Hot Springs Campout - Nov 2011

So, we try to do a hot springs campout every November.  Why do we choose November?  Because it's cold enough that you can stay in the hot springs for awhile - and cold enough that it feels good to get into the hot springs.

This year we went to Diamond Fork Hot Springs.  We camped at a campground down the road from the trailhead, and then the next morning we hiked the 2 miles up to the hot springs.  It happened to be snowing while we hiked, which made it all the more fun!  Once we got there we opened up a pop-up style "shower tent" which we used as a changing room and got to soak for an hour or so before changing again and hiking back out.

The springs we hiked to has been kept up pretty good, and actually had some cement work done to it to make 2 pools, seats, and a flat changing area.  It is also next to a cold stream, with a spot where you can unplug an inlet and let cold water flow in to cool off the tub.  It's pretty nice!

Diamond Fork Hot Springs

Something to consider:  Hot springs are notorious for the rowdy crowd, or the "natural" crowd.  If going, send an adult up first to ask people to cover up before the scouts get there.  We didn't have any problems, but I've heard of issues in the past.

Blanding High Adventure - Lessons Learned

I learned a lot on this trip about the character of our scouts.  Some of these guys spend a lot of their time in front of the TV or video games, but when we got them outdoors, they changed.  They wanted to be challenged, and they wanted adventure.

We were rained on hard quite a few times, and when it wasn't raining it got pretty hot.  But the boys didn't ask to go back to camp, they were excited to do the next thing.  I heard very few complaints, and was impressed to see their energy levels.

Something that we determined about the scout carrier is that if the back handles were lengthened to allow someone walking behind to grab on and help get around obstacles or just to take the weight off for a few seconds would be nice.

We also learned that if you have a base camp, try to bring up an awning of some type to give you somewhere to go to cook and eat during the monsoonal rains.

We also learned that we can have fun, and learn something no matter what we're doing.

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Blanding High Adventure - Canyoneering

We've done canyoneering before, but never with someone with spina bifida that needed help 90 percent of the way so this was a new experience!  We did 2 canyons and each of them required climbing quite a ways up a crack to get to the top of the canyon.  With each canyon we used the carrier to get our scout to the base of the climb, and then we helped him from below, above, and both sides where possible.  We also helped whoever was behind or in front of each of us as we made our way up to the top of the canyon.  Both canyons had a horizontal hike at the top to get over to the start of the canyon.

Whenever we didn't have the carrier we carried our scout on our backs

The last rappel was 100 feet, and our scout with challenges was a little nervous about it, but excited as well.  We had enough ropes that we were able to send him down with a top belay (and bottom), with his brother alongside him.  It was awesome to see the two of them working together as they made their way down!

Doing the last rappel

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Timpanogos Peak Attempt

So we had planned to hike Timpanogos Peak (elev. 11,750 ft) last weekend.  We planned to backpack up 3-4 miles and set up camp for the night.  Then the next morning we would leave the tents and backpacks and just take day packs to hike to the summit and back, then pack up and hike back down to the trail head.

You'll notice I said "planned".  We didn't get as far as we had hoped due to weather (it was raining cats and dogs), and lack of preparation - but it was a good learning experience for us.

We had boys with sleeping bags rolled up and strapped to packs without any waterproof bag covering them (which got soaked in about 90 seconds).  We had boys with packs that were open on the top that allowed rain to go right in, soaking everything inside the packs.  We had boys that didn't have any rain gear even though they were told that the forecast was for rain and to be prepared.

We quickly took black garbage bags and covered everything we could, but it was too late really, too much was soaked.  We backpacked up the 1.3 miles to Scout Falls on the Timpooneke Trail, then had a little learning discussion.  We talked about how unprepared we were to spend the night - knowing that it was going to get down to the low 30's and we had all wet stuff.  We still had approximately 2 miles to hike and only 45 minutes before dark.  We talked about what we would do if we were on a 50 miler, and 25 miles from our vehicles and had to spend the night.  Then we hiked back down to the vehicles and drove home.

It was a bummer that we didn't "succeed" in our attempt to climb the peak.  But I found out the next day that there was 3 inches of snow at Emerald Lake, and temperatures at the peak were 30 degrees, with a 20 degree wind chill factor.  It was good we weren't up there for all of that.  And it was a great learning experience for the boys, and us leaders as to what we need to do to prepare better next time.

Blanding High Adventure - Experiences Carrying a Scout

So, our main difference this year was that we have a scout with Spina Bifida in our troop now, that walks with a cane.  We really wanted to make sure he was included, especially in our High Adventure activities, so one of our scouts decided to make a stretcher type carrier, with a seat in the middle, for his Eagle Project.  He then donated it to the Spina Bifida Foundation of Utah for families of kids with Spina Bifida to check out and use.  We checked it out first to make sure it worked on our trip.

Hiking around Hovenweep National Monument

It worked great!  I was a little worried about some of the boys complaining about having to carry their troop member, but I had no need to worry.  The boys were practically fighting over who got to carry him, and going out of their way to carry the packs of the porters.  I had to force myself into the line to get a chance to try out the carrier, and carry our scout for awhile!

When it was too rough or narrow for the carrier, we carried him on our backs

There were times when the trail too rough, or too narrow, where we couldn't use the carrier.  In these circumstances we carried him on our backs, and kept on going.  He is the neatest scout you'll ever find, he was grateful for the help - maybe a little bit embarrassed, but grateful to have so much help from his peers.  And to have them fighting over who got to help him!  It was awesome!

I got the chance to carry him a couple of times (only because I cut in line and said it was my turn), and it was a really neat experience.  I carried him on a flat trail that was overgrown with weeds to the point that we had to keep lifting him high to get the weeds unstuck from the legs of the seat.  I also carried him going up a hill (San Juan Hill for those that know their Utah Pioneer History).  On that hill we had planned on switching off part way up, but the other leader and I just kept going.  As we got past 1/2 way up, the other boys gathered around us and each grabbed onto the carrier and lifted.  They helped us make it the rest of the way to the top!  It was awesome!  Nobody asked them to help, they just saw the need so they jumped into position to help!  I wish we had gotten photos of that part, but unfortunately we didn't.  Even so, it will be a memory that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Hiking up San Juan Hill

We had such a good experience that we have planned a trip soon to backpack up to the top of Timpanogos Peak with him.  We will be backpacking about 5 miles and then camping the night, bagging the peak the next morning, and then backpacking back down. It's 7 miles each way, with an elevation gain of 4,500 feet!  I wouldn't even try this if we didn't have a bunch of older scouts that are pretty tough, and up to the challenge of either carrying their pack with someone else's stuff, or carrying their fellow scout while someone else carry's their stuff.  It's going to be a challenge, but it will sure have rewards when we all get to the top of the peak!

It was such a great experience that I encourage any troop with similar challenges to definitely try what we did.  It has helped create so much unity in our troop!

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Blanding High Adventure - Why go on High Adventure?

Why do we do High Adventure?  Why do I take a week out of my limited vacation time from work to go camping with the scouts?  Why do we encourage scouts to go on a challenging high adventure?  Because it IS challenging!  Because it stretches them and allows them to get out of their comfort zone and see what they are capable of (not what their character in their video game is capable of).  Once they see that they can do hard things, they will be more willing to take on even harder things.  Our scouts love to be challenged!  They have named one of the high adventures they went on before I was involved, "medium adventure" because they didn't do anything to challenge or stretch them.  They just went camping near a lake.  None of them wants to do another "medium adventure", they want a High Adventure that will challenge them and be hard to complete.

Yes, that requires some training, some classes, and some specialized equipment.  And unfortunately BSA is making it harder and harder to do your own High Adventure by forcing you to take tons of extra trainings and certifications to be able to do High Adventure activities. (Click HERE to see more about the trainings and stuff required for canyoneering and rappelling).  Unfortunately, that's the hurdle you have to get over right now with BSA.  I think they are trying to get you to just go to Council operated High Adventure Bases - so they make more money.  But there's something about going out and doing it on your own that is so much more adventurous for the boys (and leaders), and you can do it for 1/2 of the cost of a council camp.  We can't afford to go to council camps for high adventure, even if we wanted to!

To see more of my thoughts on challenging boys, click on the link below:
Challenging Boys helps them become Men

Also, check this one out about getting outdoors with the scouts:
Put the Outing in Scouting

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Blanding High Adventure - Hammock Camping

So I had the option to borrow another leader's hammock for the week, and I'm glad I did!  As it turns out, the rains had a good chance of flooding the tents, but my Hennessey Hammock with a rain fly stayed as dry as can be!  The rain fly kept the hammock dry, and it was up off the ground so the monsoonal rainstorms that came didn't fill it up from the bottom like the tents did.  I put a tarp on the ground below the hammock so that I could have something to stand on to get inside the hammock, and after a big rainstorm I did have to dump some of the water off the tarp - but it dried off pretty quickly.


One of the issues with hammock camping is the fact that your body compresses the insulation beneath you it it looses it's insulating properties.  What does that mean?  It means that you get cold from the bottom up.  While sleeping on the ground you have the same problem, but you are usually sleeping on a pad that insulates you from the ground.  So typically you would use a pad of some type in the hammock as well to insulate your backside from the cold.  I didn't have one with me on this trip, but I was using my -15F mummy bag, so I figured I would be ok.  It was interesting as I was laying there to feel my cold back, and warm everywhere else.  But it didn't get cold enough to freeze me, so it was good.

Below are a few pictures of my hammock after a really good rain storm.  You'll notice the wet rain fly, and wet tarp underneath, but everything in my hammock was as dry as could be.

Those that were sleeping in tents also learned a few things.  You know those extra strings and stakes that come with the tent that are supposed to hook onto the rain fly to pull it away from the tent?  They are pretty useful in a big rainstorm!  They make the rain run off the fly further from your tent, giving you a better chance at keeping your stuff inside the tent dry!

I slept about the same in the hammock as I usually do on campouts - tossing and turning all night.  I find that I roll around a lot at night, and when I'm in a sleeping bag, I end up waking up at night as I roll.  But, by the end of the week I slept the entire night without waking up!  (part of that was because I was so tired from all the activities during the day in the 100 degree weather I'm sure).

For more info on Hammock Camping, see my Hammock Camping Post.

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Blanding High Adventure

This year for High Adventure we went to Blanding, Utah and did some canyoneering, and explored some Indian Cliff Dwellings/Ruins.  We experienced torrential downpours while at camp, and while driving, but didn't have much problem with the rains while we did our activities!  Our new challenge this year was that we have a boy with Spina Bifida, who walks with a cane.  High Adventure is supposed to be difficult, and hard, and really stretch the boys so that they can see what they're made up of, and what they can accomplish if they set their mind to it.  So, how do we have a difficult high adventure with a boy with physical challenges?  We include him in everything.  We still did the same things we would have done without him, but we helped him through it as well.  We were somewhat inspired by another troop that had a boy with Spina Bifida whom they carried everywhere they went - on all their campouts and everything.  So, one of the boys in our troop decided it would be better if we had some sort of carrier - like a stretcher with a chair in the middle.  That way we could carry the boy wherever we went.  So it was made as an Eagle Project, and donated to the Spina Bifida foundation of Utah for families to borrow for trips and stuff.  It turned out great, and was quite the asset on our trip!

Every year for High Adventure we try to have a theme for our trip, and this year's theme was "I will be my brother's keeper".  We chose this theme partly because we would be helping our brother, and carrying him along the way, but also because we wanted to become our brother's keeper.  Someone who is a brother's keeper is someone who watches out for other people, who helps with things and makes sure those around him are comfortable and taken care of.  We have far too few brother's keeper's in this world, and if we can help 16 scouts to become one, we're doing a world of good.

This trip was awesome!  We had no arguments, no complaining, no whining.  Most of the boys were fighting over who got to carry their brother!  It was one of the best High Adventures I have ever been on (and I've been on 10 of them!)

So, below are some of the logistics for our High Adventure.  What it took to get it planned, some neat experiences we had, some of my thoughts, and some things we learned along the way.

• Why go on High Adventure?
• Experiences Carrying a Scout
• Canyoneering
• Hammock Camping (yep, I slept in a hammock)
• Lessons Learned

Getting Ready for High Adventure

For High Adventure this year we are going down near Moab and Blanding, Utah to explore some canyons, check out some indian cliff dwellings, play in a waterfall, and learn to serve others.
We have a boy that walks with a cane in our troop, and we wanted to include him, even in our high adventure (which are typically strenuous for anyone, let alone one with a cane).  So one of our scouts decided to design and build a carrier - kind of like a stretcher with a seat (see below)

So, now our scouts can learn more about service as they carry their brother on our hikes.  Our theme this year is "I can be my brother's keeper", and we're focusing on not only having fun, but also watching out for each other and serving each other.  We're getting packed up to leave in a few days so I'll let you know how it goes.

Scout Trailer

I have been feeling the need to buy a truck lately so that I can haul gear, but it has to be a 4-door truck so I can take 5-6 people as well.  Unfortunately, a truck isn't in my personal budget right now, and probably won't be for quite some time.  Our family minivan is slowly dying and will need to be replaced soon, but it will be replaced with a suburban type vehicle that holds 8 people, is 4-wheel drive, and can tow a trailer (I have 5 kids, so an extended cab truck just wouldn't cut it).  So then, if I am able to borrow the suburban from my wife for a weekend campout with the scouts, then I'll be able to take lots of boys, but we don't have a trailer to haul gear.

We've been looking at buying a trailer for quite some time for our troop, but haven't been able to afford one with our limited troop funds.  We thought we may be able to get one this year, but it's just not going to work.  So we're going to try to save some $ for next year to get one.

We originally were looking at a used, "pay phone trailer" offered on some local classifieds.  As you can see from the photo below, it has bat doors on either side, with pay phones inside.  We would take out the phones of course, and then build a kitchen on one side so that when we open the bat door (which would serve as a canopy), we could fold out a table that was hooked to the trailer and have access to all our kitchen stuff.  The other side was to be access from the side of the trailer to everything else.

Pay Phone Trailer offered on some local classifieds

The guy was asking $1,500 for it, but once we called him and told him what we wanted it for, he was willing to drop it down to $1,000.  Unfortunately, it is only 5' wide by 9' long.  Which would be a good size for towing behind a small SUV, but not really big enough to haul the gear for 10-20 scouts plus leaders.

I talked to another troop in my area that has a trailer.  They have a similar number of scouts, and have a 7' wide by 14' long trailer, and they said they wouldn't ever go smaller than that.  They haven't built hardly any shelves inside because they want to have the ability to haul whatever they want.  Sometimes they fill it full of bicycles for a biking trip, etc.

So, in looking into larger trailers, I found the one below:

6x12 Trailer

 It's a little smaller than the other troop's trailer, and it's brand new for $2,200.  Hopefully we can find a trailer that's used and a good size for closer to the $900 mark (or less would be better of course).  New ones run from around $2,200 to $4,500 for the above trailer.  We don't need anything fancy, just lightweight, and waterproof so we can store gear, and haul gear in it.

Backpacking Overnighter - Shoes

I have been on backpacking trips with the high top hiking boots like you're "supposed" to wear, but since I haven't ever had any problems with my ankles (and I've put them through a lot of wear and tear), I prefer to use running shoes.  They're way more comfortable, more lightweight, and dry faster when they get wet.  I tend to get less blisters, and I just feel better all day.

Typical Hiking Shoe/Boot

I once read a study that said that an extra pound of weight in your shoes is equivalent to 5 extra pounds in your backpack.  So if I can take off an extra 2-4 pounds of weight by not using a leather, high top stiff hiking boot (size 14), and using a lightweight, flexible, breathable running shoe, I'm going to do it!

More Lightweight & Comfortable Running Shoe

I realize that some people have ankle problems, and therefore feel more comfortable with the extra support a high top type hiking boot gives them.  And that's fine and you should always go with what is best for you.  But, once you try hiking in running shoes, you may never go back!

Five Finger Shoes

I haven't tried the "toe" type shoes, that have spots for each of your toes and are supposed to make you feel like you're hiking barefoot, but with support and protection.  I would like to try one sometime, but am waiting for prices to go down.


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Backpacking Overnighter - Backpacking Foods

Somehow I got a years subscription to Backpacker Magazine awhile ago, and really enjoyed reading through the articles about all the awesome adventures awaiting out there!  But, one of the best things I got out of it was some of their backpacking food ideas.  I ripped them out of the magazine and filed them away for the next backpacking trip I'd go on.  There was simple stuff like using the tuna in a pouch from the store and adding pasta and seasonings to make a pasta meal.  The tuna weighed some, but in all reality, if you're backpacking where you might be able to fish, then you could do the pasta with the fish you catch just as easy.

We've tried the packages of freeze-dried meals (mostly the dinners) and have done just fine - in fact usually had too much food and ended up taking some of it home.  The nice thing about them is that they are so lightweight, and that for most of them, you boil water in a pot and dump it into the pouch the dinner comes in and let it sit for 10 minutes or so.  Then you either eat or serve out of the pouch and you don't get the pot dirty.  The bummer is that it is expensive.

Freeze Dried Meal, 2 servings for $8

So, here's a list of meals I typically try to pull from for backpacking trips.  Feel free to use whatever you want, and add whatever you want on your own trip.

Breakfasts

• Instant Oatmeal
• Instant Grits
• Instant Cream of Wheat

Lunches

• Munchies
• GORP (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts)
• Granola Bars
• String Cheese (individually packaged will stay good for over a week, just in your bag)
• Crackers (a sleeve of Ritz will go a long ways)
• Cheese to go with the Ritz (weighs a lot, but it's pretty good)
• Summer Sausage with the Ritz (weighs a lot, but it's worth it)
• Jerky
• Bagels

Dinners

• Lipton Noodle packets are lightweight, and "just add hot water"
• Hamburger Helper are also good, but you'll need to precook the hamburger and dehydrate it beforehand
• Raman Noodles
• Stove-Top Stuffing (sounds weird, but it's good)
• Tin-foil dinners if you're not hiking too far (heavy, and the meat may go bad if it's left out too long)
• Freeze-Dried Meals
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Pasta Creation (whatever secret recipes you have that you might be able to adapt for low weight)

Eating Utensils

I like to bring up just a bowl, cup and spoon.  Almost everything you eat while backpacking can be eaten with just a bowl, cup and spoon.  You may need to use your pocketknife at times, but you'll get along alright.

For my bowl and cup, I shop at a dollar store, and buy a plastic (tupperware type) bowl and cup (they usually come in 4/dollar packs).  They are totally lightweight, and the plastic keeps your hands from getting burnt on hot liquids (compared to the metal scout mess kits).  On my cup, I measure and mark beforehand lines on the cup to measure a cup or 2 of water.

For my spoon, I actually use the Light My Fire Spork.  It's only a couple of bucks, and it's pretty sturdy and long enough to use for a mixing spoon if need be.

Light My Fire Spork

Cooking Utensils

I can get by on most trips with just a pot to boil water in.  Sometimes I'll bring a pot, and a small kettle if we're going to have 2 stoves.  My pot is 2 Liters, and my kettle is 0.9 Liter.  Both are aluminum and weigh hardly anything.  I will sometimes bring a large, lightweight spoon to stir contents in the pot, but it's not always necessary.

0.9 Liter lightweight kettle (Primus, $20)

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Backpacking Overnighter - Sleeping Bags

It's interesting when you get looking into different types of sleeping bags because they have these nice temperature ratings so you know what temperature you can use the bag in.  A Zero Degree bag is fine to sleep in if it's down to 0 Degrees F, right?  How simple is that?

Unfortunately, it's not as simple as you might think - especially since each company uses their own temperature rating system so you can't even compare companies sleeping bag ratings!  I've been in a zero degree bag when it was 40 degrees outside and been cold all night before.  But I've been in non-rated Walmart specials ($20 Coleman Brand Sleeping Bag) down to the 30's and been fine.

$20 Coleman Sleeping Bag

My night in a zero degree bag was in a High Peak brand bag.  I know other people that have them and seem to do fine, but mine sure should be rated for something more like 50 degrees or something.  I tried to get the lightest bag I could find, and still be a zero degree bag, and that's what I found.  I bought it on ebay for $95, and when I opened it up, I was amazed at how thin the padding was.  I ruffled it out the best I could, but it was still a thin lining.  So initially I was amazed that something that thin could keep me warm in zero degree weather, but after my first couple of trips, I found out that it doesn't.  I later attended a camping class where the speaker mentioned the High Peak brand of sleeping bags, and how they are rated wrong.

High Peak Zero Degree Bag

So, next time I saved up my money and got a more expensive sleeping bag, and I decided to go for a -15 degree bag instead - just in case.  So I put together a list of the bags I was considering, their weights, sizes, colors, fill material, etc. and then waited for a sale.  When I got my 20% off coupon for REI, I jumped on it and bought the bag I wanted.  It was a Mountain Hardware Lamina -15 mummy bag.  It weighs more than my High Peak bag, and is more bulky, but it sure keeps me warm!  I've had it on 2 snow cave campouts so far and have loved it!  Retail right now is $225 ($235 since I got the long model).

Mountain Hardware -15 Lamina Bag

Now, do you have to get an expensive bag to be comfortable?   No way!  I chose to because I know I'll be camping for a long time to come and I've been through quite a few other bags.  I've been totally comfortable in my Coleman - Walmart special as well.  Just make sure that if you are getting it to keep you warm, that it has some bulk to it.  If it's paper thin, then it cannot keep you warm - it just doesn't work that way.

Down Fill vs. Synthetic Fill?

That is a personal opinion in my mind.  Here's some of the criteria I used to determine what I would buy:


Down Fill:

• Is a better insulator
• Is more lightweight
• Cost more (much more in some instances)
• Does not keep you warm when wet

Synthetic Fill:

• Not as good insulator
• weighs slightly more than down
• cost less than down
• still works to some degree when wet

I decided that for less money I could get a bag that would work almost as well in dry situations, but work better when wet.  It does weigh a bit more, but not much.  It is also more bulky than down would have been, but it works great.

Inner Lining

There are two different types of lining in sleeping bags, Flannel, and Nylon.  Here's my thoughts:

• Flannel may feel warmer when you first get into the bag, but if you're wearing sweats, they will stick to the flannel and you'll end up tied in a knot by morning.
• Nylon-type lining is easier to roll around, get into, and dry out if it gets wet.
• I prefer the nylon lining, but my kids think that the nylon is too cold.

Care for Sleeping Bags

Whenever possible, don't store sleeping bags all wrapped up tight in their stuff sack.  It causes the filling to bunch up together and leave gaps without filling.  I store my new sleeping bag under the bed, opened up.  Then when i go on a trip I stuff it in the sack just before I go.  Once I get to camp I set up my tent and pad, and shake out my sleeping bag on the pad to get some air back into the filling.

I know some people store their sleeping bags in the stuff sack, and then open it up and put it in the dryer before a trip to fluff it back up again, but I prefer to keep it stored loose.

Always dry out your sleeping bag after every trip.  Believe it or not, you sweat at night, and your body gives off moisture.  The inside of your bag is slightly moist after a night of camping.  Unzip it and lay it out over the couch or something to let it air out for a few hours (or overnight) after every trip to let it dry out.

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Backpacking Overnighter - Sleeping Pads

There's nothing like a great night's sleep after a day of backpacking!  Though I am convinced that I could have slept just fine as a scout on a dry, rocky stream bed without a sleeping pad, I do need one now to get any sleep.

When I was a scout I had the 1/2 inch thick, blue foam pad that was lighter than almost anything else, and did do the basic requirements of a sleeping pad which are:

1. Make you comfortable - so you don't feel all the rocks/sticks/etc that are under you.
2. Insulate you from the ground - which can make the difference between a cold night and a warm night's rest.

There are 4 different types of sleeping pads for backpacking.  Each has it's own pros and cons and you must decide which will fit your use the best.

1. Thin-Closed Cell Foam Pads



Thin Closed Cell Foam Pad

1. These are like the ones I had while growing up.  They work great, weigh little, cost little, and won't ever spring a leak on you in the middle of the night.  
2. They aren't as comfortable as thicker pads, but they will round off the sharp points under you.
3. They can get bulky rolled up, but there are some that fold nicely if you are looking to get one that takes less space in your pack.
   
2. Open-Cell Foam Pads
1. I have a 3" open cell foam pad that I use for winter camping.  It is thick enough to insulate me from the frozen ground, and quite comfortable.
2. Unfortunately, it soaks up water like a sponge so you have to be careful to keep it dry.  I bought some Gor-tex material from an Army Navy store and made my own Gor-tex cover for it to keep it dry in the snow.
3. It is pretty bulky though, and I only use it on winter campouts.
   
3. "Therma-Rest" type air mattresses
1. These will self inflate most of the way, you just need to top them off with a few puffs at the end.
2. More expensive than the first pads, but more insulation and more comfortable than them as well.
3. They do weigh more than the thin-closed cell foam pads, and they can get bulky when rolled up.
4. I had one of these, but it got a small hole in it somewhere so it doesn't stay up anymore.  I need to fill it up and put it in the bathtub so I can find the hole and fix it, but haven't gotten around to it yet.
   
   
4. Air Mattresses



Heavy Air Mattress



Big Agnes 2.5" Backpacking Air Mattress

1. These can be Big Agnes type air mattresses, or air mattresses you would get to lay out on in the water at the pool (I have a friend that buys them from a Dollar Store and just throws it away when it springs a leak), or the big 6" thick air mattresses that are queen size (though I don't suggest one of these for a backpacking trip, they're pretty heavy).
2. Air mattresses may give you a more comfortable rest, putting more distance between you and the rocky ground, but most of them aren't insulated, so they can get pretty cold to sleep on.  Big Agnes and some other companies do offer an air mattress that has some insulation in it, but you have to look for it, and be willing to spend the extra $ (I have a Big Agnes extra long pad, 2.5" thick with an insulated air core).

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Backpacking Backpacks

There are tons of different types of backpacks to use on backpacking trips, but they can mostly be broken down to 2 types:  Internal Frame and External Frame.

The EXTERNAL FRAME is the type we all had growing up, with the aluminum (or plastic) frame sticking above and below the storage part of the pack.

Typical External Frame Backpack (by Kelty)

PRO'S:

• It's easy to strap a sleeping bag on the bottom and a tent on the top.  Any size sleeping bag will fit and any size tent will fit.  Then you stuff the rest of your stuff in the storage pockets.
• They've added a lot more padding than the one you and I used when we were young

CON'S:

• It's kind of like strapping a metal box to your back.  It doesn't give, and it's stiff.

The INTERNAL FRAME pack still has a frame, it's just on the inside of the pack instead of the outside.

Typical Internal Frame Backpack (by Kelty)

PRO'S:

• Benefits to this design are that it hugs your body better, and should strap down better so it doesn't bounce, shift, etc. as much.
• It somewhat forces you to take less gear since everything fits inside the pack
• Some internal frame packs come with a zip-out rain cover.  It's lightweight and easy to put on your pack for when you're hiking in the rain, or have to leave your pack outside in the rain because there isn't enough room inside your tent

CON'S:

• You have to buy an expensive, tiny mummy bag that fits inside the pack
• You have to buy an expensive, tiny tent that fits inside the pack (it is possible to strap some stuff to the pack, but it's not too easy)
• In keeping the pack from being too wide, some internal frame packs are quite deep (ie, they stick out behind you a long ways).  This can be very tiring if your pack is constantly trying to tip you over backwards.

SIZE

So, what size is best to get?  We've all been through the mentality of "I'll just get the biggest one I can get, and then I'll have plenty of room for whatever I need".  But, if you do that, you will end up with the entire pack filled on each trip you go on - which makes for a heavy pack!  Instead of buying the biggest one you can find, try a more moderate size, and then cut down on all the extra's that you probably won't need.

A good size for a scout (internal frame) would be in the range of 35,000 to 45,000 cubic inches (most packs are measured in cubic inches because with different shapes, an overall length, width, and height wouldn't show it's true packing capacity).  I wouldn't go smaller than 35,000 ci, and if you get much bigger than 45,000 ci then you'll end up with all the shared equipment.  If you are getting an external frame, go with 25,000 to 35,000 cubic inches.

For a leader, if you're like me, you may want to get as big as 55,000 cubic inches for an internal frame (I still bring a little extra of some things, just in case, and am young enough that my back can handle it).  Or up to 40,000 for an external frame.

COMFORT

If you've spent some time backpacking 20 years ago, and see the packs available now, you've noticed that the new packs are much more cushy than the ones 20 years ago.  The one I used as a scout had a hard, canvas belt that didn't stay tight (I was lucky, many of them from that time didn't even come with belts).  Now the padding on the belt is thick enough to use as a pillow at night and the buckles actually stay tight! (I remember holding one hand on the buckle to keep it tight, and the other on the bottom of the pack to lift it and ease the rubbing on my shoulders and waist).

Shoulder straps are now better padded as well.  In fact, some are curved to go around your neck so you don't get chafing there, and then strap together at your chest.  These are pretty nice because you can use the strap to take the pressure off your shoulders.  Anything that allows you to move the pressure to a different location is a good thing in my book.  Undoubtedly, if you hike 10-15 miles in a day (or less even), you will get some rubbing on your shoulders and waist.  If you can adjust that rubbing spot to keep it from getting too sore, your next day will go better.

EXTRAS

Some of the extras that I have found handy on backpacking trips are:

• Pockets built into the pack for a "camel back" type water container (bladder type).  Some are built into the inside of the pack (which keeps the weight close to your body and makes it easier to carry), and some are in the form of a detachable day pack.  I have found the day pack handy if you can fit more than just the bladder in it.  Ideal is one that fits the bladder, some snacks or a small lunch, and a bit left over for a survival kit of some kind.
  
• Long pocket on the side of the pack that can store a fishing pole that comes apart into 3' segments or so.  I've also used them for a folding saw.  Or if you were splitting up a tent, you could put the tent poles in the pocket.
  
• I like the backpacks that open up from the front with a zipper.  Some of them only open up on the top, and if you need something from the bottom you end up pulling everything out of the pack.  With the front zipper, you can lay the pack down and have access to virtually anything in the pack with just one zip.
  
• I believe it's called a "daisy chain" that's on the back of some packs.  It's basically a webbing that is sewn on the back with loops in it so you can clip things on it.  I've found this helpful for clipping something to the back of the pack to dry out as you hike (some people only bring 1 pair of socks (plus what they wear) and wash their socks each day, then hang them to their pack while they hike to dry them out for the next day).  Just don't strap a lantern or something heavy on there that will swing around and throw off your pace.

HINTS ON PACKING

When packing, try to keep your food above your stove in your pack.  I always try to put the stove and fuel in the bottom of the pack.  That way, if the stove or fuel bottle leaks, you won't ruin your food and starve on the trip.

External Frame:

Strap your sleeping bag onto the bottom of your pack, and your tent on the top.  Sometimes you can roll your pad around your sleeping bag or tent and strap it to the pack together.  Use straps such as those shown below so that you can cinch them up tight and keep them from bouncing around.  I used to use bungy cords, but it's hard to get one just the right size to keep it from bouncing as you walk.

Internal Frame:

• Roll up your mummy bag tight and stuff it inside the bottom zippered pocket on your pack.  The tent may need to be taken out of the bag so that you can put the long poles in the upper pocket and the tent and fly as well.  Sometimes you can strap the tent to the top of the pack, or vertically on the back of the pack (but this will move the center of weight further behind you, making you constantly fight to stay upright)

BACK TO BACKPACKING OVERNIGHTER

Backpacking Tents

Between me and the troop, we've been through a few backpacking tents.  You know they have to be pretty durable to stand up to the abuse they get from scouts, but they also need to be lightweight.  Then there's the size.  What size is best?  How big is too big?  Will it really fit the # of people that it says it will?  Well, I've got a few ideas about backpacking tents that I'll share, but first, let's look at a few tents:

Our Scouts Backpacking tent.  3-4 Man, and just over 8 pounds

A small, 2-man tent made by Eureka, the Zeus 2

Small Tent I got from Smiths Marketplace for around $20

The one in the front is an Ozark Trail tent from Walmart ($30).  It sets up quick, and has been good for what I've needed it for, but it has some clear panels on the rainfly so you can see the stars that gets brittle and cracks when it's used in freezing temperatures.
The one in the back is a Coleman 8-man tent.  Way too big for backpacking of course, but a great car camping tent.  I love the "D" door with it's pole in the door that makes it act like a hinge.  That way you can go in and out of the tent without wearing out the zipper.

SIZE

For scouts I like to get 3-4 man tents for backpacking.  Typically you can fit one less person comfortably than what it says you can fit.  So, our scout backpacking tents that are sized for 4 people, actually fit 3 people pretty well.  We have stuffed 4 scouts in there at times, but they weren't too excited about it.
Interestingly enough, a 4 man tent for the scouts, fits 2 adult leaders pretty good.  It's kind of weird, but adults don't like to be squished in together in tents.  They like a little more room.  So, the Ozark Trails tent that is pictured above is pretty good size for 2 adults.

WEIGHT

The lightest backpacking tent I have is the Eureka 2-man tent in the photo above.  It doesn't have a rain fly - the walls/roof of the tent act as the rain fly.  Since it doesn't have a rain fly, it weighs in just under 4 pounds.  It says it's 2-man, but that's pretty tight for 2 adults.  I guess you could squeeze 2 adults in there, but it's more for 1 adult, or a father and son.
The Scout backpacking tent in the picture above weighs about 8 pounds.  But if you were to split that up into 3 packs (with the poles in one, the tent in one, and the rainfly and tarp in one) then you'd be just over 2.5 pounds each.  That's a pretty good weight for a good size tent.
The Ozark Trail tent from Walmart is a 4 man tent as well, and it weighs almost 10 pounds.  I've used it on a few backpacking trips, but mostly use it for car camping since it's usually shared between me and another leader so if we split the weight we're still at 5 pounds each!

WINTER USE

When the tent says 3 seasons, from what I've seen, the main differences are that a winter tent has a more full rain fly (that covers the whole tent), and winter tents don't have sections of clear stuff in the rain fly.  These sections of clear material will crack if they get frozen.  Then your rain fly doesn't keep the rain out anymore.  If you can, buy the tents that are 4 season.  They're harder to find, but worth the buy.  I have been known to take packing tape and fix holes in the clear sections of rain fly's that have been frozen and cracked, but it's best to not have to deal with it.

All in all, scouts are hard on tents.  You can train all you want, but the tents get used a lot more than the average family tents, so they last less time than that.  The most important thing is to make sure the tent is dry when you put it away.  Nobody wants to sleep in a moldy tent, and the mold will actually eat holes into the tent fabric (had that happen once, it wasn't a happy day).  After each campout, set up the tent and dry it out completely (even if you thought it was dry before).

SELF STANDING

Some tents, like the Smiths Marketplace tent shown above, need to be staked down or they collapse.  If you don't stake it down solidly, it sags, or just falls down.  This can be quite a problem when you are camping  in the sand (where the stakes may not hold) or in a rocky area or somewhere with lots of roots (where you can't get the stakes in the ground).  If possible, I try to get tents that are self standing.  I still stake them down to make it stronger in the wind, but I want the tent to hold up even if I don't stake it.  That's just a personal preference, but it's what I try to do.

CONDENSATION

One problem I have not personally experienced, but someone I lent my Eureka tent to has, is problems with condensation on the inside of the tent.  I would have thought that with the air vents on either side of the tent, plus the large vestibule with a vented door, that you would have enough ventilation that you wouldn't have condensation problems.  But, apparently if you are up high in elevation, and if it gets cold enough, you can be soaked by morning (not a happy thing if you are up in the mountains in the cold).

My brother has the same tent, but with 2 vestibules (one on each of the long sides), and he hasn't had the problem with condensation.  But it's hard to find.  It's the Eureka Zeus 2 LE.

We've never had that problem with any of the other tents, so I guess it must be the air vent on the top that it is lacking.  Since the tent is the rainfly, it doesn't have a vent on the top of the tent.  Try to get a tent with sufficient ventilation low and up high in the tent.

FOOTPRINT / GROUND TARP

Spend the extra $ to get either a cheap tarp or a custom made footprint for your tent.  It will protect the bottom of the tent and make it last longer.  It will also give your air mattress a better chance of surviving the night, adding an additional layer between the mattress and whatever is on the ground.

HAMMOCK

Another option is to sleep in a hammock.  I have written a post on Hammock camping HERE.  In essence, you're taking a hammock instead of the tent, but you still need your sleeping bag, and possibly a pad to insulate you from the cold.  Check out the link for more information.

BACK TO BACKPACKING OVERNIGHTER

Backpacking Overnighter

One of the easiest, and sometimes most rewarding trips you can go on is just an overnighter where you backpack 2-5 miles into the mountains to spend the night.  You don't need food to last a week like you would need for a week-long trip, and sometimes you can get away with less equipment as well.  One stove will get you through, or even better, use a small campfire to cook your food.  Use tents, or try doing a little minimalist camping and just use a tarp and sleeping bag.

Imagine your scouts carrying everything they needed for the night in a backpack and hiking 5 miles up a trail.  You'll find that some things they might think are important in the "city" aren't as important in the mountains.
Also, don't think you need to get the most expensive, fancy backpacks there are out there.  The bigger they are, the more weight you'll end up carrying.  The more comfortable they are, the more weight you'll carry.  Your goal should be to carry less weight.

Just a simple, square tent seems to work best for us.  We like the 3-4 man tents (and we usually put 3 in it, 4 is too tight), and aluminum poles are nice because they are more lightweight, and seem to hold up better to wind and abuse.

Click on a link below for more information on each:

Tents
Stoves
Backpacks
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Pads
Backpacking Foods
Shoes

Backpacking Stoves

Backpacking stoves are an interesting subject where different people have completely different opinions.  So I'll offer my opinion on the pros and cons of each of the ones below, but understand that it's my opinion based on my camping experiences.  Below is a photo of the 3 backpacking stoves I have access to.  The one on the left is our troop's stove, made by Coleman.  The middle one is mine, and it's also made by Coleman.  The one on the right is a woodgas stove that burns wood instead of gas.  Each of the stoves below cost approximately the same ($50-$80, depending on where you get it).

The 3 stoves I have access to

So, the first one is a Coleman Featherlight Exponent backpacking stove.  It will run off of white gas, unleaded gas, or kerosene.  I don't picture using the kerosene feature much, but the white gas and unleaded makes it so that if you run out of white gas you can siphon gas out of a stranded vehicle and still cook food.  It's fairly small, but not the lightest thing out there.  It weighs 24 oz empty and gives out 7,500 Btu's of heat on high.  Tank holds .34 L and will burn for 1.5 hours.

Coleman Featherlight Exponent Stove

Here's my first stove.  It's a Coleman Dual Fuel 533.  It will burn white gas or unleaded as well, but not kerosene.  It is larger than the Exponent (above), and weighs 14.5 ounces more as well at 38.5 oz.  It has a larger tank (0.52 L) which will provide 10,500 Btu's (high) for 1.75 hours.

Coleman Dual Fuel 533 Stove

Here's my new stove (below).  I got it from THIS WEBSITE.  It's called a Biomass Wood gas Stove.  It burns wood, but has a fan run by 2 AA Batteries that allows you to burn the wood gas at a more consistent rate.  At high it gives off 10,500 Btu's and at low it gives 5,000 Btu's.  Unfortunately it's either high or low, nothing in between.  But, you don't need any gas, just batteries, and 2 AA Batteries are supposed to last 10 hours on high or 11 hours on low.

Biomass Wood Gas Stove

Let's see, compared to the stove above that would be: 10 hours/1.75 hours = 5.7, and 0.52L x 5.7 = 2.9 L of gas needed to burn for 10 hours on the Coleman Dual Fuel Stove!  Thats approximately 3 quarts of fuel, weighing a total of 6 pounds!


So, weight of Coleman Stove (38.5 oz) + weight of fuel to burn for 10 hours (6 pounds) = 8.4 pounds!
While the weight of the Wood Gas Stove is 1.6 pounds (battery and carrying bag included)!  That's 6.8 pounds less!

Plus, white gas is about $9 per gallon right now.  1 Gallon gas will burn (on high with the dual fuel stove) for approximately 13.3 hours.  While with two sets of 2-AA Batteries you can burn for 20 hours.  What do AA Batteries cost now, maybe $4 for a set of 4?  So, for the same cost as the gas ($9), you could burn your wood gas stove for approximately 40-50 HOURS (instead of 13 hours).

So, suffice it to say that I'm pretty excited about using it.  I have tried it out in the backyard and it worked great there, but I'd love to take it on a backpacking trip (I'll go on at least one this spring) and compare it side by side with the Coleman Stoves.

As I've stated in earlier posts, I like the white gas stoves because the white gas will work at lower temperatures much better than propane, or some of the other gases out there.  I've been on camping trips when people have had the butane tanks or whatever that come pre-pressurized and ready to go - simple, right?  But then some of the tanks would only use up about 1/2 of the gas.  We could tell there was more in there, but it wouldn't come out.  With white gas, you can open the lid and see how much is in there (and you know how much you put in there, you don't have to guess on your next trip how much is actually in the half used tank), and you know you can get it all out.

A word of caution:  If there is a ban on open fires in your wilderness area, you can't use the wood gas stove.  You'll have to use the Coleman stove or another of your choice.

BACK TO BACKPACKING

365 Nights Camping?

So, my wife was emailed a link to a blog by a lady who cooked with a slow cooker each day for dinner for a year, trying out different types of recipes and stuff.

Hmm. . .  That got me thinking.  I could do that with my blog!  

I could go camping every night for a whole year, and write about my experiences!  I could try out different types of tents, pads, sleeping bags, hammocks, etc. and write about my experience with each one.

So, I asked my wife what she thought about that, and told her how excited I was about it, and well, she wasn't too excited.  She reminded me that we have 5 children and a dog (he could sleep with me though, right?), AND that we have a basement that we're trying to finish, AND that I'm studying to pass an 8 hour exam for work, AND that she and I are interviewing and writing my Grandpa's life story and we've got to get it done in the next month so that we can get it to the publishers and have it finished by his 90th Birthday in May, AND that I need to spend time with her (I just assumed that she would be camping with me for the 365 days, but I guess not), AND, AND, AND, etc.  Yeah, she keeps me grounded.

BUT, instead of doing it all in one year, I've decided to try to get to 365 days by the time I turn 40!  So, I've got less than 7 years to camp another lets see, 365 - 259 = 106 nights.  I'll just call that 16 nights per year.  So, let's see if this is doable.  This year I have planned a week long camp with High Adventure with the Varsity's and Venturers, and a week long camp with my family.  Add to that at least 6 more monthly overnighters and I'll have my 16 nights this year.  So, each year I need to go on:

• 1 week-long camp with the scouts (5 nights)
• 1 week-long camp with my family (5 nights)
• 6 overnighters with the scouts (at least).  We typically do:
• snow cave Camping in February
• 2-night campout during spring break
• overnighter backpacking in May
• overnighter backpacking in June
• overnighter in October
• hot springs campout in November

That's 17 nights a year.  If I can keep that up, then I can cover for years where there are less camping.  Then by the time I'm 40 I will have spent 1/40th of my life's nights under the stars!  That's something to work towards!

Check out "My Camping Stats" on the upper left side of the site to see how I'm coming on my goal!

BTW, I have some campouts that I went on when I was really young, but I'm only counting campouts where I was old enough to remember.

Canyoneering

Canyoneering is AWESOME!  Especially if you're in slot canyons that require rappelling gear and wading or swimming in water!  We've done our fair share of canyons in Southern Utah.  Each one has it's own beauty, and challenges to overcome.  Some are in red rock, others in tan sandstone.  Some have bolted anchors, and for others we have to make our own anchors (that's awesome when you can make your own anchor out of what's up there, and be able to pull it all down after the last rappeller - leaving no trace!)

Canyoneering in beautiful red rock country

Most canyons have anchors bolted to the wall.  Test them before trusting them, but don't add more bolts.  Use natural anchors if there isn't a trustworthy bolt in place

Hiking canyons are fun too.  It's amazing to hike through a canyon with shear walls on either side of you!

On a hike to a canyon, I was the last in line of 10 people.  I noticed this rattlesnake just 18 inches off the trail that everyone had walked along but nobody noticed.  Keep your eyes open, most canyon territory is also rattlesnake territory

It's thrilling to set up your own anchors and set them in such a way that you can pull them down after you go down.  This one involved over 100 feet of webbing and 3 ropes, but it all came down when we pulled on it after the last rappeller.

Doesn't this look fun?   I've done it once when the water was flowing.  I'll tell you what, it was a rush to rappel down through a waterfall!

Be aware of the weather.  Flash floods can happen because of storms miles upriver of where you are.  If there's any chance of a flash flood, don't risk it.  We had just finished the canyon here, when an afternoon thundershower (with hail) hit.  It was awesome to see the waterfalls falling off the cliffs around us, but we were glad we were in a wider section of the canyon.

A quick note about Canyoneering and BSA.  In our BSA Council, you're required to do a 3 day training before you can take boys climbing and or rappelling.  Recently, they just added to that an additional 5 day training if you want to take boys canyoneering.  Which makes it so our troop can't don canyoneering trips anymore because I don't have the time to take off an additional 5 days from work so that I can get canyoneering trained (oh, and I believe the training last 2 years and then you have to renew it).

So, what happens if you have someone who hasn't ever done any rappelling or climbing, but they think the boys will like doing it.  So they (having more vacation time than me) go through the 3 day climbing training and then the 5 day canyoneering training, and then all of the sudden they are "qualified" to take boys canyoneering where they will be setting up multiple rappels, sometimes off of bolts, sometimes off of natural anchors, and each rappel needs to be set up so that the rope can be pulled down afterwards.  You don't know what you're going to encounter till you do the canyon - and even then it's constantly changing so you'll have to change your plans each time you go.  I wouldn't trust my boys with a leader who has spent only 8 days in training.  He may have training smarts, but does he have canyon smarts?

I have been climbing and rappelling since I was 14 years old.  I've been canyoneering for 10 years.  I have the experience, and the training to take scouts through canyons.  I do my studying before taking them so I know how difficult the canyon will be and what my scouts abilities are - then I don't take them through canyons they can't handle.  I've taken scouts and youth groups through dozens of canyons and so far we haven't had any casualties, or even injuries more than blisters on feet.  But, since I don't have enough vacation time to do a 5 day canyoneering training, my scouts won't be able to do anymore canyons.

Sorry, just had to vent for a bit.

Lessons Learned from Canyoneering with Scouts