Backpack Bootcamp FAQ

Questions about

Bootcamps

What is a beginner bootcamp?

A bootcamp is a highly-structured, one-night backpacking trip at a location within a 3-4 hour drive of Chicago designed to introduce new backpackers to the essentials

of any trip, such as what gear to bring, how to pack it, what to be aware of while hiking (e.g. time, distance, direction, soreness) and how to function as a group on the trail and in camp.

Bootcamp trips usually start on Saturday morning. Carpools leave Chicago early enough to get to the trailhead around 11 or 12 Central Time.

Once everyone is there, the organizers will go through gear to make sure people have what they need, and make sure they don’t take anything they don’t need (e.g. electric razors, cast-iron skillets, 36-ounce bottles of mouthwash). Organizers will also show participants how to pack their gear to make it as easy to carry as possible.

After packing up, everyone will hike between 7 and 8 miles to camp. While on the trail, organizers will demonstrate various backpacking skills, such as: how to use a map and compass, how to walk with a pack, and how to stay aware of your body and how sore it might be getting (especially the feet--if you have a hotspot, it means a blister isn’t far behind).

Once in camp, organizers will cover things like good campsite selection, how to

pitch a tent, how to start a fire, and how to filter water.

Everyone hikes out Sunday morning, which is usually about 3 miles back to the cars. We usually get lunch on the drive back to Chicago.

While on the trail and in camp, organizers will also demonstrate Leave No Trace ethics.

What is Leave No Trace?

Leave No Trace (LNT) is an ethical philosophy governing how we as backpackers responsibly enjoy the outdoors and preserve it for those who follow us. The Chicago Backpackers is committed to adhering to the principles of LNT. By signing up for a bootcamp, or any of our trips, you also make this commitment. The Leave No Trace Seven Principles are summarized as follows:

1.Plan Ahead and Prepare

2.Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

3.Dispose of Waste Properly

4.Leave What You Find

5.Minimize Campfire Impacts

6.Respect Wildlife

7.Be Considerate of Other Visitors

© Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics: ​w ​.

For more information, visit ​w ​or talk to one of the Organizers.

Why do I need to go on a bootcamp before I can do other trips?

If you have sufficient previous backpacking experience to know that you can actually carry all of your gear for up to 8 miles a day, and you know how to use all of that gear, then you don’t need to go on a bootcamp. In fact, if you know what you’re doing, we would prefer that you not take a space from someone who needs it. Just make sure that you reach out directly to the organizer of your first trip with us to let us know what your experience has been.

If, however, you have never been backpacking, or it has been years since you hauled 30-40 pounds on your back up and down hills, over streams, and through forests, you should sign up for a bootcamp to get a sense of what a longer trip will require of you.

Where does the bootcamp take place?

We often go to Forest Glen Nature Preserve, just outside of Danville, Illinois. There