Boy Scouts of America

Quick Concept for Plan Ahead and Prepare

Grabbing Your Group’s Attention (15 minutes)

Have a one-pot meal, or a variety of one-pot meals, cooking outdoors on a backpack stove when your group arrives. Give each participant a copy of each recipe and describe how you prepared each meal. Provide every participant with a taste of each dish.

Alternate Plan for Grabbing Your Group’s Attention (15 minutes)

As an alternate activity, before your meeting, find pictures or posters depicting a local or regional environment (high alpine, desert, river). You will use these pictures to serve as your imaginary destination.

Break participants into small groups of three to five when they arrive. Tell your group you are taking them on an imaginary hiking trip and ask each person to pack a small backpack for your adventure. Don’t tell the participants their imaginary destination or what to bring. Build suspense by asking them to guess the destination of their imaginary trip.

The Activity

Break your group into pairs and have them

  • Create a recipe for a simple one-pot meal.
  • Make a list of all the ingredients they would need to bring into the backcountry for this meal.
  • Describe how they should pack these ingredients to minimize garbage.

Alternate Activity

Show the destination pictures from the alternate plan above and describe (weather, terrain, etc.) the location you have selected. Explain the goal of the trip: wildlife viewing or fishing. Ask the groups to unpack their packs and discuss their answers to the following questions. To help facilitate discussion, the leader must read the Background on the Principles of Leave No Trace.

  • How well do the contents of your pack properly prepare you for this trip?
  • How well do the contents of your pack ensure your safety?
  • How well do the contents of your pack ensure you will leave no trace—that you will not damage natural or cultural resources?
  • Do the contents of your pack ensure your trip will meet your goal—for example, wildlife viewing or fishing—safely and enjoyably?

Because participants packed their packs without proper information, they will probably be inadequately prepared for their destination. This activity demonstrates the importance of planning before packing.

The Discussion

Discuss why planning and preparing for one-pot meals on a backcountry trip is wiser than planning a meal of canned chili, canned fruit, and hot dogs. Refer to the Background on the Principles of Leave No Trace for details to assist you in this discussion. You may want to invite a guest from an outdoor store or hiking club to conduct the cooking demonstration if you lack experience.

Discussion for the Alternate Activity

Following the alternate activity, facilitate a discussion with all participants about the results of the activity. Ask each group to briefly share its answers to the above questions and add:

  • How would the contents of your pack differ with different destinations?
  • What other information do you need to pack properly for a trip?
  • What is the value of knowing more about your destination and the activities you have planned before packing?

Bray Barnes

Director, Global Security Innovative
Strategies

Bray Barnes is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, Silver
Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Learning for Life Distinguished
Service Award. He received the Messengers of Peace Hero award from
the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he’s a life member of
the 101st Airborne Association and Vietnam Veterans Association. Barnes
serves as a senior fellow for the Global Federation of Competitiveness
Councils, a nonpartisan network of corporate CEOs, university presidents, and
national laboratory directors. He has also served as a senior executive for the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leading the first-responder program
and has two U.S. presidential appointments

David Alexander

Managing Member Calje

David Alexander is a Baden-Powell Fellow, Summit Bechtel Reserve philanthropist, and recipient of the Silver Buffalo and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the founder of Caljet, one of the largest independent motor fuels terminals in the U.S. He has served the Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association, Teen Lifeline, and American Heart Association. A triathlete who has completed hundreds of races, Alexander has also mentored the women’s triathlon team at Arizona State University.

Glenn Adams

President, CEO & Managing Director
Stonetex Oil Corp.

Glenn Adams is a recipient of the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the former president of the National Eagle Scout Association and established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. He has more than 40 years of experience in the oil, gas, and energy fields, including serving as a president, owner, and CEO. Adams has also received multiple service awards from the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.