Gear

The P-38 can opener was used by soldiers to open canned field rations from WWII though the Viet Nam war. A p-38 hangs, at the ready, from my keyring in the event of a can-opener-less emergency, although I must confess I have yet t0 find myself in one. Another p-38 is sleeping in my camping contingency kit waiting to be called into service when there’s no other alternative. I continue to carry a P-38 even though, in a world of Swiss army knives, it is probably not realistically practical....

Tom Managan at Two Heel Drive has an interesting post on signal mirrors. He sends us to the fantastic resources at Equipped to Survive that offers the following on using CD’s as signal mirrors; In tests a CD proved to be only about 20%-25% as effective (distance and brightness at distance, judged subjectively) as a 3 x 5 mil-spec plastic signal mirror, a bit more effective, but not even 50% compared...

I have been using a pruning saw for camping like the Corona RS-1720 instead of bow saws to cut firewood. There are any number of similar brands and styles available but Corona has an excellent reputation for fine tools. A number of sportsman’s saws made along the same design are available, they are more expensive, shorter and straighter than pruning saws. The shape and length of a good pruning saw will cut a large stack of firewood much quicker than a sportsman’s saw....

Silnylon has been taken the backpacking world by storm. Lightweight ripstop nylon cloth is impregnated (as opposed to coated) with silicone creating waterproof featherweight material for packs, tarps and other gear. I have used 10 X 12 foot silnylon tarp for the past few years instead of a tent. Offered by Campmor the tarp has three ties along the center seam and plenty of grommets along the edge offer many options for pitching....

Scouts must learn to use a compass and map together in order to advance in rank. It follows that they need a compass, but which is the best Scout compass? Base-plate compasses like the Silva starter 1-2-3 are the best all-around, least expensive and durable compasses. Resist the temptation to purchase a cheaper knock off – there are some significant differences: Dampening – the capsule (the round container with the magnetic needle) of a quality compass is filled with oil that slows or dampens the movement of the needle....

Aquamira, an EPA-registered water treatment, is stabilized Chlorine dioxide an effective and safe water treatment used in municipal water treatment. The first time I used this was on a long canoe trip. We purchased Aquamira as a backup treatment method to our water filter. As it turned out the water filter failed and we used the Aquamira for most of the trip. Most of the time there is no aftertaste although one person complained of a chemical taste....

On a recent trip we used our collapsible water bucket (a Seattle Sports ‘super sink’) to carry and treat drinking water for a group of nine. The collapsable PVC sink holds six gallons and weighs only 4.5 ounces. Carrying six gallons of water from lakeside to campsite for chemical treatment or filtration is much simpler than treating or filtering a number of small bottles. Also makes a great washbasin for dishes or faces....

Reflector ovens, like dutch ovens, take a little practice but they are not difficult to use at all. Baking on a campfire is great fun and well worth the effort. Here are some plans and commercially available ovens to get you started; Here’s a home-made oven – see more pictures and directions here Here’s a lightweight, home made, oven. The sides are aluminium, the reflector and tray are titanium and the ‘nuts and bolts’ are spokes....

Here are two new versions of the classic patrol box, chuck box, camp kitchen: Troop 679 in Ramona California has created a set of complete plans and materials list for these improved Patrol Boxes. The first page of the plans can be downloaded here. The complete 6 page set of plans are available for a small donation of $10 email plans@troop679.org for payment instructions (zip file with 6 PDF format files)....

Philmont Scout Ranch is a BSA High Adventure Base offering an extensive program of treks for Scouts. Here is how to rig a 12×12 tarp (a method I have heard called the Philmont dining fly tarp) to stand up to strong winds and rain. This rig will keep about eight people (who get along fairly well) out of the rain. The side guy-line is about 30 feet long and is threaded through the grommets on the tarp and staked down with three stakes....

Normal camping tarps have some weaknesses; grommets may tear out in heavy wind, there are never enough points to tie onto and while most people use a center pole to hold the tarp up it typically falls down when the wind picks up. Cooke Custom Sewing’s Tundra Tarps solve these problems and incorporate several other valuable improvements in coated 1.9 oz. nylon or 1.1 oz (a 10×14′ tarp weighs 24 ounces) silconized nylon-...

Here’s a design for a patrol box or chuck box that would be relatively simple to build. Based on two units of 24″ x 18″ x 18″ nesting boxes that, when assembled, provide a generous work top and storage. The two units are shown packed for transport in the left side of this picture. The boxes are designed of 1/2″ plywood to minimize weight and with butt joints to keep building relatively simple....

Many of us have only seen a tree chopped down with an axe in the movies, or on TV and fail to recognize the danger or finesse involved in felling even a small tree: A tree can be hacked down in a haphazard, laborious fashion or it can be dropped easily and quickly exactly where you want it to go. Fayette R. Plumb Inc. engaged ‘America’s Champion Chopper’ Peter McLaren to write an axe manual for their product- the redoubtable Plumb Axe....

I discovered NEOS overshoes (New England Overshoes) working on a film outside in cold, wet, snowy weather all late fall and early winter. Several members of the film crew wore NEOS and spoke highly of them. A gusseted opening makes them easy to get on or off, and a drawstring closure snugs them up around the ankle to keep snow out. As the name implies NEOS are worn over shoes or boots....

I have a hard time finding comfortable footwear. If I “watched my diet and exercised every day” I suppose my feet wouldn’t get so sore. But that’s the breaks. I bought a pair of Keen Newport H2 sandals because they sported an enclosed toe. They looked like the perfect thing for canoeing and two weeks on the waterways of Algonquin Provincial Park proved it. I was concerned that they wouldn’t be heavy enough for walking long portages, but I was wrong, they were great on portages of a mile or more and my feet didn’t hurt at all....

Gutter spikes (seven inch long aluminum nails used to secure gutters to a house) make inexpensive, lightweight, strong, tent stakes. They are available at home centers, hardware stores and lumber yards. Gutter spikes at Amazon I special ordered a box of 250 at the local lumber yard, enough to outfit all of our tents two or three times over for much less cost than ‘real’ tent stakes. Get this and over 40 other infographics and helpful PDF documents here If you’d like to print this infographic download the PDF file below formatted for 8 1/2 x 11 paper....

Steramine tablets are used in the sanitizing step of washing dishes. They work in hot or cold water and are ideal for washing up on a campout. We use three plastic dish pans. The first is hot water and soap for cleaning, the second is hot water for rinsing and the third is warm or cold water for sanitizing. The dishes are put in the sanitizing tub for a minute or so and then allowed to air dry....

The Eureka Timberline 4 may be the most popular tent ever. Many scout troops choose the Timberline because: It is easy to set up and easy to pack up.While the tent is easy to pitch it is advisable to read and follow the pitching instructions carefully so the poles don’t get bent. It is durable. Ours last for ten years or more, that’s about 250 nights of camping. Replacement parts are easy to get....

Some means of signaling help is part of the ten essentials of camping and whistles are an inexpensive, effective choice. What’s the best Scout whistle? The Storm Whistle is the loudest whistle in the world; 75% louder than your average whistle. I haven’t tested the claim that it can be heard fifty feet under water, but I believe it. I used one of these to signal a canoes that were separated from our group a half a mile or more away and out of sight....