These Appalachian Trail Lessons come from Wade Bastian, one of two of my old Scouts hiking the 2200 mile trail. Wade and fellow Eagle Scout Bucky Kellorg started in February. As planned, Wade interrupted his hike to spend the summer employed as a peak steward in New York’s Adirondack mountains Bucky completed the trail in July, here he is […]
Outdoor Program
Impressive Chart of Scouting Knots from 1925
In 1925 the Columbian Rope Company published a brochure with images of impressive displays of Scouting knots to advertise their tape marked pure manilla rope. Two images feature a large knot board made by Troop 4 of Columbus Ohio. I wonder if that knot board is still around? Artful knot boards pictured in the brochure feature some practical Scouting […]
Freezer Bag Cooking: Adventure Ready Recipes
Author Sarah Kirkconnell ( Trailcooking.com) has revised and expanded her excellent book Freezer Bag Cooking with the addition of many, many great new recipes. Freezer bag cooking is a simple technique that is perfect for Scouts, hot water is added to dry ingredients in freezer bag much like one adds hot water to a prepackaged freeze-dried meal. (No, […]
Eight Knot Contest
The eight knot contest can be an individual or patrol contest, it’s one of my favorite inter-patrol competitions. To hold the eight knot contest you’ll need four ropes of equal diameter, three six foot long, one twelve feet long. A two foot long log about six inches in diameter, and two trees 12-16 feet apart. The […]
Amazing Pioneering Projects
I have seen elaborate gateways, bridges and towers lashed together at Scout events but have yet to see anything remotely like the giant pioneering projects lashed together by these Israeli Scouts. (see more in my post Pioneering Unleashed) Characters from video games, movies, cartoons, and folklore are all featured. The slideshow includes some models of the […]
Night Hike
When’s the last time you went on a night hike? Nighttime is a great opportunity to learn about wildlife, to conquer fear of the dark, and to understand how our eyes work. Night hikes build important outdoor skills and hone your powers of observation. I have created an outline to use in preparing for a night hike, here’s an excerpt […]
Summer Camp Survey
How was your troop’s week at camp this summer? Summer camp can be the most important week in a patrol and troop’s year – it’s challenging, adventurous, and full of possibility. How well did the camp you attended this summer provide those sorts of opportunities for your Scouts? The summer camp survey is designed for Scout troops who have […]
Scoutmaster Podcast 277 – Hiker’s Gear Guide
This encore presentation features my interview with ultimate hiker Andrew Skurka. Skurka’s Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide is my new go-to resource for backpacking gear information. The first section of the book asks and answers the questions that many don’t think to ask until they are out on the trail with too much and/or too little gear, blistered feet, and soaking wet […]
Summer Camp Resources
It’s a privilege to accompany Scouts to summer camp, the greatest week in a patrol’s year. We seize every opportunity to let the Scouts do things independently. While at camp I put myself and the other adults of guests and observers. We define our area in the campsite (not the choice, prominent most comfortable area- give […]
The First Green Bar Bill Article in Boy’s Life.
In Podcast 265-266 I played excerpts of a recording of Green Bar Bill Hillcourt where he mentions his first article in October 1932 issue of Boy’s Life. The “Cover to Cover” section on page 2 introduces Bill; We start off in this issue by roping in Green-Bar Bill to write a monthly page of Scout ideas and […]
What is Wilderness First Aid Training?
What is Wilderness First Aid? Wilderness First Aid expands on basic first aid training with advanced emergency management and assessment techniques. During a Wilderness First Aid course Scouters and youth members over age 14 learn how to assess, treat, and manage emergencies so they can safely take their adventures into areas beyond the reach of rapid emergency response. When is Wilderness […]
Not Just Canoeing Wild Rivers
Reading Canoeing Wild Rivers is like attending a master class in wilderness travel. Cliff Jacobson’s 30th anniversary edition of the classic Expedition Canoeing (now Canoeing Wild Rivers) is required reading for anyone planning or even thinking about a high adventure trip. This completely updated and revised edition features dozens of full-color photos, how-to illustrations, source charts, canoeing and camping techniques, and a chapter […]
Ray Mears Northern Wilderness Series
Watch British wilderness bushcraft expert Ray Mears explore the Canadian wilderness in this fantastic six part series. We are off to Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario to go canoeing this summer, and we’ll be right on the Southern edge of the boreal forest I especially appreciated his visit with David Henry author of Canada’s Boreal […]
Philmont Dining Fly Infographic
The Philmont dining fly or crew tarp is a 12′ by 12′ nylon tarp rigged for simple, easy setup. Hiking sticks or trekking poles can be used as poles, eight stakes and three paracord lines are all else that’s required. A 40′ paracord ridge line is rigged underneath the ridge of the tarp and a loop of the line is threaded through […]
Two Scout Pioneering Techniques
Here’s two relatively little-known Scout pioneering methods that are well worth investigating. CatDrill This new (to me at least!) Scout pioneering technique originated with the Italian Scout Group Trento1. CatDrill combines classic pioneering and froissartage (see below). This technique uses smaller diameter wooden poles or branches and lighter cordage to make sturdy joints that can be used to build […]
Keep Your Camping Gear Dry
If you think the advice in this infographic is nutty, heretical, or (to be charitable) merely inadvisable; so did I until I tried it. I first read about this in Cliff Jacobson’s book Camping’s Top Secrets. Jacobson is an author, wilderness guide, Distinguished Eagle Scout, and a regular contributor to Scouting Magazine. When I interviewed Cliff […]
Six First Class Knots
Here’s a handy one-page reference that shows six First Class Knots – the square knot, taut-line hitch, two half hitches, timber hitch, clove hitch and bowline. Here’s more knot infographics Six First Class Knots and over 40 more infographics and helpful PDF documents Are included in the GET IT NOW BEFORE YOU CLICK THE DOWNLOAD BUTTON Join the growing […]
Turk’s Head Knot Neckerchief Slide
You can download a PDF version of both the right and left handed versions of this infographic below RIGHT HANDED LEFT HANDED The “Turk’s head” knot (named for its resemblance to a turban) is a familiar traditional neckerchief slide or woggle. (Special thanks to Brian Stockton for the left handed version of this infographic) Elaborate Turk’s head knots can be made with […]
Transformative Travel
David Gilmour (the entrepreneur who founded FIJI Water; not the Pink Floyd musician), was asked “Where’s the best place to prepare for leadership: MBA school or on the job?” by Monocle Magazine. He chose neither. His answer: “Travel. How can you be knowledgeable on any subject if you aren’t well traveled?” Blogger John Shadel comments on this answer: As someone […]
Royal Carrick Bend Neckerchief Slide
The decorative royal carrick bend can be fashioned into a great neckerchief slide. Begin by laying out the royal carrick bend flat and then tighten the strands around a cylinder (paper tube, etc.) This is a challenging project, but it’s worth the trouble. Here’s my Carrick Bend Infographic Here’s a royal carrick bend neckerchief slide […]
Scout Video Picks – Ninjas and Birch Bark Canoes
My Scout video picks for this week include a great game from Spain and birch bark canoes. Ninja Slap – Jugeo Scout This sophisticated game of tag shown in this video of Spanish Scouts was very popular with my Scouts for a year or two.The game begins in a tight circle, shoulder-to-shoulder, with hands in the middle. […]
Scouts Survive Boundary Waters Canoe Mishap
On Thursday June 12th a group of Scouts on a trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness with the Northern Tier High Adventure Program were rescued by helicopter after their canoes capsized in a storm. Everyone survived, there were no major injuries. I study incidents like this carefully because our troop has been doing canoe treks in […]
Baking, Bowlines and Bhangra! – Scouting Video Picks
YouTube is a global phenomenon; 1 billion unique users visit YouTube each month, 100 hours of video are uploaded every minute, 80% of YouTube traffic comes from outside the US. Here’s this week’s Scouting video picks I hope Scouters find interesting, informative and useful. Danish Dampers for Gourmet Campers! Campfire cooking idea from Scout’s UK series of Rapid […]
Two Things You (probably) Didn’t Think About Taking to Summer Camp.
Two humble things find a number of uses at summer camp; clothespins and index cards. I usually have a pocket full of index cards, and use them all day long to take notes, leave messages, and post reminders or notices for youth leaders. With clothespins or thumbtacks I can clip them to a tent flap, a branch, or pin them […]
