|
About Us
Calendar
Newsletter
|
 Dune
Dog
Dispatch |
Mark &
Celeste on an
afternoon
hike from camp.
Celeste is
a
wildlife biologist and
she
backpacks for work as well
as fun! |
Backpacking
starts with the beginning fundamentals. Lifesong Wilderness
Adventures wants you to get the right start.
At our camp in northern California, beginning backpacking will provide you with detailed
information on equipment, clothing, footwear, terrain, navigation,
climate conditions, no trace camping, water
purification,
wilderness
and trail etiquette, all in the context of wilderness survival.
The basic principle in backpacking is to travel as
lightly as possible and still have the necessary components
for your basic needs and a comfortable, fun, experience.
Your first consideration is your destination and length of backpacking adventure.
This will determine the backpack to use and the equipment
you choose to carry.
-
Day hikes - a simple day pack, fanny pack or perhaps a
field vest.
-
Weekend hikes - day pack, light hiker, or a mountaineer
pack.
-
Week or longer hikes - require a full size backpack
Backpacks come in all sizes and shapes. At
our beginning Backpacking course we will teach you how to choose the best pack for
your needs.
Backpacking equipment will vary depending on your
length of stay. We will discuss tents, sleeping bags,
cooking stoves, cookware, water and filtration systems, navigational options, food, first aide kits, and miscellaneous knives and tools.
~
Proper clothing is paramount to your comfort and
safety. Lifesong does not recommend cotton clothing
for your backpacking attire.
Backpackers,
and
outdoorsmen
have a saying. "Cotton kills." What they mean is that
cotton holds a lot of water and doesn't allow it to
evaporate quickly. Consequently, once you're wet, you'll
likely be wet for a while.
Being
wet in cold conditions can be dangerous.
Temperatures in the low 50°F can, if were wet and chilled,
restrict our bodies functionality. Further, cotton is transparent to ultra-violet light
meaning you can be sunburned
through a t-shirt.
All clothing from hats, sunglasses, underwear to footwear will be covered.
~
Navigation is critical for a successful backpacking adventure.
Knowing where you are and the way home makes for a fun
backpacking Adventure.
A global positioning system or GPS, compass and map are
useless unless you know how to use them. Pay attention
to your surroundings. Awareness in nature
is the key to a fun and rewarding outdoor experience.
Weather is always a factor whether you are out for an
afternoon or a week. Know where you are going and what
to expect at any given time of the year. We will
discuss, wind, rain, snow, heat and lightening and how these play a
role in the terrain you are backpacking in.
"No trace camping," trail and wilderness etiquette, "pack it
in, pack it out", and proper disposal of human waste is
covered.
~
To round out your Beginning Backpacking Camp, we will load up
our packs and hike around camp on uneven terrain, crossing
water and hiking through forest, and game trails.
Advanced Backpacking
will further your fun, experience, and
knowledge with an overnight
stay away from base camp.
You
will use your new found navigational skills by plotting a course we
will give you. Each individual will have the
opportunity to lead participants to the overnight camp
and back to base.
We will also cover the many options you have in a survival
scenario in the event you become turned around, lost,
or separated from your group while backpacking or hiking.
We will discuss
natural survival shelter, one match fire, obtaining
water by solar and other means, and exploring the benefits
of wild edibles plants, trees, and shrubs.
You must complete the Beginning Backpacking Camp before taking
the Advanced Backpacking Camp.
Read
Registration Policies
before purchasing Camp
|
Purchase Backpacking Camp by
Check
here |
BACK HOME
|
