Proper outdoor clothing is comfortable but, more importantly, it keeps you safe. It’s surprising parents sometimes don’t seem to give much thought to what Scouts wear to a camping trip. If your troop is like mine they will be rained on and experience unseasonably cold temperatures on just about every camp out! Without the right clothing, […]
Outdoor Program
Take Scouts Backpacking!
My first backpacking trip was a family hike to a trail shelter in Shenandoah National Park in the early seventies. My brother and I carried frame-less canvas backpacks with webbing shoulder straps that my dad padded with upholstery foam. I don’t recall much else about the gear we used because my brother and I were much more interested in the creek […]
Sleeping Bags 101
Your choice of sleeping bags starts with figuring out where it will be used, what size you need, and the types of fill and construction are available. See the sleeping bags I recommend for Scouts (and all kinds of other gear recommendations) on the Outdoor Gear Guide. Don’t miss these other helpful Gear Infographics! If you’d like to print […]
Scout Law at Summer Camp – Infographic
While the twelve points of the Scout law at summer camp isn’t different than the Scout law anywhere else the week we spend together in the company of other Scouts is a great opportunity to discover how the Scout law applies to everything we do. Available as a PDF document. (see the download link below) Get dozens of Scouting […]
Fleur-De-Lis Knot
This video from the author of Paracord Fusion Ties demonstrates tying a fleur-de-lis knot – I have the Kindle edition of Volume one of Paracord Fusion Ties (there are three volumes). It has very easy to follow illustrations and I recommend highly, the number of things you can make with paracord is nearly endless, and it’s great […]
An Ontario Scouting Adventure
John Wiebke Scoutmaster of Troop 358 in Zionsville, Indiana, shares his summer plans (and what great plans they are!) Nothing makes the winter pass quicker than looking forward to a great summer adventure! Every other year our troop travels to Ontario, Canada, for summer camp at Haliburton Scout Reservation (three hours north of Toronto on Lake Kennabi) […]
Conquer Camp Chores Before They Conquer You!
Once at winter camp the temperature was just above freezing, and the wind blew a sharp drizzle into every contrivable shelter and refuge. I was a young Scout rinsing dishes. There wasn’t a rubber glove in sight, so I was lucky enough to dunk my frozen hands into cold water. It was SUCH FUN!! At […]
Patrol Operations Plan Part 3 – Field Treks
Once your Patrol starts taking on a life of it’s own your Scouts will want to do more ambitious activities. A field trek is hiking adventure with a purpose, and it’s a great thing to do with your Patrol. Make sure field treks are part of your Patrol operations plan. The purpose of the trek […]
Into the Wilderness Part 3 – Trial by Fire
Texas isn’t known for cold weather like I described in the last post! It’s known for the heat! I remember vividly the hottest camping trip I’ve ever been on! It was a summer camp a few years ago; the humidity was high and the temperature was over 100 degrees all week long! It was so […]
Into the Wilderness Part 2 – Challenge Accepted!
I clearly remember one early camping trip I went on in the middle of winter. We got into camp after dark and everyone hurried to set up their gear as the cold chilled our fingers to the bone. I was ill-prepared for the cold weather in both clothes and sleeping gear. That night, I was […]
Into the Wilderness Part 1 – Spectatoritis
I never thought I could enjoy a view as much as I did that day! My Patrol and I had just hiked to the top of the tallest mountain in Oklahoma. It wasn’t super tall compared to Colorado standards, but coming from North Texas, it was the tallest I had ever seen! My Troop had […]
Citizen Science For Scouts
Scouts can join scientific collaborations in nearly any field of study through an amazing number of citizen science opportunities. Citizen science projects can make for engaging patrol or troop activities, and may even tie into merit badges Scouts are working on individually (they should make their counsellor aware of these opportunities). SciStarter.com is a great place to begin: SciStarter […]
Meet the Coywolf
Michael Smith shared this coywolf infographic with me on Google plus. The coywolf is a remarkable new hybrid mix of western coyote and eastern wolf. The coywolf’s range is growing and they are thriving in urban and suburban areas. It’s thought this new hybrid species first appeared early in the last century in Ontario, Canada’s Algonquin […]
Which Scout Summer Camp?
Two troops, same Scout summer camp, same week; one troop has a wonderful time and goes home smiling, one has a difficult time and leaves unhappy. I observed hundreds of troops and thousands of Scouts As a staff member and camp director for a dozen summers. I can tell you one thing that makes or breaks a […]
The Science of Seasoning Cast Iron
Blogger Sheryl Canter offers this Recipe for Seasoning Cast Iron based on what looks like a very well-thought out scientific analysis. After researching the subject she concluded: The seasoning on cast iron is formed by fat polymerization, fat polymerization is maximized with a drying oil, and flaxseed oil is the only drying oil that’s edible. From that I […]
Kevin Callan | January 2014 ScoutCircle
Who is Kevin Callan? Kevin Callan is the author of thirteen books, including the best selling “The Happy Camper”, the incredibly popular series of paddling guides, and most reviewed “Wilderness Pleasures: A Practical Guide to Camping Bliss”. On a regular basis, he presents across North America and has been a key speaker at all the […]
How Scouts Measure Height
Scouts measure height for First Class rank: First Class Requirement 2 Using a map and compass, complete an orienteering course that covers at least one mile and requires measuring the height and/or width of designated items (tree, tower, canyon, ditch, etc.). Peter Le Roux at the Ropes and Poles Blog provides the helpful illustration above […]
Traditional Canoeing and Painting
Set aside your paperwork, take a moment, and join me on this six minute retreat into the lakes and forests of New Brunswick, Canada with painter Réjean Roy. Le Peintre, le canot et la forêt (Painter, canoeing and forest) records Roy’s traditional canoeing kit (note the wanigan, canvas portage pack, trapper tent, canvas covered canoe, and tin […]
Fire By Friction
Fire by friction history was made by ‘World Champion Fire Starter’ Eagle Scout Dudley Winn Smith from Independence, Missouri who held the record for starting a fire using a bow and drill. The 1937 book Games and Recreational Methods for Clubs, Camps and Scouts, C.F. Smith, records his winning method. I have tried this out […]
Uses for Pioneering Projects – Ropes and Poles Blog
South African Scouter Peter Le Roux maintains the excellent Ropes and Poles blog. Here’s a recent post on expanding the use of pioneering projects: Pioneering projects are great fun to build, and there is a good sense of accomplishment that can be achieved, but I’m always looking for a pioneering project to be a bit more useful […]
ScoutCircle – Scouts and Backpacking
Joe Jacaruso, Scoutmaster and an avid backpacker, will join us at ScoutCircle.org Sunday October 13 9-10 PM EDT to talk about Scouts and backpacking. ScoutCircle is a monthly live presentation with questions from viewers, you can see our past ScoutCircles presentations here. Joe Jacaruso says: “All I need is just one more excuse to go backpacking.” […]
Pioneering Tower Challenge
Pioneering tower challenge; build this tower using this sketch. Send me a picture of the result! It won’t be easy, certainly, but is it possible? You may want to refer to this book for a little help.
Huevos Rancheros
I was introduced to huevos rancheros or “rancher’s eggs’ by one of my Scouts (Jesus Torralba) nearly twenty years ago when Jesus was our grubmaster for a cabin camping trip. Since then it’s been one of my preferred camping breakfasts. A lot of recipes call for toasting whole tortillas and serving whole fried eggs on top of […]
Ruan’s Rhino Pioneering Sculpture
This pioneering sculpture was created by a Scout named Ruan from 1st Horison, a Scout group on the West Rand near Johannesburg in South Africa (map below). Ruan is working towards Springbok Scout – the highest rank in Scouts South Africa, like our Eagle Scout. One of the requirements for Springbok is a construction project (there’s also […]
