By Shirley Hickman
Backpacking is a culminating activity for older youngsters with a fair amount of outdoor experience. An ICO leader typically shepherds a small group of youngsters 14 years old or older from day hikes to overnight car camping trips, and, finally, to backpacking trips ranging in length from a few days to up to a week or more. This process may be spread over a year or over a several year period.
Backpacking trips are most successful when working with no more than 7 to15 youngsters, for instance:
- Members of an after-school club
- Students in a classroom who self select as they experience day hikes and car camping
- Students attending a continuation school
Hiking and camping with young adults in the backcountry takes lots of planning. When going to a high-altitude destination, above 9,000 ft, some preparation should be made for dealing with acclimatization, such as high-altitude local day hikes. Everyone should carry their full pack on the local hikes to determine what weight is realistic; the participants themselves can compare pack contents and determine, with guidance, what is necessary. Leaders need to make sure the students are adequately hydrated before and during the trip.
Spending a few days in the wilderness can be very challenging to youngsters, as well as to their teachers, so it is best to:
- Work out the logistics in their own setting, e.g., at their school
- Plan together the destination
- Plan together the transportation
- Plan together the menu and distribution of chores
- Who will purchase the food?
- Who will pack the food?
- Who will prepare the food?
- Who will do the clean up?
- Insure the youngsters are adequately hydrated before and during the trip
- Develop a list of items to bring
- How can REI help outfit participants?
- What will the participants need to bring?
- What will the participants use to collect and disinfect water?
- Discuss and decide upon wilderness protocol
- How will we make sure that everything is packed out (even toilet paper)?
- How will we protect our food from wildlife?