Plan Ahead and Prepare
Unknown Destination Hike
By asking participants to prepare for an adventure to an unknown place, you introduce them to the need of planning before entering backcountry.
Goal
Participants will understand the need to research their destination and plan gear according to potential environmental situations.
Time
15 minutes
Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- List important gear to take no matter the destination
- Identify sources of information about backcountry destinations
Materials
- Pictures of caving, desert, snow, rainforest, river locations
- paper and pencil for each participant
Motivator
- Proper gear results in higher probability of a safe trip. Proper gear can only be determined when the area to be visited is well understood.
- More of the natural activities can be enjoyed when you are aware of them and prepared for them.
Presentation
- Have participants form into groups of 3 to 5 and hand out paper and pencil to each group.
- Tell participants that their group is going on a 2-day trek into the backcountry and they have 4 minutes to list all the gear they will take.
- After the lists are finished, ask someone to choose a number from 1 to 5 and use that to randomly choose one of the five location pictures. Announce it is our destination and announce an activity we will do there - fishing, monkey monitoring, glisading, rock climbing, ...
- Ask:
- How well does the gear they chose prepare them for this destination?
- Can you think of some things to add to your pack to improve your Safety in this location?
- Are there items to add to help you Leave No Trace in this location?
- What should we add so we can do the activity we wanted?
- Were there some common necessary items no matter the destination? (compass, map, water, fire starter, first aid kit, clothes, raingear, knife, flashlight, food, sun protection)
- Emphasize that they shouldn't expect to have packed correctly because they didn't know where we were going. It's important to decide where you want to go and what you want to do before you pack. Proper planning prevents problems.
Reflection
- When you have an idea about where to visit, what are some ways to find out more about the area? (internet, local agencies, hiking and backpacking clubs)
- Besides the location, what other information do you need to properly pack for a trip? (weather, time of year, current regulations and restrictions, available activities)
