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Campouts, cooking, backpacking and Leave No Trace. The outdoors is where Scouting happens, and these posts are full of gear lists, Dutch oven recipes and lessons learned on the trail.
540 posts · 2006–2020
Showing 251–300 of 540 posts
Mike Celland is the author and illustrator of Ultralight Backpackin' Tips , an excellent guide to changing the way you experience the outdoors. (Mike has a great blog too) In the video above Celland touches on the philosophical and practical aspects of ultra lightweight backpacking, and this ought to get you started thinking about camping in…
Even the best-looking troop trailer designs can't hide ugly insides. You know the ones I mean: cavernous, unorganized spaces into which gear is deposited and never seen again. That's why many troops add the Scouting touch to their trailers, installing shelving and other improvements to make storing and finding gear a breeze - even if it's…
Timeless Attraction. The Mission and Purpose of the Boy Scouts of America are and shall forever remain unchanged. By the same token, the contribution that our heritage of outdoor skills makes to the richness of the Scouting experience is also unchangeable.
If your troop is planning an outing to Meadow Hot Springs anytime soon, consider these suggestions for camping in the area that can create a better experience for your scouts. The first year we explored Meadow, Utah, we decided to hit the hot springs on Friday night and the lava tubes on Saturday.
Adults keep an eye on things from a respectful distance and Scouts lead themselves. When we talk about boys planning, preparing and leading Scout outings some folks reply "Good grief, how can you leave the Scouts in charge when the troop is going on a strenuous hike to Jones Mountain and they have no experience?
On our high adventure canoe trip each crew packs and cooks food for a group of five to nine Scouts. Our menu is a combination of freeze dried and grocery store food that keeps the cost reasonable while providing good nutrition and good eating.
This email about one Webelos crossover to a troop needs little introduction or explanation, but one part bears repeating; Meetings don't cut it, selling the parents on how great a troop is doesn't cut it, your "reputation" of being a strong troop doesn't cut it.
A wall cloud like this is never good news. (The storm that followed caused tornadoes, thankfully a good distance from where we hunkered down!) Scouting disasters in the wild loom when things start to get sketchy, the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, you get that feeling that something is not quite…
If you want to serve a memorable campfire meal I can't imagine a much more flavorful or impressive dish than this paella. Dave Herzog (the chef who developed this recipe) is a real dutch oven impresario – you can get his recipe collections through the Cook'n recipe organizer , this requires purchasing the Cook'n software - something you…
Backpacker Magazine's Complete Guide to Outdoor Gear Maintenance and Repair is your ticket to becoming a camping gear repair guru. Author Kirstin Hostetter's well illustrated, carefully explained directions return your investment with the first piece of damaged gear you save.
The Webelos II recently took their last outing/hike of their Cubscout career. It was to make sure that everyone got the requirement of taking a Day Hike. Which, really was part of the Outdoorsman Pin. Most of the Scouts did a Hike at Summer camp. This hike completed #9 of the Outdoorsman Activity Pin.
Forestry Troop Program Feature for Boy Scouts The Boy Scout Planning Guide suggests a A prominent government official once said that we couldn't afford to gain the vastness of space and lose the earth in the process. The implications of this statement point to the ever-increasing importance of preserving the earth's natural resources in the…
Whoever said "less is more" apparently hasn't watched Episode 2 of Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout? Tonight's episode of the new National Geographic Channel show was, to me, superior to Episode 1 because it gave us more of what we Scouters and Scouts love about the Boy Scouts of America.
BSA Arrow of Light Den Meeting Plan 3 – Outdoorsman BSA provides Webelos den meeting ideas for Cub Scout den leaders on the Scouting.org website. The second in the Arrow of Light series of Webelos den meeting plans covers the Webelos learn about camping and outdoor skills while working on the Outdoorsman activity badge..
Physical Fitness Troop Program Feature for Boy Scouts The Boy Scout Planning Guide suggests a Physical Fitness Troop Program Feature for March 2013. This program feature offers the opportunity to introduce concepts of exercise diet, and healthy habits in a troop setting.
After their Blue Gold banquets and cross-over ceremonies, many Webelos will be joining troops over the next month. A new adventure for young boys full of excitement and apprehension about camping without parents, cooking their own food, and hanging out with older guys.
Yeah.. so I like to talk about gear… it's what I do… Hi, my name is Jerry… and I am a gear junky.. Hiiiiii Jerrrrryyy Hey folks, ever since I was a young Scout I was told to take care of your gear and it will take care of you..
After our last camp out we noticed that many of our younger Scouts seem to have been over looked when it comes to their gear and gear selections to include packing that gear. Now, let me explain here because if you have spent about a day browsing this blog and you know our Troop, gear…
If your council offers a University of Scouting adult leader training event, you should go! Seriously… don't hesitate, just get yourself registered. Similar to a Little Philmont event, I think it is well worth the time. I look forward to UoS every year as an opportunity to hear from others about their experiences, ask questions…
This has been discussed before, but I received an email the other day from a Scouter in our area. This Scouter does not know me very well, nor does this Scouter know how our Troop runs, but none the less, this Scouter sent a nice email suggesting that we do not encourage the merit badge…
One of the best parts of heading to the beach here in Oregon is walking through the ‘Mom and Pop' shops. Little art galleries, home-made crafts and unique items flavored for the coast. It doesnt matter if it's the beach or the mountain, Central Oregon, or the little town I live in, you are sure…
*** EDIT NOTE: This post was scheduled for today (12-14-12). I contemplated "pulling it" in light of the tragic events that have shaken us in Connecticut. Our hearts go out to those families. The reason I did not "pull" this post is simply this..
I once knew a Patrol that was pretty good at camping in the summer time. But how that gang could shy away from camping when cold weather set in! We called it the "Ground-hog Patrol." It hibernated every winter. Around Groundhog Day in February it stuck its nose out of the ground – not to see…
I have said it over and over, the older I get the lighter my pack has to get. The pack I carried out of base camp at Philmont was 55 lbs. That is the heaviest pack I have carried in a very long time.
Every Christmas, parents come to me looking for ideas on camping gear to get their scout. I typically look at our Troop's equipment list for scout camp and think about what items they were missing. While a lot of those items have already been covered in the " Gear Guide " category of this blog, there is…
I am not a scientist, so tell me if this makes sense. There are about 40,000 Scout troops in the B.S.A., they go camping (this is a very conservative average) of six weekends a year. 40k * 6= 240K weekends I'd guess, conservatively, that two-thirds of these troops own stoves or lanterns that use disposable gas…
Before I begin this Solo Stove review I need to explain that I think building a campfire is an important skill. It connects Scouts to many things, sharpens their ability to plan, and is almost always a group activity. I once thought that we ought to do all of our cooking over fires and not…
Over time I have managed to get my weekend backpack down to around 25-30 pounds. I am not an fully anointed apostle of the ultra-lightweight sect but I have certainly benefited from a lot of their ideas. The backpacking cook kit described here weighs in at well less than two pounds depending on your choice…
As you are fully aware by now, I like gear. I have had many discussions with parents of the Scouts in my Troop that my obsession with gear is rubbing off on their sons. Half jokingly I often reply that it's a good thing.
First of all, let us get something straight. When I say camping I mean staying overnight in a tent or sleeping under the stars. I do not consider staying in a cabin, lodge, or barracks as camping. Camping is sleeping outside, not in a building.
Now, I am not interested in how wet, or how cold, or how dark it is. If you are just going to be a fair-weather Patrol – well, that is hardly better than being no Patrol at all. – John Thurman There is no denying it, it is certainly easier to stay home when the weather takes…
Cold weather camping in very cold weather from Northern Tier where crews regularly face temperatures lower than -20F. That's cold! A double sleeping bag, techniques for keeping clothing from freezing, and drying out boot liners; some good advice. Okpik , (Inuit for Snowy Owl, pronounced OOk' pick) is a winter cold weather camping program offered at…
There were a few small fires in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming this past week. Fire managers believe they were caused by untended campfires. Fortunately, they only burned less than 100 acres. Not a big deal. Last year, a wildfire in Arizona burned over 840 square miles.
My first University of Scouting experience last weekend was great fun. I was asked to present a talk about Lightening the Load of Scout Treks since I've done a couple long-distance hikes now and am a total proponent of lightweight efforts.
Don't assume your Scouts know how to sleep warm while camping, it's important to instruct them and be sure they are properly equipped. In especially cold weather changing clothes before getting in a sleeping bag can make a big difference, as can having a pair of loosely fitting wool or fleece socks just for sleeping.
Campmor is offering good discounts on Eureka tents and sleeping bags. These sales usually are limited to stock on hand and go pretty quickly, so if you are interested act fast! Note that the group discount of 10% does not apply to sale items, so you won't benefit from a group buy on these items…
I had a dandy dream this morning. I paid an "out of season" visit to the Buckskin Camp of Many Point Scout Camp to check in on the campsite Troop 68 has been using for a number of years. I was quite surprised to find the camp staff at the Seton campsite preparing to set…
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Just when you thought the Friday night campfire was going smoothly, the Eagle patrol had to do that skit. You know, the one with salty language, an inappropriate ethnic joke, or sexual innuendo? Now you, the Scoutmaster, will spend all week fielding angry calls and e-mails from moms and dads in the troop.
My journal about my 250 mile hike of the Superior Hiking Trail this fall is online. I've also made a Google Earth map of the trail sections and my Spot tracking blips. And, there's a page of just pictures if you're interested in seeing what I saw.
“Hiking, too, where you go farther afield, exploring new places every day, is a glorious adventure. It strengthens you and hardens you so that you won’t mind wind and rain, heat and cold. You take them all as they com, feeling that sense of fitness that enables you to face any old trouble with a…
Posted in FitnessHiking Hiking Pin for Cub Scouts Don't forget to put the "outing" in Cub Scouting. :-) One easy way to get some outdoor adventure into your program is hiking. And while your pack or den is out hiking, your Cub Scouts can work on their Hiking pin from the Cub Scout Academics and...
It was 4 o’clock in the morning. I was in the middle of the canyons in West Texas during the cold time of year. I didn’t have a tent or a sleeping bag, just a tarp, some rope, and a blanket.
I took a minute away from writing my Superior Hiking Trail recap to let you know about this great contest at Scouting magazine. My trail journal should be done tomorrow. You can never have enough tents! Scouting magazine is giving you an opportunity to get a waaay cool tent - For Free - you just have to…
WE DID IT!! Something my boys and I have been working on for five years, we finally finished the Hiking Merit Badge . It started in 2008 when they were 11 with our first 10-miler to Dog Lake from Butler Fork .
Your tent serves as a home away from home. It withstands bad weather, late-night setups, curious insects … the list goes on. But plenty of Scouters still use the same tent from their days as a young Scout. It's time to upgrade-with help from Scouting magazine.
Earlier this month, I posted about a backpack outing we did in June to Lake Mary from Brighton . It was on that trip that I wanted to see how to get into this area from the Alta side, up Little Cottonwood Canyon.
I'm not a big fan of short scout outings. You know the kind: drive up on Friday night, eat, sleep, eat and return home by 10am the next morning. Can you accomplish anything in that short a time? Will the boys benefit?
I'm not a big fan of short scout outings. You know the kind: drive up on Friday night, eat, sleep, eat and return home by 10am the next morning. Can you accomplish anything in that short a time? Will the boys benefit?
Once in a while you find a place on earth that becomes your very own. A place undefined. Waiting for you to bring your color, your self. A place untouched, unspoiled, undeveloped. Raw, honest, and haunting. No one, nothing is telling you how to feel or who to be.
