We went to a free class at REI about backpacking, and discussed ways that we could feasibly cut down on the weight of our packs. Then we went on 3 over-nighter backpacking trips to get a feel for what they needed and didn’t need to bring, and how much weight they could handle. The requirement was that you had to go on at least one of these practice trips if you wanted to go on the 50 miler. We didn’t want someone going to the 50 miler with no experience beforehand that would slow down the entire troop.
All of us started out with a lot heavier packs on the first trip than the 3rd trip. We learned what we did and didn’t need pretty quickly. It was almost comical to see the quantity of stuff that was taken on the earlier trips. Check out this video I took as I hiked behind a father that came with us on a trip.
Pretty funny, until you realize that all that extra weight and the swinging back and forth of all the loose gear really slowed him down. He packed a 100 foot rope, and his sleeping bag kept falling off his pack. This trip we backpacked in 4 miles and the whole time we were hiking up a steep incline. He was so worn out that I had to take some of the boys on ahead and then come back to get his pack to take it with us so he could hike without it. He didn’t end up going on the 50 miler, but the boys learned from his experience and made sure their stuff was strapped down tight, and that they didn’t have an ounce of weight that they didn’t need.
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