Ideas! Teaching Backpacking to High School Students

[AlmostThere]

Teaching a backpacking class through the local community education section of the adult school made it easier for me, I think. The parent of the teens who came had to be there to sign them up and then went on the trip with us.

I don't think I would have the stomach for a high school class. I had Dad sitting there taking notes along with the kids, and they still forgot stuff. They did however have packs that weighed less than 30 lbs and plenty of food, and had a great time. It was NOT hard. They loved it. The whole grouped hiked several miles more than I anticipated they would, and we saw awesome scenery, a nice sunset, had a nice fire, and had a great post hike lunch on the way back to town. They'll be joining my hiking group this coming spring.

I just got back from a trip where some of the recreational majors from UC Santa Cruz showed up - and asked for directions. They thought they were somewhere else entirely! They had no water filter and did not know what the one we were using at the spring was for. No maps. And the next morning as we were hiking back to the trailhead we ran into them again - hiking back toward where we had all camped! They had struck out in the early morning and totally missed not one but two trail junctions that would have taken them to the destination they said they were heading for. Hiking without maps in the Ventana Wilderness is dangerous, as the fire has wiped out many of the signs, and the forest service has not re-established many of the old camps and trails that are on maps still being sold in stores. There's a ton of deer trails and use trails too. There aren't many springs flowing at this time (not enough rain yet to rejuvenate them) and some of those we spoke to had stayed at a campsite that supposedly had a spring but there was no water, so they were melting the patches of snow that were fortunately lingering along the ridge from a recent storm.

Teach them enough to understand the risks and to plan well. Have plenty of first aid trained chaperones (I highly doubt teens can use first aid certifications themselves). They need more than hand-holding.

I'm debating whether to call UC Santa Cruz and yell at someone. It was in the low 20s at night and didn't rise above freezing until 9-10 am, and those kids were all in shorts and tank tops!

[Wandering Daisy]

I am an equal opportunity mis-speller, with no intent to disrespect. I realize that there may be some misunderstanding regarding my initial post.

I did not mean that a camp-out in the football field be a substitute for a real trip in the wilderness; simply that any "classroom" experience that can be done outdoors vs. indoors will have more impact. I would aim to do as much instruction outdoors as possible. For example, walk 3-4 miles on the track (simulates trail), pack on, with the shoes they plan on using - someone will get a blister, teach blister first aid, and then talk about appropriate shoes. You learn best when you have to suffer the consequnces of poor decisions, but in a safe environment. Hands-on beats book learning. Setting up camp is part of backpacking, and is learned better if done, outdoors, on the ground, and even in poor weather. Students need not only to see an equipment list, they need to touch it, fiddle with it, actually pack it up, put the pack on, carry it.

All the while you can integrate basic math, physics- Why does the pack feel so awkward if you dangle heavy stuff off the backside? Map reading is visual geometry. And planning food - figure out the nutritional content based on weighing the food, and noting the calories, protein, carbs, fat on the label. Like - package says 2.5 servings, 250 calories per serving, weighs 6 oz., if I use the entire package for dinner, how many calories do I get. Complications come into play as labels refer to grams of protein. Actually cook meals- you will be surprised at how many kids have never even boiled water! I would not use white gas type stoves for safety reasons. Be aware of environmental responsibility in everything. Kid drops a candy wrapper on the ground. This is a teachable moment!

Do not forget the "soft skills" such as the social aspect (we called it "expedition behavior" at NOLS). Someone annoys you. On a several day backpack, you cannot just ignore this. How to work together as a team. Also talk about leadership/followership. What are advantages of strong leadership vs a more loosely organized group? How do you decide who is in charge when things go wrong? If everyone just goes their own way, you have chaos, but nobody wants to hike behind a Hitler. Do you stick together, or hike your own pace - and if the latter, what happens if at the destination someone has gone missing?

One thing I have observed is that you need to make an effort to have everyone do all tasks. Map reading, particularly, a few will simply depend on others rather than do it ib their own. Maybe not as much nowadays, but in the past girls and boys sometimes did not get out of their "roles" - girls cooked, guys navigated. I solved this by having all-boy and all-girl smaller groups while learning the skills. Natural leaders will emerge, but make an effort to nudge the shy ones leadership experience too.

Teachers probably already know all this stuff.

Personally, I would not have parents come on a trip to supervise. Helicopter parents do the kids no good. If you do not have other teachers will and experienced to come on a trip, you may have to default to parents, but be sure the parents stay in the background and do not become a problem that overshadows the trip. I would contact the local Scouts and see if they have any qualified leaders who would be willing to go along. Because of permit issues, as well as supervision, think about breaking the class into smaller groups and doing several trips vs one big trip.

[AlmostThere]

Personally, I would not have parents come on a trip to supervise. Helicopter parents do the kids no good. If you do not have other teachers will and experienced to come on a trip, you may have to default to parents, but be sure the parents stay in the background and do not become a problem that overshadows the trip. I would contact the local Scouts and see if they have any qualified leaders who would be willing to go along. Because of permit issues, as well as supervision, think about breaking the class into smaller groups and doing several trips vs one big trip.

The parent I mentioned took the class along with his kids - all three of them were students. That's a little different case than with a high school class, of course. But the parent still needs to understand enough to not undermine things by cramming more stuff in the pack than the kid needs (tales former boy scout troop leaders I know have told me ... ).

[rlown]

in a high school setting, kids don't want their parents there anyway.. In Boy Scouts, the parents didn't come along either. It'd have to be a special parent per WD''s comments.

[balzaccom]

I think it is a bit amusing that we often suggest to beginners that they test out their equipment in the backyard before they take it into the wilderness...and then dissuade Daisy from having High School kids camp on the football field.

Daisy--any chance you can get the sprinklers to go on at 2 a.m., so they can practice dealing with rain?

[Wandering Daisy]

I was a high school kid a LONG time ago. No way would I want my parents along! My childen, who were in high school in the early 90's probably were even less inclined to want parents along. However, those kids of mine have become "helicopter parents"! Go figure? (I think it is all the fear mongering child raising books out there nowadays). Funny thing is that even though I did not want MY parents on the trips, I loved being out with adults who were NOT my parents.

Solution to supervision help? Break it into two trips - groups A and B. Parents of A go with kids of B, and visa versa.

Lori, you are right - maybe parents could sit in on the classes on gear so they understand what thier kid is packing. BIG THING - KIDS pack their own packs. This brings up a funny story. I ran into a father and son in Emigrant Wilderness. They had only made it half way up Kibby Ridge in two days. Packs were way too heavy. The wife had packed both their packs - with THREE total changes of clothing! Horrors upon horrors if her little darlings spent even one day in the same dirty clothes! And to top it off, father and son had not even looked inside the packs before starting. Father said his wife always packed for his business trips so it did not even occur to him to pack his own pack. Man, I really had to bite my tongue on that one! I did not say a word.

[rlown]

The pack your own pack is pretty good. I think I repack at least twice before I leave the truck.

Reminds me of a trip I did out of Salt Springs Res up the Mokolumne with a friend in the early 80's. He was a Mech Engineering major and in the middle of a 2 semester physics course. When packing up, I managed to slide a 5lb big green physics book into his pack.

He didn't even know the book was in his pack until day 2.