Extra Backpacking Adventures

[Buffalo Skipper 13]

I had a thought. I have a small number of scouts (and a select group of adults) in our troop who really like to backpack. How possible is it to get a group of scouts together outside of a regular troop campouts every 3 or 4 months to go on a weekend backpacking trek?

 

I have not discussed this with anyone in the troop yet, and I am not necessarily talking about just older scouts. We have a couple of brand new scouts who are very interested in backpacking. They are physically fit and I feel that even though they are fresh, would be very eager to participate in such a trek.

 

I have some off the cuff ideas on how to do this within the troop (not a Venure patrol), but I wanted to bounce ideas off some of you here first. I want to make this a serious discussion, and really talk about the pros and cons of how this could be done...

[OldGreyEagle 5]

My thought is, its real possible, its scheduled as a troop event and who ever shows up gets to go. Well, making sure that the event is well described and if its 50 miles in two days be sure the kids who show up are capable or something but I guess why not do it? The more stories the few come back with the more that will show up next time

[Nike 94]

With new parents you may have a bit of confusion if there is a campout and a backpacking trip in the same month.

 

You might want call it "The Seasonal/Quarterly backpacking trip." Maybe say you'll be backpacking "The 4 corners of the state" over the course of the year.

 

I think it's an excellent idea, especially for those boys who really like backpacking.

[SeattlePioneer 144]

You might consider making that a by invitation troop outing. It would probably become a prestige activity rather rapidly and a plumb Scouts would want to be invited to do.

 

If your SPL is one of those eager backpackers, great! He might do the inviting, or you could figure out another method of selection.

[Oak Tree 15]

I'm not sure I get why this would be hard. Ask the SM about it - he may want the proposal to go through the PLC or he may be happy to just throw it on the calendar.

 

At least, that's how it would work in our troop. The backpacking events would get put on the calendar as another troop event.

[qwazse 4350]

The best way to do this is to choose locations that have a basecamp along a trail that the backpackers can hike into/out of while the non-hikers work on various scouting skills.

 

You may have to reshuffle your patrols for that weekend. But it inspires the non-hikers to consider taking up the sport.

 

If you have enough leadership you can do a multitier hike in a wilderness area where one group hikes in about 3 miles, the other 6, the other 8, the other 12. This gives some of the older boys some serious planning to do with "insertion" and "extraction" locations and times.

 

Sometimes just give the whole troop a backpacking trip where groups start on opposite ends of the trail, pick a stopping point 6 miles in for one group and 10 miles in for the other.

 

The point of doing these coordinated trips is to free up the schedule for the months where the backpackers do have that open weekend that the rest of the troop doesn't.

 

My crew fills that need. There are boys who want to hike more frequently than their troop does, so they set up trips with us. Your older boys could look into that. Of course, that doesn't help your younger boys that much.

 

And, bottom line, your patrols should be planning their own hikes. It may take years to get them comfortable with that, but the payoff will be huge for your backpackers in terms of a steady supply of fresh hiking partners.

[Buffalo Skipper 13]

Out of 26 active scouts right now, there are possibly 6-8 who would like to backpack, and about the same number who would skip any backpack trip for exactly that reason. The remaining 10-14 may be interested in our 2x annual backpack trips, but no more.

 

Our SPL would be interested sometimes, but not always as he has a busy schedule. I am all for patrol hikes, but again the mix means that maybe 2-3 from each patrol would be interested in an additional BP trek, while others would not. I respect the fact that not all scouts like to backpack (and some are willing to put up with it occasionally). I am looking to targe those who ARE interested.

 

My initial thought is that if these scouts like BP, they may not attend other campouts, so if we do this every 3-4 months, it would require that they attend 50% of the preceeding 4 months of troop outings in order to participate, and have SPL or SM approval. I want the scouts to plan these, but may offer some extra advice on the first one to kick start the process. This is not to replace activities, but for those with this particular interest to offer an extra opportunity to do this. It would also work to make leaders of these scouts who could then take this back to their patrols.

 

Again, I am just forming ideas. Offer program they are interested in and they will be more involved.

 

Any other thoughts?

[Kudu 186]

My initial thought is that if these scouts like BP, they may not attend other campouts, so if we do this every 3-4 months, it would require that they attend 50% of the preceeding 4 months of troop outings in order to participate, and have SPL or SM approval.

 

You are over-thinking this

 

[Basementdweller 608]

Remember back country etiquette.

 

Buff.....don't know you so just asking.....how are your Backpacking skills and experience? One or two outings does not make you a guide. 20 or 30 makes you experienced.

 

Max size of the group should be 10. Don't take big groups into the back country. Check with land managers, they may have max amount of people in a group....could be as small as 6.

 

If you are traveling a trail system with established shelters do not use them. Let other smaller groups and individuals use them. Smokey mountains are the exception, you are required to have a permit and stay in the shelters.

 

Make sure they understand about body waste and the back country.....peeing in my drinking water makes me very unhappy....had a Troop do that to me while they were day hiking. Cat holes.....

 

 

Too many scout groups don't understand this and we all get a bad rep because of poor or uncourteous behavior.

 

Base camp?????? that is car camping with hiking. The point of Backpacking beyond, seeing cool stuff is to cover lots of miles. You could slack pack from a moving base camp....but again whats the fun of that.

 

I have done exactly what your talking about. Start with two adults and three or four boys. Only go 5-10 miles in a day and then back out. I would not publicize it the the rest of the troop, it will cause issues.

 

Once you have done it a time or two it isn't that big a deal.

 

 

One final thought......why are you doing it with in the auspices of scouting. My family and a couple of my sons friends who happen to be in the troop go a couple times a year. Less paper work. He still gets credit toward is camping,or hiking or backpacking merit badges. we are in a small group and the boys know the drill. No required meeting ect.

 

Hey billy what ya doing this weekend?

 

ahhh don't know

 

Hey you want to go and backpack from woods gap to hogpen gap.

 

sure....

 

 

Plus you don't have to worry about complaining parents for their son not getting asked or excluded.

 

[Eagle92 110]

When my troop's venture crew decided to become part of the new Venturing program and became a Venturing Crew, they basically kept it like a venture crew/patrol in that they met with the troop, had troop roles, etc, but on steroids. Instead of planning their own thing during some of the troop's overniters, they planned their own activities without the rest of the troop once a quarter. No one had any problems with it.

[BrentAllen 10]

Buffalo,

Do the boys ever want to go to Philmont? If so, they better start liking backpacking. :-)

 

If you have a High Adventure backpacking trip scheduled during the next 12 months, that Crew (up to 12 for Philmont) should be taking shake-down/ training trips, in addition to Troop trips. That would be a good time to invite some newbies to go along.

 

Start them off easy. Providence Canyon State Park makes for a nice 7 - 10 mile loop, if you camp at the Pioneer sites. We made that trip, breaking camp completely for the backpacking, and returned to the same site for Saturday night. There are some really nice views, the canyons are very cool, and the boys had plenty of time to go exploring. You want that first experience for a new backpacker to be a good one, or they may decide they hate it and never give it another shot.

[qwazse 4350]

Base camp?????? that is car camping with hiking. The point of Backpacking beyond, seeing cool stuff is to cover lots of miles. You could slack pack from a moving base camp....but again whats the fun of that.

 

The point, BD, is to give the guys who want to work on racking up miles and breaking in gear opportunities to be with the rest of their troop for part of the weekend. It is also to show the youth who opt to stay at camp to see a Backpacking team arrive in the evening, set-up, eat, sleep, and break camp before half the boys get moving in the morning.

 

Buffalo, if you add more activities to the schedule, some boys will have to be selective. The only requirements I would make is that to go on an advanced hike, a boy has to complete a certain number of shakedown hikes. As I describe above, shakedown hikes can be incorporated with other troop activities.

[Buffalo Skipper 13]

Kudu,

Thanks. I know I am but I always appreciate your perspective. I do want to keep this simple. My comment was more to limit discussion in that direction ;-).

 

Basementdweller,

I have been backpacking since I was a scout. I am not "guide," in the sense you suggest, but I have been backpacking since I was 10. That was when I accompanied my brother for a 100+ miles while he was doing an AT thru (1976). I intend to use established trails and areas, and I am talking about weekend or 3-day weekend treks.

 

Our troop does a 12-16 mile weekend trip in December (local) and a longer 3-day trek in January at a 5-hour drive from home. Sometimes, on this second trip, our youngest scouts set up a base camp; older scouts backpack 15-25 miles. This intention of this group is extra backpacking for those interested, rather than just the 2x a year our troop goes out.

 

As for why do it under the auspices of scouting? Well there are limited opportunities to backpack near home. This is an opportunity (for those who are intersted) to do something more. I am willing to jump through scoutings hoops and follow all guidelines in order to be under the scouting umbrella and liability. Usually we would be further away, and many of these scouts have families which are completely disinterested in the outdoors. And yes, we do intend to keep the group small. 5-7 scouts and 2-3 adults. This will help keep cost down, as we can travel in 1 SUV, or two smaller vehicles.

 

If the rest of the troop hears how much fun this crew is having, they may become more interested in doing more also. Another idea is that this may lay the foundation for a future Venture crew, as our troop continues to grow (and you know that notion just crossed my mind).

 

BrentAllen,

Philmont? Sure! Some scouts are more interested than others. Two decades ago and before, our troop sent a crew to Philmont every year. We were the adventure troop. Some of those scouts are now returning to us as leaders and parents, so there is a network of adults which understands the desire to fill this percieved void in our program.

 

Thanks much for the input. Are there any more questions, suggestions or alternatives? I am all ears....

[Basementdweller 608]

Well buff...sounds like you have things well in hand. With what you have posted, I agree with Kudu your over thinking it.

 

Invite a couple of boys and an adult and go have fun.

[Eagledad 2784]

Any scout in our troop can organize a trip outside of the troop program. There are no age, rank or leadership reqirements or restrictions except G2SS and camp restriction to be part of the crew. The only requirements the troop committee ask are a written plan and a roster including adults. They can plan as many trips as they want.

 

Just tell GO!

 

Barry