Troop 849
Manhattan Beach, CA
Boy Scouts of America

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Weekend Hikemaster's Handbook

Introduction | Locations | Permits | Equipment | Food | Travel | Cost | Checklist

Checklist

Regardless of the destination or duration of the hike, a basic set of tasks and events need to happen. This is a list of those activities in an approximate time order.

Months Before

Finalize hike locations.

Apply for a wilderness permit as soon as it becomes available.

A Month Before or Earlier

Circulate a sign-up sheet at Troop meetings.

Several Weeks Before

Get a tour permit. Fill out a "BSA Local Tour Permit Application" and submit it at least one week before the hike.

Complete the High Adventure Team (H.A.T.) paperwork.

__ Fill out a High Adventure form.
__ Make up a trail schedule.
__ Make up a trail profile from the trail schedule. It is a good idea to have an interested scout help create the profile.

Get hiking maps for everyone. Remember that maps are one of the ten essentials.

Make up a map and directions to the trailhead. Make copies for all drivers.

For any scout attending their first backpack trip, ask them to bring their pack to a meeting for inspection.

Check with the troop Quartermaster to make sure the required equipment will be available.

Tuesday Before

Finalize the list of attendees. Remember that a minimum of three adults is required by troop rules and a minimum of three scouts is required if a High Adventure Award is desired.

Determine the drivers. Make sure you have the required information for each driver.

Sit down as a group and decide what the meals will be.

Determine what the trailhead food will be and who will buy and prepare it.

Assign a scout to buy the food. Normally this is a scout working on First Class.

• Give them a specific budget.
• Remember the paper towels.

Determine tent buddies.

Make sure everyone knows the cost of the hike, departure time, and place.

Have everyone check out tents and bear canisters if required.

Checkout troop equipment.

__ Cook kits. Each with a stove and fuel bottle. (about 5-6 people per kit). Each has lighter, scrub brush, soap, ladle w/handle, and pot holder.
__ Molotovs (32 oz each, allow about 2.5 oz per person per day).
__ Cook spoons (optional).
__ Water cubes (1 for every 6 people).
__ Large iodine bottle. (2 preferred).
__ First aid kit with thermometer and splint.
__ 2 trowels.
__ Pliers (optional).
__ Repair kit (optional).
__ Adventure Passes (if required, one per car).

Perform pack inspections for any scouts going on their first hike.

Day Before the Hike

Call the Ranger Station in the vicinity of hike to check on water, trail and weather conditions. (Only if there is any doubt.)

Notify the food buyer of the final count of attendees.

Morning/Evening of Hike

Bring.

__ Map/directions to trailhead for drivers.
__ Wilderness and tour permits.
__ Hiking maps for everyone.
__ Ice chest for trailhead food.
__ Extra water and paper towels for use at the trailhead.

At the Scouthouse.

__ Collect money from the attendees and reimburse food buyers.
__ Verify that all scouts have either a medical form (yellow card) or a parent going along.
__ Verify that all first time scouts have at least the minimum equipment for a safe hike.
__ Distribute hiking maps and food. (Or later at the trailhead.)
__ Assign scouts to the cars.
__ Pass out driving maps/directions.
__ Exchange emergency contact information (cell phone numbers). It is good idea to put the contact information on the driving maps.
__ Make sure each driver has an Adventure Pass. (If required)
__ Assign attendees to cars.

Optional - Stop by the ranger station.

• Get a California fire permit if you don't have one.
• Verify where fires are permitted.

Count off at the trailhead so each person has a number.

Last Day

Collect Adventure Passes from each driver.

Have everyone recombine tent halves.

• If tents are wet they need to be dried out by the scouts at home and returned at the next scout meeting.
• Otherwise, recombine tent halves and recombine them.

Have the scouts that carried cook kits wash them and return them to the locker at the next scout meeting.

Collect the common troop equipment except as noted above. Please make every effort to collect all the troop equipment. The troop loses a lot of equipment because it taken home and never returned.

After The Hike

Return Adventure Passes and tents to the locker.

Return tents to the locker.

Prepare the H.A.T. paperwork and give it to the Assistant Scoutmaster for Hikes who will turn it into L.A.A.C. and get the patches.

Submit an expense report to the Troop Treasurer. Include all receipts and any extra cash. It is convenient to do this at the next Troop Committee meeting.

Submit an activity report to the Troop. This is usually done electronically. The activity report is available on the Forms page of our web site.