Scoutmaster

Caldera Cone Stove

The Caldera Cone stove and windscreen system is getting high marks for improving on the home made soda can stove. Weighing in at two or three ounces (excluding fuel) this is a featherweight packs a real punch.

By completely enclosing the pot and stove into the Caldera Cone, and fine tuning the Caldera Cooker to work in that environment, you are now able to milk every last BTU out of your fuel and funnel it onto all sides of your pot. Not only does the cone system optimize your fuel usage, but its wide base provides the most stable system on the market. And if that weren't enough, by totaly enclosing the pot and stove, nothing performs better in the wind. Period.

Manufactured by Trail Designs
Reviews at Backpacking Light
Reviews at Backpacking Gear Test
From Tom Mangan at Two Wheel Drive

Kohte - German Scout Tent

An earlier post about the Flickr Pioneering pool featured a picture of a giant tent complex.
A reader named Dan commented;

The tent you are looking at are standard German scout tents. Each scout carries a panel and when they reach the destination for camp they put the pieces together.

These tents are called 'khote' and are based on the shape and function of the Saami tipi-like reindeer skin tent. The Saami (sometimes called Laplanders) are the indigenous people of Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. (Ref. wikipedia)

Eberhard Koebel opinionated a design that incorporates several smaller canvas panels that are carried by individual scout as and assembled when they reach the campsite.

The panels are available in different sizes and configurations that can be assembled in many different ways.

Die-Kohte features some pictures and history (link to translated site)

Pfadfinder-rott has even more information (link to translated site)

Zelte und Zubehor sells the individual panels and complete kohten

Google Earth and Google Maps

A post at The Goat alerted me to a new feature available in Google Earth :

A new feature in Google Earth shows hundreds of hiking and biking trails across the US, and it allows users to add and rate new trails. You can send the trail info to your cell phone and plot the hike if you’re running a GPS-enabled phone. To see the new hiking trails courtesy of Trimble Outdoors and Backpacker Magazine, just turn on Google Earth and look under the Featured Content in the Layers pane. With all this technology, pretty soon I won’t even have to leave my computer to go hiking.

Google Earth is availble to download for free and is a great resource for planning outings. Depending on the resolution of the satellite imagery (it varies depending on what area you are viewing) it is possible to zoom in extraordinarily close.  for example much of the area we visit annually on our Canadian canoe trip is at a high enough resolution that I can estimate mileage, the relative difficulty of portages and the location of campsites. I have found that using  Google Earth along side topographic maps I can get an excellent visualization of the conditions we are likely to encounter.

Google Maps is another great resource for trip planning. Unlike Google Earth  it is browser based and does not require downloading a program. Satellite imagery available there has been helpful in pinpointing locations and directions for our outings. The recent addition of my maps also provides a way to link or email custom maps to share with Scouts and their parents as a set of directions and as a record of trips.

An helpful overview of Google Maps for new users is available at this Google Maps Tour. Be sure to look at the My Maps User Guide.

I haven't made the jump to GPS yet, but both Google Earth and Google Maps integrate GPS data for those of you who use it.

Related Information on the Scoutmaster Blog;

Scouts and Backpacking

Trail Information

Choosing a Backpacking Route

Naismiths Rule of Hiking

 

Flamingos, Gnomes and a Whoopie Cushion

Pacific Outdoor makes some lighthearted camping accessories. Add a rubber nose and you are good to go! (They also make some highly rated sleeping pads.)

In our quest for ultralite, redundancy eliminating equipment we've created the world's first (and finest) Pack Flamingo. We started with a 7000 series Aluminum tent-peg leg. The body is ultralite and tough 50D nylon diamond rip, with an ultalight PU valve. Use it to hold your tarp or tent to the ground, prop your head up as a pillow, decorate the outback, or take a flock along to talk to on your next solo. Not pink flamingos, Pack-Flamingos. Packed in flocks of 4.  Flamingos at Amazon

Going Solo? Our Party of Pack Gnomes will keep you company wherever you are. Keep an eye on your snacks though, they're sneaky. Traveling in parties of four. Gnomes at Amazon

Need protection for your campsite and something to hold down the four corners of your tent or tarp? Pick our favorite combinanimal, the Liger. Ligers weigh in at a scant 1.5oz each and prowl camp in a pride of 4. Built from our 50D DRS nylon and perched atop our 7000 series aluminum tent peg. Strong, solid, and magical. The liger (according to Wikipedia) is a hybrid cross between a male Panthera leo (lion), and a female Panthera tigris (Tiger) and is denoted scientifically as Panthera tigris ... Ligers at Amazon

Palm trees for your tent pegs. Pack palms make a nice backdrop for your flock of pack Flamingos or for a little tropical flare on your next trans-sierra ski tour. The trunk is our stout 7000-series Aluminum tent peg , while the fronds are ultralight 50D DRS Nylon. Forest of 4. Palms at Amazon

Hippies are better stuck in the ground than crashing on your couch! Built with our new renewable bamboo fabric.

Picture this: Your tent is pitched in a picturesque camp site. Your bags are out on top of your mat, and your partner grabs their tooth brush and heads out to prep for bed. Here's your chance! Slip the WVA out of your pack and onto the valve of your buddy’s sleeping pad and open the valve. Then lay in wait and try to keep a straight face in anticipation of the moment they hit the mat and let ‘er rip!

What's a piñata for? Keeping treats just out of reach. The pack piñata keeps your back country treats just out of the reach of bears and other campsite critters. Based on our Pneumo 25, the Piñata integrates a hang tab, cord and throw bag for easy deployment. Hang it straight out over a limb, do a double draw, or whatever the situation may demand. Piñata prints to liven up the campsite. Fully compressible and waterproof for the ultimate food bag performance in or out of your pack.

Mental Health Awareness for Scoutmasters

I recall this story in the context of the killings at Virginia Tech last week.
I am not claiming that we averted a similar tragedy but I have to wonder if my Scout's behavior could have escalated to more serious actions if it went unchecked or unchallenged.

Several years ago I was approached by an upset parent who's son had been physically attacked by another Scout during an outing I was unable to attend.

After speaking with the Scouts involved it was clear that the incident was a physical overreaction to verbal provocation. Both Scouts obviously needed to modify their behavior. I was especially concerned about the Scout who physically attacked the other because this was the second time he had been a part of a physical confrontation.

This Scout was a high achiever (he would go on to become an Eagle) but had clear signs of being unable to control his actions. Worse yet he felt perfectly justified in reacting physically and said that he would do it again in the same circumstances. He was intelligent and mature enough to know that this was not the way to handle problems yet his anger caused him to see it as the only course of action he had left.

I shared these concerns with his father and told him that I would not allow the Scout to participate in any other functions until he had undergone some counseling.

Predictably his father first felt I was overreacting to a "boys will be boys" incident. But my decision was not based on finding fault - it was based on my concern that his son could probably use some assistance  sorting out what was causing these problems. The boy was miserable and conflicted, he was clearly having some difficulties. Frankly I was afraid for him.

In the end his father agreed, the counselor reported that they were successful in assisting the Scout and things went back to normal. The two Scouts managed to get along and both went on to become Eagles.

What can Scoutmasters learn from this story and the Virginia Tech tragedy? read on...

MyScouting

A promising new web resource from the BSA - MyScouting

Coming in late Spring, 2007, "MyScouting" will be a portal for our members that will provide access to the following resources:

• Tour Permit Applications- Members will be able to apply for tour permits via an online system that will completely automate the approval process and provide for prompt electronic delivery of approved permits.
• E-Learning - The E-Learning Course Management System provides a selection of courses that may be taken for credit by our members. Currently a separate system, e-learning will be integrated into each member's portal account.
• My Account - Members will have direct access to their data in our information systems, enabling them to update or make corrections at any time to keep our records accurate across all systems. ...

And More! After the initial launch of the "MyScouting" portal, we will continue to work on additional applications and services that will support and enhance our members as they administer and experience the Scouting program.

Special Needs Scouting

Scoutbase UK (United Kingdom) has an extensive and growing Library of Fact Sheets that may be downloaded in PDF format free of charge. The section on Special Needs Scouting is particularly useful;

From Managing Behaviour:

What is the ‘praise’ or ‘blame’ culture of your Group like? You may want to look at whether the atmosphere is full of criticism or a constant reinforcing of acceptable behaviour. ‘Thank you’ and ‘Well done’ need to be heard (and meant) when talking to young people and between Leaders too. Remember too that it is the behaviour which is unacceptable, rather than the young person and provide opportunities for them to have good behaviour acknowledged. Avoid labelling individuals as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, referring rather to acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. This helps everyone to focus on what the problem is and deal with it.

From Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD or ADD):

Flexibility is important and taking a break may prove very successful, especially where the individual can take time out themselves when they recognise a problem escalating – this needs to be seen as a positive – recognising their own need and taking steps to address it.

From Downs Syndrome:

It must be explained that although the list of physical needs may seem daunting, not all young people with Down Syndrome have all the problems at once, if at all. Many will have learnt to deal with the problems in their own way. Learn from the individual by being with them and together you will be able to bring out the best. Obvious benefits will accrue from keeping in close contact with the family and keeping them informed of the young person’s progress.

Special Needs Scouting  at Scoutbase UK

Relevant posts on the Scoutmnaster Blog

Michael - Downs Syndrome and Scouting

Developmental Disabilities? - Help in understanding cognitive differences

Flickr Pioneering

Peter at Ropes & Poles has discovered the Flickr Scout Pioneering pool set up by Michael Beat from Switzerland. There are around 330 photographs in this pool, and it's growing rapidly.
Take a look at pictures of pioneering projects from the ordinary to the incredible like this giant tent complex:

Merit Badge Counseling Quiz

  Erik Moeller at the Boy Scouts Site has a great interactive quiz on merit badge counseling:

• When can a Merit Badge Counselor counsel his/her own relative?
• A Scout receives a "partial completion" for a merit badge at summer camp. Who can sign off on the completion of the merit badge?
• When can a Merit Badge Counselor counsel his/her own relative?
• How often must the Merit Badge Counselor list be renewed?
• How many merit badges may a Scout take with one Merit Badge Counselor?
• How many merit badges may one individual counsel?
• A Scout receives a "partial completion" for a merit badge at summer camp.   How long does he have to complete the merit badge?

Every Scouter should know these answers cold, it will save a lot of fuss and bother. I got eight out of ten(!?) the first time through (dang it).

Link

Hoop Jumping

Scouts, unlike trained dogs, should not have to jump through hoops.

I have heard repeatedly, and unfortunately advocated for a time, some of these  hoops;

"Scouts should go over and above the rank requirements, they should really know their stuff."

"Eagle projects should take a minimum of X hours."

"Active membership or leadership means X number of meetings or camp outs"

"Troops should police the quality of merit badge instruction through boards of review for merit badge work"

Requirements towards ranks and merit badges are written carefully and the overall standard is a Scout's best effort- nothing more nothing less - no hoops allowed.

Community service, Eagle projects, leadership tenure; all the parameters are written down - no hoops allowed.