What to Pack for a Volunteer Vacation
On a volunteer vacation, each individual provides their own camping and personal gear. Food and tools will be provided and packed in for you. You may have your own preferred packing list for camping and backpacking trips - please make sure it includes the items below unless otherwise indicated for your specific trip.
Camping Gear
- Backpack to carry all of your gear
- Tent with rainfly and ground cloth
- Sleeping bag and sleeping pad
- Two or three 1-liter water bottles (or other container to ensure you have plenty of water on hand)
- Coffee mug
- Rain jacket and rain pants (should fit over your trail work clothing)
- Extra warm clothing (wool or synthetic recommended)
- Camp clothing such as shorts, shirt, sandals and bathing suit (weather dependent)
- Headlamp or flashlight and extra batteries
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and hat
- Insect repellent and mosquito headnet
- Personal items such as medication, hand sanitizer and toiletries
- First aid kit
- Lunch and snacks for Day 1
Trail Work Gear For a Standard Volunteer Vacation
Required:
- Sturdy closed-toe shoes
- Work gloves (1-2 pairs)
- Long pants
Recommended:
- Sturdy work or hiking boots
- Long sleeved shirt
- Eye protection recommended (glasses, sunglasses or safety glasses)
- Bandanas (for hot and dusty conditions)
A hard hat will be provided by WTA. Additionally, work gloves and eye protection will be provided by WTA if you do not have your own, but when possible we recommend bringing you own. For safety reasons, certain tasks may be assigned based on the safety level of your footwear. Volunteers who do not have long pants, or sturdy closed-toe shoes, will not be able to participate in the work party.
Trail Work Gear For a Volunteer Vacation designated as A logout
WTA classifies work parties with more than 80% crosscut sawyer work as logouts. Logouts require an extra level of PPE for the safety of the crew. For these work parties, the designation "logout" will be included in the work party title.
Required:
- Sturdy work or hiking boots (Logout Boot Example Guide)
- Work gloves (1-2 pairs)
- Eye protection (glasses, sunglasses or mesh "bug eyes". Glasses should have wrapping side shields. ANSI Z87.1+)
- Long pants
- Long sleeve shirt
Required for Chainsaw Use:
- Sturdy work or hiking boots that are "cut resistant" or leather, laced boots that provide ankle support and nonskid soles.
A hard hat will be provided by WTA. For chainsaw use, volunteers will be provided with additional PPE (eye protection, ear pro, work gloves and chainsaw chaps). For safety reasons, volunteers who do not have required gear will not be able to participate in the work party.
More Info
Please check your gear at least four weeks in advance so that you can make any needed repairs or replacements.
Your crew leader will be happy to advise you with packing recommendations prior to your trip. If your trip has a backcountry basecamp, you may find additional suggestions on WTA’s backpacking planning page.