PEOL 351-Backpacking - spring term

This is a two-credit course designed for students with little or no backpacking experience. The course consists of classroom sessions and a three-day backpacking outing to the Oregon Coast. Classroom topics include clothing and equipment requirements, a map and compass review, backpacking risks and hazards, leave no trace travel and camping ethics, fitness requirements, and trip planning and preparation. Students are required to complete a map and compass worksheet and an in-class fitness test (2-mile run in less than 20 minutes) prior to participating in the outing.

The focus of the outing is on learning the basics of backpacking, with an emphasis on the following skills and techniques: Packing a pack; improving hiking efficiency and preventing injuries, using a backpacking stove and cooking basic meals; erecting a tarp and/or tent shelter; camping and traveling using Leave No Trace (LNT) ethics specific to the coastal environment; reading a map and using a map and compass to navigate from point to point.

Course Description, Schedule, Equipment, Maps & Worksheet course description course schedule outing agenda outing equipment requirements outing map north outing map south worksheet

This is a two-credit course consisting of classroom sessions and a three-day backpacking outing to the Oregon Cascades. Classroom topics include clothing and equipment requirements, navigation (map and compass review and introduction to GPS use), backcountry safety practices and protocols, LNT travel and camping ethics, fitness requirements, and trip planning and preparation. Students are required to complete a map and compass worksheet, and pass an in-class fitness test (2-mile run in less than 18 minutes) prior to participating in the outing.

The outing is geared towards developing efficient backcountry navigation skills. We follow an exciting and challenging route in rugged country that requires the use of intermediate and advanced GPS and map and compass skills. The route is mostly off trail, in the southern portion of the Three Sisters Wilderness Area. This outing can be physically demanding, especially in foul weather.

Course Description, Schedule, Equipment & Assignments description schedule equipment & clothing requirements worksheet online map outing agenda
Course Readings, Articles and Assorted Resources gps and maps UTM grid and GPS basics map and compass field techniques map tools sharing the woods safely public land survey system