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Showing posts with label Cold Weather Camping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cold Weather Camping. Show all posts
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Sunday, January 13, 2013
January 18-19 Varsity Scout Campout
Varsity Scout Campout
When: Friday & Saturday, January 18-19, 2013
Where: Cabin in the Strawberry area
Time: 6:00 PM departing from church and returning on Saturday at around 2:00 PM
Preparation:
- Come dressed for winter weather gear for snow shoeing, cross-country skiing, and sledding.
- Have dinner before you leave on Friday and bring snacks for that night.
- You can bring your own breakfast. The cabin like your house has amenities to cook your breakfast.
- Games and spiritual activities are planned.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Winter Camping resources
Here are some ideas to help simplify planning for your next winter campout. These were shared in the recent Varsity Huddle.
8 simple tips for a comfortable winter camp
- Preparation (mental and physical) for boys and adult leaders.
- Burn calories to stay warm—eat lots of calories.
- Closed-cell foam pad for sleeping, standing, sitting, etc.
- Hot water bottles at night in sleeping bag (Nalgene work best).
- Layer clothing – bring a complete change of clothing (especially with snow caves).
- Bring an extra sleeping bag, tarp, or blanket for extra warmth.
- Sleep with a Beanie.
- When building snow caves – take two days to build them.
Resources
Places to go
- City Weekly article – Has information about Big Cottonwood Canyon, American Fork Canyon, Spanish Fork Canyon, Strawberry Reservoir, Mirror Lake Highway, East Canyon, Rockport State Park.
- Utah National Parks Council – Maple Dell or Frandsen Scout Ranch. Overnight packages include activities, equipment and food.
Winter Camping Info
- Basic tips for staying warm
- Outdoor Action Guide to Winter Camping – A very thorough guide to preparing for winter camping. Includes information on clothing, food, shelter and gear tips.
- Outdoor Action Guide to Snow Shelters – Good illustrations for different types of snow shelters.
- Okpik Participant Handbook (pdf) – a prep guide for people attending a Boy Scout Okpik camp. Can be applied to any winter camp.
- Okpik: Cold-Weather Camping – a Boy Scout book available from ScoutStuff.org for $10. Also available free as a pdf (scanned images). May or may not be at the Orem Service Center.
- Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills - A book recommended as a general outdoor reference. Amazon, Wikipedia
Activity ideas
- Ice fishing
- Hiking/Snow-shoeing
- Cross-country skiing
- Fire building competitions
- Build a sled to haul gear
- Shelter building – see link in Winter Camping Info section above for different types
- Animal tracking
- Lion hunting game (#4 at http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/games/b-p/tracking.htm)
- Snowshoe soccer
- Fox and Geese
- Track and Snow – set up a hurdles course using piles of snow. Can have contests for speed or height.
- Biathlon
- Hot springs near Fillmore
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Cold Weather Camping
By: Matt Sorenson (Scoutmaster) January 3, 2013
We are planning our next camp out this Friday. We'll meet at the chapel at 4:00 pm, will leave at 4:15 sharp. We will park at Tibble Fork reservoir and walk into Granite Flat campground.
The overnight lows are expected to rise slightly by Friday to 10-15 degrees. Given the snow we will be strictly enforcing the no cotton rule.
As usual, boys will be responsible for their own water (1 liter plus cooking water, if needed). This is less water since we aren't hiking very far. They should bring dinner and breakfast. No individually wrapped candy.
Despite the bitter cold, if they are prepared they will be fine. As always, Dads are welcome!
The weather reports I'm watching are showing Alta with a low near 10 degrees on Friday night. I use Alta as a reference point of similar elevation as the Granite Flat campground. I'm expecting it to be in the single digits. I hope it is only that cold but it could be minus a few degrees. The Scouts in Minnesota typically called off camping when the temps reached -10 or wind chill reached -20. I'll use the same thresholds here.
I trust that each of us, properly prepared, will be safe.
We've camped out in similar during the past two winters without incident.
A zero degree rated bag in zero degree weather will prevent frostbite if kept dry inside a tent. There might be a shiver or two in the predawn hours but no physical harm will be done. However, this is not a camp out for a sleeping rating anything higher than zero degrees. If your Scout doesn't have one available he should not attend this camp out. Make sure they know how to operating the drawstrings on their mummy bags so they can cinch the bag down over their head and around their shoulders to prevent heat loss. Practice this at home. Teach them to identify the different-sized drawstrings by feel, so they can do it in the dark. The temperature inside a tent with 3-4 boys in it will probably be in the mid 20s even when zero degrees outside.
Hand and foot warmers will probably be worth their weight in gold.
Put fresh batteries in all lights, the cold will sap their power when old or half used up.
If you don't feel your Scout is properly prepared for the cold, please keep him home. This includes physically as well as mentally. I don't have any reservations about any of our boys, as long as they bring the proper equipment. I suggest 1 extra layer on top of what they normally wear. I'll wear an two pair of socks on my feet and have two pair dry, on hand just in case.
They should wear a hat and even a face mask, ski mask, or other protection for nose and cheeks, although we will have plenty of wood for a good, roaring fire.
We'll do a rigorous pack check before we leave to ensure safety.
It is a great sense of accomplishment for a young man to face the elements and learn the value of preparation, endurance and self reliance. Chances are he will still have fun.
We are planning our next camp out this Friday. We'll meet at the chapel at 4:00 pm, will leave at 4:15 sharp. We will park at Tibble Fork reservoir and walk into Granite Flat campground.
The overnight lows are expected to rise slightly by Friday to 10-15 degrees. Given the snow we will be strictly enforcing the no cotton rule.
As usual, boys will be responsible for their own water (1 liter plus cooking water, if needed). This is less water since we aren't hiking very far. They should bring dinner and breakfast. No individually wrapped candy.
Despite the bitter cold, if they are prepared they will be fine. As always, Dads are welcome!
The weather reports I'm watching are showing Alta with a low near 10 degrees on Friday night. I use Alta as a reference point of similar elevation as the Granite Flat campground. I'm expecting it to be in the single digits. I hope it is only that cold but it could be minus a few degrees. The Scouts in Minnesota typically called off camping when the temps reached -10 or wind chill reached -20. I'll use the same thresholds here.
I trust that each of us, properly prepared, will be safe.
We've camped out in similar during the past two winters without incident.
A zero degree rated bag in zero degree weather will prevent frostbite if kept dry inside a tent. There might be a shiver or two in the predawn hours but no physical harm will be done. However, this is not a camp out for a sleeping rating anything higher than zero degrees. If your Scout doesn't have one available he should not attend this camp out. Make sure they know how to operating the drawstrings on their mummy bags so they can cinch the bag down over their head and around their shoulders to prevent heat loss. Practice this at home. Teach them to identify the different-sized drawstrings by feel, so they can do it in the dark. The temperature inside a tent with 3-4 boys in it will probably be in the mid 20s even when zero degrees outside.
Hand and foot warmers will probably be worth their weight in gold.
Put fresh batteries in all lights, the cold will sap their power when old or half used up.
If you don't feel your Scout is properly prepared for the cold, please keep him home. This includes physically as well as mentally. I don't have any reservations about any of our boys, as long as they bring the proper equipment. I suggest 1 extra layer on top of what they normally wear. I'll wear an two pair of socks on my feet and have two pair dry, on hand just in case.
They should wear a hat and even a face mask, ski mask, or other protection for nose and cheeks, although we will have plenty of wood for a good, roaring fire.
We'll do a rigorous pack check before we leave to ensure safety.
It is a great sense of accomplishment for a young man to face the elements and learn the value of preparation, endurance and self reliance. Chances are he will still have fun.