Planning a group camping trip
Nelson Shew, Staff Graphic Artist
Not many people are planners, but you should plan if you plan to lead others on a camping trip in the wilderness.
Keith, who enjoyed the outdoors as a kid, went on his first backpacking trip when he was 18-years-old. He did not know much about backpacking but wanted to learn. So he went camping with his friends and they learned together. Since then, he has camped out west in California, Colorado, Washington, Utah and Arizona.
Keith is also a professor of outdoor leadership at North Greenville University. He teaches classes relating to parks, recreation, conservation, outdoor programming and skills courses.
Even if you are new or have no idea about planning a camping trip, you can still plan a trip. Sam Keith said that with research beforehand, you will know your trip well.
Here is compiled a list of helpful areas to go through when planning a camping trip.
Location
Keith said the first thing to do when planning a camping trip is to find a location. Is there any place you or the group are interested in? You can start general and then narrow your interests.
“Start off as being general,” said Keith, “Do I want to go to the desert or the mountains or do I want to see more green things out west or close?”
Next, think about the length of the trip. Will you be going for a day, staying for the weekend or will be gone for weeks? This will affect your traveling budget.
“Can you afford to drive across the country?” asked Keith. If so, how far? Think about how much money you can spend on traveling to get to your location. Some locations require entrance and camping fees while other locations are free.
When you find a location, consider getting a map. Keith said you can locate maps online, at a local gear shop and various resources. Maps can be useful in areas with no mobile or cell phone service.
You should also call around and see if there is more information about the place before you go. Maddie Bridges, an outdoor Leadership major head of the Crusader Outdoor Adventure and Recreation (COAR) club at North Greenville University, recommend calling ahead to see if there are any closed roads or trails that you planned to take.
“Call into the ranger station, and just kind of being like hey, anything closed down? This is my planned route. They’re really good about that, super nice most of the time and will tell you everything you need to know” Maddie said.
When looking at a location, check for special regulations. State and national parks may have different rules and regulations. For example, are campfires allowed?
People
Once you have a location picked out, consider who you are going on the trip with. Some camping locations only allow 10 people in a group.
Keith said to know what kind of people are going on the trip. Are they experienced or new to camping? What is the group mileage (how far and long can they hike)?
“If you want to have like a base camp and then hike all around your camp, that’s an option. Where if you backpack, then you can do longer days of hiking and stop to camp along the way.”
If you decide to spend more time at the campsite, then think about base camping. This allows you to have a base camp where you can hike all around and return to your camp base.
If you decide to spend more time hiking, think about backpacking. If you want to spend more time hanging out, think about base camping.
Also, take into consideration any medical and physical conditions a person may have. Bridges add that you may need to pack specific items and first aid supplies to accommodate their needs.
Gear
When planning out your gear, ask, who has what gear? Will you be sharing gear? The type of gear you have will depend on the time of year and location.
Keith said if you are in the desert, you will need to have more water storage. You may not need extra layers of clothing during the day, but at night the temperature can drop dramatically.
If you are in the mountains, considered how cold it will get. Will you need to bring an extra jacket? Bridges said to make sure you have sleeping bags graded for the temperature you are going to be in or you will be freezing all night.
Gear can be expensive. Keith advises looking for gear shops that offer student discounts. Even consider gear rentals. Some colleges offer gear rental where it is cheaper to rent it than to buy it.
When packing, Bridges advised to not over-pack, especially with personal items you may not need. If you pack too many personal items, may leave you with less room to carry the group items and make the load heavier for you.
“So making sure that you’ve got a list of what participants need and being like, hey, please don’t try to bring more than this because you’re only going to suffer from it,” Bridges said.
Food
When it comes to food, think about how long your trip is and how many people are in your group.
“Depending on the size of the group,” Bridges said, “if it’s just you and another person you might go the dry, freeze-dried route.”
Freeze-dried food is easier to prepare. Bridges also mentioned that canned goods and anything that does not need refrigeration is good options for food.
Look through any regulations in your camping area. Are there food regulations? Are there bears in the area? Bridges said if there are bears, you may need a bear canister to store your food. This will keep bears from going through your food.
Think about other people eating needs. Are there certain things they can or cannot eat? Some people may have allergies so double-check with the group about food accommodations. Make sure to bring food that everyone can eat.
Also, water is important. Think about if you will have access to water where you are going. How will you get water?
If your trip is short, bring extra water. If you have a longer trip, you will have to bring a water filter or boil your water. Bridges mention researching ahead to see if the location you are camping at has access to water.
Safety
An important step in planning a camping trip is safety. Did you go over everyone’s medical and food needs? Did you research the location of the water source and check the regulations like campfire and group size?
Bridges said to check the weather and terrain. Know what you are getting yourself into. Some weather may change, so a satellite phone with a weather forecast can be helpful in places with no service. Have a map or GPS to know where you are going.
Keith noted that if you plan to rely on your phone, bring a battery pack just in case your phone battery runs low. If you plan to camp longer days, a SPOT device will be beneficial. These devices allow pre-recorded messages to check in with people or call SOS.
Bridges explained, “…press the SOS button if you’re in trouble and it sends a message to EMS services as well as whoever else is in the pre-recorded contacts and lets them know that you’re in trouble and gives them a GPS location.”
During your trip, someone might get injured. So have a first aid kit with you. Also, it can be beneficial to learn wilderness first aid. Bridges said there are weekend certification programs and even intensive nine-day programs for first responders and aid in the wilderness if you are interested. Try to have a basic understanding of how to treat injuries and illnesses in the wilderness.
Another step on planning for safety is to have a site or trip plan written out. Especially if you are going to spend more than a few days camping. The written-out plan will include where you are camping, who you are with, where you plan to stay and what trail you will be on.
Keith advised giving these trip plans to a parent, family member or some in the front country. If something happens, they will know where you are or going to be.
Knowing your location, people, gear, food, safety, can allow for a safe camping trip. You will be well-equipped and prepared if a situation occurs.
