Backpacking the Appalachian Trail
The backpacking trip is the culminating activity where the kids put together the components that they have learned: hard skills, planning skills, modeling skills, how to lead, and because they have been in the shoes of the leader, how to follow. The backpacking trip should be the time that the kids are feeling most independent yet functioning very effectively as a group. We will backpack for 3 days. Our first day will be getting to know the trail and some important things to remember about backpacking and the safety that is involved. The second day will involve putting it all together on a long and challenging day of hiking. We have already learned the basics, and now we are conquering the wilderness. Our third day we break camp and hike out in the morning with a great sense of accomplishment.
In preparation for the backpacking trip, Trip Leaders teach a class on expedition planning that covers:
- Issue of gear
- Food preparation
- Route planning
- Water Sources
- Map and Compass navigation
- Coordination of drop-off & pick-up times
- Emergency Response Plans
- Weather interpretation
- Leave No-Trace practices
