Set intent
Name the route, purpose, conditions, success criteria, and reasons the crew would change the plan.
Leader toolkit
Turn preparation into practice.
A field-tested framework for shakedowns, crew development, meal instruction, and youth-led decision making—adapted from Bill Fournet’s backpacking program and teaching materials.
The shakedown
Do more than inspect gear.
A useful shakedown reveals how the crew works. Make the invisible parts of the trip visible: assumptions, ownership, communication, pacing, food systems, and decision points.
Assign ownership
Put route, pace, water, food, camp, communication, and sweep responsibilities in specific hands.
Check systems
Inspect fitted packs, shared gear, footwear, layers, first aid, water treatment, and navigation tools.
Practice together
Cook a meal, pitch shelters, filter water, read the map, and solve a realistic field scenario.
Debrief the gap
Ask what the plan assumed, what the practice revealed, and what must change before departure.
Teaching modules
Four sessions that create capable crews.
Route & risk
Read terrain, weather, water, access, pace, bailouts, and decision gates before committing to an itinerary.
Pack & systems
Fit packs, divide group gear, test shelter systems, and teach why every item earns its weight.
Food & budget
Plan calories, compare weight and cost, read grocery receipts, cook safely, and clean up in the field.
Leadership line
Rotate lead, navigator, crew leader, smoother, and sweeper roles; then debrief what each perspective noticed.
Ready-to-run exercise
The trail budget challenge
Give each team a proposed menu and a grocery receipt. Ask them to calculate total cost, cost per person, food weight, and unused package cost—then redesign the menu without sacrificing nutrition or simplicity.
- NoticeWhich ingredients drive cost or weight?
- DecideWhat can be shared, repackaged, or replaced?
- ExplainHow does the revised plan serve the crew?
Put it to work