Learn. Prepare. Lead.
Prepare well.Go farther.Lead with confidence.
Real trails, field-tested planning tools, and practical resources for backpackers, adult volunteers, and youth crews.
Choose your path
What are you here to do?
Use the guide as a trail directory, a preparation system, or a teaching library.
Choose a trail
Explore 15 routes from Arkansas and Colorado to New Zealand and Canada.
Browse the trail guide →02Prepare to go
Turn a destination into a route, gear, food, timing, and emergency plan.
Build your trek plan →03Teach & lead
Use printable checklists, field exercises, crew tools, and shakedown resources.
Open the resource library →
Field-tested, crew-ready
Preparation is a shared practice.
The best trips are not built by one expert holding the plan. They are built by people learning to read a map, choose gear, manage water, cook together, and make good decisions when conditions change.
Build a capable crew →Trails behind the lessons
Start with real terrain
Arkansas
Eagle Rock Loop / Little Missouri
A rugged Ouachita loop shaped by river crossings, ridgelines, and changing conditions.
Arkansas
Butterfield Trail
A forested loop through creek bottoms and historic Ozark terrain.
Colorado
Four Pass Loop / Maroon Bells
Four alpine passes, high-country weather, and one of Colorado’s iconic circuits.
Atikokan, Ontario
Northern Tier / Crownlands Canoe Routes
Remote canoe country defined by portages, teamwork, and self-reliance.
Featured training ground
ZBase backpacking
A complete hub for Backpacking Merit Badge weekends and crew shakedowns at Zink Scout Ranch—with introductory and advanced routes, topographic maps, KMZ files, and a participant guide.
Explore the ZBase hub
Navigate
Practice
Lead