Outdoor Program

These Appalachian Trail Lessons come from Wade Bastian, one of two of my old Scouts hiking the 2200 mile trail.Wade and fellow Eagle ScoutBucky Kellorg**started in February. As planned, Wade interrupted his hike to spend the summer employed as a peak steward in New York’s Adirondack mountains Bucky completed the trail in July, here he is on Katahdin with fellow hiker Brightside You can listen to Wade and Bucky from the trail on the Scoutmaster Podcast –...

In 1925 the Columbian Rope Company published a brochure with images of impressive displays of Scouting knots to advertise their tape marked pure manilla rope. Two images feature a large knot board made by Troop 4 of Columbus Ohio. I wonder if that knot board is still around? Artful knot boards pictured in the brochure feature some practical Scouting knots. The brochure unfolds to a center spread of more knot boards made by the Columbian Rope company featuring dozens of knots, bends, splices, and weaves....

The eight knot contest can be an individual or patrol contest, it’s one of my favorite inter-patrol competitions. To hold the eight knot contest you’ll need four ropes of equal diameter, three six foot long, one twelve feet long. A two foot long log about six inches in diameter, and two trees 12-16 feet apart. The contest begins with all the ropes and the log laid out, untied , on the ground, and ends when the knots are all tied and the log is suspended off the ground....

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA I have seen elaborate gateways, bridges and towers lashed together at Scout events but have yet to see anything remotely like the giant pioneering projects lashed together by these Israeli Scouts....

When’s the last time you went on a night hike? Nighttime is a great opportunity to learn about wildlife, to conquer fear of the dark, and to understand how our eyes work. Night hikes build important outdoor skills and hone your powers of observation. I have created an outline to use in preparing for a night hike, here’s an excerpt – Humans do not see colors well at night. The retina contains two types of photoreceptor (light sensitive) cells, rods and cones....

How was your troop’s week at camp this summer? Summer camp can be the most important week in a patrol and troop’s year – it’s challenging, adventurous, and full of possibility. How well did the camp you attended this summer provide those sorts of opportunities for your Scouts? The summer camp survey is designed for Scout troops who have already attended camp this summer and asks for your reflections on the camp’s staff, programs, and facilities....

Podcast Episode (00:24:44): Listen on Apple Podcasts This encore presentation features my interview with ultimate hiker Andrew Skurka. Skurka’s Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide is my new go-to resource for backpacking gear information. The first section of the book asks and answers the questions that many don’t think to ask until they are out on the trail with too much and/or too little gear, blistered feet, and soaking wet with no hope of getting dry; why am I doing this?...

It’s a privilege to accompany Scouts to summer camp, the greatest week in a patrol’s year. We seize every opportunity to let the Scouts do things independently. While at camp I put myself and the other adults of guests and observers. We define our area in the campsite (not the choice, prominent most comfortable area- give that to your Scouts) and stay in it. We don’t follow our Scouts around camp nor, with rare exception, lead them around camp....

In Podcast 265-266 I played excerpts of a recording of Green Bar Bill Hillcourt where he mentions his first article in October 1932 issue of Boy’s Life. The “Cover to Cover” section on page 2 introduces Bill; We start off in this issue by roping in Green-Bar Bill to write a monthly page of Scout ideas and suggestions. Take a slant at Green-Bar Bill’s page in this issue, and you’ll see what we mean....

What is Wilderness First Aid? Wilderness First Aid expands on basic first aid training with advanced emergency management and assessment techniques. During a Wilderness First Aid course Scouters and youth members over age 14 learn how to assess, treat, and manage emergencies so they can safely take their adventures into areas beyond the reach of rapid emergency response. When is Wilderness First Aid Training Required? At this writing training is only specifically required for programs at BSA high adventure bases, but is highly recommended and encouraged in any situation where Scouts are travelling to areas where emergency response will be delayed....

Here’s two relatively little-known Scout pioneering methods that are well worth investigating. CatDrill This new (to me at least!) Scout pioneering technique originated with the Italian Scout Group Trento1. CatDrill combines classic pioneering and froissartage (see below). This technique uses smaller diameter wooden poles or branches and lighter cordage to make sturdy joints that can be used to build a number of different projects. The basic technique involves shaping a “diamond head” and corresponding “partridge eyes” (drilled holes) that are joined with light cordage (like paracord)....

If you think the advice in this infographic is nutty, heretical, or (to be charitable) merely inadvisable; so did I until I tried it. I first read about this in Cliff Jacobson’s book Camping’s Top Secrets. Jacobson is an author, wilderness guide, Distinguished Eagle Scout, and a regular contributor to Scouting Magazine. When I interviewed Cliff on Scoutmaster Podcast 54 he mentioned that many people react negatively to this particular advice, they insist he’s wrong....

Here’s a handy one-page reference that shows six First Class Knots – the square knot, taut-line hitch, two half hitches, timber hitch, clove hitch and bowline. Here’s more knot infographics Six First Class Knotsand over 40 moreinfographics and helpful PDF documents**Are included in theGET IT NOWBEFORE YOU CLICK THE DOWNLOAD BUTTON Join the growing number of Scouters who support producing and publishing resources like this. The PDF file of Six First Class Knots is formatted for 8 1/2 x 11 paper....

You can download a PDF version of both the right and left handed versions of this infographic below RIGHT HANDED LEFT HANDED The “Turk’s head” knot (named for its resemblance to a turban) is a familiar traditional neckerchief slide or woggle.(Special thanks to Brian Stockton for the left handed version of this infographic) Elaborate Turk’s head knots can be made with additional passes and leads (see Ashley’s Book of Knots for a thorough education in this versatile, decorative knot)....

David Gilmour (the entrepreneur who founded FIJI Water; not the Pink Floyd musician), was asked “Where’s the best place to prepare for leadership: MBA school or on the job?” by Monocle Magazine. He chose neither. His answer: “Travel. How can you be knowledgeable on any subject if you aren’t well traveled?” Blogger John Shadel comments on this answer: As someone who has spent several years living abroad–volunteering, studying and traveling–I can certainly attest to the incredibly educational experience of world traveling....

The decorative royal carrick bend can be fashioned into a great neckerchief slide. Begin by laying out the royal carrick bend flat and then tighten the strands around a cylinder (paper tube, etc.) This is a challenging project, but it’s worth the trouble. Here’s my Carrick Bend Infographic Here’s a royal carrick bend neckerchief slide I made from 425 Paracord (3mm) and coated with Mod Podge to hold everything together and harden the neckerchief slide....

My Scout video picks for this week include a great game from Spain and birch bark canoes. Ninja Slap – Jugeo Scout This sophisticated game of tag shown in this video of Spanish Scouts was very popular with my Scouts for a year or two. The game begins in a tight circle, shoulder-to-shoulder, with hands in the middle. On the count of three players shout “Ninja” and jump back into a “Ninja” pose....

Scouts and their guide paddle during the beginning of a storm that threatened the lives of a group of Scouts. (photo from Cincinnati .com) On Thursday June 12th a group of Scouts on a trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness with the Northern Tier High Adventure Program were rescued by helicopter after their canoes capsized in a storm. Everyone survived, there were no major injuries. I study incidents like this carefully because our troop has been doing canoe treks in Algonquin Provincial Park for nearly a decade....

YouTube is a global phenomenon; 1 billion unique users visit YouTube each month, 100 hours of video are uploaded *every minute,*80% of YouTube traffic comes from outside the US. Here’s this week’s Scouting video picks I hope Scouters find interesting, informative and useful. Danish Dampers for Gourmet Campers! Campfire cooking idea from Scout’s UK series of Rapid Recipes. A variation on stick bread, add a jam or Nutella, great idea!...

My first backpacking trip was a family hike to a trail shelter in Shenandoah National Park in the early seventies. My brother and I carried frame-less canvas backpacks with webbing shoulder straps that my dad padded with upholstery foam. I don’t recall much else about the gear we used because my brother and I were much more interested in the creek near the shelter. From that point on, I was hooked....