The 1913 proof edition of the Handbook for Scout Masters is available at Google Books. This draft was distributed for comment to perfect the final edition. Here’s a (rather large) PDF version of the 1913 Proof of Scoutmaster Handbook To be an effective Scouter we ought to continually assess our understanding of first principles, and there’s much food for thought in […]
Scouter's Library
NOLS Cookery
Each year 3000 students spend two weeks to three months in the backcountry on National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) courses. Thats a lot of backcountry cooking! The folks at NOLS have developed a simple, varied and inexpensive diet that is based on staple foods that can be found at any grocery store. There’s also a […]
Scouting Resources – The Dump
The Dump is a massive collection of Scouting resources ‘written long ago’ for Scouts. Some patient soul has created a treasure trove of Scouting Literature like; The Scout and His Axe – John Thurman’s booklet of axe use and care. The Patrol System and Letters To A Patrol Leader – The 1917 book by Capt. […]
How to Sh*t in the Woods
Kathleen Meyer realized that there was no completely frank discussion of how to sh*t in the woods (and how not to). She put pen to paper and came up with this pithy, humorous yet informative tome. Well worth reading as pulling it off properly does require some lost skills. It was unlikely that I would find […]
An Axe to Grind
The druidical science of axemanship is glossed over in scouting literature. Wielding an axe expertly is more than meets the eye. Can you properly ‘hang’ an axe? Are you able to detect hidden flaws when choosing a new axe handle?
Diary of an Early American Boy
Eric Sloane wrote and elegantly illustrated several pithy books on early American living and artifacts. As a teen I was, and as an adult I remain, fascinated with the Diary of an Early American Boy. Sloane bases this book on the actual 19th century diary of a fifteen year old farm boy named Noah. The […]
Walden
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” Thoreau Walden is a record of Thoreau’s experiment with transcending ‘normal’ living […]
Make a Canoe Paddle
I actually made a canoe paddle, and plan on making some more. My new paddle served me admirably on many miles of paddling over the past seven years. Making Canoe Paddles is as complete a treatment of the subject as one could hope to find. Making a paddle is a challenge but the authors explain every step with well-illustrated […]
To Build a Fire
‘ He worked slowly and carefully, keenly aware of his danger. Gradually, as the flame grew stronger, he increased the size of the twigs with which he fed it. He squatted in the snow, pulling the twigs out from their entanglement in the brush and feeding directly to the flame. He knew there must be […]
Expedition Canoeing
Anyone planning a canoe trip of a few days or a few weeks will benefit from studying Jacobson’s careful treatment of the subject: he offers solid, tested techniques and then points out the many ways things could go wrong. He uses stories from his considerable experience to illustrate how important it is to plan carefully, not […]
Nessmuk
‘ We do not go to the green woods and crystal waters to rough it we go to smooth it. We have it rough enough at home…’ ‘ The temptation is to buy this or that bit of indispensable camp kit has been too strong and we have gone to the blessed woods handicapped with […]
