le Voyageur

For those who can't make the World Jamboree, maybe a major event much closer to home that won't come around for another century.... http://www.jamestown2007.org

For my pack, I use the NRS Paragon Pack http://nrsweb.resultspage.com/display.php?=Q&ts=custom&w=packs The Paragon allows me switch from dry bags, to Pelican cases, to packbaskets with little effort....and, on portages with multiple trips, it allows for more comfort than the old Duluth packs... With Dry Bags I can carry water for camp, turn em into washing machines, add rocks for an anchor, store food underwater....

Take a look here.... http://www.survivalunlimited.com/radio.htm

le Voyageur, did you happen to be on staff for Camp Powhatan's Voyageur program for the summer of 2003? If so, i'd like to get in contact with you, because i'm on staff for it this year, and i'd like as much advice as possible. p.s. yes, as the name implies, i'm a girl. The answer is yes.....did I make you the trade shirt with a heart on it?

Big lakes can be a challenge, requiring both experience, and sound judgement when venturing out onto them. Thus, some tips to help those new to game stay safe.... - Consider all lakes as wind machines. Start early, as the sun rises, so too the winds. - Float Plan/Emegency Plan with alternative takeouts. - Rewarming Plan (hypothermic prevention) - Buddy System always - Buddy pairs, buddy boats. Keep together. - Crew safety gear (throw bags, bailers, spare paddles, maps/compass/GPS, etc.). Personal safety gear (PFD, whistle, etc.). All boats with painters. - On rolling swells, mix weak paddlers with strong to prevent broaching, and a high side roll. Quater waves working the Bow with forward strokes, and draw/cross draw strokes. Stay on the knees. - Order of rescue for a swamped/capsized boat - people, boat, gear. Know how to paddle a swamped cane to shore. - Use two boats to stabilize the others for T rescues of gear laden boats. - Use nylon webbing as looped foot straps to assist a paddler back into the boat. - Be aware of freeboard. Stay in trim, the exception being for weather vanning (heavy bow for strong head winds, heavy stern for strong tail winds). Consider paddling (if possible) the lee shore side, using trees and terrain to break the wind. - Unless crossing, never exceed beyond 75 yards from shore. Make for shore at the sound of thunder, or a flash of lighting. Storms move fast, winds grow in intensity, and waves will build. Never attempt a high mileage crossing during low visibility, or late in the day. For lakes where the far shore is not visable, consider islands of safety, or running legs to where the lake narrows, and the far shore can be seen. - For each leg on the day's run, the Sternman should establish, and keep the Bow informed of the aim point. To keep the boat strong, the Bow should use draw/cross draw strokes to assist the Stern to true the boat on the aim point while running. - Keep a weather eye, consider carrying a weather radio. Always schedule for a wind bound day during the trek.

Ignore the opinions, just use common sense.....

Welcome to the board, and jump in..... BTW, Eagles are the definative patrol. BSA named the highest Scout rank after us, and the USA has seen to honor us by making the Bald Eagle this country's National Bird....

As most folks, I get a lot of catalogs. And leafing through the glossy pages teeming with all kinds of tempting goodies for the outdoors. I was struck by the hype used to simply describe products that were tinted, dyed, colored, painted, and hued in the primary color of red. Red in the catalog became Indian Clay Red, Chili, Molten, Lava, Cayenne, Blush, and several others that I've forgotten... So, I'm wondering would trousers in Molten, clash with a Blush colored shirt while wearing a tuque in Cayenne, and socks in Chili, with Ruby red sabots, hey...????

Indeed a tragic story, but one that shows what happens when a cardinal rule of rescue work is violated, that being scene/personal safety. Again, a tragic story....wish it wasn't so...

I think I am detecting a bias here. I think those of you who live near glacial moraines or at high altitudes need to come for a visit in August and camp out with us for a few days and nights in south Georgia, in a tent, on a blackwater stream. It'll be an enriching experience, possibly religious. Packsaddle hehehehehehehehehehe..lol. What a hoot....dat be the reason I head to cooler places in the summer....like Arizona

For bargins, I like to shop the web at Sierra Trading Post... For my self, I use three bags to cover all four seasons. A super light weight Hagloff LIM +5 rated around the high 40's, low 50's. And a down bag that works around the 10 to 15 range. In winter the Hagloff is used as a liner letting the down bag handle temps around minus 10 easy....if I'm river running, then the down bag is switched out for the syntheic bag (primaloft) that has the same temp rating as the down.....

Well, I've might of let this one get away....but, I've got a new design for a carabiner for tree climbers. It'll be patent...

If you're talking about the Rivers rafting company in WV, then know that this is very reputable company with high safety standards. Additionally, thier campground is excellant with a fine trading post.....If you're planning on using them for a rafting trip, I would book early.....

Instead of carrying stuff in a shoebox, why not make haversacks which would be easier to tote. They're about the same size as shoeboxes, and easily made from ticking or a light weight canvas.

One of the rules that I use in teaching a MB is to keep it fun by using games that meet the requirements. As I see it, Scouts spend nearly 8 hours a day cooped up in a school environment. The last thing they want to do is sit in another classroom listening to lectures to earn a MB.

Congrats....and welcome into the ranks of those who wear the Beads..

WOW!!! Needless to say, the fertilizer will indeed be hitting a very high speed reciprocating device over this....

Here's a tip that will let you new COPE/Climbing Directors know how much life you have left in your ropes very quickly...at one end of the rope place the number of falls that the rope is rated for...for every hard fall, draw a black band around that end of the rope. When the number of bands equals the fall number, retire the rope.....

As to date, I own about 5 Dutch Ovens, 6 cast iron kettles, and 8 or more cast iron frying pans depending on where the Boss has them hidden....however, the most that I've paid for any of these things was about 5 bucks.....so check out the thrift stores, and yard sales before you commit to spending big yankee dollars on the new stuff...

The only way I am aware that it can be done is if the members joined a CO within the geographic boundaries of the other council. BW Yep, you're right Bob. We're right on the boarder of two other Councils...

If any of you decide to buy one of these equalizer, for added safety (based on my own testing), please add a shock asborber to the system. Just clip the SA between you, and the large loop. The reason is that the webbing is the same as a static line, and the SA allows the system to become dynamic, and better able to asorb the force of a hard fall, and equalize quicker without the off axis loading of any of the anchor points....

Glad to hear that your company is doing great....I'm about to start up with my own shortly as spring nears. Will be contracting out as an independant tree climber to some of the tree care companies here. It'll save them a lot of bucks in the long run (hiring, training, insurance, equipment, taxes, etc...)

Can I return all my Chia Pets to you...I'll even toss in a few Fruit Cakes to boot... Well, gotta go. It's Fri, and some of the Cheese Drivers at the High School are playing hookie again....pray for me

On Edit.... Hey Bob...where have you been bubba? You're needed here to keep nut jobs like me from going off at the deep end.... By the way, I've got a new line of tin foil tuques...interested?

Sort of. Looking through a current climber's catalog, I see that Trango is now marketing a self equalizing anchor system called the Alpine Equalizer....came up with the design years ago, used it at summers camps, on climbs, taught it to climbers.....even sent out drawings, specs, etc to a small, unrelated company to see if they were interested...big sigh, oh well...all I can say is, climb on, hey