5 Minute blogs with tips on camping, the outdoors, and Scout Advancement.
1- The BSA Handbook and the BSA Fieldbook are full of personal tools and skills. Your fellow Scouts and Scout Leaders are full of skills, techniques, information, instruction, and ideas that you can learn to fill up your tool belt of skills and knowledge. The reason that I use the tool belt for the analogy … Read more
1- I just learned that “Semper Paratus” is the slogan for the US Coast Guard. To them, Semper Paratus means “Always Ready.” I chose it because I translated the Latin phrase into “Always Prepared.” Either way, my personal salute is to each member of all of the branches of our military service. “I believe luck … Read more
1- Bear Grylls served in the British SAS (British Special Forces). They went on “hard routine.” They existed for days on end without a hot meal. He points out that a hot meal makes your job in the out-of-doors a lot easier. Options: 1- Build a camp/cooking fire to heat your meal. 2- Trail or … Read more
1- “To me, a winner is someone who recognizes their God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills and uses those skills to accomplish his goals. Even when I lost, I learned what my weaknesses were and I went out the next day to turn those weaknesses into strengths.” – Larry Bird. … Read more
Fire Building Tip: 1– I learned a new fire building tip this week. When lighting a fire, start your fire from the windward side of the fire lay. That way the heat of the fire will heat up the rest of the lay. If the wind is too strong for a diminutive flame, lie down … Read more
Map Projections: 1- Think of projecting a picture on a wall. It does not matter what the original shape of the object was when the picture was taken. The picture on the wall is 2 dimensions. The projection is 2 dimensions. Our Earth is roughly a sphere. Any map in 2 dimensions distorts that 3 … Read more
1- We know that the lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere is called the Troposphere. And the next layer up is called the Stratosphere. Atop the stratosphere is Mesosphere. The next layer up is called the Thermosphere. And the last layer of Earth’s atmosphere is the Exosphere. These layers are based on temperature. Also, as you … Read more
1- Every outdoors book and every survival book that I have read talk and stress fire building, maintaining, using, and overall knowledge of fires. Fire building is an essential skill. A- Fire is a chemical reaction. Scouts may say it takes Fuel, Oxygen, and Heat to have a fire. They may call it the … Read more
More on knives: 1- Buy the best that you can afford. Take care of it like it was gold. Take care of all your tools & camping gear likewise. With the multiple options available I like the multi-tool over the simple Case or Barlow knives. Choose from a good brand that you can … Read more
1-Thanks to the parent that asked the question about how Scouting worked. Thank you to both Larry & Vann for their comments. All questions and comments are welcome. 2- Suppose you went out on a walk and then found yourself lost. It is around 4 pm in April. You do not have a coat or … Read more