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A4 checklist with all illustrated steps. Tick the boxes on paper as you go.

FeatherSticks · Skills

Planning a Bushcraft Trip: How to Plan a Camping Trip Step by Step

A good trip is decided at the kitchen table. Here is the plan.

Quick facts

Time
1–2 hours for an overnighter, a weekend of evenings for a long trip
Difficulty
Easy to medium – mostly discipline
Best for
First trips, weekends, groups and families, multi-day tours
You need
Map, forecast, the calculators, a pen and one person who stays at home

What you need

  • Printed topographic map and compass
  • Phone with offline maps, power bank and cable
  • Written trip plan (printed or handwritten) and a pen
  • Headlamp with spare batteries and a whistle
  • First aid kit and personal medication
  • Water containers and a water treatment method
  • Stove or other cooking plan matched to the fire rules
  • Sleep system and shelter matched to the forecast low

Step by step

  1. Set goal and group

    1 Set goal and group

    Decide what the trip is for and who comes. Plan for the slowest and least experienced person, including children, fitness and skills.

  2. Check area and rules

    2 Check area and rules

    Find out where camping, fire and wood collecting are allowed. Rules differ by country and region, so check the official source.

  3. Plan route and timing

    3 Plan route and timing

    Measure distance and height, calculate walking time, add breaks and reserve, mark bail-out points and set a turnaround time.

  4. Plan weather, water, food, kit

    4 Plan weather, water, food, kit

    Pick a weather window, then plan water, food, shelter, fire and a kit list. Weigh the full pack before you go.

  5. Write the plan, leave it

    5 Write the plan, leave it

    Write who, where, route, return and alarm time on one page and leave it with a person who knows what to do if you do not come back.

  6. Check in, then debrief

    6 Check in, then debrief

    Message at the agreed time, turn back at the turnaround time if needed, and afterwards write down what to change next time.

Common mistakes

  • Choosing the destination first and checking the rules afterwards, then camping or lighting a fire where it is not allowed.
  • Planning for the strongest person instead of the slowest, so the group arrives late and tired.
  • Using the optimistic walking time with no breaks and no reserve, then arriving in the dark.
  • Having no turnaround time, so there is no moment when turning back is the plan instead of a defeat.
  • Telling someone “I’m going to the woods” without a route, a return time or an alarm time.
  • Packing from habit instead of from the plan, and never weighing the pack.
  • Relying on one phone with a half-empty battery and no printed map.