Wilderness Camping

Course Description

Wilderness Camping is an intermediate camping program aimed at those who already have some frontcountry camping and paddling experience but would like to learn the competencies necessary for wilderness travel as well as develop basic leadership and risk management skills.

Throughout the course, participants will be expected to lead the group in various activities including navigation, meals, and camp set-up and take-down.

General Learning Outcome

At the end of this course the successful participant will have a strong camping skill set and can plan and participate in camping trips up to a week-long in a wilderness setting.

They will be able to provide peer leadership and navigation skills while on trip.

Prerequisites

Camping Skills Certification

Camping Basics certification or equivalent skill and knowledge at the discretion of the course director.

Paddling Skills Certification

A Paddle Canada skills course appropriate to the vessels used and conditions on which the camping course takes place, as outlined by the course director, or equivalent skills and knowledge at the discretion of the course director.

Other Training

Wilderness first aid (minimum 16 hours) is strongly recommended.

Camping Experience

A log demonstrating a minimum of four camping trips with a total combination of eight nights or more camping. It is not necessary that these trips involve paddling.

Course Length

If this course is offered as a stand-alone program, then the course length will be a minimum of 24 hours of instruction (3 days) including a 2-night camping trip.

If this course is offered in conjunction with another Paddle Canada paddling course (for example, Stand Up Paddleboard Advanced Flatwater skills) then the course length will be the total length of the two courses combined. For example, if the other paddling skills course is normally 2 days long then the total teaching days would be 5 days.

Course Presentation and Ratios

Wilderness Camping Instructors may choose to offer the Wilderness Skills course either:

• as simply a Wilderness Camping course, using canoes, kayaks, or stand up paddleboards for travel only, or
• in conjunction with a Paddle Canada paddling skills course (for example, combine Wilderness Camping with Introduction to Lakewater Canoe to create a “Wilderness Canoe Camping Course.”

If this course is offered as the Wilderness Camping course alone, then the instructor-to-participant ratio will match the ratio of the corresponding Paddle Canada skills course, based on the paddling discipline and the water classification. For example, if the participants are in tandem canoes on class 1 moving water, then the instructor to participant ratio will be the same as the Introduction to Moving Water Tandem Canoe skills course ratio which is 1:8.

If this course is offered in conjunction with a Paddle Canada paddling skills course, then the instructor-to-participant ratio will match the ratio of the paddling skills course offered.

Wilderness Camping Instructors must also be a Paddle Canada instructor for the paddling discipline and the water classification.

If a qualified assistant is present on the course, then that number of participants can be increased by two. For example, a course with an instructor-to-participant ratio of 1:8 becomes 1 instructor + 1 assistant for 10 participants.

A maximum of two assistant instructors can be present on this course.

Minimum Staff and Certification

One Wilderness Camping Instructor is required to teach this course.

Any assistants must be at least a Camping Basics Instructor.

Environmental Conditions and Water Classification

The location and environment conditions for this course cannot exceed the skill level of the participants or certification level of instructors. For example, instructors must hold current conditions-appropriate moving water instructor certification to offer this program in a moving water setting. Likewise, participants should also have certification in, or equivalent experience with, conditions-appropriate moving water.

Please see Water Class Definitions for a specific description of all water classifications.

Assessment

Assessment at this level occurs throughout the program as the instructor observes the participants’ performance of each skill and overall development as a camper. A written test is not required.

Learning Outcomes

This course focuses on intermediate campcraft skills in a wilderness setting including:

Camping Basics Skills and Theory Review

The participant will demonstrate skills taught in the Camping Basics level including (but not limited to safe kitchen set-up and safe knife use.

Kitchen and Cooking

Wilderness Cooking

The participant will:

• demonstrate knowledge of proper outdoor cooking skills and procedures with a strong focus on safety,
• demonstrate the safe use of cooking tools (including knives) to avoid contamination of food,
• cook at least one meal for the group,
• be made aware of the importance of wearing proper and safe footwear while in the kitchen,
• be made aware of various tips and techniques to make cooking in the wilderness easier and more successful,
• if conditions allow, demonstrate knowledge of cooking over a fire versus cooking over a stove, and
• demonstrate environmental best practices for washing dishes with a focus on sanitization.

Safe Drinking Water

The participant will:

• show knowledge of where to find safe drinking water,
• demonstrate knowledge of 3 different methods to make water safe, and
• demonstrate best practices for maintaining water filters out in the field.

Campfires

The participant will:

• demonstrate knowledge of how-to set-up and light more than one fire configuration,
• demonstrate knowledge of appropriate firewood choices as well as where to locate it,
• demonstrate knowledge of proper airflow for proper combustion,
• demonstrate the proper way to extinguish a fire,
• demonstrate knowledge of the negative environmental impacts of campfires,
• be made aware of how to research local fire restrictions as well as the importance of respecting fire bans.

Personal and Camp Hygiene

The participant will:

• demonstrate knowledge of human waste management appropriate to the local environment including carry-out options and the use of latrines or cat holes,
• demonstrate knowledge of the disposal of greywater appropriate to the local environment, and
• demonstrate the knowledge of the importance and proper technique of hand washing and setting up hand washing stations.

Management of Trip Garbage

The participant will:

• demonstrate knowledge of how to deal with group garbage to maintain camp cleanliness and reduce cross-contamination,
• be made aware of various techniques to reduce the amount of trip garbage including (but not limited to) eliminating extra packaging before the trip, and
• be made aware of the concept of packing out what you packed in as well as ensuring campsites are cleaner when you left than before you arrived.

Food Preparation and Packing for Trips

The participant will demonstrate knowledge of pre-trip food packing that removes excess packaging, groups meals together and ensures food preservation.

Menu Design for Longer Trips

The participant will:

• demonstrate knowledge of basic nutrition requirements when planning a menu for a camping trip, and
• demonstrate knowledge of food portion sizes that are appropriate to the energy needs of the campers and minimise food waste.

Campsite and Gear

Campsite Selection and Set-up

The participant will demonstrate an awareness of the features of an acceptable wilderness campsite including appropriate kitchen/tent separation.

Tent and Tarp Set-up

The participant will:

• demonstrate how to choose a proper location to minimize environmental impact,
• demonstrate how to set-up a tent for both maximum waterproofness and stormproofing,
• demonstrate how to set up a tarp or shelter to protect the campers from the elements, and
• demonstrate how to dry and pack away a tarp and tent to prevent mildew or damage during storage.

Choosing Camping Gear and Clothing

The participant will:

• demonstrate knowledge of the pros and cons of various camping gear including (but not limited to) tents, kitchen equipment, sleeping bags/pads, footwear, tools, lighting and electronics,
• demonstrate knowledge of appropriate pieces of clothing for sun, rain and cold,
• demonstrate knowledge of proper and safe footwear for camping, and
• demonstrate techniques for packing and waterproofing their gear.

Field Repairs and Maintenance for Gear and Vessels

The participant will:

• demonstrate knowledge of how to assemble a basic gear repair kit,
• demonstrate knowledge of common repairs including (but not limited to) broken tent poles, zippers, torn tent fly or body, vessel repair (hole, dent), and
• demonstrate knowledge of basic preventative maintenance for (but not limited to) stoves and water filters.

First Aid Kits

The participant will demonstrate knowledge of how to assemble an appropriate first aid and medications kit.

Camping Skills

Packing a Vessel

The participant will demonstrate how to pack either a canoe, kayak or stand up paddleboard ensuring that both gear and food is stowed securely, and the boat/board is trim.

Vehicle Vessel Tie-down

The participant will:

• demonstrate safe methods for lifting the vessel onto and off a vehicle roof, and
• demonstrate appropriate methods to tie a vessel securely to a vehicle roof with either racks or foam blocks.

Knots

The participant will demonstrate the use of appropriate knots to effectively tie-down/secure a canoe, kayak or stand up paddleboard as well as set-up a tarp or shelter. Possible knots include clove hitch, bowline, taut line hitch, trucker’s hitch and prusik loops.

Portaging Techniques

The participant will demonstrate how to safely carry a canoe, kayak or stand-up paddleboard.

Trip Logs

The participant will be made aware of the importance and benefits of maintaining a trip log or diary.

Theory

Maps and Charts

The participant will:

• be aware of how to orient a map/chart to the environment,
• demonstrate knowledge of common symbols on a map or chart and be able to co-locate those features in the real world, and
• give examples of the benefits, drawbacks and applicable uses of both nautical charts and topographic maps.

Navigation Techniques

The participant will demonstrate knowledge of basic navigation techniques and concepts including:

• piloting and deduced reckoning,
• use of backstops, handrails, ranges, lines of position, and
• declination/variation calculation and its use.
• use a map and/or chart to navigate a route,
• demonstrate knowledge of how to accurately take a bearing from a map/chart,
• demonstrate how to shoot a bearing in the field and follow said bearing for at least 500 meters,
• calculate the group’s speed, time, and distance travelled,
• demonstrate the use of a GPS in conjunction with a topographic map or nautical chart, and
• understand basic aids to navigation.

Trip and Route Planning

The participant will:

• use maps and/or charts to determine possible launching and landing sites and other practical features for paddlers, and
• demonstrate knowledge of how to plan a multi-day route taking the group needs and local environment into account.

Impact of Camping on the Environment

The participant will:

• give examples of the negative impacts camping has on the local environment and how best these can be mitigated,
• demonstrate knowledge of the core principles of Leave No Trace practices and integrate these principles throughout the course,
• be made aware of how to minimize the impact of saws and knives on the environment, and
• be made aware of the inherent dangers of axe use and discouraged from using them due to their negative impact on the natural environment.

Weather Interpretation and Basic Forecasting

The participant will:

• describe local and regional weather patterns,
• identify four different types of clouds and what types of weather they likely precede,
• identify low or high-pressure systems, cold/warm fronts and their effects on local/regional weather,
• identify the signs of weather change,
• be aware of the importance of getting a weather forecast for trip planning and risk management, and
• demonstrate knowledge of backcountry lightning risk management and avoidance.

Heat and Cold Issues

The participant will:

• demonstrate knowledge of the importance of keeping warm and dry on a camping trip including strategies to do so, and
• demonstrate knowledge of the symptoms and basic treatment of both hypothermia and hyperthermia.

Leadership and Decision Making

The participant will:

• demonstrate effective leadership and decision-making in the context of leading peers,
• participate in scenarios and exercises that reflect differing styles of outdoor leadership,
• demonstrate group awareness by paying attention to the location and energy levels of other members of the group while on the water,
• demonstrate the ability to make good decisions for the group during simulated incidents, and
• lead the group effectively and safely on the water during designated segments of a day trip or during environment transitions (for example, headlands, moving water or getting on/off the water).

See Outdoor Leadership for more resources and further learning.

Risk Assessment, Management and Evacuation

The participant will:

• complete a formal route plan for a multi-day journey that accounts for hazards and effectively manages risk,
• assess and mitigate risks as they apply to a multi-day journey with peers,
• demonstrate a strong understanding of current risk assessment concepts and terminology,
• participate confidently in scenarios requiring a complex and efficient response,
• explain various pieces of technology available to summon help in the event of an emergency. This can include VHF radios, personal locator beacons, satellite messengers, flares, and
• state the procedures for evacuation as well as how to summon outside help (Canadian Coast Guard, police or local search and rescue).

Camping Locations and Resources

The participant will:

• be made aware of the importance of obtaining all necessary camping/travel permits,
• be made aware of local camping options and locations, and
• be made aware of other sources of information such as books, videos and websites for further research and learning.

Respect for Wildlife

The participant will:

• demonstrate knowledge of how to stay safe around wildlife, and
• demonstrate proper food storage including (but not limited to) bear boxes, hanging food using a rope/pulley design, caching food, etc.) as well as how to minimize food smells in the campsite.

Regional Travel Knowledge

Instructors should choose the category above that’s closest to the environment they are travelling through.

Instructors have the option of covering materials from other categories if they feel their participants require that knowledge.

Lake travel

Participants will understand the impact weather, particularly wind, can have on navigation, and will understand what weather is manageable at this level.

River travel

The participant will:

• demonstrate knowledge of the basics of river travel and paddling in current, and
• explain what current speeds are manageable at this skill level as well as how current interacts with the weather.

Ocean Travel: Introduction to Tides and Currents

The participant will:

• read and interpret tide heights and current speeds from main tables in tides and currents books or websites (for example, gc.ca),
• identify on a nautical chart where those values apply and make inferences on how they will manifest themselves given the local bathymetry in the surrounding areas,
• understand what current speeds are manageable at this skill level as well as how current interacts with the sea state, and
• identify potentially hazardous environments due to tide and/or current activity.