Forms for planning a backpacking trip
By Aaron DerrFrom the August 2010 issue of Boys' Life magazine
Paperwork? For a backpacking trip? When it comes to backpacking, keeping good paperwork is part of Being Prepared. You’ll need a trip plan, an emergency plan and a duty roster.
Download our templates below to help you get started.
TRIP PLAN
Once your crew has agreed on an itinerary, write down your plans, and leave copies with your parents and a handful of other responsible adults.
- File No. 1: Trip Plan, Microsoft Word: Modify it yourself to fit your trip.
- File No. 2: Trip Plan, PDF: Print our file and fill in the details for your trip by hand.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN
Before you leave for any trip, try to anticipate what could go wrong. Altitude sickness? Flooding? Avalanche? A serious injury? Provide copies to a handful of responsible adults who won’t be going on the trip.
- File No. 1: Emergency Response Plan, Microsoft Word: Modify it yourself to fit your trip.
- File No. 2: Emergency Response Plan, PDF: Print our file and fill in the details for your trip by hand.
DUTY ROSTER
Your duty roster should help you organize the responsibilities of each member — or each patrol — as you progress along your trek. Come up with a list of duties (water purification, cooking, cleanup, etc.) along with a list of the Scouts who will perform them. That way everybody knows from the start what they’re in for.
- File No. 1: Duty Roster, Microsoft Excel: Type in your own job names and the names of who will perform them.
- File No. 2: Duty Roster, PDF: Print out file and write down the names of the jobs and the Scouts by hand.
How do you download forms on this page?
The “File No.1 Trip Plan Microsoft Word:” is a hyperlink-style item. Just click on it and it will open a box that will ask if you want to open it, save it, or cancel. If you open it, you can then “save as” and put it where you want it. If you save it, then you can put it where you want it to go immediately and look at it later.
MAKE THE GEAR LIST A CHECK LIST