What exactly is an "outdoor orientation program?" First offered in the United States in the 1930s by Dartmouth College, outdoor orientation programs (OOPs) use adventure programming to help incoming students adjust to university or college. Typically, these programs are conducted in a wilderness or backcountry setting, are several days long and include activities such as backpacking, canoeing, or mountain biking. The settings and activities provide the "unfamiliar environment" where coping skills and learning behaviours can be developed; these are then transferred to students' experiences when they enter university or college. OOPs most often target "traditional" first-year university students, or those that graduate from high school and move immediately into university. This article features Brock BaseCamp, the first true outdoor orientation program in Canada. The goals of Brock BaseCamp are to provide incoming students with the opportunity to make friends and create community; ask questions about what it takes to be successful at university; talk about student life issues such as living away from home, diversity, making healthy choices, and drug and alcohol use; and develop an appreciation for outdoor recreation and the natural environment. Both qualitative and quantitative data collected by the BaseCamp team indicate that students feel a strong sense of community with their group, have improved time management skills, have developed an affinity for Brock University, and have an enhanced ability to take active initiative.