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Departure and MOOP Sweep Protocol

Session: 11 Owner: Developer (sweep coordination); all three execute Linked to: FAILURE-MODES Failure Mode 5, ORIENTATION-day-by-day-rhythm Strike Day, PRINCIPLES-leave-no-trace, CAMP-OPS-minimum-viable-model

Why this document exists

The departure day is when MOOP failures happen. The failure modes memo identifies this risk explicitly. The orientation rhythm assigns the developer as the departure sweep lead. This protocol is the execution document that backs that assignment.

If there is no protocol, "two MOOP sweeps" means nothing operationally.

The core rule

Nothing is packed into vehicles until the first sweep is complete.

This rule prevents the most common departure failure: items get packed, the site looks clean, but stuff is still on the ground that nobody's responsible for because all the bags are already in the car.

Sequence: Sweep → Pack → Final sweep → Drive

Departure timeline

Night before (Day 4 evening or last night at camp)

  • Developer announces departure plan aloud at the evening check-in
  • Consolidate loose gear into organized piles (not packed yet, just organized)
  • Flatten any obvious MOOP now (zip ties, stray bits, food scraps near cooking area)
  • Agree on a departure time: "We want to be on the road by ___"
  • Shade structure stays up until sweeps are done — it protects the area and gives you a reference perimeter

Departure morning

Step 1 — Assign sweep zones (Developer calls this)

Divide the camp footprint into three zones before anyone touches anything:

Zone Person What's in it
North (shade structure + kitchen) Matt Cooking area, food storage, gray water, shade structure anchoring hardware
East/Center (sleeping area) Amber All tent footprints, sleeping zones, personal gear areas
West/Perimeter (entry/exit paths) Developer Edges, approach paths, anything outside the main footprint

Adapt zones to your actual campsite layout when you arrive. The logic is: three people, three non-overlapping zones, each person knows their zone before the day starts.

Step 2 — First sweep: slow and low

  • Each person walks their zone at slow walking pace
  • Look at 2-foot grid squares
  • Crouch to ground level once per zone — MOOP hides under what looks flat
  • Collect into: MOOP bag (trash), group gear pile (repack), "donate to neighbors" pile (non-perishable food/supplies)

MOOP checklist for each zone: - [ ] Zip ties (cut ties from shade structure ratchet straps are the #1 MOOP item) - [ ] Tent stakes and stake holes (fill stake holes — do not leave them) - [ ] Food scraps, wrappers, bottle caps - [ ] Cigarette butts (if anyone smokes — collect with a folded piece of paper) - [ ] Fabric ribbon, washi tape, tape residue - [ ] Stickers (check the inside of the shade structure frame) - [ ] Gray water: where did it go? Any standing liquid on ground? - [ ] Wax drips from candles (scrape up) - [ ] Small hardware (washers, bolts, wire) - [ ] Anything shiny in grass

Report back: After sweep 1, each person tells Developer what they found and what they're still unsure about.

Step 3 — Pack vehicles

After sweep 1 is complete and the Developer has heard reports from all three:

  • Shade structure comes down (Matt leads)
  • All gear packed into vehicles in order: bulky camp items first, then personal gear, then easily accessible items last (food, layers, phone chargers)
  • Gray water: empty per site rules (see below); pack the container
  • Do not rush this step. Rushing creates MOOP (things drop, nobody notices).

Step 4 — Second sweep: the final pass

After vehicles are packed and shade structure is down:

  • All three walk the entire footprint together (not individual zones — one pass as a group)
  • Developer calls the walk; Amber and Matt follow 2–3 feet to either side
  • Crisscross the footprint once in one direction, once perpendicular
  • Final check: where tents were staked, where the kitchen was, the shade structure footprint corners

You are done when: Three people have walked the cleared footprint and none found anything.

Step 5 — Final declaration

Developer says aloud: "We're clear." All three confirm. Then depart.

This sounds procedurally excessive. It is also the only way to avoid the cognitive shortcut "I think we got everything." That phrase is the detection signal for MOOP failure.

Gray water final management

Gray water from cooking and washing must not be dumped on the ground.

Options in order of preference: 1. Evaporation trough (if set up): Empty remaining water, pack the trough. If water remains in an evaporation system, drain slowly into a legal disposal point. 2. Pack out: If there is water remaining in a bucket system, pack it out in a sealed container and dispose at a dump station or home drain. 3. Site gray water disposal point (if one exists): Check with Rangers or ESD on arrival about site-provided disposal — new Luther site may have one given the well infrastructure.

Do not pour gray water onto open ground, into the creek, or into low areas. Even organic food water introduces bacteria and disrupts local ecology.

Gear donation protocol (Day 5 only, not departure morning)

On the last full day (not departure morning):

  • Non-perishable food: offer to neighbors before packing. "We have extra oatmeal and canned beans — want any?" This reduces your pack weight and is a genuine gifting opportunity.
  • Perishables that won't survive the drive: discard in provided trash bins.
  • Leftover propane canisters: pack out — do not leave behind.
  • Do not "donate" gear by leaving it on the ground. If a neighbor doesn't want it, pack it out.

Drive-home protocol

Before leaving the site:

  • Headcount: confirm all three are in vehicles
  • Gas: check gauge — nearest gas is likely 30–45 minutes from the Luther site
  • Water: each person has at least one full bottle in the vehicle
  • Consider a planned stop at 90 minutes: gas, bathroom, real food

No one should drive more than 3 hours without a break if they have had limited sleep. Post-event fatigue is real. If someone is impaired by exhaustion, they do not drive.

Decision memo

  • Keep: Sweep → Pack → Final sweep → Drive sequence as the non-negotiable departure order
  • Keep: Zone assignment by person (not "everyone look around")
  • Assign: Developer calls sweep coordination and "we're clear" final declaration
  • Assign: Matt leads shade structure tear-down (he built it; he knows the anchoring)
  • Standardize: First sweep before any vehicle packing — no exceptions
  • Reject: "I think we got everything" as a departure standard (failure modes memo confirms this)
  • Reject: Gray water dumped on open ground — pack out or use site disposal only
  • Revisit: Confirm site gray water disposal options on arrival Day 0 (ask Rangers or check site map when available)