Suggestions: Webelos 1st Backpacking Experience

[BigDog]

I am not sure if I am putting this in the right category, but I am looking for suggestions on places to backpack with our Webelo I's this Spring in Ohio. This will be the first time that most of these boys will do a backpacking trip. I don't want them to have to have hike too far since this will be our first attempt at doing a trip like this with the Webelos. I do want it to be a great experience for the boys and give them a sense of pride in doing something most boys their age have never done.

I am also open for any thoughts, concerns I should be thinking about. Has anyone done something like this before with their Webelos den?

[captaincoupal]

I'd say keep it to just an overnight (Especially because of Council Rules), and keep the daily mileage between 2-5 miles, depending on terrain and the boys.

Here's a great place to start online for your state: http://www.backpackohio.com. Remember, make sure that everyone has fun, and if you can come out of it with a couple of belt loops so much the better.

[TonyYarusso]

I don't know Ohio, but I do know hiking with Scouts. Make sure everybody has appropriate, well broken-in footwear well ahead of time - don't forget to check the adults too! Do training hikes close to home first - perhaps 5 miles with just day essentials, 10 miles with day essentials, then 5 miles with full pack. Yes, the adults need to come on the training hikes too. Check footwear status on each of these. You'll want to let them know that this is a group activity, not a race, and keep the faster kids within a reasonable hollering distance of the last one both for safety and morale. Try to learn things about where you're going ahead of time so you have something to talk about besides how many miles are left - local history, flora and fauna, amusing trivia, etc. Pay attention to food planning - food is a major element in adolescent morale! Check the menu, how they plan to cook it, that they pack the things needed to cook it, the grocery list, and that the groceries actually get purchased and packed. Make sure they understand caloric, nutritional, weight, space, and durability requirements of food for this type of trip, but let them have some little luxuries too. I've had trips with six-course breakfasts and trips where I came close to cannibalising those responsible for the menu...

As for packing, we liked to do 3 steps:
1) Use a regular meeting to talk about what they should be bringing, what to carry it in, and have an experienced backpacker show them how to put it all in a pack so it fits and has good weight distribution. Find out at this stage whether anyone needs gear they don't have yet and if anyone else has appropriate extras to lend. Talk about footwear, and follow up with anyone who still has to buy some to make sure they get them soon enough to make sure they fit and get broken in. Distribute the packing list. Collect medical forms, make sure anybody who doesn't have one gets a plan to fix that, including scheduling a physical if required, and collect deposit payments.
2) Have a "shakedown" meeting 3-7 days before the trip where everyone gathers with their packs fully loaded and ready to go (including water) except for food. With packing lists in hand, have each participant take everything out of the pack, check it off the list, and pack it all up again. Confirm they have everything, the pack is a reasonable weight, and everything fits with enough room left over for their share of food. After this, they shouldn't touch their packs again until departure day unless you found things that need correcting (you will). Any that "pass" could even be left at the departure point. Collect any final permission slips, final payments, etc.
3) Departure day - verify that any earlier issues are resolved (anything major you may want to follow up in between too), and distribute the food, so now everything is in a pack. Convince the parents to let go a little and head out! :P

Just from reading, not experience, it looks like the portions of the North Country Trail in the western half of Ohio are pretty easy walking with some interesting historical landmarks, so that's worth looking into.

[psyon27]

Now that is some good advice! With my little ones starting in Cub Scouts and Daisies this is information I will be keeping on hand for later. For now just day hikes when we can.

Ken

[nimbus37]

Not sure if you would come to the state up north, but the north country trail goes through the Lost Nations State Game Area in southern michigan. This is a 9 mile hike through the game area and would be a good mileage per day. Also there is a small cave to discover that is only 600 yards off the trail using a spur trail. Pm me if interested. I have a gps route that my wife and I did last fall and pictures.

[Tendertoe]

Zaleski, Wildcat Hollow, and Mohican are the three locations most of the OHangers hang at and are going to be the closest locations to you in the Columbus area.

Wildcat Hollow has primitive camping anywhere within the park meaning you can head off trail anywhere and set up camp (if that's more what you're looking for). The downside to this trail is there is no natural water source so you'll have to trek in/cache all the water for your entire group.

Mohican has "Park and Pack" spots that are a short hike in from parking lots (less than a mile or so from any parking lot to any of the spots). There are plenty of dayhike opportunities but other than that, there isn't really a decent hike to camp type of location here. Natural water sources to filter from.

Zaleski would probably be your best bet. Plenty of hike to camp opportunities from 2 miles to a dozen miles. They have designated primitive camping locations with each set of sites having a water pump and pit latrine.

Have fun and post how things go.

[BigDog]

Thank you everyone these are great thoughts and ideas. Tony thank you for all of the information I will definitely be putting this to use. I was thinking possibly Mohican since it would be a short hike to a camp area. Since the boys have never done much hiking with full packs this might be a way to ease them into it and maybe do a hike to the falls from camp. Tendertoe I have ony been to Mohican twice, and stayed at sites 3 and 4. Would you have any suggestions of another site that might allow for a couple hammocks and 3-4 tents?

[PapaSmurf]

My favorite place for introductory backpacking trips with young Scouts:
Raccoon Creek State Park in PA (approx 3hrs drive for you)
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/statepar.../raccooncreek/

They have 2 different camping areas having 5 shelters, 5 primitive tent sites & large group in each area. Water, pit toilet, bear poles, fire rings are located nearby each camping area.

Several possible routes to & from each area would allow you to give the boys a short 2-3 mile, easy hikes between any of the locations. The terrain is fairly easy and there are lots of interesting things to see along the way.

The shelters or tent sites, water, toilets & fire rings allow you to ease younger fellas into backpacking without requiring them to have top-notch gear. Several of the boys I've taken there on introductory trips have stuck with it and completed more rigorous outings because they weren't put off by a hard first trip.

[Tendertoe]

Spot 2 is by a nice creek so views wise that is nice. We've had 5-7 hammocks there before.

If you do choose this spot or any of the spots along the creek, make sure everyone practices good hygiene after touching water or anything that has touched the creek water. We've had 2 cases on separate occasions of hangers coming down with giardia/crypto come out of there (one of them being me :scared) over the past two seasons. Not that surprising considering the bridle trail crosses the creek meaning all the horses and their waste is trekking through the creek many times per day.

Spot 9 is the largest that we've been to. We've had a dozen hammocks there before and it could easily support more than that.

No water at the northern locations (8, 9, 10) so you'd have to trek in your own.

[NorthStar]

Some more thoughts:

Zaleski southern loop. http://www.ohiodnr.com/Portals/18/fo...Brochure_7.pdf
True backcountry backpacking.
If kids getting tired, could always just hike in to camp C and hike out. Nice "bail-out" option.
Easy water access & latrines (sometimes to many new things can result in failure - so nice for first-timers!).
Some nice features along trail.
After trip can swim in Lake Hope if warm enough time of year!

Old Man's Cave http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/hockinghills
Not true backcountry backpacking.
But some of the coolest natural features in the state.
Consider either:

• Regular Campground Group Sites (off to right on campground map) - lots of car camping - but reasonably easy access to lake and major features of park - the Grandma Gatewood trail from Old Man's Cave to Cedar Falls rocks!
• Family Primitive Hike-In Area - a bit more out of way and not near much close by.
• Primitive Group Camping - nicely out of the way AND could have a nice trail hike to Ash Cave. Make sure kids safe near cliffs. Could either hike (if kids going strong) or likely better drive kids to Cedar Falls and hike part of the Grandma Gatewood trail to Old Man's Cave or drive to other Hocking Hills units.

Mohican
I have never been there overnight!
Could always spice it up and mix in a canoe trip - I have been on one of those there and it was nice!!

Good luck!