How to Prepare 5 Boys for a Hiking Trip

According to him, going on a trip with 5 boys can be extremely frustrating as well as enlightening and fun. They've done everything from RV camping to hiking many miles into the Sierra Mountains. Here’s how you prepare 5 boys for a hiking trip.

First, remember everything is 5X. That is, you purchase 5 of everything.

Essentials on a lanyard: Small flashlight, small knife, whistle, and lighter. He made the boys wear the lanyard from the time they leave the car to the time they're packing up to go home. The lanyard essentials unclude everything you need to get rescued. A small LED flashlight may be used to signal and to see at night. A whistle may be heard over many miles. A lighter may be used to light a fire. And a knife… well, no one should ever go into the wilderness without a knife.

Gear: Sleeping bag, pad, backpack, plastic shovel, biodegradable toilet paper in a zip lock bag, small tarp or tent (usually one per two or three boys), and a water container. Stove. He recommends Jetboil. Two water filters. Two because filtering goes twice as fast and one will break. One spoon. A good locking blade knife.

Personal: One change of underwear, one change of socks. One pair of flip-flops. Good solid shoes. If you are hiking for a day only, good running shoes work fine. If you are going multiday, think about some trail shoes. Don’t forget sunglasses. A floppy hat and a LED headlamp.

Food: freeze dried. Get the ones with pasta and extra portions. Bring along a bottle of ketchup or tobacso. Bring dried fruit to keep things moving properly. Forget the desserts. They are terrible. It’s costly, but it’s light. The advantage is you’re only ever boiling water, so clean up is a snap… that is, none. The food cooks in its own bag. Bring some hard candy along to pass out occasionally. Dry gator aid makes a nice treat at night. Same with tea of coffee. Keep liquids to a minimum. Everything, if possible should be dry.

Other: insect repellant, sunblock, fishing gear, first aid kit.

Here are few things not to bring:

Electronics of any kind (except maybe a GPS, which he generally found only mildy useful). A topographical map and a compass are far more useful and don’t suddenly go blank when dropped.

Toy guns, slingshots, bb guns, or anything else that may cause injury. If you bring these things, someone will get injured.

Hatchets are not useful on a hiking trip and someone will invariably get hurt.

Chocolate or anything that melts. You are asking for a sticky mess when it melts and the critters love this stuff.

Forget toothpaste and toothbrush for the boys. Dental fanatics will go crazy, but the toothpaste attracts animals and must be put in a bear box or hung from a tree. Ditto with the toothbrush. It just isn’t that bad to go without for a few days as opposed to having critters tear through your stuff. Rinse and spit for a couple of days.

Soap – again, the critters love it. Also, it’s not good for rivers and streams. If you must have soap, use a good biodegradable one and don’t wash in the river. Castle makes a good soap.

When you get everything together, lay it all out in individual piles and make each boy check a list before packing it in. That way, you’ll feel better about having everything. Someone will forget something, but don’t stress… you’re only a few days from civilization.

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