Harriman State Park - Backpacking Series Overnighter

When and Where

When: May 27-28, 2023, 2:00 pm — 12:00 pm
Nights: 1

Location: Harriman State Park

This trip is the first in a series of trips to prepare the scouts for this summer's 5-day Adventure Trek. This trip is focused on the backpacking element of the Trek and is the first real backpacking trip this troop has done in countless years. This is an opportunity to get things, such as the "Trail and backpacking meals" requirement for the Cooking Merit Badge done. Chances like these, especially in a city-based troop like ours, are very far between. You have to do everything in your power to snatch them.

Plan

The plan is for the trip to take less than a full day, so we need to do everything on time.

Leave OLA at 2 PM
Meet at Reeves Meadow Visitor Center parking lot
Follow the Pine Meadow Trail for approximately 
Cook a3.5 miles. Pick up Conklines Crossing Trail towards the end of the lake. Follow CC to the end and turn left on the Suffern Bear Mountain Trail. Follow the SBM trail for approximately .35 miles and arrive at the shelter.
Cook and eat dinner
Wake up at 10 AM to have enough time to pack up our stuff, finish the hike, and leave by noon.

We also have a slideshow prepared with more useful information about the trip.

What to pack

This is a real backpacking trip so packing is the most important and most challenging part, you need to bring a lot of stuff but still make sure your pack is light enough to always carry with you.

Some of the more important ones are:

• ⧠ Ten essentials
• ⧠ Backpack
• ⧠ Class B (as well as Class A for travel)
• ⧠ A LOT of water (2 - 3 liters of water per day + extra for cooking)
• ⧠ Food
• ⧠ Executed Troop permission from ScoutBook  (if not submitted already)
• ⧠ A bear canister
   

This, although important, is far from everything you need. REI provides a more extensive list of things you should pack for a trip like this. This list is also present in the slideshow previously linked.