ScoutingNews » Activities

Tale of Two Philmonts

MikeD — Wed, 09 May 2012 02:23:48 +0000

The following is a Guest Article by Mike Dubrall. Mike “Dub Zero” Blogs and writes informative articles on backpacking and snow camping at 50Miler.com.

Philmont sits at the apex of the Scout backpacking experience. For skilled backpackers the Philmont routes are not difficult. However, most Scouts are not accomplished backpackers and the challenge of being on the trail for almost two weeks makes any trip to Philmont incredibly worthwhile. In addition, the fun activities and camaraderie with hikers from every state makes Philmont a kind of “Scouting Disneyland.”

Philmont is much more than backpacking. There are months of prep meetings, practice hikes, and shopping sprees. Commemorative shirts have to be designed and ordered and new equipment purchased. There is often an exciting cross county trip by train, plane, or automobile and groups stop at popular attractions along the way. Nearby cities like Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos are teeming eager Scouts (in uniform) during the summer months. Afterwards, reunion parties, slide shows, and campfire discussions keep the Philmont experience alive for a long time.

Philmont sits at the apex of Scout wilderness experiences

My first trip to Philmont was a disaster. We trained hard for a difficult backpacking trip and that is not what we got at all. A forest fire broke out before our arrival and a large part of the Ranch was closed to hikers. Everyone got crowded into the southern section of the Ranch, where campsites and trails were overflowing with Scouts. There were lines at every Red Roof Inn and our assigned Ranger was an idiot incompetent. Stringent rules put everyone on edge. Programs were impacted and long wait times or even oversubscribed activities were daily occurrences. A lingering drought meant no swimming or showers for the entire trek. (Ten days on the trail days without anyone bathing even once!)

Our difficult 80 mile planned backpacking trip turned into a 35 mile romp with nothing to do most afternoons. The Scouts got bored and turned on each other and then on the adults. Eventually the adults started taking out their frustrations on the Scouts. It was, by all measures, a miserable trip.

Almost a decade passed before my new Troop became serious about backpacking and started talking about Philmont. It was with mixed feelings that I was swept up in their collective enthusiasm and put my name on a list to go again. The goal was to make my second trip a different experience altogether.

This time we focused on the overall Philmont experience and not just the backpacking. Practice hikes were important of course, but the hikes were filled with stories about Philmont history, camps, activities, and potential service projects. Along the way everyone learned the Philmont Grace and Philmont Hymn, which we all sang with increasing fervor every day we were on the trail together. The song became a unifying force of surprising power. (Even now, one year later, they sing the Philmont Hymn at the drop of a hat!)

Philmont is more than a hike - it is a lifetime memory

Arriving at Philmont base camp in the middle of the night, we tried to slip quietly into our tents so as not to wake the backpackers in our assigned area. Morning soon arrived, with the staff welcome at breakfast, paperwork processing, review of the routes, and introduction to our Ranger, who would be with us for a couple of days. The boys swarmed into the Philmont Trading Post to stock up on candy, belts, hats, shirts, and assorted mementos, some of which might be valuable on the trail. We finished the pack check, stored our extra stuff in the lockers, attended an inspirational Scout’s Own, and were ready to leave the next morning.

The first morning on the trail, our Ranger woke us up before dawn, and in the dark, we scrambled to the top of a mountain to experience the sunrise. Sitting together in the gathering light, we watched the valley come into focus under an azure sky. When he had our attention, the Ranger said, “Before you is a unique opportunity to have an incredible experience at Philmont. Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Do things you don’t think are possible. Create memories for your lifetime. No one can do it but you.”

For the next ten days we had a glorious time together, punctuated by burrow racing, lumber jacking, black bears, beautiful sunrises & sunsets, cantinas, campfires, horseback riding, singing songs, petroglyphs, porch talks, rock climbing, shotgun shooting, card games, storytelling, challenge courses, and, of course, backpacking. Everyone had a fantastic time.

Some trips are good and some are not so good, but every visit to Philmont is transformative in its own way. Boys become men and men become better. For that reason, every serious Scout and Adult Leader should hike there at least once.

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Mike Dubrall writes about backpacking, snow camping, and other high adventure outings at 50Miler.com.. His email is miked@50miler.com or you can be connected through the “50miler.com Outing Resource Center” on Facebook.

Photo Friday: Aperture

BrandonQ — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 06:00:35 +0000

Aperture

Overview:

Last time we talked about the shutter speed on your camera. I want to focus on aperture this week.

Aperture

Did you know that the human eye works like the aperture on a camera lens? If you were in a dark cave, your pupils would get bigger to try and let more light in. When you are outside on a sunny day, your pupils get smaller because of the amount of light coming in. Aperture is referred to the lens diaphragm opening inside a photographic lens. The size of the diaphragm opening in a camera lens REGULATES amount of light passes through onto the film inside the camera the moment when the shutter curtain in camera opens during an exposure process. The size of an aperture in a lens can either be a fixed or the most popular form in an adjustable type (like an SLR camera). Aperture size is usually calibrated in f-numbers or f-stops. i.e. those little numbers engraved on the lens barrel like f22 (f/22),f16 (f/16), f/11, f/8.0, f/5.6, f/4.0, f/2.8, f/2.0, f/1.8 etc.

Aperture affects the image in two ways. The first is the relationship to shutter speed. The smaller the aperture (large number), the longer the shutter speed needs to be. This can create blur in a photo. The best use of this is when trying to make a stream look like lace (small aperture, long shutter speed). If you would like to stop motion then use a large aperture (small number) and a faster shutter speed.

The second way aperture affects the photo is the depth of field – the area of a photo which appears in focus. A small aperture (like f/16) has a very large depth of field. The foreground and background will appear in focus. This is helpful for landscape photographs. A large aperture (like f/2.8) will have a shallow depth of field. This allows the subject to be separated visually from the out of focus background or foreground.

The images below shows how a small aperture works, (what is in focus?):

If you look at what is in focus on this photo, you see that the leaves and the dew drops are in focus when the background in not in focus.

Taking a look at Buster, his head is in focus when the rest of his body is not.

What is Aperture?

Lets put this as simple as possible– Aperture is ‘the size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken, this helps regulate the amount of light let onto the sensor.

Spring Backpacking Season – Get Ready

MikeD — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 06:00:49 +0000

The following is a Guest Article by Mike Dubrall. Mike “Uncle Dub Zero” Blogs and writes informative articles on backpacking and snow camping at 50Miler.com.

Its Spring – a time when every good Scout starts thinking about his backpack. Across the country, people are pulling their packs out of the closet, cleaning out the leftover food from last year, and getting ready for the practice hikes ahead. Many with the goal of completing a 50 mile backpacking trip before the end of the summer.

Everyone agrees that wilderness backpacking embodies all of the core Scouting values. Accordingly Scout leaders often ask, “How do we start a backpacking program in our Troop or Crew?” It’s not really complex, but here is a straight-forward plan for getting your guys onto the trail. The steps are not necessarily in chronological order but ,the last step loops back to the first step every year.

Promote the backpacking program with pictures and exciting stories.

1. Promote backpacking in your Troop: Younger Scouts and many adults will not associate the idea of idea of carry heavy packs over long distances with fun – so they have to be convinced. Start slowly, schedule a few short trips and propagate stories about success and overcoming adversity. Then get everyone to agree on a goal of completing a 50miler or going to Philmont in the near future. Remember, it’s not just the older Scouts and Scouters that have to be won over – parents also have to understand the benefits of a backpacking program.

2. Pick Dates for the adventure: With everyone’s busy schedules, spontaneity is not possible. Select a week for the big trip about six months in advance and let everyone know so they can arrange their calendars accordingly. (If you want to have your hike in August, then select the dates in February.) Most of the details, including where you are going, can be worked out later. (Philmont participants usually have to commit to their dates 18 months in advance!)

Schedule a 50 miler six months ahead of time.

3. Have a planning meeting: Schedule a gathering of potential hikers and then advertise it in ways that attract most of the target audience. This planning meeting is about building enthusiasm for the backpacking program, scheduling practice hikes, assigning responsibilities, discussing dietary restrictions or physical challenges, and electing leaders. It is also a great opportunity to talk about the dates of the 50 miler and potential locations.

4. Publish a Pack List: Successful youth backpacking trips require good pack lists and the leadership to enforce their use. However, developing a pack list is a philosophical exercise with many possible and contradictory outcomes. Every unit has their own list, based upon location, leadership philosophy, anticipated routes, and even hiking history. (leaders can be very passionate about their own lists!) Publishing the pack list (months or years) ahead of time allows parents to buy what they need without pressure. Set a deadline about a month before the 50 miler for acquiring all the gear and conduct a rigorous pack check about a week before you leave.

5. Conduct Practice Hikes: Arm the group with a practice hike schedule that includes dates, times, required pack weights, locations, responsibilities, and discussion topics. Each hike, in addition to the conditioning aspect, is an opportunity to increase the group’s knowledge about topics like wilderness first aid, maps and compass, bear bagging, water purification, hygiene, trail safety, and cooking. In addition to the regular outing schedule, our Troop schedules ten Venture practice hikes including three overnighters every Spring. The minimum requirement in order to go on the 50 miler that summer is four hikes with appropriate weights, including one overnighter.

Practice hikes are an important part of the 50 miler experience.

6. Complete the 50 miler: Armed with a map, permits, medical forms, emergency plan, food, and all the equipment on the pack list the group is transported to the trailhead for their big adventure. Remember to take lots of pictures for the Court of Honor. It’s also nice to have parents waiting at the end with fruit, root beer floats, and pizza to welcome home their young warriors and listen to them talk about their misfortunes and exploits.

Unfortunately, many potential hikers ( and parents) balk at wilderness backpacking because of the perceived risks and potential hardships – or because they fear the unknown. Other families are hesitant because they panic at the thought of investing in equipment before they even know if their son or daughter is going to enjoy the experience. This irrational fear, panic, and paranoia keeps too many Scouts and Scouters at home.

However, it is not uncommon for Scouts to stand up at their Eagle Courts of Honor and talk enthusiastically about how backpacking experiences changed their lives or inspired them to new achievements. One said, “I don’t remember many days of my life, but I do remember vividly every day of every 50 miler I have ever been on.” With this kind of testimonial, adult leaders should do everything in their power to provide opportunities for Scouts to experience wilderness backpacking as often as possible.

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Mike Dubrall writes about backpacking, snow camping, and other high adventure outings at 50Miler.com.. His email is miked@50miler.com or you can be connected through the 50miler.com Outing Resource Center on Facebook.

Lights Out!

CharlesN — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:59:45 +0000

Want to be able to see the stars for once within the city limits? Want to show that you are concerned about the environment? Well, Earth Hour 2012 will give you that opportunity to do just that.

Scouts and people alike from around the world are called upon to participate in Earth Hour 2012. Earth Hour 2012 will be from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. this Saturday, March 31st, 2012. During the span of one hour, millions of people from across the world will turn off their lights.

Earth Hour originated from and inspired by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) of Australia in 2007. The initiative quickly caught on across the globe. In 2011, hundreds of millions of people from 135 countries took part in this annual event. The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) supports this global initiative and invites all Scouts to join in.

What to do? Simply turn off your lights for an hour between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. (your local time). Have fun, be safe, and let’s turn off the lights!

Scouts Canada Invites All Canadians to Join “Good Turn Week”

Press Release — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:00:16 +0000

Ottawa, ON – March 21, 2012 – One “Good Turn” can make someone’s day. Imagine what 100,000 “Good Turns” could do! Scouts Canada has designated April 14–22 as Good Turn Week and is calling on all Canadians to step up and join them by doing a “Good Turn” for a friend, family member, neighbour or the community.

“Scouts Canada’s National Youth Network created Good Turn Week as a way to inspire every Scout to do something great. We invite Canadians to emulate Scouting’s virtues and make the effort to deliver a simple act of kindness,” said Dylan Reinhart, National Youth Commissioner and Chair of the National Youth Network of Scouts Canada. “It’s really not difficult to do, and our goal is simple: to foster a stronger sense of community and friendship in Canada through consideration for and assistance of others.”

Good Turn Week exemplifies the principles of Scouting: to always help others. A recent York University study found that people who did Good Turns saw a marked increase in their happiness and self-esteem. In its third year, the Week not only encourages Scouts but also challenges all Canadians to recognize the importance of doing a “Good Turn” and taking the time to go above and beyond.

“Good Turn Week is an opportunity for all Canadians to put into practice the values that we teach our youth,” said Steve Kent, Chief Commissioner and Chair of the Board of Governors of Scouts Canada. “We’re proud of the efforts our Scouting youth have undertaken to create a week that inspires numerous acts of Canadian goodwill. With each simple act of kindness, we can help make Canada a stronger community.”

During the week Scouts Canada members will be out in the community doing Good Turns. After each good deed, they will pass along a ‘Good Turn’ bracelet and encourage them to “pay it forward” – creating a cycle of goodwill that will spread throughout communities across Canada.

There are countless ways to do a “Good Turn”. From passing along a parking ticket with time left on it to a driver who’s just parked, to assisting an elderly neighbour with their yard work, the possibilities are endless. Canadians can share their “Good Turn” on the Scouts Canada website by texting “Good Turn” with a description of their good deed to 51051 or submitting it via scouts.ca/gtw.

Doing a “Good Turn” is a practice rooted in the values of all Scouting youth: Beaver Scouts (ages 5–7) promise to “help take care of the world;” Cub Scouts (ages 8–10) promise to “do a good turn every day;” and Scouts (ages 11–14), Venturer Scouts (ages 14–17), Rover Scouts (ages 18–26) and volunteers promise to “to help other people at all times.”

For more information or to see what Good Turns Canadians are doing visit: scouts.ca/gtw

About Scouts Canada

Scouts Canada, the country’s leading youth organization, has more than 100,000 members nationwide representing every faith and culture. Scouts Canada groups offer programming in more than 19 languages reflecting Canada’s multicultural landscape and communities. Kids in Scouts have fun adventures discovering new things and experiences they wouldn’t discover elsewhere. Along the way, they develop into capable, confident and well-rounded individuals, better prepared for success in the world. For tens of thousands of children and youth across Canada, Scouts is the start of something great. For more information visit scouts.ca

Scouts Canada is a not-for-profit organization (Charitable Registration No. 10776 1694 RR0028) and a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement.

Cub Scouts Give Thanks Theme for April

Scouter Mom — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 06:00:19 +0000

CC by: Woodleywonderworks

Each month, the Cub Scout program focuses on a core value. The Cub Scout April theme is Faith. BSA has started releasing theme based pack meeting plans for each of these core values. I hear that the new April theme will be Cub Scouts Give Thanks. So this month, I’ll be highlighting some ways that thankfulness can be incorporated into the Cub Scout program on my site ScouterMom.com.

This April theme for Cub Scouts brings to mind both thankfulness to the Creator and remembering to show appreciation to each other. This thankfulness theme also presents a good opportunity for your Cub Scouts to thank everyone who helps them with the program – their parents, their leaders, and the chartering organization. Have your Cub Scouts spend some time writing thank you notes to them, or come up with a creative way for the Cubs to show their appreciation.

Related Cub Scout Achievements and Recognitions

Bear Achievement 18 – Jot It Down

Requirement e: Write a thank you note.

Good Manners Belt Loop

Requirement 3: Write a thank-you note to someone who has given you something or done something nice for you.

Computers Pin

Requirement 6: Use a computer to prepare a thank-you letter to someone.

Trail to Eagle Scout App

ScoutingNewsStaff — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 06:00:36 +0000

Following the great theme of great Scout Apps hitting the market lately, another is rolling out.

Trail to Eagle is a Boy Scout reference for your smartphone available on iOS, Android, and Windows Phone 7. With the Trail to Eagle a Scout can quickly look up the Scout Oath or Promise, Scout Law, Scout Motto, Scout Slogan, or Outdoor Code. They can track their progress along their trail to Eagle, including all ranks; Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, Eagle are available. Scouts can also review merit badge requirements.

After test driving Trail to Eagle, the features are easy to use. The Merit Badge requirements are easy to access and rather complete, however the new Welding MB is not listed. Tracking progress is accomplished by checking boxes next to the requirements. Having the ability to type in completed merit badges for each rank would enhance the functionality.

About the Developer

Peter is an Assistant Scoutmaster with Troop 10 in Augusta, GA. He’s a software developer by trade and had been interested in developing an application for Android and iOS but could never find anything too motivating. One day he noticed that mis son and other boys carried smartphones more often than their Scoutbooks which made him think that it would be much easier to get the Scouting materials infront of the boys if he put it on their smartphones. Trail2Eagle was born. Improvements are in the works including adding a social/achievement part to the Scout app by integrating it with Facebook and/or Twitter.

The great thing about Peter’s pursuits into the now broad field of Scout apps is the technology he used to build Trail2Eagle. His podcast about the technology can be found on Hanselminutes.com. He plans on doing a series of blog posts with more detail.

ScoutingNews would also like to thank Peter and Trail to Eagle for being a sponsor of this website. His support in bringing great news about the Scouting movement is greatly appreciated!

Download Trail to Eagle for Android.

Download Trail To Eagle for iPhone.

Download Trail To Eagle for iPad.

Photo Friday: Shutter Speed

BrandonQ — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:30:43 +0000

Photo Friday
Photo Fridays are brought to you by Brandon Queen Photography.

Shutter Speed

Overview:

Last week we talked about the different terms needed to understand your camera. I want to focus on shutter speed this week. Lets take a look at what shutter speed can do for you in your photos.

In photography, shutter speed is a common term used to discuss exposure time, the effective length of time a camera’s shutter is open.

The shutter speed is simply the length of time that the light hits the film or sensor allowing the image to be recorded. Each variation in speed (much the same as the aperture variations) is known as a stop. A shutter speed of 1/60 of a second lets in twice as much light as a speed of 1/120s.

As you are letting in less light with a faster speed, you need to compensate and allow more light in via a larger aperture (creating less depth of field) or a higher and more sensitive ISO setting, and vice versa.

You also have fast shutter speeds and slow shutter speeds. You can get great photo with both. For example:

Slower Shutter Speed. Notice how the players feet are blurry and the rest is in focus. This gives a feeling of movement and is sometimes preferred creatively. (click on image for more detail)

Faster Shutter Speed. Notice how all of the players are in - focus and hardly any blurriness. This indicates a faster shutter speed. The depth of field is reduced (the chairs are blurry) because the aperture is greater. (click on image for more detail)

Conventionally, the exposure is measured in units of exposure value (EV), sometimes called stops, representing a halving or doubling of the exposure with each stop. Multiple combinations of shutter speed and aperture can give the same EV: halving the shutter speed doubles the exposure (+1 EV), while doubling the aperture size (halving the focal number) increases the exposure area by a factor of 4 (+2 EV). For this reason, standard apertures differ by about 1.4. Thus an exposure with a shutter speed of 1/250 s and f/8 is the same as with 1/500 s and f/5.6, or 1/125 s and f/11. The shutter is what determines the duration the sensor is exposed to light and the aperture determines the intensity of that light.

Here are four photos showing how the Shutter Speed affects a photo’s appearance. On a Canon camera (dslr/point and shoot) the mode is TV on Nikon the mode is S.

Shutter Speed: 1/6s

Shutter Speed: 1/10s

Shutter Speed: 1/20s

Shutter Speed: 1/50s

Now get out and start using your shutter and get creative!

Photo Friday: What is this for?

BrandonQ — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 07:00:44 +0000

Photo Friday
Photo Fridays are brought to you by Brandon Queen Photography.

What is it and how does it all work?

Overview:

Now we want to learn about three important functions of a digital camera. They are shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Each of these settings act together to determine how bright or dark your photo is, or exposure. Think of them as a triangle and the foundation of exposure. Having knowledge of these functions can help you creating stunning photos!

Shutter Speed

The shutter speed is simply the length of time that the light hits the film or sensor allowing the image to be recorded. Each variation in speed (much the same as the aperture variations) is known as a “stop.” A faster shutter speed gives less more time to hit the sensor. A slower shutter speed gives light more time. Slower shutter speeds can create blurry or noisy photos but can capture images in low light. Faster shutter speeds have the ability to freeze time, but require a lot of light to be useful.

Aperture

The aperture is like the iris of the eye. When the aperture is very small, you will get a sharper focus and more depth of field– near and far things in the scene will tend to be sharper. This is because the smaller circle is cutting down on the “confusion” caused by the countless overlapping circles of light being focused on the film or other light sensitive surface in the camera. The down side is that because the iris is smaller, less light is getting to the sensor, and you need a longer exposure to get a good image. When the aperture is larger, you can get a good image with a faster shutter speed, but sharpness and depth of field may suffer a little. The “circles of confusion” are larger, because the aperture is larger.

ISO

In very basic terms, ISO is the level of sensitivity of your camera to available light. The lower the ISO number, the less sensitive it is to the light, while a higher ISO number increases the sensitivity of your camera. The component within your camera that can change sensitivity is called “image sensor” or simply “sensor”. It is the most important (and most expensive) part of a camera and it is responsible for gathering light and transforming it into an image. With increased sensitivity, your camera sensor can capture images in low-light environments without having to use a flash. But higher sensitivity comes at an expense – it adds grain or “noise” to the pictures.

White Balance

White balance is not part of the “triangle” but has a big impact on your picture. It is basically a way to “measure” the temperature (color) of light and to “balance” out the colors of your photography for the desired results.

Ideally, the goal of a conventional photograph is to attain an ideal White Balance where the white color is as close to true, neutral white as possible and all of the colors in your image are “true to life.”

ISO is set to 100 which is good for out door shots on a sunny and part cloudy day.

In Focus Flower: Notice how the flower is in focus and the background is extremely blurred out. That is due to a large aperture.

A small aperture allows for a large depth of field. Notice most of the flowers appear in focus.

Five Degrees of Snow Camping

MikeD — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:45:16 +0000

The following is a Guest Article by Mike Dubrall. Mike “Uncle Dub Zero” Blogs and writes informative articles on backpacking and snow camping at 50Miler.com.

Snow camping is a popular winter activity for sturdy Boy Scouts. Every year, thousands venture into snow covered fields and conduct a variety of maneuvers, all designed to prove that they can survive and thrive in cold conditions that cause their parents to mutter about hot tubs and hotel rooms. However, while cold weather outings can be challenging, not all winter outings can be called snow camping, no matter what your leaders tell you.

Winter is a great time for Scout outings.

Snow camping requires, at a very minimum, that Scouts build shelters in the snow and sleep in them. These could be tents, Ice or Hop Houses, Quinzies, Snow Trenches (sometimes called Ice Coffins) or the most popular of all – the classic Snow Cave. Anything less than spending the entire night in one of these shelters is just a winter outing with snow involved.

To clear up any confusion, here are the degrees of snow camping clearly defined – from easiest to most difficult.

Zero Degree: Staying in a cabin. Gentlemen, this is not snow camping. No matter how many times you go outside and walk around in snowshoes or how cold you get making snow angels wearing only your shorts, it’s not called snow “camping” when you sleep in a “cabin.” Even your little sister knows this. Give it up and try again next winter.

First Degree: Car Camping. Adults drive you up to the mountains and park near the snow. You get to pitch tents or dig snow caves right next to the cars and keep all your shovels, extra tools, snacks, water, and tarps in the trunk, grabbing them as needed. Adults sit in a Winnebago preparing hot chocolate and there is no need to dig out a cooking area because there is a propane stove in the back of the truck. Often you have KYBOS nearby, but you have to be brave enough to use them, partly because of the frigid temperature inside.

Second Degree: Tent Camping. After arriving, Scouts pack up their equipment and leave the parking area to find a campsite. Travel from the cars can be via snow shoe, cross country ski, or by booted foot. Upon arrival at a suitable location, snow is cleared or smoothed and tents are erected with “dead men stakes” covered by snow. Gear is stowed in the tents and the group works together building a common kitchen area and latrine before heading off to explore the frozen lake. After dark, Scouts climb into their tents and hope that the temperatures outside do not drop below 30 degrees or that it doesn’t snow too much. If it does, they shiver in their sleeping bags and think about real snow caves.

Digging a Snow Cave is much more difficult than just erecting a tent - but is usually more comfortable.

Third Degree: Cave Camping. Scouts load their backpacks, fasten on their snow shoes, and carry all their equipment across the snow and away from the parking lot until the desired separation is achieved – usually when the weakest camper drops from exhaustion. (The longer the hike, the more adventurous the outing.) After testing the snow with an avalanche probe for hidden large rocks and other surprises, Scouts spend hours sitting or lying on tarps digging caves using snow shovels, saws, and their gloved hands. During the afternoon, volunteers takes turns sculpting a kitchen area near the shelters. Someone makes sure the cooking stoves are constantly lit and that snow is being melted into drinkable water. After dinner, everyone climbs into their cave, lights their glow stick, and settles into a soundless trance until morning.

Fourth Degree: Cave or Tent Camping as part of an extended trek. This is full metal jacket snow camping and only for the strongest and most prepared youth in the Council. In addition to carrying a heavy backpack full of food and supplies across the snow on snow shoes, Scouts have to get up early every day

Leaving the vehicles for several days is the most challenging kind of fourth degree winter outing.

(when it’s really, really cold), break camp, and start moving so they arrive in camp in time to create new shelters and melt snow for drinking water before it gets dark. On top of the significant physical and psychological burdens, everyone has to navigate across a frozen and alien geography where trails and landmarks are covered in snow, rending most maps almost useless.

Of course additional points can be earned when something difficult happens an any of these outings. For example, when a storm unexpectedly dumps two feet of snow on your shelters overnight collapsing tents or forcing campers to dig out of their caves in the morning. Likewise, when adults inexplicably insist that everyone buckle their snow shoes after dinner for a night hike in sub-arctic temperatures.

Now that you have a snow camping barometer, what kind of winter camping does your unit do?
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Mike Dubrall writes about backpacking, snow camping, and other high adventure outings at 50Miler.com.. His email is miked@50miler.com and you can friend him on Facebook.