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Each of these three lashings can be used to join two spars together to make an extension. With each there are no frapping turns. The manner in which these lashings need to be applied results in the spars being in a position where they are already tightly touching.
As always, in all Scouting activities, safety must come first. In and through the challenges, fun, and rewards that go hand in hand with Pioneering, there can be no substitute for prudent behavior and common sense. The following text is by Adolph E.
Our Favorite Clothing Rack Design You’ve got to love this design. It’s compact, it’s sturdy, and it’s ingenious! This drying rack is based on suspending two equilateral triangles to make six cross sections for hanging wet clothing or towels during a long term encampment, and there’s no reason you can’t put it up on an…
Rope Ladder Attached to a Tree The kind of rope ladder referred to here is constructed using two lengths of rope and short spars (3′ x 2″ are ideal) to serve as ladder rungs. To easily and effectively attach the rungs to the ropes, a marlin spike hitch, also known as a lever hitch can…
The following text and drawings are by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: Making the proper splices in the proper places on your ropes is the benchmark of a skilled craftsman.
Team Building should be FUN! What we’re doing here is challenging each patrol to build a device that will set off and “catch” a cocked rat trap (the snapper) placed 15′ away. The lashings have to be tight and well-spaced.
The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: Building this bridge is quite simple because there are very few lashings needed for the center A-frame.
Bridge Project built in Brazilian Boy Scout Camp Before we relate this interesting, real-life account, here’s a little about building bridges and Pioneering: To open up the frontier, pioneers built BRIDGES. To this day, the most familiar and most functional of all “larger” pioneering projects are bridges.
Sailmaker’s Whipping Scroll down for pictorial “How-to.” The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: Just the thought of sails and ropes flapping in a strong wind when a sailing ship is under way makes you realize that the…
The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: When you have to tie the ends of two large ropes (1/2″-diameter or larger) together, there is no better knot to use than the carrick bend.
Sure APPEARS to be manila! There was a volunteer who procured ten 50′ x 1/4″ packages of what was presented as 100% manila rope. He wanted to prepare the rope to be used for Scout pioneering projects and set about diligently pre-stretching each 50′ length, cutting each into various lengths for lashing, painstakingly applying a…
The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: A trestle is the basic component for building a bridge in a pioneering project. It is used to support the walkways.
Using the 14′ Double Ladder Signal Tower as a point of reference, here are plans for a very tall campsite gateway that should stand out (and up) and serve as an impressive feat of Scout engineering. Since this 14′ structure won’t be climbed on, the spars can be considerably thinner in diameter.
The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: Once you learn to tie and use the constrictor knot, you will wonder where it has been hiding in all those knot books and why it isn’t in wider use today.
It’s a race, but, you got to tie ‘em tight! The square lashing is the basic type of lashing for most pioneering projects. The more a Scout ties them, the more they become like second nature. That means, when the tying of an efficient and tight square lashing is “no sweat,” building a pioneering structure…
The challenge built into this activity comes into play after the lashing is finished. The patrol is simply building a very well-lashed A-frame. As with all pioneering endeavors, team work is essential. With this challenge, it’s absolutely necessary! Alligator Pit Materials for each patrol: 2 4″ x 8′ spars to serve as A-frame shear legs…
The following text and some of the drawings are by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: We could imagine the first lashing made by man was wrapping a few strips of bark around a stone to hold it to a tree branch…
This is a simple and quick way to tie a tripod lashing. The wraps are not woven in and out between the spars. The running end is just simply wrapped around all three, rather tightly. Gerald Findley refers to this lashing as a Tripod Lashing with Plain Turns.
Everybody is on! Some years ago a newly-formed and very young troop, barely a year old, attended a Council-wide Camporee. One of the patrol competitions was an Everyone on the Tripod race. They entered three patrols. When the smoke cleared, and the judging was completed, out of over fifty patrols present at the camporee, they…
Roundturn with Two Half Hitches The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: This is one of the basic knots that is very reliable for a number of uses in pioneering work.
The classic chariot race has been run in a variety of ways. This one uses an H-Frame Trestle , which is the basic component of many pioneering projects. For that matter, in pioneering circles when we refer to a trestle, we mean the H-Frame, so there should be no confusion.
Put most simply, the sheet bend a very useful knot. It’s a very basic joining knot for tying two ropes together, and when a lot of pull is applied, it’s easier to undo than a square knot (reef knot). It is most always referred to as one of the most essential knots to learn, and…
YOU’LL USE IT AGAIN AND AGAIN The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: A butterfly knot is a fixed loop tied in the middle of a rope.
The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: Pioneering is the knowledge and skill of using simple materials to build structures that are used in a wide range of Scouting activities.
The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: Building pioneering projects often requires some type of strong point for attaching a guy line for a tower or derrick.
From certain perspectives, the following pioneering kit presented in the informative older Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet is undoubtedly very extensive for a single unit, and better suited for a kit stored in a large shed or storage facility earmarked for multi-unit use in a District or Council.
James Keller, Director of the Pioneering Action Center for the 2013 National Jamboree, related a story about the Japanese Mark II Square Lashing. He described how back in 1993, Adolph Peschke had mandated that his staff should just use the Japanese Mark II square lashing for the Jamboree’s pioneering projects.
Scouter Mom 1 (200 x 200) Scouter Mom 2 (120 x 150) Scouter Mom 3 (200 x 200) Scouter Mom 4 (120 x 150) Scouter Mom 5 (200x 200) Scouter Mom 6 (120 x 150)
Steps in Tying the Timber Hitch The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet in the Lashing Section describing the traditional diagonal lashing… When putting crossed braces on a structure to keep it from racking (as used when making…
The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: Before you begin learning new knots, you need to know some of the basic terms used in knot tying.
The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: KEY FACTORS TO CONSIDER There are several important factors to consider when selecting the kind and size of rope to use in pioneering and camping activities.
Racing over to the log! If the site where you hold your meetings can feature a “permanent” crossbar about 10′ high, then your Scouts can frequently practice and enjoy this activity whenever the opportunity is presented. Otherwise, erecting the crossbar is itself a mini-pioneering challenge, and if you have the grounds, can be regularly put…
Simple Self-Standing Trash Bag Holder Getting that garbage bag off the ground has all kinds of advantages, but sometimes, you can’t hammer sticks into the ground to make the easy three stake holder . There might be any number of reasons.
Single Lock Bridge Photo Scanned from 1967 Field Book The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: The single lock bridge shown here is a well-established and basic design.
The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: This simple crossing bridge uses only a single trestle and two walkways . The legs of the trestle are extended up above the walkway to provide a way to attach a handrail.
The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: PIONEERING PROJECTS The craft of building with ropes and spars continues in remote areas throughout the world today.
Those of us who have experience providing a program of Scout Pioneering, and who are familiar with the edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet written by the legendary Adolph Peschke , will have no difficulty relating to why there are repeated references and allusions to the 1993, 1998 edition in this website.
Soon after the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet was published, I ventured to contact its author with some questions. Happily, I was able to reach him at his home, and was treated to enthusiastic explanations regarding the projects our troop wanted to build.
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This signal tower went up on a camping trip in March of 2000 in a large grassy field. The operation took a little over two hours. PHASE 1: Before we started, a well-muscled sledge hammer crew, made up of Jason Hardee, Theodore Fontana, Cory Keibler, Kurt Lester, and Will Hall, took turns pounding in 24…
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The following text is by Pioneering Legend, Adolph Peschke, author of the renowned 1993 edition of the Boy Scouts of America’s Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet, from his treatise entitled “Pioneering With Laminated Spars.” Some additions have been included in this post, for the purpose of practical elaboration.
A Very Useful Hitch! John Thurman lists the rolling hitch as one of the essential pioneering knots. It’s similar to a clove hitch, but it’s a lot less likely to slip under a sideways pull. When securing a guy line to a horizontal spar, the rolling hitch can be used in lieu of a roundturn…
This design idea was retrieved from John Thurman’s Pioneering for the Patrol . Interpatrol Pioneering Challenge When the patrols have learned their round lashing and square lashing, they’ll be ready for this indoor challenge which gives them an opportunity to use what they’ve learned in a new way.
Tool Rack 2 Please refer to the “sales pitch” provided in the Tool Rack post spelling out all the advantages inherent in building one of these simple camp gadgets. It is a good-looking campsite improvement project, but mainly, it’s got major functionality.
Click on the image for a larger view, and scroll down for a revealing pictorial illustration! First of all, with this improved, or double, floor lashing, the floor spars (floor slats, decking poles) are attached (looped) in two places, on either side to each platform support (stringer pole, rafter).
Schematic for Double Platform Monkey Bridge Design Here are the materials needed to construct this project: 8 8′ x 4″ spars for platform legs 4 8′ x 3 -1/2″ spars for X-braces 4 6′ x 2 -1/2″ diagonal side braces 8 4′ x 3″ spars for side base spreaders (4) and platform supports (4) 16…
Simple 1-1 Anchor with rope tackle We apply a rope tackle where the guy lines meet the anchors for pretty much all our pioneering projects. For safety reasons, taut-line hitches should never be used in any pioneering work, because if the tension is eased the knot can slip.
The following text is by Adolph E. Peschke as presented in the 1998 printing of the 1993 edition of the Pioneering Merit Badge Pamphlet: Bridges are very popular pioneering projects. Essentially, a bridge consists of one or more trestles that support some sort of walkway.
NEWSLETTERS: Vol. 2, No. 11, pg2: Whitewater Rafting, Nantahala River Vol. 2, No. 11, pg1: Whitewater Rafting, Nantahala River Vol. 2, No. 10, pg4: Camp Barstow Vol. 2, No. 10, pg3: Camp Barstow Vol. 2, No. 10, pg2: Troop Bus catches fire Vol.
