How to Set up a Duty Roster for a Camping Trip

The goal of a camping trip is for everyone to relax and have fun. That doesn’t happen if one person does all the work while the rest of the group plays. Before you go on your next camping trip set up a duty roster for the entire family. That way everyone has specific tasks to perform and yet everyone gets to relax as well.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Make a list of all the tasks you normally do around the campsite. This would include setting up and breaking down camp, collecting firewood, hauling water, cooking, washing dishes and keeping the fire going at night. There are many other tasks and you may want to include tasks involved in packing and unpacking at home.
2. Divide the list of tasks by difficulty. If you have young campers with you, assign them the easier tasks. Or break the more difficult tasks into smaller jobs.
3. Determine the number of times each task needs to be done while you are camping. Some need to be done only once on the campout, while others need to be done throughout the day.
4. Prepare a chart that lists the tasks on the horizontal axis. Place the names of the campers on the vertical axis.
5. Assign tasks based on ability and age. Do assign tasks to everyone. Rotate tasks so no one has to do the same thing all the time. Put a mark on the chart to indicate who is doing what task and when they are to perform it.
6. Hold a meeting before you go to make sure everyone understands how to do his assigned task. Be sure they understand how to read the duty roster.
7. Post the duty roster in a visible location at the campsite. Remind anyone not working that it is his responsibility to help make the camping trip a success.