This is the time of year when many troops are welcoming new Scouts into their ranks. This is an exciting time for the youth, as they face summertime hikes, adventures, and backpacking trips. However many of the new boys either have not been backpacking before, do not have properly fitting backpacks, or both.

So how do you take these boys out and have them enjoy it? This is the first year for us to take the younger guys backpacking and we have started small.  They love it!  We started by buying smaller framed (and adjustable) backpacks for the smaller Scouts to use. If we need more we look to other troops in the area to borrow some of their smaller framed packs.  The older Scouts borrow or buy their own. 

You do not have to backpack several miles, 10 miles, or 20 miles to enjoy it.  While at the Grand Canyon (at the peak of the tourist season) we noticed that if you carried your gear 100 yards from the car-access area, there was nobody around and you could camp in private.  Likewise, the trails were crowded within 1/4 mile of the trailhead, but after that you saw few hikers.  Few of the thousands of tourists ventured any further than that. 

Remember: You do not have to go very far to show the boys that little peaceful bit of wilderness, even if there is a freeway 2 miles to the west of there.  A sense of accomplishment will whet their appetite for more.  A short backpack to the camping site, then an exploratory day hike carrying water and snacks, then backpack your gear back out: that is a true adventure to most boys who are starting out..

10 Tips for a Safe and Fun Backpacking Experience with New Boys

1)  Give everybody a list and stick to it.  No Extra Stuff!  New backpackers will want to bring everything. Experienced hikers know that the extra ounces at the beginning of the hike will feel like extra pounds at the end of the hike. New hikers do not know this and they can be miserable on the trail before they find out. Use advance patrol meetings to pack, weigh and adjust the packs for all hikers.

Weigh the packs. 25% of body weight should be the upper limit for hikers under 14 years of age.

Divide crew gear and food.  Give more weight to the stronger boys (note, I did not say the biggest boys).

Remember: 2 quarts of water per boy. 

2) Buddy-up the younger/less-experienced with an older/more-experienced hiker.  Have them check pack adjustments and weight distributions before and during the hike.  Frequent stops for pack and blister checks also give younger boys a chance to breathe. 

3) Keep the groups together if they are hiking together.  Frequent stops to look at flowers/trees/tracks in the mud, take a picture of all of them together, etc.  The gazelles will always be rested, because they are waiting for the turtles.  The turtles never get a chance to rest, because as soon as they catch up, the gazelles start up again.  Remember, you are teaching them to enjoy backpacking.  The Bataan Death March can come later.  This also gives us out-of-shape types a chance to catch our breath, too.    That Nature Lore stuff really pays off here.  I always find many new flowers to show and tell about, allowing short old legs to recover while talking about the natural history of the rock that I am leaning on.

Teach the boys to Caterpillar Hike.  Simply put, establish a Leader, an order of hiking for the boys, and a Sweep (final person in the hike, usually an adult).  Leader stops to rest, each person passes him and rests.  As soon as the Sweep comes up, the leader can start again when the Sweep tells him he can, the others follow in order, allowing the final ones in the group to get some rest, too.

4)  Try this option: The slowest person leads.  No one gets in front of him. A Scout is Patient.

5) Different Hikes for Different Skill Levels. Have the younger guys backpack in 1 easy mile, while the older guys are dropped off further away or backpack in by a different, longer, or more challenging trail (you might need more leaders for this, however). 

6) Lighten Up. If you do not have lightweight tents, use tarps.  Or drop off the major camping stuff (tents, water, heavy sleeping bags, and stoves) at a drive-up site and have the boys backpack in their own personal gear and the backpacking food.(see #5)

7) Drink lots of water.  Have the boys toast the trail, the trees, the sky, their boots, etc. at every rest stop and at every opportunity.  Every boy should carry 2 quarts of water in a clear bottle (so that older Scouts and leaders can monitor their consumption or lack of it) and drink it on the trail.  Younger boys do not have the body mass to retain water and they dehydrate quickly.  Carry some hard candies in your pocket and distribute them at a rest stop for quick energy. M&MsÔ or GORP (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts) are also great quick energy foods and lightweight.

8) Watch the boys closely for early signs of trouble. Everybody should know the symptoms of dehydration, overheating, and exhaustion.  Stumbling under a pack may be symptom of a boy that is on the edge of trouble, but won’t say anything because he is not aware of it, or because he is too proud.  Watch out for each other.

9)  Anybody can halt the hike for any reason (tired, stone in shoe, etc.). Stop frequently. Leader should call out "is there anybody who is NOT ready to hike?" before resuming.

10) Remind the older boys to pay close attention to the younger, new boys. They may not be aware that the eyes of the new Scouts are on them, and a word of praise or encouragement from that more experienced Scout will do a world of good in helping that new boy discover the joys of backpacking and hiking with his new friends.

So start small, be safe, and have fun.