Basic Backpacking Skills Equivalency

This is an administrative-only course for awarding the Basic Backpacking Skills badge by the Seattle Backpacking Committee. It does not have any activities.

To apply for equivalency:

1. Review the "description of skills" section on the Basic Backpacking Skills Badge  page and verify that you have those skills.
2. Complete and submit the Backpacking Skills Equivalency Application.  Choose "Basic Backpacking Skills" as the badge type and "Seattle" as the branch.

Members of the the Seattle Backpacking Committee will review your application and online activity history, and may contact you if they need additional information.  Though we try to respond promptly, the process can sometimes take a few weeks depending on volunteer availability.

About the Basic Backpacking Skills Badge

The Basic Backpacking Skills badge shows that you have the skills needed to participate in single-night and multi-night Backpacking trips. It is a recently added badge that is now awarded upon graduation from some of the introductory Backpacking courses offered by the various Mountaineers branches.   It is a way of  demonstrating  your skill proficiency, and makes it easier for Backpacking Trip Leaders to verify that you have the necessary qualifications when you sign up for a trip.  It is not yet a prerequisite for any Mountaineers activities, though it may be in the future.   

Is this badge right for me?

Getting this badge via equivalency might be right for you if:

• You took a Mountaineers Backpacking course before the badge was offered, and want to "catch up" to the current badge standards.  (Note that the single-day Backpacking Seminars offered by the Seattle Branch prior to 2020 does not qualify.)
• You are already active in another Mountaineers activity that does overnight trips, such as Climbing, Scrambling, Glacier Travel, Winter Camping, etc.
• You already have the equivalent skills from experience outside The Mountaineers.
• You already have the Advanced Backpacking Skills  badge but not the Basic Backpacking Skills badge. (The Mountaineers website views all skill badges independently.  The Advanced badge does not qualify you for activities that require the Basic badge.)