Backpacking Academy

Important Links:

Calendar Event Registration Gear List: Day trip Gear List: Multi Day

Backpacking Academy with Siskiyou Mountain Club

This course series is our effort to break down the barriers between everyday people and pursuing that next backpacking trip on America's great public lands. 

Each offering is led by instructors with a depth of experience and local knowledge. All questions are on the table and we're here to help you prepare and feel confident for your next overnight backpacking or backcountry camping trip.

Often courses are followed by a free outing in the field. 

Backpacking 101: The weekend backpack

This workshop is for anyone who wants to get into backpacking or who wants a reintroduction. It's also ideal for those getting into backcountry camping, meaning overnighting with as much gear as you can fit into a backpack, or certainly in the back of a sedan. The course covers:

  • Basic trip planning and identifying appropriate places to camp and backpack
  • General backcountry safety and Leave No Trace principles
  • Use of satellite & emergency response
  • Full gear list
  • How to pack your bags
  • Get fitted and select the right backpack

Backpacking 102: Multi-day preparation and navigation

This workshop is for anyone who has taken Backcountry 101 or has some recent backpacking experience. It goes beyond the gear and basic trip planning and introduces simple navigation and planning multi-day routes. The course covers:

  • extended trip planning and how to plot the trail route for you
  • simple navigation using topographic map
  • using trail reports to help develop itineraries
  • multi-day meal planning
  • introduction to simple gear fixes

Backpacking 103: Thru-hikes, longer treks, and off-trail navigation

The workshop is intended for anyone who has taken Backpacking 102 or has strong and frequent backpacking experience. In this course, we'll provide an intro to orienteering and more advanced navigation. The course will cover:

  • how to use a map and compass to take bearings and triangulate your precise location
  • introduction to pursuing off-trail routes
  • extended trip planning and detailed nutritional guidance
  • basic self-care: sleep, blisters, poison oak, sunburn, rashes