5 Minute blogs with tips on camping, the outdoors, and Scout Advancement.
Wisdom hints about hiking: 1- Take an extra stove & fuel to do nothing but boil water for dishwashing & sterilizing mess kits. You will need to be a good-sized pot. And pliers for mess kit dunking. 2- Windscreens help cook faster. And they keep the pots warmer longer. Choose the number & size/height of … Read more
Eating while backpacking is a bit more of a challenge than when car camping or at home. My personal menu selections involve only 1 pot for cooking And a coffee pot for the Scoutmaster’s smiling face in the mornings. If we keep the cook kit to a minimum then we also need to keep … Read more
Back Packing Gear notes: See Sit. Rep. 43. Your backpack should not weigh any more than 25% of your body weight. Ex: 100 pound Scout, 25-pound pack. 1- NO COTTON, No cotton socks, underwear, jeans, T-shirt. It can take a pair of jeans 14-24 hours to dry if they get wet. NO Cotton blankets! 1B- … Read more
Team: Interesting word. Team in Old English used to mean family or descendant. In older English, it meant harnessing a group of animals or beasts to pull or work together. Like a team of horses or oxen. “Team” is mostly used today with a sports connotation. I want to deconstruct the word team … Read more
Let me exercise my editorial discretion and talk about Back Packing for a bit. (is backpacking 1 word or 2?) I like backpacking and where it takes me. It takes me off of the beaten trail where most of the planet does not tread. The air smells different. The sounds are natural and uninterrupted … Read more
1- Knots use a simple physics principle that allows knots to work. FRICTION. It is that simple. Friction. 2- “Dressing” a knot means that you pull it tight and the knot is tied correctly after pulling it tight. Check every knot after dressing it to make sure that it is tied correctly. If using for … Read more
1- Nice storm last night. That makes me think about camping in that kind of weather. When was the last time (and the next time) you waterproof your tent? Dining fly? Ground cloth? How would you anchor your tent & dining fly in that kind of storm? Do you carry extra tent stakes … Read more
1- Tonight is a really good night to observe Venus. Venus will be in the southwestern sky at dusk in the constellation of Taurus the bull. She will follow Aldaberan over the western horizon at about 11 pm. This time of year Venus is called an “evening star”. Venus is a planet and is … Read more
“I don’t think anyone expected that when we changed the clocks we’d go from Eastern Standard Time to the Twilight Zone.” Pandemic Humor? 1- Ever rode a bike? What safety precautions do you take? Here is a link to Google Docs with a more complete and downloadable list; Biking Safety Check List. Helmet, Ride single … Read more
“Face piles of trials with smiles.” (Moody Blues – In the Beginning) Check out the Moody Blues on Youtube. A wonderful 1970’s band. 1- If you have ever looked at becoming a public servant in any capacity; look up FEMA – ISP. ISP means Independent Study Program. Take a couple of their online courses: IS-001, … Read more