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Scoutmaster Joe Jacaruso shares his backpacking knowledge.
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.”
If you asked any of the people I went to school about what I would be doing now, backpacking would not be at the top of the list. It would not of been on mine either. When my son turned eleven he joined a Boy Scout Troop in Burlington, NC that supposedly did a fair amount of backpacking. Not knowing a thing about it I somehow was talked into helping with the program. Before I knew it I was spending weekends walking through the NC mountains with a pack on my back.
After a weeklong trip with my son in the Smokey Mountain National Park I begin to question the weight of my pack. Why was it so easy to carry at the end of the trip and such a burden the first couple of days?
I started reading articles on the web especially Backpacking Light and soon mounted a quest to get my pack weight done as low as possible. Lowering my pack weight was turned out to be a life saver.
In 2010 my son talked me into hiking the Appalachian Trail. At the age of 57 I was able to comfortable hike day in and day out as much as 30 miles a day with a total pack weight as low as 15 pounds. One of the best results of my low weight was during the 2,179 miles I only had two blisters.
It was an unforgettable experience that has changed the way I hike. It also has given me opportunities to introduce other hikers including Boy Scouts to a lighter and easier style of hiking.
Bragging rights Married to my wonderful wife Susan since 1974, Two children that make me proud every day, Two grandchildren that love to play with their Grandandy (that’s me), Scoutmaster, Thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2010, Hiked the SC Foothills Trail/Bartram Trail and AT for three weeks in 2012 covering 474 miles. My plans at this time center around a section of the Mountain to Sea Trail between Boone and Mount Mitchell. I all goes as planned, I will be out hiking the last week of this month.
Here are a couple of other places you can read about my adventures
http://www.trailjournals.com/ezhiker2010/
www.backonthetrailagain.blogspot.com
This past June I was lucky enough to spend seven nights in the Yosemitie High Sierras with my son a Life Scout ,another Scout and his dad. We hiked a 57 mile loop. This was my fouth adventure in Yosemite and their first. The trip was fantastic. When my son woke up at 6am snuggeled deep in a sleepingbag on day three it was 30 degrees outside of our tent and he said “This is awesome” I feltl like a dad watching his boy hit a grand slam in the bottom of the nineth . It could’nt get any better. Well a cup of coffee would have helped a little. .
When he joined Scouts we did’nt even own a backpack. Now our garage is full of outdoor gear. As I tell the Scouts in his troop “The more you go, the more you know”. We have learned alot is the last few years about backpacking. The gear is always changing. Things do not have to be exspensive,just smart. The Troop has about ten backpacking trips a year. Any Scout that has not reached First Class must have a Shakedown each time before he enters the trail. They learn quick what to take and not to take. Often I will hear them ask each other ”But how much does it weigh”.
Scouting has many activities but the trail is where a Scout can just be a Scout. Hopefully with a light pack.
Warren
Scoutmaster Troop 93
Santa Maria,Ca
Does Joe have a gear list of what he carries and uses, if he’s at 15 pounds? (Does that include water?)
Tune in Sunday and ask, I’ll try to remember the question when we get together.