Beginning Backpacking Course | Fall 2022

BEGINNING BACKPACKING (BP) COURSE
Through classroom time and practice sessions participants will learn necessary beginner skills to complete a local backpacking trip, and will leave empowered to hit the trail again soon. This is a good first backpacking trip for people with hiking experiences or a regular fitness routine. It is also a fun time for people with some backpacking experience to re-baseline and share the love of the trail with others.

How Do I Get to Go?

1. Read all of this announcement.
2. Join the waitlist here (opening July 2022) & then immediately send an email to "kcbackpack@yahoo.com" with "Fall 2022" in the subject line & include your full name in the email; whereupon we'll send you a Google survey to complete & start to process a health form, donation, & participant agreement. Once all that is completed, you'll be moved from the RSVP list to "Going" here.
3. We have spots for ≈10 people.

Previous sessions have introduced many to BP. After the course, you can 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 course gear lending library w/ sleeping bags & pads, tents, backpacks & stoves for Sierra Club members. Here's how to join the Sierra Club
(membership as low as $15).

Recommended Donation

$75, exclusively contactless via PayPal. This pays it forward, helping to finance the gear library, leadership training & trail maintenance. Instructors are uncompensated volunteers. No refunds less than 30 calendar days from the 1st activity - a confirmed RSVP takes one of the limited # of participant openings.

Staying in Touch

We will be communicating w/ participants via a Slack site - think of this as better email.

Activities

1. 9/24/22 - Class, 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM @ Kill Creek Shelter #2.

2. 9/26/22 - Outfitter Visit, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM @ Plaza Moosejaw.

You will benefit from the class day & outfitter visit as you put together your backpacking kit. If you don't choose to become a Sierra Club member & borrow gear from our then free gear lending library, the time between the class + outfitter visit & the outdoor activities gives you ample opportunity to acquire your own big gear & get kitted out.

3. 10/21/22 - 10/22/22- 4:30 PM to 8:30 AM camp out @ Timber Ridge Adventure Center*, adjacent to Kill Creek Park. We'll have several "how to" demos & gear displays. With the exception of confirmed gear lending library kit, you'll want to bring everything you need / be self-sufficient for this, e.g. food, water, gear, etc.

Campout rally point is 38.906576, -94.969592. The leader(s) might bring a dog(s).

4. 10/22/22 - Shakedown hike* with full backpacking kit 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Kill Creek Park. Shakedown hike rally point is 38.911848, -94.969874, at Kill Creek. Parking for the shakedown is in any of the obvious nearby parking lots. The leader(s) might bring a dog(s). With the exception of confirmed gear lending library kit, you'll want to bring everything you need / be self-sufficient for this, e.g. food, water, gear, etc.

5. 10/28/22-10/30/22 - TWO-NIGHT TRIP to Ha Ha Tonka State Park*, ~2.5 hrs, 135 miles from KC, leave KC approx. Noon on 10/28 & return early p.m. 10/30. On 10/28 we will be camping at a special use camp, & each person will need to pay $2 for this. On 10/29 we backpack, spending the night on trail. The leader(s) might bring a dog(s). With exception of confirmed gear lending library kit, you'll bring everything you need / be self-sufficient, e.g. food, water, gear, etc.

Syllabus format of the above with additional info.

Here come the required statements!

We will use LNT practices

Bring a personal 1st aid kit to the * activities.

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

Face coverings/masks are required by Sierra Club policy on all indoor activities if social distancing isn't possible. So do bring such with you in the event of need or if you'd simply like to use one.

During course sign-up, approved participants are required to sign this standard Participant Agreement applicable to all activities/outings.

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