Need help: New Scout, outdoor camping, gear tips...

[raisinemright 13]

Pixiewife,

 

Let the games begin. I'm in Mighigan too and just did a winter overnighter in similar conditions.

 

I don't have too much to add, but you may consider polypropylene sock liners to give a little more heat.

 

Also be sure to have him pack at least 2-3 pair of gloves in case they get wet.

 

A silver foil emergency blanket seems to work OK under the foam mat to reflect some heat.

 

Walmart has Starter brand polypropylene shirts for about $9.00, both kids and adults. I'd get them each one or two.

 

If your husband's not a camper be sure to give him lots of credit for pulling off a winter campout. If he's as well prepared as your son, they'll both have a great time.

[Gunny2862 11]

Pixiewife, while you are in the shopping mode,consider looking into a footlocker or lockable storage container. Be careful, you can easily get sticker shock.

 

My son and I both use them to keep our Scout specific gear separate and organized during the year. It gives us a place to start looking when we can't find that "one" item we know we own and want to take on "this" outing.

 

And even though a Scout is trustworthy, we still encourage lockable storage for gear at summer camp. We must have had some of the general populace walk through our camp one year.

 

I think Beavah has it dead on with the headlight flashlight - look into a better LCD model. The money you spend on one will repay you quickly. I could have had a very expensive one instead of the several cheapos I tried to get by with - the cheapos just didn't hold up.

[raisinemright 13]

I'm sorry, but I really have to question the logic of a hard sided plastic Rubbermaid container. Unless they are all identical in size, it's going to be far harder to fit them together in the trailer, not to mention the wasted air space in each and every one. Soft sided duffell bags can be strategically placed in a luggage hold and can also be crammed toegether if necessary and made to fit. I'm guessing someone came up with an untested idea.

[Gunny2862 11]

For clarification, no one in our troop uses the hard storage container for anything but home use or summer camp.

 

But raisemright is correct, unless you haul a large trailer the hard boxes are incredibly unwieldy.

[John-in-KC 311]

Lisa wrote in part...

 

I'll keep my fingers crossed for your son that he doesn't get freezing rain which I think is worse than snow for new scouts to deal with.

 

Old grown up tending to slip..slide...away Scouters too!

 

(sigh)

 

I drove from California to my entrance on active duty to the Army 30 years ago this September. I still do not like ice and snow on the road.

 

[anarchist 10]

Welcome pixiewife,

 

agree with B.W. on the cocoa...kids get enough sugar don't they? Try tosend a few packs of lipton or knor instant soup (not "cup of soup"). Try for low sodium (he probably gets enough salt in his regular menu...)You are looking mainly for tasty broth that he will drink and take the "chill off" without a salt or sugar over-load.

 

I would also encourage the use of two piece rain suits rather than ponchos...better in storms, more comfortable and they can act as wind breakers in a pinch...even though I usually have a poncho stashed somewhere!

 

love my headlight...so much better than flashes or lanterns!

 

tip- have your scout flatten a partial roll of TP(enough for a few trips to the latrine) and put it in a ziplock...If he carries it on latrine calls he will not be ...um, disappointed if the camp staff underestimates the TP usage of hundreds of boys....

 

always a good idea to place two large plastic garbage bags in the bottom of his pack...work great for soaking wet items that might end up in your car for the trip home...and they are pretty good for camp trash if the patrols forget (works as a passable poncho in a pinch).

 

by the way the pillow can be dropped...send a pillow case if necessary, and your boy can stuff with clothes, coats, sweaters etc.( he can even stuff his coat (probably 'wet') in a plastic bag and wrap that in his sweater or sweatshirt and have a nice pillow. Always look for ways to reduce bulk/weight and double utilize what you take...

 

good scouting

anarchist

[pixiewife 10]

You guys are all so great!

I have to agree with all of you, I'm shaking my head on the plastic tote idea too, but it's what I was told! I guess they started it last year with summer camp and liked it, so they're going for it. If nothing else, and they do find they do not like it, I like having a tote for all of his stuff at home anyway, it does keep it all in one spot.

I think if they both just read through some of the stuff I have read, so that they know about keeping dry at all costs, and layering PROPERLY they should both be ok.

The Troop is planning on having hot soup with each meal, so the cup is for that in addition to any hot chocolate!

As far as his winter coat, the good news is that it is even a layered coat. It has a outer shell which is a little more water proof, and does have some insulating properties, and a zip offable inner coat that has fleece lining and a windbreaker top. Again, I just need to educate him about going through the layers BEFORE he gets sweaty.

I think I would not have worrried at all, except that he has only been to one meeting, does not have his handbook, and ready or not, here camp comes!

I look forward to asking/sharing with all of you on the boards in the future!

Pixie

P.S. I'll update how they did after the weekend! ;-)

[ScoutNut 147]

Don't pack ANY extra food/drink of any kind in your Scout's gear. All food should be in the Troop's coolers and Patrol Boxes.

 

Hooches, Yurts, Tepees, Tents, what have you, should all be food free - even in winter!

 

(no portable heaters either!)

[Kudu 186]

1) Consider buying an extra closed-cell foam mat (as little as $7 at Wal-Mart) so that he has two of them between him and the ice/snow/frozen ground. While sleeping we lose more heat to the snow below us through "conduction" than to the air above us through "radiation."

 

2) Rather than using a blanket at the bottom of the sleeping bag to decrease volume of sleeping bag, use the space for slightly damp (from sweat, not wet from snow) long underwear (wicking layer) and fleece (warming layer) worn during the day. His body heat will dry the clothing off during the night and it will be warm and dry in the morning.

 

3) If he has the correct clothing, a fire during the night (or during the day) will not keep him any warmer, and may only melt his clothing. Insulation keeps the warmth of a fire out just as efficiently as it keeps body warmth in (think of a thermos that keeps hot drinks hot or cold drinks cold).

 

Kudu

 

[rjscout 11]

I am inexperienced in camping in the cold. I do remember freezing my rear off the one winter camping I did in boy scouts MANY years ago. I was wondering about putting the 'damp' clothes at the bottom of the sleeping bag. Wouldn't this transfer the dampness into the sleeping bag? Does this moisture get wicked to outside the bag? Of course your body will expel some moisture within the bag. I was always told that your clothes for the next day should be in you bag to warm up, but I wasn't sure if that should be moist clothes from the previous day. Still trying to learn as much as possible before my Wolf son makes it to Boy Scouts, or even Webelos.

 

Thanks,

Rob

[raisinemright 13]

So Pixiewife,

 

How was the campout for your boys?

[Ohio_Scouter 10]

Yeah, pixiewife. We're all curious whether your guys kept warm enough, and whether they'll ever go on another winter camping trip again?

[Kudu 186]

rjscout writes:

 

"I do remember freezing my rear off the one winter camping I did in boy scouts MANY years ago."

 

As you move around during the day, your muscle activity keeps you warm. When you slide into your sleeping bag in damp clothing, most of this muscle activity stops but the sweat caught in your damp clothing continues to evaporate and cool your skin.

 

"I was wondering about putting the 'damp' clothes at the bottom of the sleeping bag. Wouldn't this transfer the dampness into the sleeping bag?"

 

The dampness will evaporate through the sleeping bag. In really cold weather you will find a patch of frost on the top of the sleeping bag over the now dry and warm clothing. Simply brush off the frost.

 

If you have ever made the mistake of covering the top of your sleeping bag with a waterproof tarp and woken up in the morning in a soaking wet bag, then you know that the bag is designed to transfer a great deal of evaporated sweat through evaporation!

 

Kudu

 

[pixiewife 10]

Thank you all for asking, and thank you all for the advice!!!

Well, I would say that the experience for both my son and Husband was fantastic!

First as far as my son goes: He stayed warm the entire time. He acctually listened to everything that I told him. As far as sleeping, there were 31 boys in one man made hooch, and he was near the middle. He said he slept better than he does when he's at home. My son's Webelo den just crossed over 2 weeks ago, so really the whole experience did a lot to get him integrated with the troop. He really felt like he got to know the guys that were in his patrol, I think it went a long way to making him feel like he fits in.

Now, for my husband, I couldn't have asked for a better outcome. He said he was cold, the whole time. Obviously, he didn't listen to me! Aside from that, he really loved the whole experience also. One of the first things he said to me after he got home was: 'I wish you wre there too. Next year we will both go. Oh yeah, I think we should both get trained. ' He went on about things with the troop, and how he wants to step up and be a part of it. He also has a new perspective on the pack, and how that is the primary feeder source for the troop, so the program has to be solid there as well.

Now of course, I knew what he was telling me. He is currently the ACM at the pack, and I am a Tiger cub leader, and was the Ass't for my son's Webelo den before bridging. He always supported scouts, but time away was also wearing on him. Now, we are both on the same page.

Last night was our first CoH, and we both turned in our adult volunteer applications, so forward ho!

To steal a quote from someone here:

"I love this scouting thing!"

~Pixie

[Ohio_Scouter 10]

Pixiewife,

 

Sounds like your guys had a wonderful winter camping Klondike, and everyone has an even greater appreciation for Scouting, too . Another warmth layer for hubby and it might have been perfect! I hope the Scouts delivered a trip report at the COH. Amazing what a weekend outdoors can do for a group of boys--even up North in the dead of winter. I think you'll agree that it doesn't get much better than that.