Hiking light – Boy
Scout Ultralight Hiking is More Fun for Leaders and Scouts
That’s
not an oxymoron. Boy Scout lightweight hiking is not only possible,
it’s the only way to go.
Travel back with me to 1972. I was an inexperienced 24-year old
scoutmaster. I knew I wanted to go on a 50-mile hike with the boys, but
I was worried about having to take care of their complaints and aching
backs. I wanted the boys to have fun, and I wanted to have fun. I
didn’t have anyone tell me about lightweight backpacking.
Common sense just told me it would be a lot easier if packs were light
and simple.
We targeted a beautiful 56-mile stretch through the Three Sisters
Wilderness area in central Oregon. Then we did the most important part
– we started planning early. I made moms and dads come to
required meetings. Moms are critical because not only do they do much
of the purchasing of equipment, they’re also the ones who
almost always load too much gear in juniors back to “make
sure he has everything to be safe.” Of course, in an effort
to keep their son safe, they insure that he’ll have a
horrible time carrying his pack.
I told parents what was required, and just as important, what was
required to leave home. Parents needed to visualize their son not
lounging beside a lake for five days, but walking 10 miles a day for
five days. Once this picture gets clear in their minds, they buy into
the need for lightweight gear. We talked about shelter, sleeping bags,
clothes, food, and all the usual things.
After careful planning, we had that other crucial meeting, the pack
check. That’s the meeting where leaders check the
fully-loaded pack a few days before the hike. That gives some extra
time for necessary changes. Our pack check meeting went well. We
weighed the packs on a bathroom scale and they ranged from 19 to 26
pounds, a fantastic effort for 1972.
Shelter was simple, and less than perfect. Most of the boys slept under
black plastic. Most of the sleeping bags were U.S. Forest Service fire
fighter sleeping bags. These turned out to be much less than perfect,
but everyone lived. The food was good, but most of all, the packs were
light. Because we packed light, we arrived in camp early each day so we
could enjoy more time relaxing.
The checklist in the scout handbook should work fine for informing
parents and boys what to pack. There are a couple of things that should
be checked closely at the pack check. The first is rain gear. The
importance is obvious, but it’s scary how many people think a
windbreaker will work just fine. An inexpensive, urethane-coated nylon
jacket and pants would be far better than a windbreaker that
doesn’t protect against rain. Another important item to check
is food. Parents might not understand the importance of almost doubling
the calorie intake for their sons on a 50-mile hike. For meal planning,
it’s best to let mom pack plenty, as long as it’s
light, healthy, calorie-dense food. Make sure to have a presentation on
lightweight backpacking foods well in advance of the hike.
Sadly, many Boy Scout troops today don’t catch the vision of
ultralight backpacking. Boys trudge through their 50 miles with heavy
backpacks then swear they’ll never hike again. And they live
up to that promise. Large numbers of boys who should fall in love with
backpacking learn to dislike it.
If you’re already an expert in lightweight backpacking,
volunteer to give ultralight presentations for local troops. Or, ask
around and find an expert. The presentation doesn’t have to
be fancy. Just show the scouts and leaders a fully-loaded backpack
that’s ready for 50 miles and weighs only 20 pounds. Go
through the gear piece by piece, starting will the bigger items. Scouts
and the leaders who will be going on the hike will see the advantages.
Show them how they can share the weight of some items such as tents.
When a boy shares the weight of a four-pound tent with a
buddy, he
immediately reduces his pack weight by two full pounds.
The troop I hiked with in 1972 was a blue collar group of boys. With
early planning, you can exchange ideas on inexpensive gear. Some of it
can be found in discount department stores. Start exchanging
information within the troop well in advance of the hike so the boys
get a good mix of quality and good prices on their gear.
The Boy Scout motto of “Be Prepared” is perfect for
lightweight backpacking. It doesn’t mean be prepared by
taking lots of heavy gear. It means be prepared with a well-equipped
lightweight backpack. Boy Scout lightweight hiking is more fun for both
leaders and scouts.
About the author: Steve Green of www.hikelight.com is an avid hiker who has enjoyed trimming his backpack
weight for over 40 years.
Contact
Call: (800) 933-HIKE (4453)
Or send $1 for a catalog
Email: hikelight@yahoo.com
