Spring Camporee ‘07 November 28, 2006
Posted by Jim Galley [ASM] in : events , comments closedWhen: April 20-22
Where: Huntington
Board of Review November 21, 2006
Posted by Jim Galley [ASM] in : events , comments closedHarriman Campout: Plans - what plans? November 19, 2006
Posted by Jim Galley [ASM] in : general , comments closed
"Plans are worthless, but planning is everything"
In 1957, Dwight D. Eisenhower made a speech in Washington, DC. to underscore the importance of adjusting plans to suit the situation at hand - and to be prepared to do so. Troop 565 faced many mid course corrections during this annual trip to Harriman - and came up with a workable solution each time. The troop started out the trip following the wrong trail, but since everyone had maps, was able to come up with an alternative route to get everyone safely to our destination. Some scouts overpacked, but others stepped in and distributed the load amongst the patrol. When the troop arrived at the planned campsite, another troop had claimed it, so the scouts switched to plan B and hiked to another site. And finally, when some scouts (and scoutmasters) needed some extra time to navigate the steep inclines and rock faces on the ridge while other scouts needed to get home early, the scouts made a wise decision to split the troop (scoutmasters included) into two groups so everyone could have a good time and still meet prior obligations. All in all, an impressive show of decision making.
Pictures can be found here. Next up, Alpine.
Webelos Woods - who has my cup? November 7, 2006
Posted by Jim Galley [ASM] in : general , comments closed
As expected, the scouts did a wonderful job helping out the Baiting Hollow Scout Camp by running two training stations. Kudos also go to the patrols who are starting to expand their culinary skills and trying their hand at cooking steaks and potatoes for dinner.
Everyone was having a wonderful time till - horrors! - one of the scouts recently purchased hot chocolate cup went missing. Here is a picture for all to see - if you happen to see it roaming the streets, please bring it to Mondays meeting and it will be reunited with its distraught owner. Asst Scoutmasters Galley and Lynch believe it was last seen hitched to a tow truck, where it most likely got shipped off to a chop shop, put up on blocks, repainted green, and relogo’ed as a girl scout cup.
Of course, other pictures of the campout can be viewed here. This was the first winter campout of the season, so the newer scouts got a taste of what it is like to be sleeping out in near freezing conditions. For the upcoming Harriman and Alpine campouts, closer attention is needed on what clothes are best suited for cold weather. Remember - cotton clothing is the wrong type of material for winter campouts: make sure that thermals and socks are wool or poly blend materials.
Cotton and winter camping November 7, 2006
Posted by Jim Galley [ASM] in : general , comments closed
There’s a common saying in the hiking / camping community that "cotton kills." The history behind this has to do with moisture management in cold and cool conditions. In fact, there is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing cotton when you can stay dry and warm. The problem is, it is much harder to stay dry and warm when hiking than most people think.
Problems with cotton occur when the cotton gets wet. Cotton does not wick moisture and can become abrasive when wet. When this happens you must watch out for blisters and packsores esp with cotton socks (Vinny, take note). Because it holds so much moisture, it can hold that moisture against your body and sap extra warmth from you. This can quickly lead to hypothermia. Cotton also gets heavy. If you wear cotton while hiking, you generally need to carry more "emergency" clothing in case your cotton does get wet (sweat, rain, or falling in while fording a river will all get you wet).
Likewise, silk loses it’s insulative properties when it gets wet and does not wick like modern hydrophobic fabrics.
Wool, on the other hand, will stay "relatively" warmer when wet but will absorb a great deal of moisture and become heavy. It will certainly shed water for some period of time, but if you get truly soaked, even the natural wool will hold a great deal more water than comparable synthetic fleece.
All of these fabrics take much longer to dry once wet than comparably weighted synthetic fabrics.
Remember this when you are packing for a winter trip: being cold can ruin a trip experience - sometimes seriously. Be prepared, and you will have an enjoyable experience.
