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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 351–400 of 540 posts
If not, and you live in Colorado, here's your chance to finally get the Leave No Trace training you want! Staff from the Center are offering the 2-day Leave No Trace Trainer Course this weekend in the stunning Comanche Peak Wilderness near Estes Park, CO.
Steven C. Karoly is a retired Seabee Cook who blogs at Round the Chuckbox . I eagerly followed a series of eight of Steve's recent posts on the ‘Code of the Campfire'. They are a combination of practical advice and old fashioned good manners.
For our first discussion, Chris and I talk about the merits (or otherwise) of traditional canvas tents versus modern synthetic ones. Traditional Canvas Tents – Nick Canvas tents have been around since the dawn of Scouting, so much so that when people think of Scouts camping, the mental image is of Scouts standing round a green…
Glacier National Park, MT - Last week, Team West had the opportunity to venture into the backcountry of Glacier National Park for a 5-day trip. Backcountry trips usually take an incredible amount of preparation and in Glacier one of the additional things we had to plan for was the presence of Grizzly bears.
Looking for some of the best wilderness adventure in the world? Don't worry, the Summit Bechtel Reserve will open soon enough. But if you're one of those who just can't wait (we don't blame you), there is plenty of adventure to be had at the Northern Tier High Adventure Bases , in the meantime.
If you follow The Buckets comic strip you know that the youngest member of the household, Eddie, is a Cub Scout, and his father is a Pack leader. A few times a year Greg Cravens, the creator of the strip, uses his comic to share a humorous look at the world of Cub Scouting.
National Trail Days Participation up 10 Percent The American Hiking Society's 19th annual National Trails Day (NTD)celebration June 4 drew a record of more than 330,000 trail enthusiasts, hikers, and volunteers from around the nation to celebrate and promote trails in and around their communities, an increase of 10% over 2010.
Minimize Campfire Impacts is the 5 th of 7 Leave No Trace Principles . If you close your eyes and think about some of your earliest camping experiences, there is a good chance that a campfire is included in your reflection.
Did you get your Sept/Oct Scouting magazine yet? Take a look at page 24! We don't always stop at Dairy Queen on our hikes, but we do use gmap-pedometer.com a lot and it works pretty slick. That page is a good indication of what I plan to do for the next few years now that…
We finished the 20 mile hike at 3:45 after starting at 8:40 this morning. Two scouts set the pace and I just had to keep up. It was a great hike, exploring a few new places around the community, and the weather was terrific.
From The Patrol System Published by Scouts Canada in 1960. Not a new idea, but a good one none-the-less. What would happen if you put this information in the hands of your patrol leaders? You want your gang to become a real Patrol-and only a hiking Patrol is a real one.
Across the country, Scout camp dining halls are full of staffers leading campers in songs and cheers to thank the kitchen staff for their daily meals. But at the Cedarlands Scout Reservation (CSR) , a camp nestled deep in the Adirondack Park in Long Lake, New York, Scouts are at work in a different way.
It's time for another Outdoor Blog Carnival …what is your dream hike? If money wasn't an issue, if time away from loved ones, work, school, etc. wasn't an issue, if there was nothing preventing you from going, what hike is your dream hike?
I am back from an epic 5-day, fifteen-mile solo hike on the Appalachian Trail. That is correct: I made about 3 miles a day. Damned impressive, I know. I consider this an accomplishment–and here is why: along the way I looked at everything that interested me.
So here I am at work today, for the first time in a week. Vacations are hard to come back from but they are especially hard when that vacation is Summer Camp. While I will be posting a Summer Camp Recap I figured it's been 2 days and I already miss several things: - camp water…
Great advice from Sectionhiker about choosing clothing for backpacking: A lot of backpackers bring extra clothing on trips that they never wear and end up carrying for no purpose. Doing this has a ripple effect, because it means you need a larger backpack to carry the extra clothing, which is probably going to weigh more.
Every so often adults attending Scout camping trips just don't get it (Scouting that is). I walk into camp and find them sitting in their son's tent organizing their son's gear and maybe the tent mate's gear also or over in his son's patrol area getting involved in making scrambled eggs or grilled cheese sandwiches.
There are quite a few menus and food lists available online, and they are helpful for thinking of meals for backpacking treks. But, I didn't find a way to create a menu on-the-fly. This sounds like a useful tool for scouts to use in planning high adventure outings for their troops.
The results are in for the "What do you do at Summer camp" Poll. And it looks like 68% of you participate in Adult Programs. 26% of you just hang out with a good book and pretty much the rest of you get in the Scouts way (6%).
The Cadet Color Guard leads the troops in a pass in review at the 2011 West Point Camporee at The United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, Sunday May 1, 2011. At the conclusion of the camporee all of the units partcipate in a pass in review in which they march in review for the…
Medfield, Massachusetts - Last weekend we had the opportunity to connect with families who were enjoying new outdoor activities together at the Great American Backyard Campout . The event was held at the Rocky Woods reservation and organized by The Trustees of Reservations and our organizational partner REI .
The troop heads for summer camp in 19 days for a new experience - We'll be sharing a campsite with another troop for the first time ever. For another troop's experience on campsite sharing, check out this entertaining post . We've got 39 scouts going and the other troop has only 3 so it will be a…
I awoke slowly early Monday morning at Scout camp and enjoyed listening to the stream and the birds. A cool breeze coming through the open tent flap… what could be better? Suddenly the silence was shattered by clanging pots and pans and someone hollering "IT'S YELLOW SHIRT DAY!, IT'S YELLOW SHIRT DAY!
The balanced Score care approach is nothing new, it has been floating around organizations for some time now and provides a balanced view for organizational performance. Who looks at this? Well really you do. As much as some would like t0 think that Councils and District level leadership are actively engaged in what goes on…
Our scouts frequently do this badge at summer camp. But they often come home from camp with an incomplete because they haven't complete requirement 9. They often think they have 20 days and nights of camping when they sign up for the badge, but they don't realize that those must all be tent camping and…
You know your legendary backpacking recipe? The one the guys in your troop have been requesting on every trip for the past decade? It's about to become even more famous. Tim and Christine Conners , authors of The Scout's Outdoor Cookbook , are asking Scouts and Scouters to submit backpacking recipes for a new set of cookbooks…
It was a nice warm Saturday morning at the state-wide Ripley Rendezvous last weekend. The sun was shining, There was a nice breeze. It was turning out to be a great day for this Scouting event. Little did we realize that nature had a little surprise in store for us.
Should Scout troops use standard two burner propane stoves for camping? Half of the world's households and 80 percent of rural households in developing countries cook with solid fuels like wood, coal, crop residues and dung. Many of these households use traditional open fires or simple stoves that release smoke into the dwelling and do…
My hiking stick evolution goes something like this: - A number of ones found in the wild; some with natural twists, ones I carved, sanded and varnished. - A number of bamboo sticks like my backpacking hero Colin Fletcher. - A few I machined from hardwood (oak, mahogany, etc.)
A reader (who wishes to remain anonymous) asks; My son recently joined a Scout troop who, to my horror, burns almost all their trash in the campfire. Most leaders that do this either don't think it's a problem, or have just learned to be indifferent.
Click on the images to enlarge in a pop up window Our old Eureka Timberline tents were starting to show their age. Many of them have been in use for 15 years, some more, some less. I was just about ready to tell our committee it was time to order some new tents when it…
Let's Get Cooking! Building a campfire and cooking a meal – what could be better? I know it's my favorite part of camping; haul out the dutch ovens, the fire grates, the pots and pans and let me at it. With all the modesty I can muster I'll tell you that I am one heck of…
Two new boys joined us for their first Boy Scout camping trip at Camp Watchamagumee over the weekend of May 6-8, 2011. They had a great time on the outing but we did have an interesting and unexpected experience Friday night.
Jason Pettis is Scoutmaster of Troop 130 in Golden, Colorado. He wrote in to say: I've got a tote I bring with a bunch of extra gear that I loan out to adults (and occasionally scouts) that I call my "Be Prepared" box.
AllGearAnnotated CampBoxSmallPacked ChairFoldedUp ChairSetUp02 Cooking02Annotated DuluthTradingRollClosed DuluthTradingRollOpen LightMyFireKitAnnotated Here's two camping boxes that house some essentials I like to have on hand when we are out with the troop. The smaller is a 8 gallon and the larger a 24 gallon Action Packer by Rubbermaid.
Day 75: Two crews preparing for Philmont in June had their first 10-mile hike this morning. I don't get to do Philmont this year because there's a surplus of dads wanting to go, but I get to join them on the hikes since I'm the Hiking merit badge counselor.
Four new scouts survived their first (and probably most miserable for awhile) campout with the troop. Friday evening was cold and windy, but the tents got set up before the rain really started. The rain started, turned to sleet, then snow as the temperature dropped.
1. Buy the best you need Waking up (or worse yet no being able to sleep) chilled to the bone in a cheap sleeping bag really drives home the importance of having adequate gear. If you and your Scouts aren't warm and dry or don't sleep comfortably you'll have miserable camping trips.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW Canoeing Sailing Backpacking Climbing Waterskiing Floodwood Mountain Scout Reservation is a high adventure base located in Tupper Lake in the Adirondacks It is owned by the Northern New Jersey Council, Boy Scouts of America. Floodwood specializes in hiking and canoeing treks.
Inventor Kent Haring has developed the elegantly efficient Littlbug stove that deserves a second look from campers in general and Scouts in particular. Most of us have come to rely on the convenience of propane stoves and would be hesitant to trade them for wood stoves.
Since the early '80's, the Northwest Territorial Mint has been known for quality die-struck collectibles. This Eagle Scout Hiking Stick Medallion is no exception. I like the idea of an Eagle Scout placing their medallion on something practical, like a hiking stick, since time outdoors in nature is so integral to the lifestyle of a…
Question: What's better than falling asleep to the sound of raindrops hitting your rainfly? Answer: Doing so in a tent you won for free from Scouting magazine and the Bryan on Scouting blog. Yep, you can spend your next camp-out in stylish comfort if you win the Eureka Timberline SQ 2XT two-person tent, the latest…
Well not exactly the title to that song.. but its raining here in the great NW and I want to get out and work with my new Hennessy Hammock. My oldest son and I bought Hennessy Hammocks yesterday. For those of you that went to Jambo..
First off...my podcast with co-host Scoutmaster Shawn is up and available at www.ptcmedia.net please download and take a listen...and then let me know what you think. Feedback is a gift!!! The march continues for another 100 Days of Scouting. This was our March Campout Weekend.
Forget white-noise simulators or special pillows. For the best sleep of your life, find a campsite and a tent. Then slip into a comfortable sleeping bag, like this week's prize, the REI Zen sleeping bag , rated to 25 degrees. The Zen bag, which the company no longer sells, went for $159 when our gear expert…
So if you couldn’t tell from previous posts, one of the things I like about camping is the outdoor cooking. And that includes backpacking. I’m all for lightweight, believe me, but not at the expense of MAH BELLAH! So this week’s shiny of the week is my Jetboil .
The quest to clear out my office has only just begun. Last week, I told you that my cubicle has become the storage area for the outdoors stuff we feature in our "Great Gear" section . Manufacturers send us top-of-the-line gear, gear expert Stephen Regenold reviews the items, and then we take them in the studio…
What we need is a few good taters… Song virus achieved? Anyway, goodness knows I love me some taters. Especially on campouts. And I have to say that the newest addition to Scouting Magazine over the last few issues has been the article on Dutch Oven cooking and it is great!
One of my favorite memories from Boy Scout camp-outs was gathering around the fire and listening to the assistant Scoutmasters tell campfire stories. I loved movies and books growing up, but there was something about those live stories that was more compelling than the printed word or images on a screen.
Being one of the best troops around, your troop camps rain or shine, hot or cold. Depending on where you are, the 'cold' might be 40 degrees or -40 degrees. Here in Minnesota, our council has a Zero Hero award for scouts that camp out in below 0F temps, but many councils have an award…
