Chapter 03
Get trail ready
You may paddle 10+ miles a day into the wind and carry up to 85 pounds across a portage. The Scouts who train are the ones who have fun.
You may paddle 10+ miles a day into the wind and carry up to 85 pounds across a portage. The Scouts who train are the ones who have fun.
Recommended conditioning runway before the trek
Minutes of aerobic work, 3–5 times a week
Pack you should be able to carry comfortably
Hard maximum participant weight. No exceptions.
Northern Tier strongly recommends a regular program of physical conditioning for at least six months before the trip. Not "sort of." A real program.
30 to 60 minutes per session, three to five times a week. Jogging, running up and walking down hills or stairs, and hiking with a full pack are the best options. Swimming, cycling and classes supplement it.
How fast or far you go matters less than being consistent. Start slow and build duration and intensity gradually.
Push-ups, pull-ups and weight training — but the best training of all is actual paddling. Your arms and upper body do the paddling; your back and legs do the portaging.
Both halves matter. A strong paddler who can't carry a pack still slows the crew down.
Every participant — youth and adult — must be classified as a Scouts BSA “Swimmer.” No exceptions, and it must be documented on the official Swim Classification Record.
Get this done at summer camp or a troop swim night well before the trip — and bring the signed record with you. Confirm the current test at scouting.org.
Northern Tier requires every participant to be under 295 pounds. It also recommends staying under the maximum for your height, and strongly discourages participants under 100 pounds — smaller Scouts have a very hard time with the weight of the gear being portaged.
| Height | Recommended weight (lbs) | Maximum weight (lbs) |
|---|---|---|
| 5' 0" | 100 – 138 | 166 |
| 5' 1" | 101 – 143 | 172 |
| 5' 2" | 104 – 148 | 178 |
| 5' 3" | 107 – 152 | 183 |
| 5' 4" | 111 – 157 | 189 |
| 5' 5" | 114 – 162 | 195 |
| 5' 6" | 118 – 167 | 201 |
| 5' 7" | 121 – 172 | 207 |
| 5' 8" | 125 – 178 | 214 |
| 5' 9" | 129 – 185 | 220 |
| 5' 10" | 132 – 188 | 226 |
| 5' 11" | 136 – 194 | 233 |
| 6' 0" | 140 – 199 | 239 |
| 6' 1" | 144 – 205 | 246 |
| 6' 2" | 148 – 210 | 252 |
| 6' 3" | 152 – 216 | 260 |
| 6' 4" | 156 – 222 | 267 |
| 6' 5" | 160 – 228 | 274 |
| 6' 6" | 164 – 234 | 281 |
| 6' 7"+ | 170 – 240 | 295 (absolute max) |
Must be 14 years old on arrival, or 13 and have completed 8th grade.
Must be a registered member of Scouting America.
Current (within 12 months) and complete Annual Health and Medical Record. The doctor signing it must have reviewed the Northern Tier Risk Advisory included with the form.
Classified as a Scouts BSA Swimmer.
Certifications are checked at the gate on arrival day, and you must bring paper copies — base internet is reserved for operations. Start early: Wilderness First Aid is an in-person course that fills up.
A 16-hour in-person course — this is the one with real lead time, so book it well ahead. Northern Tier typically offers sessions in December and April.
Current certification from any recognized provider (American Red Cross, American Heart Association, or equivalent). Often bundled with a Wilderness First Aid course — ask when you register.
Free online e-learning through the BSA Learn Center. Takes about an hour.
Free online e-learning. The nine points of Safety Afloat govern every hour we spend in a canoe.
Free online e-learning, available in the BSA Learn Center alongside the courses above.
Must be current within the past two years. Northern Tier strictly enforces this for all adults, no exceptions.
Builds on Safety Afloat with real paddling skill instruction. Not required, but genuinely useful before spending nine days in a canoe. Here are the official BSA materials:
Course manual (PDF) Presentation (PPT) Canoe training video Kayak training video
The canoe video is the relevant one for our trek.