Hiking and Backpacking Skills

Movement Skills-Ascents  Hiking in the mountains is significantly different from walking on city sidewalks  Normal heel-to-toe stride only good in light hiking shoes on flat ground  Flatfooted hiking technique good for rough, steep or carrying a heavy pack to reduce fatigue and injuries

Ascents  Essentials of the flat-footed technique  Short strides  Heel on the ground, even on up hills  Quiet feet, heavy/tromping steps increase fatigue  Rest step  Weight transferred from one straight leg to the next giving the muscles a brief rest

Ascents  Mountaineer stride  Efficient technique for steep diagonal ascents  Trekking Poles  Help to transfer some of the impact from the legs to the arms  Provide another point of contact on uneven terrain  Personal preference on 1 or 2 poles as well as height of pole

Descents  Can cause knee pain, be challenging, dangerous with loose terrain  A few basic techniques  Lean out from the slope with waist, knees and ankles flexed  Take small steps  In soft terrain, plunge the heels into the slope and drop into the step  Lean forward and face straight down the slope to keep weight over the feet

Descents  Bad technique:  Turning sideways down the hill  Lean into the slope causing the feet to slide out from underneath them

Camp Set Up  When you first arrive you should look around and choose a campsite free of hazards;  such as dead trees that could fall,  low branches that could poke someone,  animal trails or  berry patches

Camp Set Up  Choose durable surfaces that are slightly elevated so that they will stay dry in the rain  Choose a site sheltered from the wind and close to the group

Camp Set Up  Set up tent so that it is securely anchored, the fly is taut and the tie-down cords are anchored to rocks or pegs  Dry items are secured inside the tent, anything outside is secured so it won’t blow away

Camp Set Up  Keep a careful inventory of your belongings and keep an organized campsite  When possible maximize ventilation in tents by opening screen doors whenever possible to minimize condensation and keep gear dry

Camp Set Up  Camping areas, kitchen set up, washroom location

Meal Planning  Break into groups and decide what meals you will eat which includes the food you must bring up  Friday: Snack, Dinner, Snack  Saturday: Breakfast, Snacks  Everyone must bring their own waterbottle  Sardis will provide ways to purify water up at Lindeman

Create a Grocery List  As a group: Write out each meal, the food you need, and who will bring it

Supplies  Backpack  Sleeping bag  Rain gear-jacket/pant  Hiking boots/waterproof shoes  Cup/plate/bowl/fork/  knife/spoon  Garbage bags/ziplock bags  Small games  Couple pairs of socks  Mitts, glove, hat (could get cold)  Flashlight (headlamps will be provided)  Food  Camping pots/pans  Tarps  Tent  Rope