Vol. 1, No. 4
In this Issue:
Choosing a Tent
Proper Waste Disposal
Outdoor Essentials (Part 2)
Summer is coming, and with it endless opportunities for Scout adventures. So tune up the tent,
review the best ways to deal with backcountry hygiene, and check the Scout Basic Essentials. Then
hit the trail for magnificent times in the great outdoors.
Choosing a Tent
Tents come in many shapes and sizes. Follow these guidelines to find the one that's right for you.
The Seasons of Tents
Lots of tents are designed for three-season use -- spring, summer, and autumn. A four-season tent is
built for any weather including the cold and snow of winter.
Tents for One, Two, Four and More
A two-person tent is often the best choice for backpacking and for patrol and troop campouts. You
and a buddy can divide up the poles and pieces of the tent to share the weight in your packs.
Want privacy? One-person tents shed weight by being tailored to accommodate a single sleeping
bag.
Tents large enough for four, six, or even eight Scouts might be perfect for district camporees and
council camps. Too heavy to carry on your back, big tents are best for campgrounds that can be
reached by vehicle.
Eureka! Timberline 2 Tent
Kelty® Trail Dome 6 Tent
Tents for the Times
Long-distance backpackers on the Pacific Crest, Appalachian, and Continental Divide Trails use ultralight tents that shave ounces off pack weight.
Winter camping at Northern Tier High Adventure Base? The added weight of a four-season tent can
make your nights cozy and calm.
Sometimes a lightweight tarp is all you need to keep the dew off your sleeping bag during a warmweather campout.
Choosing and Using the Perfect Tent
1.Try It On
Set up a tent at your local Scout Shop and crawl inside. Is it wide enough? Long enough? Can you sit
up? Does it feel like a place where you'd want to spend nights in camp and a few stormy afternoons?
2.Test It Out
Practice pitching your tent in your back yard or during troop meetings. That way you'll know just what
to do when you reach a campsite.
3.Treat It Right
Tents are tough but not indestructible. Put a ground cloth underneath to shield the floor from moisture
and abrasion. Leave your boots outside.
Shake any debris from your tent as you break camp. If it is damp, set up the tent as soon as you get
home and store it only when it is completely clean and dry.
Why the Fly?
Most modern tents are made of nylon and most have a fly -- a tailored tarp -- fitted over it. The fly is
waterproof while the tent body is not. Moisture from your breath passes through the fabric of the tent
body, keeping the interior of your shelter dry. Raindrops will roll off the fly, keeping outside moisture
away from you, too.
The Spitfire Tent
Spitfire 2 Tent
For more information on choosing the right tent, consult Be Prepared® Hiking & Backpacking, DK
Publishing Inc
Proper Waste Disposal
"Does a bear poop in the woods?" asks the Boy Scout Fieldbook. "Yes, it does," the manual answers,
"and so do we."
If There's a Facility, Use It
Does your campground have restrooms with running water? Great. Where there is no plumbing, there
might be an outhouse -- a small shelter with a seat featuring one or two holes over a deep pit.
Don't put anything into a latrine other than human waste and toilet paper. Trash needlessly fills latrines
much too quickly. Food scraps and dishwater can attract animals, and that can be unhealthy for them.
No Facilities? Bury It
When you're on the trail or in a camp with no outhouse or latrine, find a secluded spot at least 200 feet
from streams, lakes, and other water sources and use a trowel or the heel of your shoe to dig a cat hole
about six inches into the soil -- the organic layer with microorganisms that can break down waste.
Refill the hole with soil after you're done, and replace pine needles, twigs, or other ground cover.
Can't Bury It? Pack It Out
If the agency managing the area you're visiting says you need to carry out everything you bring in,
look on it as an engineering challenge, a fine adventure, and a Good Turn for the environment.
Boaters running wild rivers often carry rocket boxes -- ammunition boxes lined with plastic bags for
containing human waste. After putting a toilet seat atop the box for comfortable use, the box can be
sealed and taken by raft to the next night's campsite. The filled plastic bags must be properly discarded
at the end of the trip.
Mountain rock and snow can make waste disposal complicated, especially on crowded routes.
Climbers reaching some high camps on Mt. Rainier in the Washington Cascades find outhouses with
seats opening over big plastic barrels. When the barrels are full, National Park Service helicopters lift
them off the mountain.
No helicopter? You can use a Pack-It-Out Kit that includes a sheet of paper with a target drawn on it.
After depositing waste on the paper, carefully stow it in a small paper bag containing a handful of cat
litter.
The bag can then be placed in a length of lightweight plastic pipe that, with a lid at each end, will be
easy to pack out of the backcountry. (Check the BSA Fieldbook for full instructions.)
What About Toilet Paper?
Ask local land-managers how to dispose of paper when there is no latrine.
Some will instruct you to bury it well enough so that animals won't dig it up. Others will suggest putting
it into a self-sealing plastic bag and packing it to the trailhead. That can be especially important on
winter campouts when the ground is frozen and covered with snow.
Three Rules for Staying Healthy
The Fieldbook gives three rules for staying healthy, especially after relieving yourself outdoors:
1. Wash Your Hands.
2. Wash Your Hands.
3. Wash Your Hands.
Soap and water will do the trick. So can waterless hand sanitizers.
For more information on proper waste disposal, consult Chapter 9, "Hygiene and Waste Disposal," of
the BSA Fieldbook, Fourth Edition.
Outdoor Essentials (Part 2)
The April Be Prepared® newsletter explored the first five of the BSA's Outdoor Essentials -- items to
carry on every Scout adventure -- Pocketknife, First Aid Kit, Extra Clothing, Rain Gear, and Water
Bottle.
This month's newsletter reviews the final five -- Flashlight, Trail Food, Matches and Fire Starters, Sun
Protection, and Map and Compass.
Flashlight
A flashlight can show you the way home if you're caught on the trail after dark. The
Mag Lite Flashlight doesn't weigh much and casts a strong beam. Headlamps will
leave your hands free as you set up camp, read a book, or respond to late-night
emergencies.
Trail Food
The energy boost of a trail snack can power you through any outdoor activity. Easily-packed
possibilities include trail mix, nuts, energy bars, dried fruit, and hard candy.
Matches and Fire Starters
Lighting a fire can liven an evening in camp, especially if the weather turns bad. A
butane lighter stowed in a plastic bag is an ideal flame source. So are wooden
kitchen matches in a waterproof container. Practice kindling campfires where they
are permitted, and you'll be ready to build a blaze in an emergency.
Sun Protection
Enjoy the outdoors, but guard against harmful effects of solar radiation. Sunscreen
can shield your skin from burning. Lip balm containing sunscreen will help guard
against damage.
A broad-brimmed hat, long-sleeved shirt, and long pants will deflect the sun's rays.
Protect your eyes with sunglasses, especially when travelling on snow.
Map and Compass
Knowing where you are going is important. Knowing how to get back home again
is vital. In unfamiliar country, you'll always want to have a map and a compass to
show you the way.
As you travel in areas you know well, a compass in your pocket means you can
have fun taking bearings, orienting your map, pinpointing your location, and
becoming a master at charting routes.
For more information on proper waste disposal, consult Chapter 11, "Gearing Up," of the BSA
Fieldbook, Fourth Edition.