How To Camp Out In The Wilderness

7/29/2019 How To Camp Out In The Wilderness

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HoW tOcAmP oUt

In ThEwIlDeRnEsSNoRa TeAl DoTy

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Here is an example of what you would need to pack into a75lb. backpack on a 45day camping trip:Camping Trip Packing ExampleGroup GearPersonal GearSuggested AccessoriesLeaders OnlyPlanning The Essentials of An Expedition Taught By NOLS The National OutdoorLeadership School

If You Are A First-Time PaddlerCulture ShockHaving a Paddling AccidentBase CampPulling A Canoe Out Of WaterWhy We Wear Cotton Undergarments and SocksWilderness CookingWilderness-Safe FoodsWilderness EthicsThe Study of Water

Map ReadingBuilding a Team on An ExpeditionHow To Build a FireWilderness Camp SitesDehydrationWilderness SanitationBear ProtectionIf You Come To A Beaver Dam While PaddlingLining

New Method of LiningCamping ClimateHypothermiaImpassable Terrain (streams)Single Person CanoeFloat PlaneFishing License

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SlateSchistsUnderarmorLivestrongShredgain (only instructors)If your Canoe Tips Over Upstream from A RapidClass 3 Rapid Rescue Team DemosRaftingHiking Shale-covered mountains/PeakingChecking Out The Terrain (experts/instructors)Checking The Campers Luggage to Make Sure Everything is Fine(instructors/leaders)

Nature Lessons DailySecond-Time Internet Travelers

Daily Nature/Practical Lesson Ideas (15-30 min. each)Recipes

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Here is an example of what you would need to pack into a75lb. backpack on a 45 day camping trip:

Camping trip packing example (plan from 130 degreesabove to 30 below):

Group gear:

Tent/tent stakes/tent pole parts including ropes/tent flyWooden two-person canoes (with metal infrastructure)Single-burner propane stove, foldable (one for eachgroup of 4)Wooden paddles (one for each individual paddler)Waterproof plastic barrels (must fit into canoes/carry up

to 370lbs.)Ropes for front of each canoe (must be at least 15 ft.long)Canoe straps with buckles (hold more than 200lbs each)Life jackets for each person with the right fitOne navigator/powerful SOS radio electronicsA small foldable one-burner propanestove/lighter/skillets/Tupperware/sporks/lantern orlanterns for each cooking group of 43 sizes of Ziploc bags (for daytrips storage of snacks,and storage of group food)*suggestion is a Tupperware with holes in it for drainingnoodles (help prevents bugs from getting into yourfood)Elevation maps/compass/first aid kit for every 4 peopleA huge thick black garbage bag to line your backpack(for waterproofing)Personal gear:Suggested Accessories:

ThermosWaterproof watchUnscented biodegradable hand sanitizerLarge water bottle with measurements in (L) liters, and(mL) millilitersDisposable/waterproof cameraWater purification pills

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Water moccasinsHair combUnscented-biodegradable toothpasteTravel toothbrushSmall bar unscented-biodegradable soap in small

plastic travel containerOne-piece swimsuitGogglesSunglasses with UV protectionChap Stick with at least 30 SPFUnscented gum (if you want to store it in your pack theentire time)Sunscreen (unscented)Bug repellent

Bandana/washclothMandatory gear:Waterproof flashlightLong underwear tops (2 pairs minimum)Dig-its or trowels (1 per 4 people)Daytime snacks nuts/dried fruit/energy bars/chocolatemms and nut assortments/pumpkin seeds/sunflowerseeds, etc (Basically anything you will find at aoutdoor sports store)6 Pairs Hiking Socks Medium CushionSock LinersUnder Armor Top (or similar brand)Jacket (windbreaker or rain protection, preferablyGore-tex which can be found at North Face)Fishing LicenseWarm Winter HatWinter GlovesGlove LinersLined Windbreaker Pants

2 Pairs Long Underwear Bottoms5 Pairs of Cotton Underwear (only breathable fabric)5 (Women only) 100%Cotton Sports BrasGaiters1 Pair Mountain Hiking BootsHead Net1 Inch/abt. 3 cm. Thick Durable Camping Mats (1 Per

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Person)Sleeping bag (based on weather conditions)Light to Medium Weight Winter Coat (unzips with

bottom layer of fleece)Group First Aid Kit (plus small kits for each group of 4)Prescription MedicationsMini Pencil and NotepadBlack Garbage Bags 3 Per PersonMini Foldable Stool or ChairWashragUnscented Biodegradable Shampoos and ConditionersMini Packages of KleenexesLighters (for the leaders)Sleeping Bag Straps

Stuff Bag for Sleeping BagRatchet Tie-DownsAutocam Tie-DownsWooden PaddlesWooden/Metal Canoes50 ft. Extra RopeSeam Seal for Tent Rips (instructors/experts only)Leaders Only: Pepper SpraysLeaders Only: FlaresLeaders Only: One pair binoculars to sharePotable AguaWaterproof extra-large stuff bagsKarabiners 3 per person

Planning the essentials of an expedition as taught by(NOLS) The National Outdoor Leadership School:

One structure which seems to work the best is if you areplanning a trip that includes both mountain hiking andwhitewater canoeing, is taking a float plane into a place inthe wilderness located on a lake that is also the source ofa whitewater river. You will need a topographical map ofthe entire length of the river and the mountain range

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surrounding the lake for up to about 25 miles on eitherside, which can often be found on the same map. Theoverall plan should be to alternate days with canoe tripsand mountain day hiking trips. It is easier in this case tocamp out next to the river and return to the campsite andthe canoes after a full day of hiking. This will enable youto enjoy yourself and carry out the groups plans while atthe same time staying moving down the river to the finaldestination, in case there are any unexpected setbacks,which can always be expected to happen, you are notgoing to be stuck near the beginning of your trip and thentrying to make up miles on the river in one big effort.

If you are a first-time paddler:

Dont worry, despiteknowing about the rapids ahead, you will most likely havea day-long training session in a lake before you startheading down the river. Typically a canoeing trip will startat the rivers source, which is usually a lake. The mouth isusually the ocean in many cases which means that thewater runs directly into the ocean. Learning to paddle forthe first time on a lake is the best alternative to a river

because the water is not flowing in any particulardirection, it is more tranquil. Typically your wildernessleaders will demonstrate what they expect of you first andthen allow you to try it while critiquing your form, so besure you are paying close attention: for a paddler, themost important form will be in the wrists, arms, shoulders,and most of all the torso, in which lies your core and most

of your strength. Making a technical mistake in a riverwith whitewater could mean serious injury or death,especially depending on the severity of the rapids, whichare ranked from class 1 to class 5 with class 5 being themost difficult. Once your form is corrected by yourinstructor keep practicing it do not let yourself pick up any

bad habits because mistakes can be life or death on the

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river. So pay close attention to how youre feelingbecause this is your chance to address any issues that aregoing on, like concerns about discomfort or possible

personal health risks.

Culture shock:

There is such a huge range of adversity onan expedition. Not all adversity is bad, in fact, some of itwill come from the fact that the nature all around you hasastounding beauty, like nothing youve ever seen. Can be

experienced in the wilderness and is often a topic ofconversation. If you have never ventured into thewilderness then you are not mentally prepared for whatyou are about to experience. You will need to be preparedto live completely differently then you ever have for anextended period of time. The only things that can prepareyou for this would be looking at a slideshow of prior similarexpeditions by certified NOLS instructors or large-scalecertified wilderness expedition leaders. This will help let itsink in what all you will be facing instead of getting a littleof it at a time in pondering thoughts. You should also ask

N.O.L.S. alumni and your leader lots of questions. Howelse will you know what to expect? For example, onething you will not be used to is when you are thirsty andneed a drink you will have to place some drops from a

bottle of Potable Agua usually provided by instructors,which will purify and dilute any strange or odorous

bacteria which is found in the water in that area of theworld. It will take a certain amount of time usually about

15 minutes for the water to be purified and ready to drink,so this is one of the changes you will need to get used to,

because it is quite different from pouring a glass of waterfrom the fridge. In addition to that, you should thoroughlyresearch the region you will be travelling in and anythingthat will help make your trip easier. For example,research the wildlife, plant life, animal life, types of terrain

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including pictures, history of the region, political grasp ofthe region, especially if it's in a different country.

Having a canoeing accident:

When you have an accident,always remember that it could have been worse. In fact,an accident doesnt mean that your canoe tips,necessarily, it could be a rough patch of water that putyou at the mercy of the river for awhile while the waters

basically flooded and probably forced you to make

personal decisions you never thought youd have to make.If you have an accident on a rapid for example lets saythat you are going over a rapid and you accidentally goover a ledge instead of through the tongue, and yourcanoe starts overflowing with water from the rapid and asyour boat sinks, you should get out of the canoe so that itdoes not sink completely and is unsalvageable with yourweight. The experts should always be positioned at the

bottom of a rapid so that they can recover a canoe in anemergency situation, since it will carry your belongingsand the groups food barrels will also be strapped in there.The number one most important thing to remember is tohold onto your paddle. A river is moving fast and youmight find it harder to swim in it than you think that is whyyou will want to hold onto the paddle to help you out withgetting to the bank. The second thing you always want toget into the water feet first never head first in case youmight hit your head and your feet should always be

pointed downstream or in the direction the water is

moving so you can see where you are going. With yourlife vest on you will be able to stay afloat. You shouldnever attempt to save the canoe in the river, leave that tothe leaders. All you need to do is get yourself safely ontothe shore. For those who, like me, are cold climatecampers and Arctic river paddlers, be aware that if youare near enough to the Arctic Ocean, you will be dealing

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with freezing water temperatures. It isnt safe to be in thewater for more than just a few minutes or you willinevitably get hypothermia. Colder water conditions likethis are much harder to swim or move in during acanoeing emergency because cold water will paralyze youand you wont be able to move and sometimes speak.That is why you keep the paddle in your hands when youare falling into the river, it should never leave your hands.

Base Camp:

Base camp is where you keep your canoesand food storage during your day hikes. You will want to

plan to stay at a given campsite where you are day hikingfor several days, especially in the beginning of the trip, soyou can get much of the hiking out of the way by taking 3or 4 day trips out of one base camp. The food barrelsshould be strapped into the canoes using the ratchet andauto cam tie downs, the canoes tipped upside down andleaning on one another in a line at least 20 feet from thewaters edge. Any other camping gear that is left behindon the day hikes for a particular reason will need to bestored tightly under these straps in the canoes as well tokeep them from being stolen by animals or from blowingaway under windy conditions.Putting a canoe in the water: Two people are needed tograb hold of each end of the canoe and place it 3 -4 feetor 1 meter into the water front-end first. While one holdsonto the rope tied on the back end of the canoe, as thefront end should go in first, the person who will be

paddling in front will have on their life vest and be holdingonto their paddle while climbing into the canoe as theother person holds the rope. The second person who will

be paddling in the back of the canoe is then responsiblefor pushing off from the shore by wading a few feet intothe water, and then stepping into the canoe as it entersthe downstream flow. This method ensures that the

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canoe will be in the appropriate natural position goingdownstream and will not cause the paddlers to struggle,

be turned around, or just lose control when entering thefaster downstream flow of the river.

Pulling a canoe out of water:

You may have to jump outholding on to the rope attached at the front of the canoe,depending on how shallow the shore is up to about 3-4 ft.,and pull the canoe until it is about halfway onto the shore

or dry land. It should be easy for just one person. Allowyour partner to climb to the front of the boat and get outon the dry land so they can help you by each grabbing anend of the canoe and bringing it to its proper storage

place, typically about 6 meters or about 20 ft. from thebanks of the river. You will always want to flip a canoe sothe bottom is facing up whether its piled side-by-side onthe ground with other canoes or hanging up on a racknear a public lake. A canoe is too heavy for just one

person to drag unless you are in a one-person canoe,which is built smaller than a two-seater canoe andtherefore is possible for just one person to drag it out ofthe water, although you will never want to drag it on land,you will need two people to carry the one-person canoe toits proper overnight storage location, on a rack typically ifyou are canoeing locally but on the ground in a row if youare using proper storage procedures in a wildernesssetting.

Why we wear cotton undergarments and socks:

Mainly toprevent chafing. Cotton is the most breathable fabric that

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you can find. If you are hiking or paddling strenuously orfor a long period of time, then cotton is actually going tosoak up your perspiration without leaving you feeling wetor sweaty. It will help you stay on top of your A game allday long. It is also best to plan to wear medium cushionhiking socks because even if you may only encounterwarm climates, the water in that region may not be warm,it very well may be close to freezing, and secondly, youalso tend to encounter freezing climates in higherelevations in mountainous regions including snow and icecoveredschist and shale.Paddling: one hand must be on the end of the paddlefingers facing down over the handle and the other placedhalfway between the two ends of the paddle. Holding the

paddle straight out in front of you with both hands in theirpositions put the paddle in vertical position over the wateron your right side. Your hands should never leave their

positions when paddling and the paddle should always bean arms-length from your body at all times. The paddleshould be over the water about a foot but not touching ornearing the water. You should always start in that same

position with every stroke with the paddle stretched out infront of you and in the next position it should be hangingvertically over the water. You should go from the first

position to the second position without bending any arms.Your paddle should hit the water right on the center of theside of your body, not in front of it. When it enters thewater it should cut right through it, so it doesn't createeven the slightest disturbance on the water's surface.Every stroke should be like this. Each stroke should be

pulling the water as far back as is comfortable for you, fora female instructor it may be up to 2 feet long about butfor a first time paddler anywhere from 1 feet 2 feet.

Once you lift the paddle out of the water it again rotatesto the center of the right side of your body to cut throughthe water's surface again. That is the basic paddle.Paddling in the back of the canoe your responsibility isonly to change the direction of the canoe, not to paddle togain speed. Your paddle should be positioned almostconstantly behind your body in the water at a 60degree

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angle from in-line with your torso wrist facing down. Ifyoure right-handed then your paddle should typically gointo the water on your left side. The flat side of the paddleat the end of your initial stroke angled out from yourcanoe at the bottom side about a 45degree angle from the

position parallel to the side of the canoe, your left wrist (ifyoure right-handed) parallel to the canoe. The paddlegoes into the water at a parallel angle to your torso andyour wrist should automatically find that position near the

back of the canoe wrist down. You change the canoe'sdirection by turning the paddle forward about 30degreeswrist ever so slightly up while in its usual position to goleft and paddle angled backward from its naturalstreamline position at least 30 degrees to go right mainly

using the hand positioned at the top of the paddle,because that hand is positioned closest to your center ofgravity, your torso, and is going to be doing most of thework naturally for that reason. As you do this, you turnyour torso right or left depending on which is yourstronger hand, on the side of the canoe you are paddlingon to give your direction more control.In the front of the canoe your responsibility is to paddle asfast and with as much precision as you can. One of themost basic rules is that you are to sit up straight, not leanforward or backward while in the front of the canoe.Using good posture helps you to gain more speed withless complications, which come from overexerting uselessmuscles in your torso by leaning forward or leaning

backward too much, because this produces uselessstrokes with no power behind them. If you are paddlingtoo far in front of your center of gravity, you will beliterally going nowhere because you are then trying to pullthe weight of the canoe and all its contents and team

members weight collectively, which would be hard foranyone. Also, never ever paddle upstream in a canoe, wealways paddle downstream. It is best not to take toomany risks when in a whitewater river, you want to buildup from only the best form possible which is at its core,good posture. If it's a lake and you can swim, go ahead,

but in a river, best not to tempt fate. In a river with rapids

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the water is very fast-moving and there are often manyrocks and sedimentary ledges in the rapids which could tipa fly-a-way canoe. Especially if you are part of a teamwho is depending on you and you are depending on them.This is called wilderness ethics.

Wilderness cooking:

one person works on setting up thesmall foldable single-burner propane stove, while theother person works on prepping the food, while the other

person cooks the food, the last person in one of the teamson the expedition cleans. Separate rotation each meal ofthe day. Each person cleans their own Tupperware plateand Spork. The most convenient setup of the mealsystem would be four groups of four and then whoever isleading the group should have a co-leader and be in agroup with him or her. (Fishing: cooking the fish: how to:cook the whole fish not just fileting it because doingeverything is tougher in the wilderness. Your best bet isto pan fry and then when the skin is flakey, its done.)Using alpine stowaway skillet or a similar product,

preferably foldable, one for each group of 4, you will beable to make several types of casseroles, pastas, and hot

breakfast foods among others.

Wilderness-safe Foods:

Popcorn

SeasoningsFish filet seasoning

o Cinnamono Vanillao Brown sugar

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o Sugaro Onion powdero Garlic powdero Oreganoo Coffee powdero Hot pepper Dried potato flakes Bean paste Dried fruit Pasta Cheese (cheddar and Monterey jack) Soy sauce Hot sauce Oatmeal

Grits Pasta sauce Hot cocoaMilk powderPowdered coffeeTea Bag Varieties (black, green, orange, etc) Summer Sausage Pumpkin seeds/sunflower seeds Butter

whole purple onionscarrotscornmealHersheys Bars, Snickers Bars, Kit-Kat Bars, Reeces

Peanut Butter Cups, and MMs.

Wilderness Ethics:

This is one of the most basic andimportant things you will need to learn either from yourexpedition leader or if youre going somewhere like anational park, even. The reason is that it is importantto respect whatever governing ethics are being used to

preserve that land for our camping use. Everyone has

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their own philosophy. Usually if you are going out intothe wilderness the rules are even stricter and you mayeven be hassled by officials about searching your bagsto make sure you are using only ethical methods foryour camping trip for things like the conditions the

bodies of water are to be left in, the ethics for theground, and the ethics regarding plant life and animallife. For example, if you notice the packing list, there isnothing that has a scent, and the products from yourtoothpaste to your soap and everything in betweenmust be biodegradable if you want to be an ethicalcamper. National parks that do not enforce these rulesor all of these rules will still greatly appreciate a fulleffort on your part when it comes to ethics. Of course

the ethics of nearly every wilderness area is to leavethe nature as you found it. This applies especiallywhen bushwhacking. You might need to snap a treelimb which is causing a very dangerous passage foryour group, but for the most part, it is best to simplymisplace the twigs and trees in your path and thenreplace them to their place with your hand after youhave passed through for those who are hiking in line

behind you. This is also part of camping ethics withyour fellow campmates. If you are travelling in a linewhich is most common when hiking, because theanimal paths are straight and narrow just like human

paths, you will be partially responsible for making surethat the person who is following behind you does notget hit with a stick or tree limb. So it is important that

just as you remove the sticks to pass through, that youalso replace them behind you with your hands so thatthey are not swinging or swaying violently behind youand able to hit that person.

The study of water:

Water is a very powerful thing,

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especially when in its rapids. A river is a moving body ofwater from its source to its mouth, it essentially all travelsone way and it is nearly impossible to fight against it or toswim upstream in a river. The fastest moving water in ariver is in the middle of the river where it is also deepest.The banks of the river contain the slowest moving waterand contain an area where the water actually movesupstream. A canoe paddler uses this area to pull over

before entering a rapid, get out of the canoe, and assessthe rapid for the best path to pass through. Once you areable to turn the tip (10 inches) of your canoe into theupstream flowing bank, then your canoe will inevitably

begin to turn upstream, will slow down, and allow you toget out of the water. The study of rapids in water is

important for any whitewater canoe paddler.Understanding how and where the water is moving isessential to successfully completing the river's obstaclecourse. A ledge is an area in the riverbed that juts outfrom under the water almost like a mini cliff, and thewater pours over it. This also creates a huge wave justinches beyond the foaming, heavily churning drop-off ofthe ledge. Somewhere in the middle of the ledge which isstretching from one bank to the other, is a tongue or a

break in the ledge so the water flows down between thetwo parts of the ledge like a smaller version of a waterfall,usually about 2-5 feet in diameter. At the end of thetongue is a huge wave, sometimes reaching up to 5 feettall in class 2-5 rapids. Typically in class 1-3 rapids, thereare several easily-decipherable ledges, but once you hitclass 4-5 there is too much whitewater to detect wheresome ledges actually may be located within the rapid,which is typically much larger. Another formation of thewater is when you see almost like a spring bubbling up

that can actually cause the water to disperse quite a bit insometimes unexpected places and produces whitewater.This is called a boil and is dangerous to be around in thewater, but if you're careful, it's not dangerous in a canoe,

but it actually can push up on your canoe, often shockingyou by lifting the 1000 lbs. often contained in the canoe ofgear by sometimes almost a foot or 1/3 meter. Now

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combine all these components of a rapid, and you have adecent stretch of whitewater territory. A rapid is thecreation of whitewater through the rock formations in thewaterbed creating the certain readable formations. Theseare not the only formations, but the most common. Manyof these in one relatively close area of river are called arapid. A rapid means that the waterbed or floor of theriver is so complex, that it forms all sorts of whitewater. Arapid is an indication that the water appears white on top,is moving extremely fast, is moving in multiple directionsall at once on the surface of the water, is an area of theriver which is lowering in elevation or is often in adownward diagonal formation, and seems almost unnavigablein a canoe.

Map reading:

Map reading is essential for every wildernessexpedition because no one has ever been on that terrain

prior to you and there is no human habitation in thatregion of the globe for a significant distance often morethan 5,000sq. miles. You have to know how to read a mapfor navigation and hiking, to plan your next daytrip, andkeep yourself continually on-track throughout the day. Amap of these areas is provided by your federalgovernment. These maps you will need use lines forelevation by each 100ft. mark and additional linesshowing rivers, streams, valleys, and other bodies ofwater like lakes. Many of these mountains, rivers, andlakes are unnamed and unclaimed meaning they have

never been officially "discovered" by anybody, which canoften lead to these maps appearing very challenging

because everything nearly looks the same often times. Ihave seen mountains that are identical save a smallstream or small shift in its peak formation, almostcompletely undetectable. You have to have a sensitiveeye and a pair of binoculars. Once you are able to set

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your own course and read a map by simply stopping toobserve where you are and what's going on around you,you will be able to also use a map for navigation if you donot have a compass. This is especially helpful. You willalso by then be aware of which areas have streams fordrinking and washing, where valleys are located, noted for

being more shady, which areas are too steep to climb onthis planned trip, usually the peaks, and where the bestclimbs and views hopefully might still be.Bushwhacking: Sometimes people picture a person with ahuge knife to slice trees in one fell swoop but that is onlyin the movies. In reality you will usually use your armsand your hands. If you are in the wilderness this will besomething you do nearly all day every day. It is not an

easy job, but somebodys got to do it, figure it that way. Ifyou are involved in a big group hiking through thewilderness everyone should switch off with their turn inthe front of the line, and in the back of the line, andeverywhere in between so everyone takes a turn doingthe dirty work. If you are second or third in line, you needto keep a protective hand or arm in front of your face atall times because you will most likely get anywhere from atwig to a larger wooden branch snapping in your face fromthe first person forgetting to lead the way for you byreplacing the branch after they have moved it. Despitewhat you may think, this will happen often and cansometimes be painful and potentially very dangerous. Bythe end of the day your arms will hurt from bushwhackingand may be scarred up or bleeding. The best thing to dois to find an under armor top to wear that has long sleeveseven on hot days. They are fine because the fabric is

pretty thin, and it breathes, so if you have long sleeves,you will be much happier at the end of the day following

animal trails is not always easy. Although not all animalsare low to the ground, many are, and so often the brush isvery thick in those areas of the wilderness. If a bear hasrecently torn through there you can usually tell because

bears will often clear out a brush by hanging on treelimbs, and scratching their 5-inch nails on the bark of thetree to sharpen them, so the area is much more accessible

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to humans, and its the same with the moose. The mooseis a rather large animal and their antlers, which theyeventually shed, will carve a defined path through the

brushes and make it easier for humans to follow the trails.Bushwhacking can cause a lot of sweat which causeschafing and other discomfort. Especially after going at itfrom dawn until dusk, as many travelers do. Having anunscented deodorant and unscented soaps and toiletrieswill keep the bugs off you when this happens. In thewilderness, the insects are often larger and often travel inswarms and groups much larger than those found in anygiven location where there is civilization. It could be muchworse than one might think if those bugs were attracted toyour scent, they are attracted to pretty much any scent.

You could easily waste an hour or more getting the bugsto leave you alone or even get off course, so the attackscan be very dangerous. That is why it is not an option tomess around with wanting to smell nice out in thewilderness. It is easier in the long-run if you are makingthe mature decision to go with only unscented toiletriesand more ethical. Plus if your instructors find out you areviolating the ethical code of that particular area, you could

be asked to leave if it is in the beginning of the trip.What if someone gets hurt: If someone is injured to wherethey are unable to stay with the group and hike becauseof a broken arm or broken ankle, it is best to backtrack tothe place the float plane dropped you off and use youremergency device to call the float plane back to the lake.Identify lethal dangers in your assessment: airway,

breathing, circulation, decide about the spine, and aboutexposing injuries to the environment. You may have tocarry that person for quite a distance, if they get hurt on ahiking day trip, but in the long run it is better than if you

were out of reach of the lake, and were forced to possiblycarry him in your canoe for the entire trip. There istypically no communication in the wilderness once youreach about 5-10 miles outside of the last city you wereat. Even satellite radios and GPS are seldom of use

because there is rarely a safe place for any helicopter orplane to land out in the wilderness even if you are lucky

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enough to get ahold of someone who can help. Themountains will cause even the strongest of signals to becut off out of range. If someone sprains their ankle forexample, two people will have to volunteer to carry that

person down the mountain in zigzag formation, makinglarger zigzags so your path is not as steep. You will haveto carry them on your shoulders one person at their feetone at their head. This is the protocol even in rainyconditions. You may also have to wrap their ankle to keep

pressure on it depending on how bad the sprain or breakis, and this is the same for all body parts, but especiallythe head or neck. If the injured person is out of water orneeds something to chew on, someone may have to stepup and volunteer their stash of snacks or share their only

water bottle. This is the meaning of teamwork whenyoure roughing it. You may need it but another man mayneed it more.

Building a team on an expedition:

Building a team on anexpedition is basically the process of getting to knowthose people through camping, hiking, and canoeing withthem and spending all of your days and nights with them.First you usually go through a briefing for the expeditionwhich takes place right before the trip and get to meetand know a little about each person. During the briefing,the leaders of the expedition will tell you a little bit aboutwhat you can expect to encounter on the trip, what isrequired of you as a team member, and how to cope with

common wilderness issues. The brief shows you all thetechnicalities of the trip through group efforts anddemonstrations. If it is your first time canoeing andmountain hiking with an 80lb. backpack then you will learnall about the parts of the canoes and the backpack. Youwill learn how to pitch the particular tents that are beingused on the trip, what types of food you will be eating,

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what obstacles you are going to encounter along the way.For example, your leaders may tell you that you will be

portaging over a mesa that you are going to learn acanoeing technique called lining, and that you will learnhow to do a white water rescue demonstration in a class 3rapid. These are all examples of common team effortstaken in wilderness conditions where mountains and riversare prevalent. Every persons part in these activities isequally important because if care is not taken then thesituations might end in injury or possibly death of a fellowcamper. During the briefing they will teach you how to

pack your backpack so that it wont be unmanageable foryou on the trail, mainly so it will not be top heavy, bulky,or pose any danger to yourself. This is also the time for

you to ask any questions you want to know. At the end ofthe trip you will have a de-brief once you reach your finaldestination. The instructors will recap the high points andthe low points as well as the highlighted lessons we willlearn on the trip to help us manage our future certificationin leading wilderness expeditions and in wildernesscamping and travelling expertise, and then they willcommend you for your effort and the fact that you actuallydid something most people will never get the chance todo! You will return the group gear and probably receivesome kind of certificate of achievement if not an actualcertification of some sort, especially if you are on a

National Outdoor Leadership Expedition or on anexpedition lead by a NOLS graduate who is certified tolead a wilderness expedition and a certified expert in theareas of camping, mountain hiking, and whitewatercanoeing.

How to build a fire:

find an area of land with no vegetationonly dirt, take rocks and surround an area of dirt at least 4feet in diameter. First, gather dry leaves, moss, and

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grasses, and pile them in the middle of the fire area, in apile about 5-inches in diameter by 10-inches in height.Second, gather medium-width twigs, then take a sharp

pocket knife and shave off the bark leaving the lightcolored dry wood underneath, after you have done this toseveral twigs, make a strong teepee shape out of them inthe middle of the circle of rocks around the mosses, this iscalled tinder, and can often be found in small compact

packages at any sporting goods store. Find bigger andbigger sticks until your fire is big enough following thecountry's laws about fire regulation. When you are ready,take a match and light first the very inner part of grassand leaves until it is ablaze, the fire will then spread to therest of your larger sticks and these will burn for longer.

You may also shave these down and it will help them toburn better. Be sure you have quite a bit of small twigsand dry leaves, moss and grasses to refuel the fire so thelarger sticks will light quite quickly. Your manmade fire pitshould be 10-12 feet from any vegetation that could easilycatch fire like grass, leaves, etc As an important ethical

part about using the wilderness responsibly, you shouldalways put the rocks back where you found them afteryour fire is over and try to cover the area where the fire

pit was built with underbrush and twig, moss, and leafvegetation so it will not disturb the animal life.

Wilderness campsites:

When you are out in thewilderness there is no designated camping site. You have

to find a place to pitch your tent. Sometimes that can bedifficult because someone may be injured or overly tiredsince you have been working hard since sunrise.Commonly done is pitching your tent on top of bushes,rocks of all shapes and sizes, and even steep hills. Thismay seem uncomfortable and strange but you will want toactually pitch your tent before it gets dark so you may

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have to settle for less than the best campsite. Considerthat you will also be laying your sleeping bag on a mat,not just on a pile of rocks. The sleeping mats that aredesigned for camping are able to take years of wear andtear and are incredibly durable to all ground conditions.

Dehydration:

Wear as much sun protection as you can anddrink as much fluids as are available to you. Try dressingin lighter colors, not black, which seems to be a hotter

fabric color. You need to plan ahead for dehydration bysaving your water when you are going to have to go alonger distance with the possibility of not finding a watersource. Another way of prevention is to make sure thatyou note when you are running low on Potable Aguadrops, and make sure you request more from yourinstructor before leaving the base camp for a daily hike ora day of paddling. It is always best to plan ahead for the

possibility of being far from a water source all day. Thiswill have to be a daily practice and one of the mostimportant things you need to pay attention to on awilderness expedition. As scary as it seems, sometimeswilderness maps are outdated, or sometimes a stream justdries up, so where there may be a marked water source, itis quite possible that that source no longer exists.

Wilderness sanitation:

Usually consists of using twigs,leaves, or moss to wipe your privates when using the

bathroom. Find something that is comfortable to you.The bathroom must be 100 ft. away from any bed of waterto keep water supply from being contaminated. You must

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take with you a small shovel called a trowel or a "dig it"and dig a hole each time you use the bathroom about afoot deep by 5 feet in diameter, then when you are doneyou must cover it, and mark an x over it using the dig it.The most convenient way of washing your hands is to

bring a biodegradable hand sanitizer in your personalbelongings, and if you do not, then using a bandana andsome biodegradable soap in the water source nearestyour campsite. To rinse or shower yourself, it is best touse biodegradable products and wade into the nearestwater source up to your knees in a bathing suit and withwater moccasins on, if the waters freezing like up nearthe Arctic, then the best option is to try to stay on theshore while washing yourself instead of wading into the

freezing river water.If you have never hiked off of the trail: If you are mountainhiking off the trail for the first time, you will need to knowcertain techniques used to travel up the mountain in thesafest conditions. You will be travelling in 10-20ft. widezigzag formations going up the mountain, until you areable to hike the peak. This helps you to walk a path thatis less steep then walking vertically up the mountain.When you encounter rain, sleet or slippery snowconditions, as is common in high-altitude mountain rangesof North America when travelling to higher elevations,then you will be sidestepping up the mountain. That wayif you fall you should be able to break your own fall

because this type of hiking enables you to fall uphillnaturally instead of downhill. When hiking on sea-levelterrains, you will be following animal trails and doing alittle bit of your own trail blazing, but animal instinct is alot like human intuition so following the animal trails isusually the best pre-made path you will find in the

wilderness. This is also the best place to see the animalkingdom in its purest form. While animals will tend to staycompletely out of the way of humans on these trails, youwill find some really cool evidence that animals dofrequently use these wilderness pathways, like shedantlers, trees with bear-claw markings, and other thingslike giant hoof and paw prints. If you get lost, you will

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have to coordinate your navigation skills using the groupmap, which someone who is designated daily isresponsible for, a compass to position yourself, and ofcourse your memory of the path you've taken so you cancollectively decide on how to backtrack to the base camp.By being able to navigate without a compass, as youshould learn before ever starting your day hiking, you will

be able to find your way easily back to the base camp inany conditions or situation. You can always tell by the

position of the sun, too, because the sun rises in the eastand sets in the west, just be sure you are prepared to setup camp by the time the sun sets because any campingdone in northern-most areas of the globe will experience amuch shorter day, sometimes as short as 2 hours.

Bear Protection:

one of the leaders in your group shouldhave a bear spray, and also colorful clothing will scare a

bear away so take out that colorful clothing and wave itaround if there is a bear in the area. Screaming or makinga lot of noise or clamor will also make a bear turn aroundand go the other way most likely. Try putting away anyfood that you might be snacking on, bears can smell thesugar and will be attracted to it, believe it or not.Wilderness wildlife: A lot of the wildlife you will find in

North American places will be some very impressive birdslike the great Eagle. Eagles will often build their nests atthe top of evergreen trees along rivers. Anotherimpressive bird found up near the Arctic Circle in the

Yukon Territory is Paragon Falcons, which are the fastestbird in the world. They fly up high far above the tree-lineunless hunting. Its most impressive to watch these birdseither flying up high using the air patterns, or hunting inwhich case they swoop down at the highest speeds knownin the bird kingdom and catch their prey on the ground.These birds are not vultures but they are not known for

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attacking humans. You will also encounter brown or blackbears, mountain goats, buffalo, moose, deer, wolves, andlarge wilderness beavers. You will also have theopportunity to fish for Grailing, Bluegills, Trout, andCatfish.

If you come to a beaver damn while paddling:

You mayvery well encounter a beaver damn in the river you aretravelling down or sometimes a series of beaver damns, if

you encounter a beaver damn the best thing to do is toget out of the canoe, beaver damns are usually built inshallow waters that wont pass your knees or thighs. Itsokay to use your hiking boots. You and your canoe

partner should both help push the canoe over the beaversdamn. You may have to get out and into the canoefrequently, but in shallower parts of the river, this may bea requirement.

Lining:

Lining is the process of passing a group of canoesthrough a particularly turbulent almost impassible stretchof river. Each canoe should already have tied to its helm arope about 12 feet long which is used to help bring in thecanoes in the evenings. Each member of the team will

stretch out along the impassible rapid, the instructors atthe most difficult points along the shoreline. The canoeswill be passed one by one in sometimes a very slow

process to a calm area of the bank located justdownstream from the rapid, where the last team memberis standing. First before I explain how to line, it isimportant to understand that when you are in the

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wilderness that canoe is very important and needs to beprotected and cared for. This is why we line. It is safer toget the canoe through the rapid by directing it from the

banks of the river then going through the rapid if it isabove class 3 unless you are a certified expert inwhitewater canoeing from a reputable outdoor expeditionschool. Each rapid is different so there is not one way oflining but there are some basic methods. For one each

person can cover about a 10-20 ft. stretch of bank startingwith the first person. They will start out by taking onecanoe and walking it down 10 ft. to the next person in line.This pattern continues for each canoe simultaneously.Sometimes if you are lining a rapid that is more turbulentin certain parts that could sweep your canoe vigorously

into the downstream flow of water, you will need to makesure you tie a rope onto the back of the canoe about 15ft.in length, so that you can have one person guiding orlining both the front and back of the canoe to make sure itdoes not get out of control of the team on the rapidswhich could either turnover the canoe and dump itscontents, could submerge the canoe and cause it to sinkwhich makes it next to impossible to recover, or can causethe heavy wooden and metal canoe with its contents tosuddenly jerk out of the grip of the team causing you tolose the canoe entirely. If you lose the canoe entirely butit is not submerged you do have a decent chance ofseeing it somewhere downstream, so dont fret. Thingslike river bends, trees hanging into the river, high waterlevel from prior flooding conditions, or beaver dams arethe natural wonders that can help you retrieve your canoesomewhere downstream, ones that can ruin your chancesare serious rainfall, rapids, and forks in the river (whichcan usually be pre-detected from looking at a

topographical map). When it gets to the instructor orexperts in the group they will be the ones to do the toughstuff like getting the canoe through a 10 ft. high wave anda drop in elevation of the riverbed of 10-15 ft. all in aspace of 20 ft. as is commonly found in a class 3 rapidclass, from a crouching position on a steep, jagged,

protruding rock. This is just an example of what you

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might encounter in the wilderness as a certified expert.No need to worry unless you are an expert already,though. But in any case of a beginner or intermediate,nature in its true form is not as people-friendly as placesyou visit in civilization. Everyone will feel stretched totheir physical limits on a wilderness expedition. You will

be forced out of your comfort zone. Be careful that youdont underestimate the power of the whitewater even incalmer areas of the banks because the canoe can seemheavier or can be harder to direct even in class 1whitewater. If you have optional gear like karabiners,then you may want to use these to help you to line, oreven lend them to someone on your team who could usethem better from their position.

New method of lining:

This involves the heavy use ofkarabiners by the leaders of the expedition. A leadershould have about 5 karabiners attached to their belt attheir waist. The other new suggestion is to use a lockpulleycontraption on each rope for each canoe. Thesekarabiners would be used for the easier parts of thelargest rapids so that the line will be much more efficient

by one person attaching weight according to their ownweight on the karabiners, up to about 5 canoes. Thiswould enable more people to be helping during the reallyrough patches of river rapids.

Camping climate:

There really is no specified campingclimate. Most people think they have to camp in thesummer, but that is just not the truth for a real camper.

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Most people who are realistic campers want to go campingall year round even if there is snow on the ground, or hail,or sleet. It is perfectly possible to get camping gearappropriate for all conditions. A three-season sleeping

bag is the type of sleeping bag you will need to use on thetrip. Mummy sleeping bags which are really warm and forreally snowy weather are very popular and can be foundat any sporting goods store like Dicks, Gander Mountain,or online at Walmart.com for relatively cheap. If youre inmountainous wilderness regions you can encounter bothfreezing snow conditions and very hot dehydratingtemperatures within a single day as you increase ordecrease elevations on the topographical map. It justdepends on what types of weather you are prepared for

with your gear and clothing as to how many options youwill have as your nightly campgrounds. There are various

perks to camping in each area of the mountain. Up highyou will have incredible views and an early morning hikedown the mountain in the morning which are the perks,

but on the flip side you will also be in colder temperaturesand sleeping on harder ground because of the coldtemperatures, and the shale and schist which is typicallyfound at the peaks. I would make my decisions on anexpedition on a daily basis with a fair estimation as towhere you will end up based on the needs of the team, asa leader I would offer to help them decide in thosesituations based on where the best campsite might be

based on an elevation map and make sure it is one of thefirst things the team should know is how to navigatewithout a compass and how to read an elevation map. Iwould let the beginner and intermediate hikers make thefinal daily decision as to where on the mountain to aim tocamp, otherwise if I felt like we needed to camp in a

particular location, I would announce it at the beginning ofthe day during the daily briefing.

If you are hypothermic:

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Take your wet clothing off and geton several warm layers of clothing immediately. Dry yourwet clothing, and drink things like hot chocolate and hotsugary drinks that warm your body immediately. Try to

protect yourself from wind, which will make you really coldif you are wet and in freezing temperatures either water oroutdoors. If at all possible huddle close to a heat sourcelike a stove and be sure to keep your feet and your handsas warm as possible, because these are your extremitiesand need to be protected from the cold.

If you come to an impassible terrain in which you find astream:

You will need to plan on hiking up the streaminstead of on the dry land if there is some impassible areaof land. Streams are usually less than knee deep andtypically only about 1-2 feet deep. You will need to planon wearing your gaiters and your hiking boots with woolsocks, these boots will help you to get the traction youneed even on this terrain. It tends to be either slippery oryour boot might sink in the silt if the typical layer of quartzis thinner in areas. Its really hard to be hiking sidewaysover a stream so be sure that one foot is downhill from theother foot you dont want to lose your footing in a freezingstream somewhere in the wilderness falling downhill.

Single-person canoe:

If you are in the single person canoeyou act as both front and back position using directionalstrokes as well as paddling for speed. Remember, firstand foremost, when paddling for direction in a one-person

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canoe you first put your paddle in the water at a 60degree angle from directly at your side in the back parallelwith the direction of the canoe. A single-person paddlehas a paddle on each end of the stick. A single personcanoe is more difficult in the sense that in learning to

paddle in it, you inevitably start out much slower that saysomeone learning in a two-person canoe, because you areusing half the power, typically. A single-person canoe isalso more challenging to maneuver in difficult areas of ariver or any challenging situation involving class 1-5whitewater. If you are not used to it then you will beunable to maneuver quickly enough because riverstypically speed up when it is headed into rapid territory.You need to be careful to start learning how to paddle in a

single-person canoe on or very close to the banks of theriver, never in the center where the water is the fastest.Once you get caught in faster moving waters, whichcannot be detected by looking at a map so often comesunexpectedly, you will find it impossible to get to a bank

before reaching a rapid, which can be a very dangeroussituation causing a lot of loss on the expedition including

possible loss of personal safety, personal belongings,and/or the ever-so-necessary group gear.

Float plane:

A float plane is a little harder to board then aregular jet plane. A float plane has a very big hole in theside typically it is also higher off the ground and loading ata dock can be a large stretch to get into the plane, beware

that the typical stiff camping clothing you will be wearingwill make it harder to board. You will also need to helpload some heavy equipment into the plane including allthe canoes for the group, some very heavy barrels forfood, and of course your own 70 pound backpack. A float

plane only needs about 200 feet of deep water to land.When arranging for a float plane, be sure that the pilot

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knows that he can actually land in a given area on themap. When unloading, depending on if there is a dock to

park the plane, you may be wading in waist deep water.Be prepared to do your share of the work. It could takeanywhere up to two hours to unload all of your supplies offthe plane. The worst thing you can do is complain.Simply offer to help, and soon enough it will be over. Youshould never plan a hike for the first day. Loading andunloading a float plane can take an entire half a day and

be somewhat exhausting and a bit of a culture shock ifyou have never been into the wilderness before. The best

plan for the rest of the day is a group discussion, meals,and then time to explore the camping area.

Fishing license:

If you have a fishing license, it is best totake it on the trip, chances are that in the wilderness thereare a lot of good opportunities to fish. The equipment will

be divided up among people to carry as part of the groupgear like the tent and the cooking supplies. After you fishand are able to identify the type of fish and that it isedible. Then you have to gut and scale it before putting iton the burner. You do have to have a license beforefishing. A license can cost as little as $5 and be obtainedin a single day.

Slate:

Shale can mesomorph into slate. Slate is alsofound in the Arctic and was used by the Inuit, or Alaskan

Native, to make their blades. Before the mid-19th century,the terms slate, shale and schist were not sharplydistinguished. In the context of underground coal mining,

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the term slate was commonly used to refer to shale wellinto the 20th century. For example, roof slate refers toshale above a coal seam, and draw slate refers to roofslate (shale) that falls from the mine roof as the coal isremoved. Slate is frequently grey in color. However, slateoccurs in a variety of colors even from a single locality.Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneousmetamorphic rock, derived from an original shale-typesedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ashthrough low-grade regional metamorphism.(www.wikipedia.com/slate)

Schist:

is a medium crystalline rock that has a highlydeveloped schistosity, or tendency to split into layers.Unlike its close cousin gneiss, banding is poorly developedor absent. Most schists are composed largely of platyminerals such as muscovite, chlorite, talc, biotite, andgraphite; feldspar and quartz are much less abundant inschist than in gneiss. The green color of many schists andtheir formation under a certain range of temperature and

pressure has led to a distinction of the greenschist faciesin the mineral facies classification of metamorphic rocks.The individual mineral grains in schist, drawn out intoflaky scales by heat and pressure, can be seen by thenaked eye. Schist is characteristically foliated, meaningthe individual mineral grains split off easily into flakes orslabs. The word schist is derived from the Greek wordmeaning "to ", which is a reference to the ease with which

schists can be split along the plane in which the platyminerals lie. (www.wikipedia.com/schist)

Underarmor:

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Is a very popular clothing brand that youshould know about for camping and other types of sports.It absorbs the sweat, it is known for being light-weight butkeep the heat drawn to your body so you will not get cold.It is also considered to be a sleek and stylish brand forwilderness-wear as well as general sportswear and comesin a variety of long-sleeved to sleeveless styles, skirts,

pants, and shorts. It is very popular wilderness wear.

Livestrong:

A clothing brand which is especially populartoday for its plastic bracelets which have differentsayings on them, one popular one is the one that spellsout LIVESTRONG on the band. They are known for beingvery colorful. They have some very modern clothing thathas technology to give any sporting experience theutmost comfort for your body. It is probably most famousfor being worn by a famous biker by the last name ofArmstrong who has recently won the famous Tour DeFrance bike race for several years. His girlfriend, SherylCrow is also famous for wearing the brand whilesupporting his bike racing.

Shred gain (only instructors):

wider strokes with yourpaddle that are faster and more powerful good for lostcanoe rescue, rapid rescue and when instructing. Theyare like uber-powered strokes. They are not for the weakof heart. They are used for gaining "mucho" speed andalso changing direction very fast. These strokes can only

be used by expert paddlers because they are so difficult.

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It's especially helpful when both partners use it at thesame time in rough river conditions and with things likerapid rescue/rapid rescue team demonstrations in class 3rapids where you will have to let rescue demo swimmersgrab onto your canoe at the bottom of the rapid and guidethem to shore then paddle back to the bottom of the rapidat the deepest part of the river, while using shred gain to

paddle the canoe from a sideways position river pointingtoward the bank. You will want to use shred gain also

because if the condition of the water and weather is wetand freezing, if you are anywhere near the Arctic Circle,then the swimmers may have delayed body systemreactions because hypothermia sets in within seconds ofentering freezing water, which means you will have to put

down your paddle entirely and help grab them from thewater and possibly hold onto them leaving the upstream(extreme) padding to just one person in the canoe. A

beginner or intermediate paddler would never be able todo this on their own quickly enough without bringing harmto several team members. To be instructors or certifiedexperts is just another way of saying extreme paddlers.For example, a person who is an expert paddler issomeone who is certified by The National OutdoorLeadership School to lead wilderness expeditions as anofficial wilderness expert. They have an expedition whichtakes a group of campers from the Yukon to the ArcticCircle in a 45-day camping, mountain hiking, andwhitewater canoeing (class 3 rapids) trip in which around2,000 miles are travelled via whitewater canoeing into theArctic.

If your canoe tips over just upstream from a rapid:

although I am not speaking directly from experience, I amspeaking from relative experience, and there are just twothings you will always want to remember and those twothings are: feet first, and second, hold onto your paddle.

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Float on your back with your feet in front of you to protectyour head. Only worry about the canoe once these twothings are covered or dont worry about it at all. Better tolet it go downstream then to get into a dangeroussituation.

Class 3 Rapid Rescue Team Demos:

This exercise willprepare you the most for future expeditions that you willactually be leading if you are being certified. Once you

actually swim through a larger rapid, you will be morementally ready for the class 4 and 5 rapids, which arehuge in comparison. Have the members of your teamvolunteer to swim through a class 3 rapid so you candemonstrate the rescue procedure wearing their life vests,of course, in a natural setting. The volunteers should befacing upwards, feet first going downstream and as theycome out of the rapid they should look for the instructorsand grab onto their canoe as fast as they possibly can.3-4 Day Team Expeditions With Out Instructors: Theinstructors will first have to have a topographical elevationmap for all of the teams of 3-4 campers, who will bedeciding on where to hike for their 3-4 day independentexpedition. First, find a way to estimate how many milesyou hike per day then break it down by the hour that willtell you about how far you should go. Then each team willtake just enough food and group supplies for 3-4 days.The most important thing is to plan out a general plan forthe hike that fits everybodys needs and desires with input

from every person in the group. The best idea is to planthe independent 3-day hike for the middle of the trip so allteam members will have a lot of experience with mountainhiking even if they were a beginner at the start of the trip.Plus, if its in the middle of the trip instead of the

beginning, you will already know about how muchdistance you can average on a single day, which is

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probably somewhere close to ascending and descendingone mountain per day.

Rafting:

Rafting is fun if its a relaxing slow moving stretchof river that almost looks like a lake and often contains thename lake something-or-other as well but is still part ofthe flow of the river. You build a raft by locating wheresome medium-width sticks are all around 3-4 inches orabout 12 cm. and tie them together around the canoes

connecting the canoes side-by-side, so that only thepeople in the outer canoes will do any paddling. Oftentimes people build up vertically a little and may even tryadding a small sail of some sort.

Hiking shale-covered peaks with a diverse team ofmembers:

(different skill levels and preferences) Bestoption is to separate into groups depending on

preferences of both instructors and students/teammembers alike and let each individual instructor plan thesecond half of the day according to the needs of theirindividual teams, usually there is one team of people whodo not want to hike at all and just relax near the top of themountain and have no desire to climb the rocky peaks.

That is entirely their incentive. Those who make the peakday hike will most likely be the ones who are more expertin the area of mountain hiking as a general rule, but theothers who are able to make it up to the less rocky peaksare perfectly able to be certified expert. Sometimes youmay also occasionally hike the slate covered valleys of themountains, although usually you will be hiking uphill.

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Checking out the terrain (experts/instructors):

As aninstructor or certified wilderness expert. It is best to bethe earliest to rise, earliest to bed. When you wake up thefirst thing you should always do is consult the map as tothe options for the day hiking that day, and figure outsome suggestions for the hike from an expert perspective,and this is the time to quietly find a good place out of viewof the campsite to begin checking out how plausible the

available options for the day really are. The reason whywe do this is because of varying weather conditions thatcan cause flooding or impassible terrain like avalanches orrock falls which could cause fatalities on the hike.Because many of the campers have not had this uniqueexperience of being involved in a wilderness expedition,the best option is to keep the campers from knowingwhere you are going and what you are doing. You are

prepared to handle this level of adversity, often, they arenot. It might cause them to panic and make them bemore hesitant to be an active team member sharing in anequal part of the daily work because they areoverwhelmed and overstressed, if they are thinking about

possibilities that are scaring themselves. This activityshould never be discussed with a fellow camper or anothernon-leader. Even if they were to follow you and see whatyou are doing, the policy is never to be willing to discloseany details of your daily trip or allow them to join you.Even if they are comfortable with being involved in the

situation, they may tell other campers about it and thiscould be a liability to the leaders.*The binoculars will also come in handy when assessing arapid for the path of least resistance.

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Checking the campers luggage to make sure everythingis fine (instructors/leaders/experts):

The day of the brieffor the trip is the day you will start your journey travellingto the wilderness, and keep in mind, once you leave thestart point where the brief takes place, often in awarehouse setting, then it will take you some time to getinto the wilderness where you will start your trip becauseyou will need to take a float plane from a particulardestination. During the brief, it is important that you lookthrough all of each campers belongings by making themdump all their contents onto the floor before they begin

packing it all into their backpacks. You can find a secureplace to leave their confiscated stuff like any alcohol ordrugs, and then return their belongings to them after thetrip. They might have a few sets of clothing for their initialtravels that they will need to leave behind.

Nature Lessons Daily:

The team should meet for a fewbasic nature lessons daily things that are either practicalor are about natural animals or plants they might find inthe area. This can be done in the form of games ordemonstrations. For example: how to tie knots, how tomake a fire, or how to navigate without using a compassor a map.

Second-time wilderness paddlers:

On your secondexpedition to the wilderness you should be a fully certified

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NOLS expedition leader. This means that you are nowready to continue on to paddling class 4 and 5 rapids. Isuggest that you put together an expedition that includesyour former NOLS expedition leaders as well as your peerswho have paddled in these classes of rapids and areexpert or experienced paddlers with credentials you cancheck. Remember it is your life in their hands because ittakes two to paddle nine times out of ten and you willwant only the best when paddling the hardest two levelsof rapids. The best plan would be to return to the portage

point of whatever river you originally canoed on. Thereason for this is because you are familiar with this riversrapids and with that familiarity already in-tact, you canswitch to focus on learning the skills necessary to become

a top expert.

Daily Nature/Practical Lesson ideas (15-30min.):How to tie a knotHow to build a fireHow to build a raft using the materials on the tripHow to carry out basic emergency procedures on the

tripHow they can one day use their certification/superior

wilderness knowledgeHow to bushwhackHow to signal to a passing aircraft using international

distress signsHow to look for wildlife/where to lookStudy of parts of a flower/types of local flowersHow to hike on shale and schists

How to find a good campsiteHow to be a wilderness leader (how to determine

your next steps)How to solve disputes between campers/non-leaders

o First once someone reports a problem ordispute to a leader, the leaders will discuss theissue and one of the leaders will talk to each

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camper and will come to a consensus with thecampers on the issue. Most issues are really

both campers faults, not just the one beingblamed.

Recipes: (all recipe portions feed group of 4 campers)

Shepherds Pies:

Casseroles:

Gazpachos:

Vanilla Steamer (Hot Magic Drink): Steamed milk with a lotof sugary flavoring added to it.

Directions: Boil a pot of water on the stove and add abouta cup of milk powder. Then start off adding severalshakes of cinnamon powder, a few spoons of sugar, 4drips of vanilla, and one spoon brown sugar.

Macaroni: Elbow noodles and melted cheddar cheese.

Directions: Boil water then cook elbow noodles and whennoodles are tender remove from heat of flame. Add to the

pot about 1 cups of yellow cheddar cheese then placeon low heat flame until cheese is fully melted. Stir untilcheese is melted.8 cups elbow noodles1 cups yellow cheddar cheese

Documents

How To Camp Out In The Wilderness