Difference between revisions of "AY Honors/Backpacking/Answer Key"

Revision as of 03:28, 3 October 2007

1. Discuss with your instructor the meaning of the motto: "Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints."

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Camping/Take pictures leave footprints

2. Know the essentials of proper clothing, shoes, and rain gear to use in backpacking.

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Camping/Clothing

Rain Gear Be ready for bad weather on your backpacking trip by bringing along a poncho and rain pants. In a pinch, you can use a garbage bag as a raincoat by cutting a hole in th bottom, turning it over, and poking your head through the hole. A slit along each seam on the side will make arm holes. It will not cover your head like that, but it will keep the rest of you dry.

3. Know the principles in selecting a good quality backpack. In an emergency, what might be used in place of a backpack?

Backpacks come in two basic designs: the Internal Frame backpack, and the External Frame backpack.

The external frame backpack (or EF backpack) has a rigid frame made from aluminum, plastic, or both. The pack itself attaches to the frame, and the frame is attached to the body via shoulder and hip straps. The frame holds the pack away from the back so that air may circulate back there, making an EF backpack cooler to carry. The downside to an EF is that the body tends to twist and flex as a hiker moves, and the frame resists this. Some EF packs take this into account, and provide a frame that will flex. The main measure of comfort on an EF backpack is the degree to which it flexes.

The internal frame backpack (IF backpack) drapes over the back. It gets its structure from the gear placed inside it. This allows the IF backpack to flex and move as the body does, making it generally more comfortable to carry. Furthermore, the IF pack lies against the hikers back. This allows it to distribute its weight over a greater area, but it also prevents air circulation, making it hotter to wear. The IF pack uses foam in the straps to add even more comfort. There are two basic types of foam: open-cell foam, and closed-cell foam. Open cell foam is highly compressible. While this may add comfort in some places, it should not be used in the straps. In the straps, the foam compresses too much, leaving the webbing to dig into the shoulders. Closed cell foam compresses much less than open-cell foam, and is therefore preferred in the straps. You can easily tell the difference by squeezing the padding. If it compresses to about a quarter its original thickness, it is open-cell foam.

Whether you choose an EF or an IF pack, the next thing to consider is the material from which the pack itself is made. Avoid cotton. It is cheap, but it is also not waterproof. If you set a cotton pack on the wet ground, you will transfer the moisture from the ground to your gear. Some packs made of Kevlar are appearing on the market, and those should be avoided as well. Though Kevlar is renown for its puncture resistance (think bullet-proof vests), it does not offer much in the way of abrasion resistance. Your pack is far more likely to be subjected to abrasion than puncture. Nylon is a far better choice than either of these, and of course, it comes in a variety of configurations. All of them are acceptable, but rip-stop is probably the best suited to the job.

Look for 8 to 10 stitches per inch in the seams. More than 10 stitches per inch decreases the strength of the cloth, and with fewer than 8, the thread is being asked to do too much.

In an emergency, you can toss your gear into a blanket, gather the corners, and throw it over your shoulders. This is obviously going to be far inferior to even the least adequate backpack though, so this substitution should be reserved for only emergencies.

4. Know the essential items to be taken on a backpack trip.

Backpack
Sleeping bag
Sleeping pad
Extra socks
Good quality hiking boots
Change of clothes
Eating and cooking utensils
Backpacking stove and fuel
Firelighting equipment
Food
Water treatment equipment
Water bottle
Tent or tarp
Knife
Flashlight
Toiletries (toothbrush, toilet paper, soap, etc)
Compact shovel

5. What kind of sleeping bag and pad are best for your camping area? Know at least three kinds of each that are available.

Sleeping Bags

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Camping/Sleeping bags

Sleeping Pads

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Camping/Sleeping pads

6. Know how to pack a pack properly.

Lay out all your gear where you can see it, next to your pack.
Look for empty spaces in your gear - for instance, there may be room inside your cooking pot. Put any small items that will fit inside that to conserve space. Look for other "hidden" space as well.
For an internal frame backpack, put the sleeping bag in first, at the bottom. For an external frame, tie it underneath the pack.
Load the heavy items next, placing them as close to your back as you can. This will shift the center of gravity forward which will help your balance and improve comfort. Be sure nothing is going to poke you in the back though.
Put the lighter items such as clothing in towards the outside of the pack.
Put the things you'll need on the trail (like water, trail mix, compass, map, etc) in the outer pockets where you can get to them. If they're hard to get to, you'll be unlikely to use them. And if you don't use them, why bring them at all?

7. What types of food are best for backpacking? Visit a grocery store and list the foods found there that are suitable for backpacking. With your instructor:

The best type of food to take backpacking is dehydrated food, as it is very lightweight, compact, and nutritious. You can buy food pre-packaged or you can dehydrate it yourself. For details on dehydrating your own food, see the Food Drying honor in the Household Arts section of this book.

a. Prepare a menu for a weekend backpack trip using foods obtained from a grocery store.

Although you can buy prepared dehydrated foods for backpacking at an outdoor outfitter, getting your food this way can be fairly expensive. Instead, try getting dehydrated food at a regular grocery store. Here's a short list of possibilities:

Instant mashed potatoes
Instant oatmeal
Quick-cooking rice
Powdered milk
Powdered eggs
Pasta
Nuts and peanuts
Dry soup mixes
Dry beans, lentils, peas
Granola
Dried fruits (apricots, apples, and banana chips)
Flour, mixed with other dry ingredients to make pancakes or biscuits

b. Learn the techniques of measuring, packaging, and labeling backpack foods for your trip.

Once you've bought the food you plan to eat on your backpacking trip, the last thing you will want to do is toss it unthoughtfully into your backpack in its original packaging. Food packaging is designed to catch your eye at the grocery store, and to do this, it does not come in space-efficient sizes. Empty all of your food and repack it into sealable plastic bags (such as Ziplock bags). Make up a menu before you do this, and pack each meal into a separate bag. Then clearly label the bag with a permanent marker or a mailing label. The label should be legible even in dim light - you never know when you'll have to cook your food in the dark. This is a lot of trouble to go through, but it is well worth it during the trip.

If you wish to make pancakes, first determine how many pancake meals your party will eat, and mix it all up at once. It is a lot easier to accurately measure large amounts of flour, salt, and baking powder than it is to measure small amounts of the same. Mix it all together thoroughly, and when it is well mixed, scoop out enough to make one serving and place it in a baggie. Make as many single-serving baggies of pancake mix as you'll use. You can use the same technique for making soup mixes and other delectables. Just keep all the ingredients dry and be prepared to add water at the campsite.

c. Make a trail snack.

There are millions of recipes for trail mix, and every seasoned backpacker has a favorite. "Gorp" is a perennial favorite - the name tells its ingredients: Good old raisens and peanuts. Choose half a dozen (or more! or less!) of items such as these, mix them together, and put them in a baggie:

Raisens
Peanuts
Chex cereal
Frosted Flakes or other sweetened cereal
Pretzels
M & M's
Chocolate chips
Dried fruit
Shelled sunflower seeds

Put the baggie in an easy to reach place in your pack so you can nibble on it while you hike. Don't worry about getting low-fat items. You'll be doing enough walking (and carrying a heavy pack) to burn a lot of calories - you'll need the fat.

8. Know the prevention and symptoms of, and the first aid for:

9. Have a first aid kit in your pack and know how to use it.

Compact, lightweight firsts aid kits are available at many retailers and outdoor outfitters. But don't just go out, buy one, and toss it in you pack without another thought. It is important for you to open it up and examine every item. Then review the answers for the First Aid honor, so that you know how to use each item.

10. According to your weight, what is the maximum number of pounds you should be allowed to carry?

An adult should carry no more than a fifth to a third of his or her body weight in a backpack, depending on the level of fitness. A kid should not carry more than a quarter his body weight.

Your aim should not be to load your pack until you hit the maximum, but rather, to bring as little as you can get by with. But don't carry anything you aren't going to need. When it comes to backpacking, less is more! Don't kill yourself. Evaluate every item you put into your backpack. Little things add up quickly, so try not to duplicate functionality. For instance, if you're brining a pocket knife, you can probably leave the butter knife behind. Bring a spork rather than a spoon and a fork. Use parachute cord for a clothesline - it's very strong and can be used as rope. Distribute "group" gear among the group. Take the tent apart and have one person carry the fly, another the canopy, and a third the poles. Instead of bringing a pillow, stuff tomorrow's clothes into a sack and use that.

11. Know three ways to find direction without a compass. Demonstrate at least two.

Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Camping/No compass

12. Show the proper way to put on and take off a backpack alone and with a partner.

Alone: Set the backpack on a table (or a large rock), put your arms through the straps, and lift with your legs. You can also set it on a rock or a log and sit down in front of it. Again, lift with your legs, not with your back.
With a Partner: Have your partner lift your pack and hold it while you slip your arms into the straps. If you have to stoop, bend your knees. Remember to lift with your legs!

13. Participate in a weekend backpack trip of at least five miles (8 km) to a site not accessible by a vehicle and cook your own meals.

Five miles is a good backpacking trip for a beginner. Find a trail near you by visiting your local outdoor outfitter. These stores are most often staffed by people who enjoy backpacking and can provide you with valuable advice on destinations. Once you've got a 5-mile trip under your belt, why not look at the Pioneering honor and make your next trip a 15-miler?

References

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