le Voyageur

Setting anchors in rock cracks for Z drags, or pulley systems to pull pinned canoes off of the rocks, can cost a bit of change if using the traditional chocks and nuts found in a climber's rack. A cheaper way is to head down to the local hardware store and buy steel nuts in different sizes and sling them up. My heavy duty set for real serious cranking are lug nuts from 18 wheelers, and can be found at truck stops, or junkyards. Just remember, don't let scouts use them for repelling or climbing, okay....only for unpinning boats...

in my 1940 era Scout Handbook and thinking about the ideal that was brought up of having a Classic Series of Obsolete Merit Badges for today Scouts (whoever posted this ideal, I think it's great). Here's a set that might be considered Wood Work 1. Design and construct a small piece of furniture in which mortis and tenon or dowel joints are used... 2. Make plans...or rough sketch...of the piece selected. Wood Turning Teaches a scout how to use a woodturning lath Carpentry Blacksmithing Stalking Gets the scout in the outdoors learning how to track and foll

Correction, change 7/8 inch static line to 7/16 (geez does this thing need an edit function, or I need to learn to type better)

Folks if you are not a trained Climbing Director, or C.O.P.E. Director please, please do not use this system. Setting bombproof anchors takes training and experience. For those to who this post is directed to, you must use 7/8 inch static line, plus steel locking biners rated at 72kn. Don't load this rig using aluminum biners...nuff said.

Maybe the wearing of an earing may put some people off - it's easy to judge those that behave or act different from us. I've got a young man, who is just one great guy to know, and who made Eagle a while back before he turned 18. And yes, he wears earring in both ears. But I'll tell you this, when I'm running some tuff whitewater, that's the guy I want in the safety boat watching over me...river running feels so much better and safer having him around...tend to think that when you literally trust your life to another, an earing is no big thing.

These last few post had me thinking about a scout who "cheated" the 50 miler ride requirement for the cycling merit badge and bragged about it. Had his parents drop him off at the top of a mountain pass to careened downhill all the way back down to the town where his parents were waiting to pick up him up....he did the 50, but, I don't think that was the intent of the badge. Additionally, it is also strange at how BSA has watered down the requirements for this merit badge. 30 years ago it was tuff to do the 50 on a bike of that era. Now, with a multiple speed, modern bike, 50 is an easy t

third times the charm (I hope) http://www.sarbc.org/knot1.html

Sorry about that, something happened to the url, lets try it again....(this board needs an edit function) http:www.sarbc.org/knot1.html

Another tip for BSA Climbing Director. This is one of the better self equalizing anchor systems that I've come across...more so than what BSA is recommending http://www.sarbc.org/not1.html

This is one those tips you just don't know where to post...but, this is one for you C.O.P.E. and Climbing Directors and Instuctors who would like to add a little bit more safety to your programs. But first, I would like to think Paul Brown and his C.O.P.E. crew at Lost Valley for sharing this with me. CRASH is an acronym for Carabiner, Rope, Attitude, Stuff, Harness and Helmet, and is the last and final inspection of the scout and his equipment before he starts to climb, repell or belay. The process is simple, the belayer will CRASH the climber, and in turn, the climber will CRASH h

On a bit of side note, AT and PCT through hiker "Teddy Bear" wore only sandals on his first PCT adventure (about 2,700 miles)...

A 12 year old Eagle..... Nothing could prove my point better for time in rank, and working and earning one rank at a time...kinda wonder how long it took him to do his Eagle Scout Service project, must of started it as soon as he got his Arrow of Light....hmmmmmm, wonder if it could of been that two bit log bridge tossed across the creek at Rock Castle Gorge, the one posted with the fancy brass "this is my Eagle Scout Service project" plack????? Okay, so I'm being snide....however, on a camp staff a 12 year old Eagle Scout is as useful as a left handed smoke shifter, and not even old enou

For most three season use, a tent is just a waste of a good night's sky. However, on the plus side, they are great for buggy enviroments, foul weather, and a security blanket for those new and uncomfortable in the outdoors. On the negative side, they can be expensive, depending on type/model take up a bit of space in the pack, heavy, and impossible to air in hot, muggy enviroments. This is my solution to cut the weight, but still have protection in buggy enviroments most common in neck of the woods..... Hammock - 34 oz. http://www.hennessyhammock.com/ space blanket 1 oz By usi

Well guys, I've been sitting back reading your postings and I think this thread has been beaten to death. But before moving on some final thoughts. First, this board really needs an edit function Second, freedom of speech - where else could we get such latitude to express are feelings with such passion. We may not agree on everything, but, isn't that the American way. Third, nope, I haven't been chastised, I like pushing hot buttons, comes from being a C.O.P.E. Director. It's a great way to get a quick look into the dynamics of a new group Fourth, every American has the sam

Since I don't car camp, I'll answer your part b. question.. - menus are designed around rehydration using boiling water. For the most part the boiler stays clean and any additional water left over is added to the waterbottle (since I'm boiling water, water is drawn from the source without any filtering). - anything requiring washing (most of the time just the spoon and food bowl) a small amount of hot water is added to the bowl then stired arouund while scrapping the sides, the final step is simply drinking the water (this way you don't have to carry soap into the backcountry).

Andrew To answer your question in troop building, I spent 3 years in a rural county as a Unit Commissioner building a troop one Lone Scout at a time...."dragon slaying at it's finest", as my Scoutmaster would say when problem solving....

Lets do a hypothetical, just not seeing much out of the box thinking going on - Okay,the year is now 1975, scouting is in the pits (any of you remember that time??) and National has waved it's magic wand and poof, you're now on a select committe to create what will become known as the "Eagle Scout Service Project". You have a clean slate, no rules, no conventions, just scouting traditions and your own wisdom and common sense to bring the concept to life. What ideals will you bring to the table and why....

Agree that the signalling merit badge should be brought back, as well as a return to those old First Class requirements of learning either Morse Code or Semiphore (morse code is the better as it can be used at night). The caveat is, is that technology often fails when you need it the most, having a plan B for those occasions is all about being prepared. A Classic Series sounds like a great ideal. Lets bring back not only Signalling, but also Stalking (teaches tracking), Pathfinding, and I'm sure that there are others. I also feel that we need a minimum age limit for certain merit badges, it

I'll be posting a series of tips under the title of LWB/LIM (lightweight backpacking/less is more). The purpose being to provide information on how to cut not only weight, but also bulk. These two, being the major bain of backpackers. This first one will be on the cookset since most scouts and a whole lot of backpackers are packing about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of cooking gear into the backcountry. For a basic cookset consider... 1. GSI's Hard Anodized Boiler, pot/lid/cup combo, at 8.5 oz. http://www.gsioutdoors.com/productlg/50130.html 2. Lexan soupspoon, less than

No, I don't think that BSA has addressed this issue. As of yet, I've not seen any requirement for an outside source to be knowledgeable of BSA's youth protection guidelines, nor the Guide to Safe Scouting. Seems that Crew Leaders have to make some pretty tough calls to put a crew into the field, would hate to see them left hanging holding the bag.......

- To find the declination for your area, set the direction of travel on a compass to north, and take a bearing off of Polaris. The compass's needle will point to mag north, this is your declination. - To orientate a map without a compass, the map can be held between the constellations of the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia. - To orientate oneself at night without a compass, by "placing" one's hand on the Big Dipper and the other on Cassiopeia when they are at their 3 and 9 postion, you will be facing due north. When these constellations are "standing" on top of each other , you are facing

I've not looked at your link yet, but a big thanks ahead of time. Have been sitting back pondering a bit on this and wasn't in a rush to post. Since my focus in scouting is in the development of High Adventure programs for the older scout; maybe what it is that I'm thinking about would be much more useful for those scout troops (not Venture Crews) that are maturing, and just starting with High Adventure. Guess I'll think on this a wee bit more....

Mike I'm a ultralight backpacker, if you need tips on how to cut down the weight let me know. My three season pack for a 14 day trek, including food weighs in about 17 pounds, plus or minus a pound which lets me cover up to 30 miles a day...for example (in oz.) Pack, 12.5, Sleeping bag 17.5, Stove 1.5, Cookset (pot, lid, spoon, bowl, cup)10....by cutting weight (to a point) you'll end up getting more and more scouts out into the backcountry....

I see what you're saying - could work. Start em off at Tenderfoot with a few basics, adding additional skills for each rank, and with a Wilderness Rescue/First Aid badge as the capstone. Might be something to present to National for their consideration - it is needed, no denying that. The reason I was looking at an age limit was to focus more difficult badges towards the older scouts as an effort to keep them interested in Scouting...

To learn more about Mafeking (1899-1900) read William Harcourt's "Baden - Powell the Two Lives of a Hero" ISBN 0-8395-3594-5 quoting directly from Harcourt's "Mafeking - 'the place of stone' - wasn't much of a place, although it was the largest town in north Cape Colony. 'It had', according to J. Emerson Neilly, correspondent to the Pall Mall Gazette, 'the appearance of a place which has been planned and partly built upon, but has not had time to more than half grow.' It lay shimmering in the African sun, at an altitude of 4,190 feet in the midst of a bare prairie landscape.