Sierra Club Beginning Backpacking Course: Spring 2022

BEGINNING BACKPACKING (BP) COURSE

How Do I Get to Go?

1. Read all of this announcement.
2. Join the waitlist here on Meetup, THEN send an email to "KCbackpack@yahoo.com" with your name & "Let's go backpacking SPRING22" in the subject line.
3. In reply we'll send you a Google survey to fill out, a participant agreement to sign electronically, & give you PayPal details.
4. Once you complete steps 1-3, you'll be moved to "Going" here on Meetup.

We have spots for 10 participants. So, if you're looking at the "Going" list to see if we have vacancies, don't count the leaders/instructors as part of the 10.

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An introduction to three-season recreational backpacking around KC for adults, combining practical instruction w/ a guided backpacking experience where we supportively put it together outdoors. The classroom activity is in Jan., yes. But don't worry, outdoor activities are in the spring! This gives you ample time to decide if you want to use the gear lending library as a member or purchase your own gear after learning what we have to share in class.

Previous sessions have introduced many to BP & have been a catalyst for networking w/ members of KC's hiking & backpacking community. After the course, we can help you take it to the next level with addt'l KC-area BP trips & options for a wide variety of big league adventures w/ the Nat'l Sierra Club.

YOU HAVE NO EQUIPMENT? We have a gear lending library focused on sleeping bags & pads, tents, backpacks and stoves for Sierra Club members for this course. Here's how to join the Sierra Club:
https://tinyurl.com/jointtheclub (membership as low as $15).

Recommended Donation: $65, exclusively contactless via PayPal. This pays it forward, helping to finance the gear lending library, local leadership training & trail maintenance. Instructors are volunteers & not compensated.

Syllabus: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z7ROfOcCuGCU9Dz_OG-q7EWn3MDNW6PFk9tKadr1szg/edit?usp=sharing

ACTIVITIES:

1. 3/26/22 - Class, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Lenexa City Center Public Library, Meeting Room #2, https://www.jocolibrary.org/locations/lenexa
2. 3/27/22 - Outfitter Visit, 11:00 a.m. - noon+, @ Moosejaw on the Plaza. We'll have an hour in the store, ahead of its public opening at noon. https://www.moosejaw.com/content/kansas-city-shop
3. 4/09/22 - Shakedown hike with full backpacking kit 12:30 - 4:00 p.m., then camp out at Timber Ridge Adventure Center that night, adjacent to Kill Creek Park. We'll have several "how to" demos & gear displays. We'll invite recent backpacking class grads & backpacking regulars to camp with us using backpacking gear.*

The shakedown hike rally point is 38.911062, -94.969442, at Kill Creek, at the day & time listed in the Meetup info. and on the Syllabus. Parking for the shakedown is in any of the obvious nearby parking lots. The campout rally point is 38.906602, -94.968941, at Timber Ridge, at the day & time listed in the Meetup info. and on the Syllabus; plus if you're on the shakedown, we'll endeavor to caravan to the campout. Campout parking is generally in this parking area, 38.906527, -94.969786

4. 5/20/22-5/22/22 - TWO-NIGHT BP TRIP, ~4.5 hrs. from KC, leave KC approx. 7:30 a.m. on 5/20 & return a.m. 5/22. The leader(s) might bring a dog(s) on the backpack.
The spring class will share in the same shakedown hike & campout as the winter 2022 course, but have a separate backpacking trip.

We will use LNT & Beyond LNT practices,
www.lnt.org/
www.tinyurl.com/beyondLNT

Here come the required statements!

Bring a personal 1st aid kit to the * activities, https://tinyurl.com/P1stAid

A mix of vaccinated & unvaccinated individuals is possible on all activities.

Face coverings/masks are required by Sierra Club policy on all indoor activities.

During sign-in for the course, approved participants are required to sign this standard Participant Agreement which applies to all activities/outings, www.tinyurl.com/SCAGR

Each activity is an Outing; they start & end on dates, locations & times designated by Sierra Club. Outings do not include carpooling, transportation or transit to & from them; each participant is personally responsible for ALL travel-associated risks.

https://tinyurl.com/SCKCVid