Boy Scout Gear List: New Scouts, Three-Season @ Backpacking Light

Interesting article... I thought I might share with you folks.
Mr. C.


Boy Scout Gear List: New Scouts, Three-Season @ Backpacking Light

INFORMED CONSENT AGREEMENT

New Link (see link list on the right hand side of the page).

Tips for your next winter camping trip:

1. Use the buddy system for winter outings. Buddies can check each other for frostbite, make sure no one becomes lost, and boost the morale of the entire group.
   
2. Plan to cover no more than five miles per day on a winter trek on snowshoes. An experienced group can cover 10 to 12 miles on cross-country skis.
   
3. Always allow ample time to make camp in winter, especially if you plan to build snow shelters.
   Fatigue encourages accidents. Rest occasionally when building a snow shelter; taking part in cross-country skiing or snowshoeing; or participating in other active winter sports. Periodic rests also help avoid overheating.
   
4. Pulling a load over the snow on a sled or toboggan is generally easier than carrying it in a backpack.
   
5. Snow is a terrific insulator. Snow shelters are much warmer than tents because they retain heat and keep out the cold wind. If you have adequate time for building snow shelters, you will spend a much more comfortable night sleeping in them than in a tent.
   
6. Snow is the greatest thief in winter, swallowing up small dropped items. Tie or tape a piece of brightly colored cord to small items so they can be seen in snow. Some items, such as mittens, can be tied to larger items, such as a parka, to prevent them from being dropped and lost.
   
7. Melting snow in a pot to get water may cause the pot to burn through or may scorch the snow, giving the water a disagreeable taste. Prevent this by adding a cup or two of water in the bottom of the pot before putting in the snow to melt.
   
8. Punch a hole in the top of your ice chisel and string a stout cord through it. Before trying to chisel a hole in ice, anchor the cord to something large or too heavy to be pulled through the hole so you will not lose your chisel in freezing water when the ice is penetrated.
   
9. Always test the thickness of ice before venturing any distance from the shore. Ice should be at least 3 inches thick for a small group; 4 inches of ice is safe for a crowd. Since ice thickness can vary considerably, it is best to stay near the shoreline of large lakes.
   
10. Use alkaline batteries in flashlights. Standard batteries deteriorate quickly in cold weather. Tape the switch of your flashlight in the "off" position until you are ready to use it. This will prevent it from being turned on accidentally while in your pack or on your sled.
    
11. Encourage everyone in your group to wear brightly colored outer clothing so that each person will be more visible, especially during severe weather.
    
12. Small liquid-fuel stoves are much better for cooking in winter than fires, which are difficult to build with wet wood. Gathering wood that is frozen to the ground also can be difficult, if not impossible. A pressure/pump-type stove is essential in winter.
    Always use a funnel to refuel a stove so you won't frostbite your fingers by accidentally pouring fuel on them. Fuel evaporates at a high rate of speed and quickly removes heat from anything it touches.
    
13. Place a stove or fire on a platform of logs or rocks so it will not melt through the snow.
    
14. Never light or use a stove inside a tent or snow shelter. A tent may catch fire, and vapors in a snow shelter may lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. Neither of these potential mishaps is worth the risk.
    
15. A windscreen is essential for using a stove in the winter. Even a slight breeze will direct the heat away from its intended mark.
    

References: Okpik: Cold Weather Camping, Boy Scout Handbook, Scoutmaster Handbook, and Camping Sparklers

GND Klondike

I need to confirm who will be attending this weekends Klondike; Feb 3rd & 4th. (Patrol Leaders CALL YOUR PATROLS). I, currently, have 13 guys signed up. It looks as though we'll be able to field two Patrols for Saturdays games.

I need to hear from everyone attending by Wednesday night.

We will have a gear 'shake-down' at Thursdays meeting. Bring your appropriate winter gear and your (signed) permission slip. If your gear has not been inspected and I do not have your permission slip in hand at Thursday nights meeting you WILL miss out on this event.

Cost: $8.00 per person for registration (includes a patch); plus cost of food.

We will be leaving the Scout shed Saturday morning at 7:30 am and returning to the Scout Shed by 11 am on Sunday.

The Klondike will be held at NHCTC in Berlin.

We have been invited to stay overnight with T207, should be a great time. Some night games and perhaps a movie or two.
If the weather is mild there may be an opportunity to sleep under the stars.

This promises to be a great 'fellowship' weekend with other Scouts. There will be some friendly competition and LOTS of fun.

Each Scout will bring a bag lunch and snacks for Saturday. Dinner can be cooked on site or be purchased from the 'OA Cafe'.

We'll have oatmeal or something quick for breakfast prior to closing and returning home on Sunday.

I look forward to hearing from you all.

Sincerely,
Mr C.

Survive or Die

Reprinted from;
AMC Outdoors, November 2006

The difference may be only a few ounces of essential gear.
You are stranded, injured and alone. Night is falling, conditions are deteriorating, and there is no way out until the next day. Or longer. Are you equipped to survive? Your chances will be vastly improved if you carry these essential items and know how to use them.

STAY DRY AND WARM Hypothermia will kill you quickly, especially if you’re wet and the wind is blowing. Always carry at least two heavy-duty garbage bags or a space blanket to protect you from the elements in an emergency situation. When selecting your bags, go thick, go large, and go bright. Look for high-capacity versions designed for hard use, such as contractor or lawn and leaf bags; a thickness of four millimeters is best. Most trash bags are green, brown, or black—difficult for rescuers to see. Try to find a more visible color; orange DOT contractor bags are ideal, though harder to find. Space blankets are usually brightly colored, but can be fragile; look for a more durable material.
To create an emergency rain or wind jacket with a trash bag, cut a slit no longer than your face about eight inches down from the closed corner. Pull it over your head, using the corner as a hood. If conditions are not too severe, cut two small holes for your arms. If conditions are bad, pull a second bag up over your legs to create an emergency bivy. If the situation is really grim, stuff dry leaves or moss in the bags with you for insulation. Use a space blanket in similar fashion by wrapping it tightly around you, but be aware that they are much harder to work with in windy conditions and are more difficult to fully seal from the elements.

KNOW HOW TO MAKE A FIRE Always carry materials to start a fire, both for warmth and as a potential rescue signal. Bring along matches in a waterproof container and opt for “stormproof” versions, which readily ignite and stay lit in windy or wet conditions; some will even burn underwater. Peter Kummerfeldt, a leading survival expert, recently reviewed nearly 20 matches for survival scenarios; his top pick is REI Storm Proof matches (0.65 ounces per box, $4).
Also consider carrying a “metal match,” which creates a shower of long-lived sparks when struck briskly with a metal scraper. When thrown on easily lit kindling, the sparks are sufficient to ignite a flame. Butane lighters should not be relied on as your only means for fire. They will not work if wet, are difficultto dry out, and can be challenging to operate with cold, wooden hands. If you do carry one as a backup, opt for clear models that allow you to see the fuel reservoir and have an adjustable flame for maximum torching.
To get a fire going, you’ll also need kindling. Shredded paper birch bark or other dry forest material will work, but if everything is soaking wet you’ll need a backup: Vaseline-coated cotton balls. Knead Vaseline into a few large cotton balls, leaving the inside dry, and carry them in a tiny waterproof container. (Make sure they are 100 percent cotton; synthetic versions do not burn well.) To light, tear the ball open and easily ignite the dry interior with a flame or sparks. A single ball will burn furiously for six minutes or more.

HELP RESCUERS FIND YOU Always tell somebody where you’re going and when you expect to be back, otherwise the amount of time it will take for rescuers to find you increases dramatically. Carry a whistle to help alert others of your situation; a loud whistle can be heard more than a mile away in good conditions. Blow it in series of three, a standard indication of need. Your brightly colored garbage bags or space blanket will make you more visible, but you should also always bring a signal mirror to alert passing (or searching) aircraft. Weighing as little as half an ounce, pocket signal mirrors can reflect a beam of sunlight several phone for rescue.

- Matt Heid is senior editor at AMC Outdoors.

TROOP MEETING 1-11-07

7pm

OPENING (5 mins)
-Sign-in
-Debrief from the camp out

PATROL MEETINGS (30 mins)
DON'T FORGET YOUR PATROL BOOKS
work on Patrol Flags... need them completed for the Klondike, bring design ideas
*** I only have one (1) Patrol's list of members and positions

ACTIVITIES (30 mins)
Scouter/Tenderfoot
-Fitness
-Whip and fuse
2nd and 1st Class
-estimating measurement (height and width)
-stoves
Star, Life
-Merit Badges

GAME (20 mins)

CLOSING (5 mins)
Announcements

POST MEETING (5 mins)
ALL Troop & Partol Leaders

8:30 pm out the door...

REMINDERS
Registration fee $22
Please pay Mr. Gamache prior to the Court of Honor.
If you have money in your Scout account and want it deducted from the account please write Mr. Gamache a (legible) note requesting the payment be removed from your account.

Court of Honor
(this is the awards night in Scouting)
Jan. 25th @ JHF 7pm
Invite your family and friends!
Friends of Scouting presentation (Troop goal is to raise $1500)
Camp Presentation... wow hard to believe it is time to start thinking about that!
Final chance to sign-up for participating in the Klondike will be tonight.

Next outing... Klondike Feb 3-4th

The Weekend at Littleton Scout Camp

Camping at the Littleton Cabin this weekend.

If you are planning on attending you must hand me a completed Permission Form at Thursday night's meeting.

We will be leaving the Scout Shed @ 9am on Saturday morning.

While we are expecting unseasonably warm temps please BE PREPARED for winter conditions.

We will be working on completing allot of 2nd and 1st Class requirements... this outing really shouldn't be missed.

We will be returning to the Scout Shed around 10am on Sunday morning.

When preparing for this trip please refer to pgs 204, 207, 225-6 of your Handbook (don't forget to bring your handbook).

We will be planning the menu during the Patrol meetings on Thursday night.

There will be a $5 food fee for those wishing to participate.