Basementdweller

Deep woods camping? do you mean backpacking? Leave no trace is a must. How many times have you walked into a camp site at a Scout camp only to find 8 campfire pits with the ground completely black with ash, trash stuffed in every hole in the ground. First never ever dig a pit for a fire, Use the existing fire ring or don't have a fire. We carry a portable fire pit in the scout trailer just in case. For dutch oven cooking we carry pizza pans and bricks. Put the bricks under the pizza pans to provide protection for the ground or use the existing fire ring to cook in. The pit toilet you refered too is called a cathole. First find your self a still 6 or 8 inches long, bring a ziploc bag and mountain money. Dig your hole and assume the position. If your aim is off, get your work into the hole, Don't bury your mountain money, that is what the ziplock bag is for. Take your stick, put some of the dirt back in the hole and stir the contents. finish refilling. I would not take large groups into the back country, this is one of the reasons scouting gets a bad rap. I would not make it a troop outing but a patrol outing. 6-10 boys and adults max. Even with the smaller group, there is a significant load on the camp sites.

Now are you talking about activities for the Weebs crossing over or the other bear and wolf scouts? If you are talking about for the Webelos, I would hope they have your first activity list mastered. Our bears can tie all of Basic boy scout knots. Fishing? How about asking the scout troop to put on something........Maybe with their Troop Guide????? Bear Wolf your list looks ok but......... How about some free time??? Glow in the dark frisbee and light sticks for after dark. The boys do not need every second of the day planned. How about some creekin? I would not do anything that could be accomplished at a den meeting.

Add one.... A lot of 14 year old with eagles. In my opinion, The fix for the eagle mill is firing all of the adult leadership. Till they go it will be business as usual. The adults just can't help it....... The toughest thing in scouting is stepping back and let the boys lead and from time to time fail.

It takes a bunch of winding to get them to go. 10 minutes or better of hand winding. We used a battery powered drill on high speed to accomplish the task.

Ultra light.....don't think so. My knees dictate what I carry. Lets see I can do 14 miles a day easily with at 25 pound pack or be miserable at 40 pounds. On the scale at the phimont departure point my pack was 47 lbs as a young man. Wish I had those knees again.

Scoutfish......belt loops are a Cub thing. Activity belt loops were a 70's boy scout things.

Sounds like an eagle mill. A growing problem in my opinion. The path to eagle varies in quality and duration. Sad his mother is taking him to the Mcdonald's of scouting experience.

Scout fish your gonna find the training pretty worthless. Your gonna need Youth protection and this is scouting. which can both be accomplished on line. Go to https://myscouting.org/ This has most of the training on line severe weather and position specific stuff. If your that worried about getting trained, I would find a mentor, someone who you like the way the den operates and ask to attend meeting or ask for a schedule.

Snow white I agree that the requirements should take place after the introduction. I will goes as far as saying they should be completed specifically for the belt loop. There is no rule stating it, just a personal thing. But just keep in mind that it is just a belt loop and really doesn't count for much till they have to be re-earned as a webelo.

As others have mentioned Cold weather rules. Dehydration is more of an issue but just prepare for it. We are in the middle of a series of hikes, State parks offer a series of 20 winter hikes. My boys and I haven't missed one yet. Winter is much more fun. Snow on the ground, tracks and scat for animal signs. No leaves on trees so you can see and hear the birds better. Camping is fantastic, no sweaty sleeping bag, campfire nothing better. Just takes a little more preparation. Yep winter is a great time to be outdoors.

Buffalo that is a real nice tent. It is on my desired to own list. But, Just too much for these old knees to hump into the woods. I have an MSR fling that is about 18 ounces per person. I like to keep my tent bag and backpack under 8 pounds. Tough getting old.

twocubs.....spit my coffee all over the key board. I mistakenly did exactly that one morning while dressing for work grabbed the wrong powder.......didn't think anything of it for a few minutes then OHHHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I like poly boxer breifs for backpacking, don't hold water. I bought some on clearance at REI and they were fantastic. I here that under armour boxer briefs are pretty good too, all be it expensive.

You can pitch a tent a bunch of different ways. I am speaking of a tent with a fly. Fly Tight to the ground for bad weather, or A few inches off the ground in nice weather or don't even use it. Condensation in a tent is a normal thing. You think your wet in a tent with a fly. try one of the single wall silicon impregnated nylon tent. I have started using just a tarp, of course not really appropriate at a camporee.

Trainer lady...... In reading what was written, It sounded very unscout like and I was curious. It is a training course provided by the Catholic church called Protecting Gods Children. I understand it now. Scoutfish...... Despite the rules many packs Shoot bb guns and archery outside of District and council events. and with out a trained range master. oh my. Our district is so pathetic the Packs had to provide those activities to deliver the promised program. Are they wrong or evil???? There is a pack in a neighboring town that has match grade daisy bb guns, they are beautiful, far superior to the junk we shoot with at the council camp. Yes the pack bought them, yes they own them, yes they maintain them. Anyone can walk in and buy patches and belt loops, if your local shop won't sell them to you buy them from the scout shop on line. Nobody actually tracks belt loops. In reading your posts, you understand the differences between urban/suburban and country scouting. there is a huge difference in program delivery.

Need some more information. Weather? Air Temp? Location of Campsite? Hill, valley near water??????? The actual internal volume of the tent. It all plays into condensation Being a more mature sized scout I also tend to cause a lot of condensation in a tent. I carry a walmart version of a shamwow and wipe the fly in the morning. I am not going to insult you with question about doors and vents, I assume they were all open. I may be a bit bias, but Marmot makes a fantastic tent. I have been kept dry in torrential rains and high winds.

Sounds like a lot of fun. How do you make the bones? Do you dust chicken bones or press form the baking soda into bones somehow? More info please.

Trainerlady I am curious what this means "PRotecting Gods Children from the Catholic chuch" I am sure there is a story and reason.

are the boys still coming to the meetings???

How can you render advice when you do not know the specifics? Where are you camping? meaning region of the country How are you camping? Some people call sleeping in a cabin camping. What is the weather forecast? What activities are planned? Hiking, skiing, fishing or campfire bsing? Hunting camp is pretty vague.

Funny at our scout camp they throw tomahawks. Like twocubs said, why would they not be allowed to work on scout advancements while camping with the family. Just because families decide to go camping the need to put the instruction of their scout on hold. Please don't tell me "Cause it isn't fair". hmmmm

Great advice. I would only like to add that the RESPONSIBLE ADULT should not be the trip or camp leader. The event leader has enough on their plate. What I have done is put my son in the tent with the other scout so he has a tent buddy.

Guys, Don't jump all over Beavah, he was just answering my question and very completely. Thx Beavah

Mr. Fish.......That is how the Cub program was supposed to be delivered with Akela (mom and dad) doing the bulk of the sign offs. That is changin too

fish.....one more line to your list at least one must be youth protection trained.

GAH..... In his post stated "+ Understand why most park rangers dislike Scouts; avoids behavior which has created this situation" Please enlighten me, we have a fantastic relationship with all of the state, local and scout camps we visit. I have heard that scouts are generally disliked in public campgrounds and was wondering why.