Black Forest Backpacking (1)

Overview

Join us on a multi-night backpacking trip through the incredible wilderness of Pennsylvania. Backpacking is a form of camping in which you carry all of your gear, food, and water in a backpack, and hike into the woods to camp. It's a great way to immerse yourself in the backcountry and have an adventure! No experience required!

*Backpacking trips in the Bucknell OEL program are rated using 3 levels. Each level is meant to help a student understand the physical requirement associated with a specific trip. Examples of each level are as follows:

Level 1 - Weekend trip doing 10-12 miles (16-19km) over 2 days with minimal vertical gain/descent

Level 2 - Weekend trip doing 15-20 miles (24-32km) over 2 days with 1,000 ft (330m) vertical gain/descent each day

Level 3 - 4+ days accomplishing 35+ miles (56+km) with up to 2,000 ft (660m) vertical gain/descent in a day

(This trip counts as a pre-requisite for any backpacking extended break trip)

Location

We'll first meet at our Basecamp on Bucknell's campus. From there we'll commute to the trailhead.

Pre Trip Meeting: 8/30/2023 8pm at Basecamp

Field Session: 9/1/2023 - 9/3/2023

Friday, September 1st:

• 6:00 PM: Meet at our Basecamp on Bucknell's campus, pack packs
• 7:30 PM: Depart for the trailhead.
• 8:30 AM: Arrive at trailhead and begin hiking. 
• Evening: Set up camp., make dinner, and enjoy a relaxing night of camping

Saturday, September 2nd:

• Morning: Wake up, make breakfast, pack up camp. Hike for 5-8 miles.
• Evening: Set up camp., make dinner, and enjoy a relaxing night of camping

Sunday, September 3rd:

• Morning: Wake up, make breakfast, pack up camp. Hike 3-5 miles out to the trailhead
• 4:00 PM: Arrive back on campus

What's Provided?

• All camping and backpacking gear
• Some clothing as needed (rain jacket/pants, insulated jacket, baselayers)
• Transportation to/from
• Saturday lunch, dinner and snacks
• Sunday breakfast, lunch and snacks

What To Bring

• Clothing that is comfortable to hike and camp in (e.g. athletic type clothing that can get dirty, etc)
• Rain jacket (just in case)
• Insulated warm clothing layers
• Warm beanie
• Hiking boots or a sturdy pair of sneakers
• Water Bottle
• Hat
• Sunglasses

Cost

This training is complimentary (FREE / NO COST) for Bucknell OEL Student Leaders.

Registration Information

This trip is open enrollment to all current Bucknell Students. A Bucknell ID is required at the time of registration.

Cancellations & No Shows

Complimentary (FREE) OEL Trips & Outings provided to Bucknell students have limited capacity. If a student signs up and doesn’t show for the program, it’s disruptive for everyone involved and takes away from other student’s experience.

We understand that things come up and life happens. We get it. We simply ask that you notify us at least 48 hours after your pre-trip meeting (approximately 1 week in advance of a Trip or Outing) and let us know of your cancellation. You can do this by going back to our Portal and clicking on the “CONTACT” button in the upper right of the screen.

Failure to contact us of your cancellation in this predetermined time frame is noted by the OEL Admin Team. After 3 instances (not showing up or cancelling less than a week prior to the trip 3 times), a student will not be allowed to register for future OEL Trips & Outings here at Bucknell