Leave No Trace

Two Packs

Use this activity as an attention grabber and round-about introduction to the Plan Ahead principle.

Goal
Participants will recognize how proper food selection and repackaging will minimize weight, meal preparation, and garbage to pack out.

Time
15 minutes

Objectives
Participants will be able to:

Materials

paper and pencil for each team
Backpack #1 contains dried fruit, gorp, hard candies, granola bars all repackaged into zip-loc bags. Also include ingredients for a one-pot meal, such as a pouch of tuna and a pouch of Lipton teriyaki noodles.
Backpack #2 contains can of fruit, applesauce, cans of pop, peanut jar, and other heavy or water-dense snacks. Include a couple cans of chili or soup for the meal.

Motivator

Proper planning of meals and snacks will minimize your pack weight and the amount of trash you need to carry out.
You are able to travel faster and farther with a lighter pack.

Presentation

Divide group into two teams
Show everyone the two packs or bags. Have each person pick up each one without looking inside so they can notice the difference in weight.
Have each team list what they think might be in each pack that is contributing to its weight.
Give one pack to each team
Have each team carefully empty their pack and identify each item
Have teams switch positions and identify the contents of the other pack

Reflection

Which pack would be more convenient to carry?
What contributed to the weight of the packs? (packaging, water content, food)
How could we reduce the weight of the heavier pack? (dehydrate the food, repackage the food)
How long will it take to prepare the meal in each pack?
What pots and utensils will you need to prepare the meal?
Would one of the packs tend to generate more litter?
What are the major benefits of proper meal planning?
(nutrition, minimal pack weight, flexible cooking options, more free time, less garbage)
How does planning the correct amount of food minimize impact?
(less waste to dispose of properly)