LDS Trek Planning Guide: Timeline, Packing List, Forms, and Safety
An LDS trek, often called a pioneer trek or handcart trek, is a multi-day youth activity where young men and young women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pull handcarts in "families" to remember the faith of 19th-century Latter-day Saint pioneers. Because treks are overnight and physically demanding, they need careful planning, approvals, and signed parent forms.
Most of the work happens a year before anyone pulls a handcart. The Church's trek resources say "Planning usually begins at least a year in advance," so the timeline below starts there and ends with the budget and backup plans most guides skip.
What is a pioneer trek?
A pioneer trek is a reenactment-style experience inspired by the Latter-day Saint migration west. As the Church Newsroom explains, the migration that began in 1846 in Illinois and continued through Iowa and Nebraska to the Rocky Mountains "was one of the most remarkable episodes in the history of the United States' great western migration" (Church Newsroom: Pioneer Trek). According to the Church's history topic on the pioneer trek, between 60,000 and 70,000 Latter-day Saints migrated to Utah and surrounding regions between 1847 and 1868, most in wagon trains or handcart companies. Modern treks recall the handcart experience.
Modern treks usually last two to four days. Youth are grouped into trek "families" led by a married couple serving as "Ma and Pa," dress in simple pioneer-style clothing, pull handcarts along a set route, and share devotionals and stories from their own ancestors or early Saints. Most treks are organized at the stake level, though some wards hold smaller versions.
What Church policies apply to a trek?
The General Handbook does not have a separate trek chapter, but a trek is an overnight youth activity with physical risk and often lengthy travel. That means these policies from General Handbook chapter 20 apply:
- Written parent permission. Required for activities with an overnight stay, lengthy travel, or higher than ordinary risks, using the Permission and Medical Release form. "The person who leads the activity should have a signed form for each participant" (20.7.4).
- Event and Activity Plan. "Leaders fill out an Event and Activity Plan form for all overnight activities."
- Approvals. Church overnight activities for combined groups of young men and young women "must be approved by the bishop and stake president." Stake activities require stake presidency approval.
- Adult supervision. "At least two adults must be present at all Church activities attended by children and youth," and all overnight activities must include at least two adult leaders (20.7.1).
- Sleeping arrangements. Male and female participants and leaders have separate sleeping accommodations (a married couple may share). If adults and youth share a tent, there must be at least two adults of the same sex as the youth. Each youth has his or her own sleeping bag.
- Age. With parents' approval, youth may attend overnight camps beginning in January of the year they turn 12. Many stakes set an older age for trek; follow your stake's direction.
- Sabbath. No camps should be scheduled on Sunday, and groups should not travel to or from camps on Sunday.
- Travel. Participants should not travel long distances (more than a few hours) without Area Presidency approval, and all vehicles and drivers must meet Church travel guidelines (20.7.7).
- Protection training. All adults who work with youth must complete the children and youth protection training.
How do you plan an LDS trek step by step?
- Counsel and get approval (12 to 18 months out). The Church's trek page says "Stake presidencies oversee stake treks, and bishoprics oversee ward treks." They decide whether a trek is the right way to meet the youth's needs, considering cost, time, travel, and safety.
- Call a trek committee (12 months out). Typical roles: trek director, logistics, food, medical, handcarts and equipment, clothing, transportation, and devotional/program.
- Choose and reserve a location (9 to 12 months out). Look for a site with a suitable route, water access, emergency vehicle access, and restrooms.
- Recruit Ma and Pa couples (6 to 9 months out). Ma and Pa should be mature, kind, physically able, and trained in youth protection.
- Plan the route and daily schedule (6 months out). Build in water stops, rest, and shade.
- Plan medical coverage (6 months out). Identify qualified medical volunteers, first-aid stations, and an emergency evacuation plan.
- Send parent forms (2 to 3 months out). Use the Church's Permission and Medical Release form. Collect medical details early so the medical team can prepare.
- Hold a parent and youth meeting (2 months out). Review packing, clothing, physical preparation, and expectations.
- Train families and leaders (1 month out). Handcart safety, hydration, heat illness signs, and what to do in an emergency.
- Run the trek. Open each day with prayer, check in on every youth often, and keep the focus on the Savior and the pioneers' faith.
- Report and follow up. Report any incidents promptly at incidents.ChurchofJesusChrist.org as the handbook directs, and hold a testimony meeting at home afterward.
What does a sample trek schedule look like?
| Day | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Travel, check-in, meet trek families | First pull, water breaks | Dinner, family devotional |
| Day 2 | Breakfast, longer pull | Women's pull (optional, common tradition), rest stop | Pioneer games, stories, campfire testimonies |
| Day 3 | Short pull to finish | Pack up, cleanup | Travel home before the Sabbath |
LDS trek packing list
Ask parents to label everything. Most treks limit each youth to one bucket or small duffel per person to fit on the handcart.
Clothing
- Pioneer-style clothing as directed by your stake (long skirts and blouses, or trousers and button-up shirts)
- Wide-brim hat or bonnet
- Broken-in hiking boots or sturdy shoes (no new shoes)
- Wool or moisture-wicking socks (several pairs)
- Warm layer for evenings
- Rain poncho
Sleeping
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping pad
- Small pillow
Personal
- Water bottle or hydration pack
- Sunscreen and lip balm
- Personal medications (given to the medical team as directed)
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, and basic hygiene items
- Flashlight or headlamp
- Scriptures and a small journal
Leave at home
- Electronics (unless your stake allows phones for emergencies)
- Expensive items
What medical and safety planning does a trek need?
Trek is one of the most physically demanding youth activities. The Church's Trek Safety page says leaders should identify early "a safety and health leader to work with the trail boss on safety-related concerns" and "a medical team leader." It lists these areas of potential concern: travel to and from the trek location, hydration, blisters, conditioning and overexertion, weather (heat stress, hypothermia, and lightning), and safe food storage and preparation.
The General Handbook adds that "During activities, leaders make every effort to ensure safety" (General Handbook 20.7.6).
- Heat and hydration. Schedule pulls in cooler hours, carry plenty of water, and train leaders to recognize heat illness.
- Medical team. Have qualified volunteers and a stocked first-aid kit at camp and with the carts.
- Medications. Collect and track youth medications with parent instructions.
- Allergies and dietary needs. Share with the food team.
- Physical limitations. Talk privately with parents and youth who have health concerns. The official form notes that "Units may not have the ability to meet all medical, physical, and other accommodations and are asked to counsel with parents or guardians on what is possible."
- Accident response. Know the nearest hospital and keep vehicles available for evacuation.
- CAMA. In the United States, the Church Activity Medical Assistance program provides secondary medical and dental assistance for injuries sustained while participating in a Church activity (20.7.3.4).
How do you collect trek forms without chasing parents?
Trek forms are the most important paperwork of the year, and the hardest to collect from 50, 100, or more families. Start early and keep a roster by ward.
Trek is where a phone link saves the most time. You can text parents one Ward Waivers link. They read the details and sign on their phone, and you see who still needs to sign. It does not replace any official form your bishop or stake president asks you to use. Set up your activity. Our youth camp waiver checklist and LDS youth activity permission slips guide can help you plan.
How can trek be spiritually meaningful?
- Invite youth to learn about an ancestor or early Saint and carry their name during trek.
- Plan short, unhurried devotionals instead of long talks.
- Give trek families time to talk and serve one another.
- End with a testimony meeting (on a weekday, not on travel days).
- Follow up at home with a ward or stake fireside so youth can share what they learned.
How should youth prepare physically for trek?
Trek days often involve long hours on foot pulling or pushing a loaded handcart. Encourage youth to prepare in the weeks before:
- Walk or hike regularly in the shoes they will wear on trek, so boots are broken in and blisters show up at home, not on the trail.
- Practice carrying water and drinking regularly, not just when thirsty.
- Try a practice pull. Some stakes hold a short handcart practice day so youth learn how to push, pull, and brake safely on slopes.
- Talk about limits. Youth with health conditions should talk with their parents, their doctor, and trek leaders ahead of time about what they can safely do.
What should be in the trek medical kit?
Work with your medical volunteers to build kits for camp and for each group of carts. Common contents include blister care (moleskin and bandages), electrolyte drinks, sunscreen, basic pain relievers as allowed by your medical team and parent instructions, elastic bandages, gloves, a thermometer, and copies of each youth's emergency and medical information. Keep personal medications labeled and tracked as parents direct.
What does a trek cost?
Costs vary more for trek than for almost any other youth activity. These are estimates for 100 youth and 30 adults in the United States. Get real quotes before you set a budget.
| Line item | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Handcart rental | $0 (stake-owned) to $1,500 |
| Site fees | $0 to $2,000 |
| Food for 3 days | $2,500 to $4,500 |
| Water hauling and coolers | $200 to $800 |
| Transportation | $0 (approved private vehicles) to $5,000 (charter buses) |
| Medical supplies | $150 to $400 |
| Pioneer clothing | Usually borrowed or made by families; ask leaders to keep it optional and low cost |
Remember that Church budget funds should pay for activities, and members should not provide rental fees or long-distance transportation at their own expense (General Handbook 20.6.1).
What is the bad-weather plan for trek?
The Trek Safety page names heat stress, hypothermia, and lightning as concerns. Write a plan for each before trek and give it to every Ma and Pa.
| Condition | Plan |
|---|---|
| Heat | Pull early and late, rest in shade at midday, water and electrolytes at every stop, watch for heat illness |
| Lightning | Stop pulling, leave ridgelines and open fields, wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before moving |
| Cold or rain | Dry layers in each family's cart, a warming tent at camp, swap the evening program for a covered devotional |
| Extreme forecast | Decide 48 hours ahead with the stake presidency whether to shorten or postpone, and text parents |
What should the first parent text say?
Families need the big details months ahead, then reminders as trek gets close. A first message can look like this:
Hi! Our stake trek is [dates] at [location]. Youth will walk with handcarts in "families" with adult Ma and Pa leaders, and camp out [number] nights. Please mark your calendar and watch for the permission and medical form link. Questions? Text me at 555-0100.
Follow up with the packing list about a month out, the permission link at least two weeks out, and a reminder of departure time the day before.
Frequently asked questions
What is an LDS trek?
An LDS trek is a multi-day youth activity where young men and young women pull handcarts in small "families" to remember the faith and sacrifice of 19th-century Latter-day Saint pioneers. Most are organized by stakes.
How old do you have to be to go on trek?
The General Handbook allows youth to attend overnight camps beginning in January of the year they turn 12, with parents' approval. Many stakes set an older minimum age for trek, so follow your stake's direction.
Do parents need to sign a form for trek?
Yes. Trek includes an overnight stay and higher than ordinary physical risk, so the General Handbook requires written consent using the Permission and Medical Release form. The trek leader should have a signed form for every participant.
What do you wear on an LDS trek?
Most stakes ask youth to wear simple pioneer-style clothing, a hat or bonnet, and broken-in hiking boots. Follow your stake's clothing guidelines and prioritize safety and comfort.
What do Ma and Pa do on trek?
Ma and Pa are a married couple who lead a trek family of youth. They guide, encourage, and care for the youth, lead family devotionals, and help with safety. They must complete the Church's children and youth protection training.
How long is an LDS trek?
Most treks last two to four days. Plan the schedule so groups do not travel to or from trek on a Sunday.
What forms do leaders need for trek?
At minimum, the Church's Permission and Medical Release form for each participant and an Event and Activity Plan for the overnight activity. Vendors or landowners may require their own agreements.
Ward Waivers is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These resources provide general organizational information, not legal advice. Follow current Church guidance, local leader direction, and any required official forms.