During the trip we saw bugs, birds and a baby water moccasin. But my favorite part of the trip was white water rafting. We were tossed, bumped and thrown out of the raft. The raft worker said we should have crack on crack and lay low. Overall, I don’t think I would do anything much different. It was a great trip.
As everyone prepares for the upcoming High Adventure trip &/or summer camp at Boxwell, here’s some good info about tick prevention (see attached brochure). The ticks are supposed to be bad this year, so extra precautions are a good idea.These tips shared with us by Mr. Russ from backpacker magazine.
http://www.backpacker.com/the-wrong-way-top-50-hiker-mistakes/skills/15309?page=2
>> Wearing cotton Once damp, it stays damp, sucking away body heat. Opt for adjustable layers of wicking fabrics like wool and polyester. Layering order goes: longsleeve (or tee), pullover, down jacket and/or rainshell, and hat and mitts for quick microadjustments.
>> Starting with too many layers: Ten minutes into the hike, you’ll be overheating
and need to shed clothing. Start from the trailhead a little chilled.
>> Letting yourself sweat. The moisture on your skin siphons away warmth.
>> Not adding layers right when you stop. You’ll soon be shivering.
>> Cajole the speedsters to slow down, and put a person in front who sets a moderate pace.
>> Designate a reliable sweeper to bring up the rear.
>> Redistribute weight from slower hikers to fast ones.
>> Agree to stop at every trail junction. Because spreading out is inevitable on any hike, this will
reduce the chance of someone taking a wrong turn.
GETTING CAUGHT IN THE DARK (Above)
Nightfall means cold temps and difficult routefinding. To estimate how much daylight is left: Hold your palm at arm’s length and count how many fingers fit between the horizon and the sun. Each finger represents about 15 minutes. Example above shows one hour, 15 minutes until dark. If darkness descends, no worries—that’s what a headlamp is for. Just make sure you pack it (see #7, p. 40).
1. Pitch your shelter on dry, flat, well-draining surfaces, like pine needles, rock slabs, or bare dirt. The leakiest part of a tent isn’t the ceiling or walls, but the floor. When rain collects under the tent, the pressure of your gear and body lets it seep through the fabric. So avoid shallow depressions, spongy turf, and runoff zones, which pool water. If you’re using a footprint (a plastic tarp beneath the tent), tuck the outer edges under the rainfly to keep water from inundating it.
2. Waterproof the seams. If the tent or rainfly seams have lost their repellency, coat them (inside and outside) with a sealer like McNett Seam Grip, then reapply once a year.
3. Orient your tent so the smallest cross-section—usually the rear—faces into the wind. That tactic, along with staking out guy-lines, stops rain gusts from blowing droplets underneath the rainfly.
4. Pack the tent in this order: rainfly, canopy, footprint. So if you’re pitching it in rain and wind, the footprint comes out first, then you stake the canopy, and lastly you set up the canopy with the fly draped over it.
>> To warm up fast on chilly mornings, pick a site with southern exposure, and avoid low spots since cold air flows downhill.
>> Evade mosquitoes by picking open areas with breezes, sun, and no standing water.
>> At campgrounds, grab a spot near the latrine and water spigot, but not so close (or on the main thoroughfare) that constant traffic—and odors—will bother you.
>> Locate campfires and kitchen areas downwind from the tent to keep smoke and smells away from your sleeping spot. Hang bear bags 100 yards downwind from both.
>> Site backcountry camps 200 feet (40 adult paces) from any trails, rivers, or lakes. This is also the distance catholes should be from campsite, trail, water, or drainage.
35. LAZY FOOD STORAGE
A bear’s sense of smell is seven times better than a bloodhound’s—and the odor of jerky carries for miles. Ergo, hang a bear bag. Even if bruins aren’t present, proper technique will protect food from marauding varmints.
1. Before sunset, locate a suitable tree with a sturdy branch 15 to 20 feet off the ground. It should be at least 100 yards downwind from your campsite. Typically, deciduous trees offer longer, stronger branches than conifers.
2. Put a fist-size rock in a sock or glove. Attach it to a 50-foot nylon rope. Toss the cord over the branch. It should rest at least five feet from the tree trunk. 3. Tie or clip the bear bag to the rope and hoist away. Make sure the bottom of the bag is at least 10 feet off the ground. For more security, add a mouse hanger (p. 34); you can also throw the rope over a second branch on a nearby tree and tie the bag to the middle of the rope.
4. Wrap the rope end around the trunk several times. Tie it off with several overhand knots or hitches.
1. Clean the skin around the hot spot with a damp, clean cloth.
2. Apply a self-adhesive, cushioned bandage like moleskin or 2nd Skin over the affected area and the surrounding skin.
3. Secure it with strips of tape or adhesive bandages. Real blister prevention starts at home: Wear new boots around the house and on short hikes. If hot spots develop during break-in, apply bandages and continue the process of toughening up skin and molding the boot. Also, experiment with different socks, insoles, and less-rigid trail shoes.
>> Not replacing electrolytes Low levels of sodium (lost in sweat) can cause sometimes-fatal hyponatremia. Consume salty foods or sport drinks.
>> Getting dehydrated An active person loses two liters per hour in very hot weather, and about half a liter in temperate conditions. Drink enough that your pee is nearly clear.
On our last outing we discussed some of the barriers to using the nashvilletroop3 emails and one of them was that checking multiple email accounts was inconvenient. A solution to this is to forward your troop 3 email to your regular email. Here is a tutorial which shows you how to do it. Remember, setting up filters is another way to make cleaning out your inbox easier too. Perhaps I will find a video on that later.
We left tired but the trip was great. Reuben and Libor set up climbing and rappelling spots on Saturday morning and made sure we had a great time. On Sunday the Wolverines and the Hurtles split on the ten mile hike, and the Hurtles went to see Greeter Falls, making 13 miles, and the water was freezing. Gotta see the pics below.
Below is information about TWO exciting Merit Badge opportunities Troop 3 Scouts have this summer in addition to summer camp at Boxwell.
The first of these, the Scholarship MB (being coordinated by Troop 3 MB Counselor, Melinda Sanders) needs to be started before the end of the school year in order to get the necessary signature from school leaders, but can easily be finished off during the summer.
The second is a day-long Genealogy MB workshop at the Tennessee State Archives on Sat., July 23rd. Please mark your calendars!
1) SCHOLARSHIP MERIT BADGE – YOU CAN GET IT! IT’S EASY! AND IT MAKES YOU LOOK SMART!
The Scholarship badge recognizes all the hard work that the Scouts go through each year just to do their best in school. It does not require all A’s or being in the Honor Society. It only requires that you improved your grades over the year OR that you have a B average. Now is the time to get it because you have to have your principal (or someone that he/she designated) sign off that you have done your best. We have a form that will make it easier on you and your principal. (See form attached.) If you bring the form and your report card and we discuss your extracurricular activities, you are halfway there because there are only 6 things that need to be done to get this badge. Did I mention that they were easy?
I am a counselor for this badge. If you call or e-mail me, I will come on a Monday night to sign off on your requirements. Over the summer, we can finish the last three things; and you will have this badge by the next Court of Honor! If you have questions, call me. Melinda Sanders (Eric’s and Sam’s mom), 868-5800; melindasanders@comcast.net.
Click here to see Scholarship MB Requirements
Click here for Scholarship MB form for Principal
2) GENEALOGY MERIT BADGE WORKSHOP – Sat. July 23rd @ TN State Archives
Ever wonder who all those people in old family photos are, or where your ancestors originally came from and when they first came to America? You can find out all this and more by digging into your family history. With the help of professional researchers & archivists at the Tennessee State Archives you can learn the basics of genealogical research and have access to city, state, and national records as well as on-line databases like Ancestry.com for your research. Not only will you find out a lot about your family tree, but you can earn the Genealogy merit badge in the process. Parents are encouraged to attend this free workshop with their Scout. More info & a signup form will be coming home soon, but please save the date!
Click here to see Genealogy MB Requirements
Troop 3 is committed to Safe Scouting. Here are some of the guidelines Mr. Tim has put together or you can check out BSA’s policy here: Guide to Safe Scouting
Guidelines for Safe Scouting
All members of the Boy Scouts of America are expected to conduct themselves in
accordance with the principles set forth in the Scout Oath and Law. Physical violence,
hazing, bullying, theft, verbal insults, and drugs and alcohol have no place in the Scouting
program and may result in the revocation of a Scout’s membership in the unit.
Two-deep leadership.
Two registered adult leaders or one registered leader and a parent of a participant, one
of whom must be 21 years of age or older, are required on all trips and outings.
No one-on-one contact.
One-on-one contact between adults and youth members is not permitted. In situations
that require personal conferences, such as a Scoutmaster’s conference, the meeting is
to be conducted in view of other adults and youths.
Respect of privacy.
Adult leaders must respect the privacy of youth members in situations such as
changing clothes and taking showers at camp, and intrude only to the extent that
health and safety require. Adults must protect their own privacy in similar situations.
Separate accommodations.
When camping, no youth is permitted to sleep in the tent of an adult other than his
own parent or guardian. Councils are strongly encouraged to have separate shower and
latrine facilities for females. When separate facilities are not available, separate times
for male and female use should be scheduled and posted for showers.
Proper preparation for high-adventure activities.
Activities with elements of risk should never be undertaken without proper
preparation, equipment, clothing, supervision, and safety measures.
No secret organizations.
The Boy Scouts of America does not recognize any secret organizations as part of its
program. All aspects of the Scouting program are open to observation by parents and
leaders.
Appropriate attire.
Proper clothing for activities is required. For example, skinny-dipping is not
appropriate as part of Scouting.
Constructive discipline.
Discipline used in Scouting should be constructive and reflect Scouting’s values.
Corporal punishment is never permitted.
Hazing prohibited.
Physical hazing and initiations are prohibited and may not be included as part of any
Scouting activity.
Junior leader training and supervision.
Adult leaders must monitor and guide the leadership techniques used by junior leaders
and ensure that BSA policies are followed.
The three Rs of youth protection
The “three R’s” of youth protection convey a simple message that the BSA wants its youth
members to learn:
Recognize situations that place a scout at risk of being molested, how child
molesters operate, and that anyone could be a molester.
Resist unwanted and inappropriate attention. Resistance will stop most attempts at
molestation.
Report attempted or actual molestation to a parent or other trusted adult. This
prevents further abuse and helps to protect other children. The scout will not be
blamed for what occurred.
As most of you probably already know, Troop 3 is now using Google Apps to manage our online communication and collaboration. Here is an excellent resource for acquainting yourself with all the services have to offer: http://learn.googleapps.com/
These accounts are available to all scouts and parents. Others interested will be considered by the committee.
We are doing all of our trip planning with google documents and have online meetings to work on our plans as they are needed.
The services can be accessed from the bottom right hand side of every page of the website, or you can click this link: www.mail.nashvilletroop3.com
We are looking forward to seeing you this Monday, April 11 at 6pm for the Spring Court ot Honor.
At this COH you will be handing out information on the upcoming calendar, Fund-raising activities and your Scout’s renewal packet.
A presentation by Mr. Reuben on Troop’s “Online Life” and a video by Will Stewart.
The Troop is providing Fried/Roasted Chicken & Drinks for Dinner and ask your Family to bring a Side Dish & or a Dessert to share.
Please let me know what items you will be bringing for the Dinner and how many from your family will be joining in the celebration.
Thank you and see you Monday, April 11th at 6pm or earlier to help with setting up.
Ms. Becky
