Lighten Your Load Workshop and Campout
Yellowwood State Forest, IN
June 22-23, 2024
Co-Trip Leaders: Leslie Green and Elizabeth Pecora
Type of Trip: Workshop with Campout and Day Hike
Trip Cost/Deposit: $55/$55
Cancellation Date and full payment: May 22, 2024
Wilderness Level: 2
Trip Difficulty: Easy to Moderate; 5-10 mile day hike with less than 500 ft elevation gain
Policy on Fitness Self-Assessment
Level 1: Applies to trips in which we carry only day packs and stay on maintained trails. Hiking distances range from 3-6 mile, and elevation gain can be as much as 2000 feet. You should be comfortable hiking 3-6 miles in a day with considerable gain/loss on good trails.
Level 2: Primarily applies to trips in which we carry only day packs. In one day, we can hike up to 9 miles and 4500 feet of elevation gain on maintained trails, or up to 7 miles and 2000 feet of elevation gain on more rugged, less-maintained trails. For a Level 2 trip you should be comfortable hiking 6-8 miles in a day in hilly or mountainous terrain with a light day pack. If a backpacking trip has a Level 2 rating, it means the distances are 2-4 miles with little elevation gain/loss.
Group Size: 12/8 Maximum/Minimum
Adults and Youth 16+ with adult
***Before registering***
While considering your participation in CIWC trips, be aware that some trips will involve shared transportation, lodging, and other activities. Each participant is encouraged to evaluate your comfort level with such arrangements based on your health condition, vaccination status, and unknown COVID positivity rates at the time of the trip. Members are encouraged to review the COVID waiver as a part of this evaluation.
Have you complained and labored with the weight of your backpack? Do you come home from a hike with a pack full of extra stuff you didn’t even use? Are you new to backpacking and don’t know what to bring? This hands-on training session will give you techniques, tricks, tools, and tips to reduce the weight you carry on the trail. We will use some of the ideas of the ultralight hiking gurus without risking comfort or safety. This trip could be good for beginning backpackers that haven’t yet invested in equipment and can use the information to select the best, lightest gear. The session includes:
- Evaluating cooking systems for individuals and groups by cooking your dinner and breakfast at the campsite
- Evaluating water treatment systems and the lightest weight options for various situations
- Making a ditty bag of camp essentials at less than 8 ounces
- Making a personal first aid kit
- Determining your clothing system for various seasons
- Evaluating your sleep system and shelter system – examining options
- Creating a menu that provides tasty, substantive nutrition and energy without weighing you down.
- Learning what things weigh zero in your pack.
We’ll spend the morning and early afternoon on Saturday at the WPA Shelter at Yellowwood State Forest and then stay overnight at the campground. Sunday, we will take a 10-mile hike around the lake and on the Scarce of Fat trail – with or without your lightened packs.
The cost of the workshop and campout includes lunch, dinner, breakfast, and snacks; fuel for cooking and a ditty bag with toiletries & a first aid kit that you will assemble. Camping and facility rental are also covered with your fees. You’ll also receive a resource guide that you can use after the trip.
Questions may be submitted to ciwcinfo@gmail.com.
All trip participants must fill out and submit a CIWC Medical Form and Long Waiver Form.
Effective on all trips, there will be a $50 nonrefundable registration fee. This fee will be assessed to those who sign up for a trip, get on the roster and then later cancel. Even cancelling before the cancel date. Those who never make the active roster (i.e. those who stay on the waitlist) will NOT be charged the $50 cancellation fee.
