Outdoor Adventures Project

Project Description

Outdoor Adventure helps youth experience the fun and excitement of the outdoors as they progress from day hikes to overnight camping trips to extended backpacking expeditions. The projects feature experiences related to food, shelter, "Leave No Trace" ethics, safety, navigating, equipment and camp management. Youth and adults can learn to preserve and appreciate the out-of-doors as they experience Montana's abundant natural resources. This is a great club project for a group of youth and adults who want to learn more about teamwork and responsibility as they plan their adventures.

Project Requirements

Project Books Required? No

Outdoor project books can be purchased here

*** Please note, if you do not attend at least one workshop in your project area during the 4-H year, you will be required to complete activities in your project book and turn it in with your record book. The number of activities required to complete a 4-H year in each project book can be found here.

What needs to be accomplished to move on to level 2?

• Be able to explain what items are important in a first air kit for hiking in Montana
• Map reading including the ability to describe major and minor terrain features
• Plan a group day hike
• Complete a group day hike

What needs to be accomplished to move on to level 3?

• Bear awareness including food preparation and storage
• Plan an overnight hike
• Complete a group overnight hike
• Ability to use GPS and other tracking devices

What needs to be accomplished to move on to level 4?

• Make an emergency shelter and stay the night in it
• Detail emergency survival for Montana in winter
• Detail emergency survival for Montana in summer

Project age limit? 8 and up

What should new members know?

Workshops for outdoor adventures will start inside and as the weather gets nicer, we will do outdoor workshops. The planned workshops will cover first aid, hike planning and we will take MIT's ROTC training on land navigation and map reading together. Participants should have hiking boots and a small hiking pack for the final workshop of the year as we complete a day hike together in the Helena area. 

Workshops

• April Workshop 1: First aid kit overview, basic first aid and footcare training 
• April Workshop 2: Map reading overview
• May Workshop 3: Compass navigation
• May Workshop 4: Hike planning and bear aware training 
• June Workshop 5: Complete group day hike
• June Workshop 6: Level 2 and 3 Optional group overnight hike

Project Superintendent Information

Outdoor Adventures Superintendent: Matt Van Syckle & Jennifer Van Syckle
Contact: mpopsickle@yahoo.com or 406-461-9249
              Jennifervansyckle@yahoo.com or 406-459-9666

How will you be contacted? email

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Montana State University and the Montana State University Extension Service prohibit discrimination in all of their programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital and family status. Issued in furtherance of cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Jeff Bader, Director of Extension, Extension Service, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717