paddling.Jimstrutz.com © 2008
Trip Planning - Presentation notes from 4/16/09 KCK Safety Meeting.
1) Where & when?
Gather info from previous trip reports, books, KCK meetings, friends, Internet, Alaska Outdoors Forums.
Look at maps to determine surrounding terrain and distance of float.
Speed of travel: 3hrs morning camp, 2hrs breaks, 5hrs evening camp, 8 hrs sleep. = 6 hours boating.
10-40 miles in a raft, 20-50 miles in river canoe/kayak, 10-15 miles in sea kayak.
2) Who's going?
Consider ages, genders, abilities, disabilities of participants.
Consider accommodations needed: tent sizes, help with setup, special meals, toilet facilities, etc.
Consider personalities: conflicts, demands & cooperation. No more than one difficult person per group.
3) Travel arrangements
Look at the distance to put-in / take-out, and allow for adequate travel time.
Make arrangements for transportation, and extra shipment of cargo if needed.
Plan out the vehicle shuttle: shuttle drivers should not be boat riggers. -- Bring extra keys.
To save time, shuttle drivers should be different people than the ones rigging the boats. -- Bring extra keys.
Are commercial shuttles available? -- Bring extra keys.
4) Boating equipment
Use the appropriate boat types. Consider the size, maneuverability & draft.
What is the realistic weight capacity of the boat for the water conditions? Don't overload boats.
5) Camping equipment
Is everyone bringing their own gear? Even so, some gear is best thought of as communal.
Groovers, privacy shelters, large stoves, fuel & large pots are communal. Tarps & tables can also be communal.
Who has what gear? Who is responsible to bring it?
6) Meals & menus
Think in terms of campsites: 1) Dinner, 2) Breakfast 3) Lunch to pack or set out.
Make complete and separate menus for each campsite, with ingredient lists & instructions.
Determine amounts of food & costs. I average of $15 per day, per person, for food.
Estimating high is good. Reimbursing after the trip is easier than collecting more later.
Pack each camp's food separately, with a copy of that camp's menus included in every container.
Pack cooler with the last meal on the bottom, and the first meal on top.
7) Planning meetings
Plan for one or two pre-trip meetings depending on how self sufficient the group is.
Decide on equipment to be taken & travel arrangements.
Discuss cost sharing: Appoint someone to be the trip banker.
Is everybody paying equally? Any offset for major equipment owners, vehicle providers, etc.? Write it all down.
Collect money before the trip, and reimburse after all expenses are paid.
Collect more than the anticipated needs. You want this for a contingency fund.
Assign duties.
8) Duty assignments:
Trip planner
Food shopper: This can be a big job.
Banker: Get someone who really will write things down.
Trip leader: You may want to use a separate boating leader and camping leader
These may be rotated or static for the duration.
Boat captains
Cooks, dishwashers
Groover tender: If you need this position, it is the easiest to do camp job.
Camp setup crew: tarps, tables, campfire
9) Group Packing Party
Get together the night before, or morning of to pack the trucks.
Have a packing list to check off items as they get packed.
10) Packing lists
Northwest River Supply has excellent packing lists to copy or modify.
Make separate amount columns for NEED, HAVE and LOADED. – Put the correct amounts in each column.
Think in terms of containers. What do you want in a particular box or bag? List them, and pack them together.
1) Where & when?
Gather info from previous trip reports, books, KCK meetings, friends, Internet, Alaska Outdoors Forums.
Look at maps to determine surrounding terrain and distance of float.
Speed of travel: 3hrs morning camp, 2hrs breaks, 5hrs evening camp, 8 hrs sleep. = 6 hours boating.
10-
2) Who's going?
Consider ages, genders, abilities, disabilities of participants.
Consider accommodations needed: tent sizes, help with setup, special meals, toilet facilities, etc.
Consider personalities: conflicts, demands & cooperation. No more than one difficult person per group.
3) Travel arrangements
Look at the distance to put-
Plan out the vehicle shuttle: shuttle drivers should not be boat riggers. -
To save time, shuttle drivers should be different people than the ones rigging the boats. -
4) Boating equipment
Use the appropriate boat types. Consider the size, maneuverability & draft.
What is the realistic weight capacity of the boat for the water conditions? Don't overload boats.
5) Camping equipment
Is everyone bringing their own gear? Even so, some gear is best thought of as communal.
Groovers, privacy shelters, large stoves, fuel & large pots are communal. Tarps & tables can also be communal.
Who has what gear? Who is responsible to bring it?
6) Meals & menus
Think in terms of campsites: 1) Dinner, 2) Breakfast 3) Lunch to pack or set out.
Make complete and separate menus for each campsite, with ingredient lists & instructions.
Determine amounts of food & costs. I average of $15 per day, per person, for food.
Estimating high is good. Reimbursing after the trip is easier than collecting more later.
Pack each camp's food separately, with a copy of that camp's menus included in every container.
Pack cooler with the last meal on the bottom, and the first meal on top.
7) Planning meetings
Plan for one or two pre-
Discuss cost sharing: Appoint someone to be the trip banker.
Is everybody paying equally? Any offset for major equipment owners, vehicle providers, etc.? Write it all down.
Collect money before the trip, and reimburse after all expenses are paid.
Collect more than the anticipated needs. You want this for a contingency fund.
Assign duties.
8) Duty assignments:
Trip planner
Food shopper: This can be a big job.
Banker: Get someone who really will write things down.
Trip leader: You may want to use a separate boating leader and camping leader
These may be rotated or static for the duration.
Boat captains
Cooks, dishwashers
Groover tender: If you need this position, it is the easiest to do camp job.
Camp setup crew: tarps, tables, campfire
9) Group Packing Party
Get together the night before, or morning of to pack the trucks.
Have a packing list to check off items as they get packed.
10) Packing lists
Northwest River Supply has excellent packing lists to copy or modify.
Make separate amount columns for NEED, HAVE and LOADED. – Put the correct amounts in each column.
Think in terms of containers. What do you want in a particular box or bag? List them, and pack them together.
