDOM
ALLOWED
ALLOWED
03 / LEARN TOGETHER
The morning workshop
It can take
different forms.
Some mornings focus on practical skills, learning something by actually doing it.
Other mornings are discussion and debate workshops, a chance to explore a subject, hear different perspectives, ask questions, and form your own view.
The exact mix is not fixed. It depends on the participants, mentors, local people, and the place.
FORMAT 01
Practical
Possible workshops
- Campfire
- Navigation
- Hiking preparation
- Camp setup
- Food and nutrition
- Woodworking
- Traditional rural skills
Led by mentors, craftspeople, or local people with practical experience.
FORMAT 02
Discussion / debate
Possible topics
- Relationships
- Gender
- Social media
- Climate
- Politics
- Consumption
- Success
- Adulthood
A mentor or moderator asks useful questions and creates space for different perspectives, not a “right” answer.
OUR ROLE: CREATE THE ENVIRONMENT / NOT DICTATE THE ANSWER
04 / THE MOUNTAIN NIGHT
Leave from camp. On foot.
Spend one night up
in the mountains.
One of the defining experiences of the week is a one-night mountain expedition starting directly from camp.
We leave on foot carrying our backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, food, and equipment. We hike into the mountains, set up camp, cook, spend the evening outside, sleep there for the night, watch the sunrise, pack everything again, and walk back to base the next day.
No excursion bus. No drive to a tourist attraction. We start and finish on foot from camp.
This is a real challenge with intentional discomfort, but it is not survival training. Experienced leadership, proper planning, suitable equipment, and safety remain fundamental.
PACKWALKCAMPSUNRISEHOME
05 / THE WEEK AT A GLANCE
Everything important
in one place.
- WHO
- Ages 18–25
- GROUP
- 10–12 participants + two hosts
- DURATION
- One week
- PLACE
- A rural community in the Romanian Carpathians
- LANGUAGE
- English
- DATES + PRICE
- To be announced for the pilot
- FORMAT
- Outdoor living, shared meals, morning workshops, free afternoons, evenings together, and a one-night mountain expedition
- PHONES
- You can use your phone if you really need to, but we suggest keeping it stored and trying the week without it. The camp remains reachable if someone at home needs to contact you.
- SAFETY
- The week includes hiking, outdoor living, and manageable discomfort. Appropriate equipment, planning, and experienced leadership are fundamental.
06 / ASK US
Before you pack.
Can I use my phone, and can home reach me?+
Yes. You can use your phone if you really need to, but we suggest keeping it stored and trying the week without it. The camp remains reachable if someone at home needs to contact you.
Do I need hiking or camping experience?+
No previous hiking or camping experience is expected. The week is built around learning by doing, and the mountain route will be planned and adapted around the group so everyone can manage it.
Is this survival training, and what is provided?+
No. The mountain night is a planned outdoor challenge, not survival training. The camp provides proper hiking backpacks, reliable tents, sleeping bags suitable for temperatures around 0°C, and the necessary shared equipment.
When is it, and how much will it cost?+
Dates and pricing for the first pilot are not final yet. Join the pilot list and we will share the details when applications open.
Do I need to speak fluent English?+
No. English is the common language of the camp, but it does not need to be your first language. The point is to use English naturally while cooking, hiking, talking, and spending time together, not to speak perfectly.
Where do we sleep?+
The base camp uses simple outdoor accommodation in a rural setting, with tents and access to the basic facilities needed for the week. One night is spent camping in the mountains as part of the expedition. Exact accommodation details will be shared before booking.
What will we eat?+
Meals are part of the shared experience. Lunch is prepared fresh by a local cook, with an emphasis on simple food and local ingredients. We prepare dinner together. Dietary requirements and allergies will be collected during registration so the team can confirm what can be accommodated.
Less digital.
More analogue.
PILOT
00110–12 people.
001
This starts small
10–12 people.
7 days.
0 algorithms deciding what comes next.
JOIN / PILOT 001
Come with us.
The first camp will be small on purpose. Join the pilot list to hear when applications open and help shape what Unplug to Reconnect becomes.