5 Minute blogs with tips on camping, the outdoors, and Scout Advancement.
1- Where to camp? The basic answer, that Scouts follow, is where you make the least impact on the environment, wildlife, and fellow campers. Most State & Federal parks (and private campgrounds) have specific campsites that you MUST use. In wilderness areas these are some of my considerations when selecting an area to set up … Read more
1- What is your purpose of camping or backpacking or hiking? Scout advancement, adventure, building self-confidence, getting away from the hustle & bustle, getting away from electronics and screens, commune with nature; photography, or research, or fishing, expedition, the love of being outdoors, more fun than the gym, surveying: any answer is OK with me. … Read more
Murphy’s Law: 1- You have planned & are in the middle of a backpacking trip and ________ happens! It does not matter what you filled in the blank with. Weather, injury, equipment failure, illness, emergency at home, wildfire, natural disaster, blizzard, heatwave, mudslide, food raided by wildlife, flood, wildlife attack, crime / human attack, avalanche, … Read more
1- OK! You have spent at least a month getting in physical shape for your first hike or backpacking trip. You have learned how to mentally deal with physical exertion. You now know how it feels and you can muster through it. You have put up & struck your tent many times including several times … Read more
Trip Planning: 1- Let us take a few minutes to learn about planning & logistics from history. A good example and a good lesson comes from the Race To the South Pole that started in 1911. Remember that it was “summer” down under. Summer temperatures are on average during December are a high of -14 … Read more