Perhaps a person who has a bad experience on a first backpacking trip (unless they go solo) isn't at fault. Perhaps it's the fault of the one who invites them.
If I were the organizer for a Meetup group or something like that and someone said they were new, I'd arrange a time for the following skills practice session. I'd do it at the same time as the one doing the practice. To really make it instructional, each one would video what they do for review later. (The learner can review their own and the coach's.)
This doesn't work.
I've tried it. No one signs up. They think it's stupid. They sign up for backpacking trips.
Seriously, they have kids, work overtime, blah blah blah - they have no time for this nonsense - who prepares to go backpacking? You just stuff it all in a pack and go. Everyone does it that way!
My hiking group's website is crazy with links to all kinds of gear lists, helpful articles, tips and websites (this one included!). Every single description of every single hike has all the information you could want and links to all kinds of 10 essentials, be safe, LNT, blah blah blah. I get emails asking where they will park for carpooling (first item at the top of the hike description), can I bring my dog (always mentioned in the description of the hike), how hard is the hike (I am told by people WHO CAN READ that I do a very good and accurate job with hike descriptions) and still, we have trouble. They don't slow down long enough to read five paragraphs. It's just backpacking. Who cares? My schedule is more important. I can do it - I did it before when I was in scouts.
No one can predict how someone else will react or interpret or make decisions - ten "It's not that heavy" items added together overload the optimist with bad knees, and the next thing you know they are stumbling up the trail determined to NOT GO BACK DAMMIT LEAVE ME ALONE.
No, it's not the organizer's fault when people have reality testing problems. We have far fewer problems than we did before, but about twice a year, we have crazy determination hikers who rise up from the couch after 20 years of inactivity. I clearly label the easy outings and plan hikes such that the miles can be done in daylight even if someone is only capable of .5 miles per hour.
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