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 […]
Camping Skills
Hammock Camping for Scouts
Our latest ScoutCircle presentation featured Derek Hansen, Scoutmaster and hammock camping guru. If you are curious about hammocks and how Scouts can use them take the time to watch the presentation. Derek is a great speaker and shares all of the basics in this presentation; here’s the resources mentioned: Hammock Forums Derek’s website The Ultimate […]
Bottle Sling Knot Infographic
The bottle sling knot has been around for centuries. This ancient method of forming a sling for the neck of a jug or bottle this knot was described in detail by the Greek physician Heraklas in his first century book on surgical knots and slings. The bottle sling can be used to create a handle […]
Found on Pinterest – Seasonings in a Straw
This tip comes from Field & Stream Magazine via Pinterest: Use straws to store salt, pepper, and spices for camping trips. Heat one end of a clear plastic straw with a lighter, then crimp it with your fingers or a multitool. Fill the straw with the desired seasoning, and repeat the process on the other […]
More Camp Kitchen Permutations
Here’s my latest overview of the endless permutations of the humble patrol box, chuck box, or camp kitchen. We use the Rubbermaid Action Packer to house our modest patrol cook kits. I know some of you don’t care for car camping or big patrol boxes. I find the different solutions folks come up with for setting […]
Bannock
‘Bannock” is a name for quick flat bread that originated in Scotland and was adopted by most Native Americans, voyagers, mountain men and pioneers. With a minimum of fuss and bit of practice anyone can bake a bannock loaf in a frying pan or wrapped around a stick. Bannock is simple, cheap and always welcomed […]
Ten More Tips for Camping in the Rain
If you are headed out into the wild and run into a real gully washing, frog-strangling rainstorm here’s ten more tips for camping in the rain that should help you get through the storm in style (the first ten tips are here.) 1. Poncho on a stick Umbrellas are under-rated camping accessories. When conditions are […]
How to Make a Fire in the Rain
Any good outdoorsman knows how to make a fire in the rain. Once you’ve mastered the skill of building fires when the weather is dry you’ll want to hone your skills for starting a fire when the weather goes bad. The infographic explains a few strategies for getting a fire going when you have nothing but […]
What Are Scouting Skills, Why Are They (Still) Important and How do We Get Them Right?
What are Scouting Skills? Can you throw some things in a pack, step off the road into the woods and live comfortably for a few days without getting lost? Can you build a fire, lash a tripod together, set up a shelter, cook your food, stay warm and dry and leave no trace of your […]
Outdoor Adventure Manual
Published by Scouts UK with a forward by Bear Grylls The Outdoor Adventure Manual is packed with practical Scout skill tutorials ; tents and camping, fire, food and cooking, tools and gadgets, knots and lashings, navigation, first aid and survival, and more. Skills are explained step-by-step with photos and illustrations that really bring them to life. I’ve read […]
Astronomy Tools for Scouting
Here are my favorite astronomy tools for showing Scouts the night sky. Get out and look at the stars the next clear night you are out camping, you don’t have to be an expert or particularly knowledgeable to have a great time finding constellations and doing a little stargazing. With a little research you’ll now when and where to look for […]
Review of Lansky Blade Medic
My first impression of the Lansky Blade Medic was a little cynical. Another knife sharpening gadget? No thanks. As a professional woodworker I have sharpened hundreds, if not thousands, of blades, chisels, knives etc. over the years. I’ve shown a couple of hundred Scouts how to use and sharpen a pocket knife and I’ve tried out many […]
Constrictor Knot
The constrictor knot is a way of making a secure, temporary or semi-permanent binding (it’s a good temporary whipping for a rope, closing a bag, or holding a punch of poles together.) A close cousin of the clove hitch the constrictor knot adds an additional crossing of the ends under the full wrap. It’s easy […]
Top Ten Fire Starters Infographic
There are many ways to start a fire, and every experienced camper will have their own favorites, but here’s my list of top ten fire starters: Good strike-anywhere matches are increasingly difficult to find. I stock up on my favorite brand (Redbird from Eddy Match in Ontario) when we are in Canada for our canoe trips. […]
Ten Ways to Avoid Bears While Camping
If you are travelling in bear country follow these ten ways to avoid bears: Keep your cooking areas and sleeping areas separate (100 yards or so is the rule of thumb). Hang food and items with strong odors (ie, toothpaste, bug repellent, soap, etc.) at least 10 ft above the ground or use airtight, bear-proof containers. Don’t […]
High Adventure Canoe Trip 4 – The Kitchen
On our high adventure canoe trip each crew packs and cooks food for a group of five to nine Scouts. Our menu is a combination of freeze dried and grocery store food that keeps the cost reasonable while providing good nutrition and good eating. After making adjustments to our menus and the kit we assembled to prepare it over […]
Steven Karoly’s Oat Hotcakes
Steven Karoly’s blog Round the Chuckbox features this recipe with a story about camping with his family: After a quick inventory, I realized that flour was in short supply in camp so I prepared the hotcake batter with ingredients on hand. Quick cooking rolled oats filled in for most of the flour. OAT HOTCAKES IN CAMP These are approximate measurements […]
SKYWARN Training
Supplement your B.S.A. Hazardous Weather Training with the free National Weather Service’s SKYWARN training. (Rick Jameson suggested this after reading Ten Causes of Scouting Disasters in the Wild – thanks Rick!) To obtain critical weather information, NOAA’s National Weather Service established SKYWARN®, a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their local communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports […]
Ten Causes of Scouting Disasters in the Wild
Scouting disasters in the wild loom when things start to get sketchy, the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, you get that feeling that something is not quite right. It’s time to stop, sit down and think. Bravely pushing ahead against all obstacles, having the grit and determination to keep on going, not giving in are all qualities […]
Going Camping? Go Light!
Going camping? Go light! Here’s an infographic of the collective wisdom of a number of my favorite authors, Nessmuk, Aldo Leopold, Horace Kephardt, Ellsworth Jaeger and more. Click the go light infographic to see full-size You can get this infographic along with OVER 50 other infographics and helpful PDF documents here If you’d like to print this infographic […]
Upside-Down Dutch Oven Paella
If you want to serve a memorable campfire meal I can’t imagine a much more flavorful or impressive dish than this paella. Dave Herzog (the chef who developed this recipe) is a real dutch oven impresario – you can get his recipe collections through the Cook’n recipe organizer, this requires purchasing the Cook’n software – something you may consider if […]
Pioneering Camp Seat Infographic
This Pioneering Camp Seat infographic was generously provided by reader and listener Roger Thor Roop – Thank’s Roger! The Infographic is available as a PDF document formatted to print on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. (see the download link below) Get dozens of Scouting resources like this one (infographics and other helpful documents in PDF format) Get the PDF […]
Camping Gear Repair and Maintainence
Backpacker Magazine’s Complete Guide to Outdoor Gear Maintenance and Repair is your ticket to becoming a camping gear repair guru. Author Kirstin Hostetter’s well illustrated, carefully explained directions return your investment with the first piece of damaged gear you save. Maintaining and repairing modern clothing, sleeping bags, backpacks, stoves and tents is not a simple as slapping on a […]
Pioneering Unleashed!
These incredible pioneering structures built by Israeli Scouts are a real inspiration (here’s the website). Obviously a lot of planning and modeling went into creating projects on this scale. It looks like a tremendous amount of fun doesn’t it? I’ll have to show my Scouts these pictures – who wouldn’t want to build a giant Spongebob or Dragon? […]
