crawford
Trail Wise!
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.--Edison
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Post by crawford on Jun 6, 2016 10:32:20 GMT -8
4 Scouts and 3 adults were able to get out on the AT this past weekend in eastern PA for a short run. This is to prepare the scouts for their Philmont trip in August of 2017. This was the first time two of the scouts were ever out backpacking and it was the first time they used the tents we secured for them. They had 2 man Sierra Designs tents and had to carry the equipment Philmont requires of each patrol (large pots, etc).
On Friday evening we entered at the PA RTE 309 trailhead and went NE for 2 miles to the New Tripoli campsite where they had to set up their gear just as the light was fading. Saturday saw us back tracking SW to the Allentown Shelter (we went about 6.5 miles). Because of concerns about impending bad weather, we then backtracked 2 miles to a campsite and sheltered there until Sunday morning when we hiked out. Our trip ended up being about 15 miles.
It rained quite heavily Saturday night and it also rained on us on the way out of the woods on Sunday. The scouts did fairly well with their priorities of work and with being able to repack their equipment efficiently and quickly.
They learned a few lessons on the trail: going fast to get out of the weather isn't always smart on a rocky trail, having raingear easily accessible is important, if you are not careful with a stove you can waste a lot of fuel by not shutting the valve completely, trees for hanging bear bags should be identified before nightfall, and water + food adds a lot of weight to the pack. Many also learned more about their equipment and also what items they might like to add to their packs.
I think everyone had a pretty good time. If I can figure out how to post pics I will. |
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rebeccad
Trail Wise!
Writing like a maniac
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Post by rebeccad on Jun 13, 2016 20:42:12 GMT -8
If I can figure out how to post pics I will. There are excellent instructions for that in the "how to" section. The main thing is that you have to upload them to some kind of hosting site--I use Photobucket, which is easy and free. Sounds like a fun and educational trip. We did a little 'intro to backpacking' course for some friends of our boys a couple of weeks ago, so I can relate to the learning--though our gang had fewer learning opportunities, as conditions were about perfect, and the campsite had pit toilets and a food-storage box. They liked it, though, and we ended up taking two of them car-camping the following weekend, so we must have done something right  I have to admit that when I see scouts on the trail I tend to feel a little sorry for them. Their loads tend to be very large for their size! That of course is one advantage of doing the backpacking as a family--we could take up the slack until the boys got bigger. The disadvantage is that it takes a lot of effort not to fall into standard patterns, and I have always kept control of the kitchen instead of letting them learn how. |
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crawford
Trail Wise!
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.--Edison
Posts: 1,775
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Post by crawford on Jun 14, 2016 12:22:47 GMT -8
Yeah, if you go by the Philmont standard the amount of gear required and the type of food expected take up lots of room and add some serious weight. That said, we will train them to meet the Philmont standard and go on that adventure. When we get back we can show them some other options that save weight and pack space.
My real hope is that they all have a great experience and that some find backpacking to be a new hobby they would like to engage in more. I'm not a real rabid thru-hiker type, but I enjoy several day trips. I would love to show them that hiking can be something to just about everyone, whether the day hiker, weekender, week walker, or thru hiker.
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foxalo
Trail Wise!
Life is infinitely stranger than anything the mind could invent.---Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Posts: 2,359
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Post by foxalo on Jun 14, 2016 13:11:05 GMT -8
I know exactly where that trailhead is. I believe I have a picture of my brothers and me standing by the marker when we were kids.
Sounds like a great learning experience!
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