Backpack Auction: Bidding on Day-Hike Essentials

Groups bid with a limited budget on gear for a day hike, then test their choices against incident cards. It forces them to prioritize and justify what's essential and what's dead weight.

How to play

1. Scenario and rules: a 6-hour hike in the hills in spring. Each group of five has 100 points and a 30-liter pack drawn on its sheet (3 min).
2. Auction: the teacher auctions 15 items (headlamp, rain jacket, first-aid kit, map, emergency blanket, power bank, water, food, hat and sunscreen, whistle, speaker, extra sweatshirt, big knife, towel, camera). Each item takes up some pack volume (10 min).
3. Each group defends the three items they paid most for (4 min).
4. Incident cards: four situations are read out (night falls, downpour, chafing, no cell service). Groups gain points if they have the item that solves it and lose points if they don't (5 min).
5. The class agrees on its list of essentials for the trip (3 min).

Rules

• Only each group's spokesperson bids, by raising the sheet.
• You can't go over the pack volume.
• Incidents are read after the auction, not before.
• Every item bought gets a one-sentence justification.

Variations

Adaptations

• Deaf or hard of hearing: items shown on large cards and bids made in writing.
• Visually impaired: large-print cards and each item read aloud.
• Students anxious about speaking: the group picks another spokesperson and they keep score.

Learning goals

• Prioritize trip gear based on real risks.
• Argue group decisions using safety criteria.
• Agree on a gear list for a specific trip.

Equipment for a class of 25

• gear cards: 15
• budget sheets: 6

Teacher tip

Print each item with its volume in liters in the corner so the limit is visible. The usual mistake is overspending early; warn them that key gear may come up late.

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