04 Trekking Camping

8/2/2019 04 Trekking Camping

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Trekking & CampingPeter Van Geit

www.ChennaiTrekkers.org



Contents

Trekking trails Difficulty levels

Must carry checklist

Food Do’s and don’t-s

Safety

Camping & tenting Cooking & campfire

Navigation

Trek organization



Trekking trails

CTC mostly treks along streams inside

valleys in mountain ranges

◦ Presence of drinkable water (reduce weight)

◦ Presence of forest cover (tropical climate)

◦ Gradual slope (reduce climbing)

◦ Less dense vegetation (faster progress)

Climbing to mountain peaks◦ Use gradual slopes

◦ Side-streams, ridges





Difficulty levels

Terrain/trail factors that determine level

◦ Climate – tropical sun causes dehydration

◦ Presence of trail

◦ Vegetation density

◦ Ascent/descent

◦ Trek distance

◦ Trek duration ~ weight of food in backpack





Must carry checklist/1

Good shoes

◦ Comfortable (breathable) outdoor shoes

Medium sized backpack

◦ Carry food, water, extra dress, sleeping bag

Sleeping mat

◦ Sleep comfortable/warm on forest ground

◦ Floating non-swimmers and backpacks

Blanket or sleeping bag

◦ Higher altitudes, winter months



Must carry checklist/2

2-3 PET bottles, bowl, spoon◦ Carry water, eat food

LED torch

◦

Night trekking, campsite Extra set of clothes, sandals

◦ Sleep dry/warm at night

Sun protection

◦ Sunscreen, cap or towel

Plastic bags (monsoon)

◦ Keep electronic items safe, clothes dry





Must carry - common

Navigation gear◦ Topographic maps, GPS, compass

Cooking gear

◦Aluminum pots

◦ Lighter/matchbox

◦ Gas stove/cylinders (monsoon)

Camping gear◦ Tarpaulin sheets, ropes

Safety◦ First aid kit, rope, talky-s





Food & water

4 specs - lightweight, compact,energetic, preservative

◦ Fresh fruits

◦ Nuts & dry fruits

◦ Energy bars

◦ Breakfast - rusk/jam/pickle

◦Lunch – polli, parotta, chapatti, tepla

◦ Dinner – noodles, soup

◦ Supplement - electrolyte or Glucon-D

◦

Streams are source of drinking water





Do’s and don’t-s/1

Be ON time!

Do NOT litter!

Volunteer! (many tasks to share)

Silence! (do not disturb wildlife)

Minimize weight! (backpack)

Conserve drinking water!

◦ Regular small sips – continuous hydration

◦ Plan between water sources



Do’s and don’t-s/2

Use comfortable shoes

◦ Avoid new ones, worn down ones

Use comfortable clothing, avoid bright

colors

Start with easy treks to assess self level

◦ Many land up in trouble, delaying group

Climb uphill slow & steady◦ Many get exhausted, dehydrated while

climbing uphill in tropical climate with

backpack



Safety

Top three dangers - Water, Rocks, Wildlife

Water

◦ Silent killer, caution non-swimmers!

Rocks◦ Loose rocks while climbing

Wildlife

◦Snakes, scorpions, elephants, bees, …

Stay with the group!

◦ Maintain eye sight with person in front/back

◦ Periodic regrouping



Camping & tenting

Identify suitable campsite

◦ Reasonable flat ground level

◦ Presence of nearby water source

Tenting (rain, wind, cold)◦ 15 x 15 ft tarpaulin sheet (2kg) covers 10

◦ Regular tent (4kg) covers 3 and costs 4.000Rs

◦ Weight/head - 100gr vs.1.3kg◦ Use rocks, ropes, sticks to set up sheets in

suitable shape





Cooking & campfire

Collect three rocks for cooking place

◦ High (max heat above fire)

◦

Big, flat bottom (stability, weight large pot)◦ Corner pointing inside (ventilation)

Cooking/campfire

◦

Collect dry firewood◦ Small, medium, large size

◦ Bigger trunk for campfire through night





Navigation

Maintain group unity

◦ Identify lead, sweeper and middle man

◦ Regroup periodically, at diversions

Avoid steep, risky climbs

Avoid dense vegetation, thorny bushes

Be watchful around deep water

Carefully plan between water sources

Topo-graphic maps, GPS, compass



Trek organization

Fix location and date Prepare invite through Google Form

Obtain forest permission if required

Identify guide or GPS trail or navigate Own vehicles or book transportation?

Advance payments for advance reservation

Nearby trek - pick up points & timings

Finalize headcount 2 days before start

Finalize transportation

Buy food



Documents

04 Trekking Camping