SURVIVAL

Okay the troop is going out for survival this weekend. What we are planning is paddling across the lake on an Alleged Day Trip (thats what we tell the kids) then when we get there...ITS SURVIVAL TIME.

Any suggestions. We have a slew of ideas. I was thinking of the Coffee Can Survival kit where each of two get a coffee can with 2 mil poly some paracord flint and steel etc.

Also I need a boat.....for my scoutmaster....gotta figure that one out.

Trip report?

Also I need a boat.....for my scoutmaster....gotta figure that one out



bull crappy. make him BUILD his own boat.





it's called SURVIVAL man!!

Peged by Mapleleaf.

oh sorry...my bad, should have mentioned my scoutmaster is a paraplegic. Been in a wheelchair for 18 years. And while I know you were joking, you need to also know he just recently had to get both shoulders rebuilt for the damage of 18 years in a wheelchair...(oh and he is an RN at a local hospital).

He will push himself harder than any Scout or any leader in the troop. I need the boat to get him over to the campsite.
Put it this way, I have met many people who impressed me...this guy has been kicked in the teeth by life for 40some odd years...and still comes up positive and motivated.

The boat should also transport the emergency "What if" gear, unless you can route a support vehicle to the site...(park it just out of sight of the survival site).

Get the scout masters together one night this week, and practice the skills you intend to show the scouts...(Really sucks to know how to do something without being ABLE to do it...ya know?)

Have the scouts create a Sand Table map of the immediate survival area, marking possible water sources, infrastructure(Power lines, Roads, etc.),food sources, and locations of traps (Deadfalls, snares etc.).

Highlight "Think outside the box"....That can is a bucket, a pot, a shovel, etc...the paracord is a shoelace, a ridgeline, fishing line, a gill net, thread for gear repair......(Have them compete for the most alternate uses for the gear they have...)

Group lay out...survival is not always an individual task...dump all the day packs out together and see what else is available to the group, and compete for original ideas for use of the contents...(Hint: winners get a snickers bar or a breakfast bar....).


flint and steel need tinder or char cloth....practice tinder collection and show the scouts how to make char cloth in the field....

have them practice trying to start a fire with various types of tinder, just to experience what works...

(Don't forget to show them how to lay the fire before firing the tinder).

Rig a water filter out of a pair of pants..(One leg inside the other, tie off the ends, then alternate layers in the leg of grass, sand, gravel, charcoal -From the fire-)...fill up the leg, then shove a 6 inch shaved peg through the tied end to facilitate the flow of water, and direct it into the can for collection...(It also helps to form a ring of willow or other flexible flora to keep the top of the pants open).

Show them how to use a muddy bank or the side of a hill to create an oven to bake in and to create a heat source for their shelters.....(Alternate idea, show them a dakota fire hole).

geez LT let a person know that BEFORE hand!

god talk about making a person feel like crap.
ok fine, where can I send my kayak to him?

I feel fine, having commented with the best available information.

No harm, no foul.

From what I gather from Dan's fleshing him out (so to speak), he'd be quite able to joke about it.

gee nimble, nice way to push it all on me.

big btthead!

:D~

Nimble...lol, he is a hoot to be around. He is one of the few Black scout leaders in the Council and he is probably the coolest guy I have ever worked with. We were planning a camping trip one time. I mentioned a chicken and rice bake (in a dutch oven) and he comes up with "can we have brown rice instead of white rice?"

There is a long break and I just glance at him and say, "GEE does it always have to be about color with you?" He breaks up and says, "Sorry Sorry...didn't mean to pull the RICE card on you."

Mapes he can take a joke, better than many people I know. LOL and I have pushed him in his chair down trails so he could check out the terrain. One trip we were in a "accessibility" campsite that was just slightly less rugged than the alps so I brought him his breakfast in the tent (he normally gets coffee in the tent as all good scoutmasters should). So he finishes and comes rolling out with his plate in his mouth. (LOL)He works his way up to us and another Assistant looks over and says, "Want me to throw it so you can go catch it again?"...Long break and he answers,"Just as soon as I can get all four wheels off the ground to grab it."

Well the SURVIVAL thing got dropped by the boys, we are going to do JLT (Junior Leader Training) and practice making shelters and work on honing or food (backpacking meals you can buy in the store so to speak) prep skills for the next hike.

In that vein, I will bring the favorites of MAC and Cheese and Spam, Rice and chicken, red beans/rice and summer sausage....any other easy to make stuff you guys can think of?

I thought about dehydrating some ground beef but I want to get stuff the kids can get at the store.

Good and interesting thread.

Raman Noodles... Through the seasoning packets away and let the kids come up with their own creatoins... Himaintenance puts parmasiancheese in hers..

My son does beef bullion, chicken and cajan spice..

I do shrimp, cajan spice mrs dash and a few other spices..

Kids love it, its cheap easy and if you make them add chicken or shrimp it help with the nutritional aspect...

'32oz

You know 32....you makin me hungry................

You should taste my chicken soup with dumplings or my beef stew...

Dutchoven pineapple upside down cake for dessert...

'32oz

32 oz..ramen noodles? Yeah I guess in a pinch. One thing I LOVE To make is take some of the foil pack chicken, brown in olive oil and garlic then start some water boiling. Add dehydrated veggies, and some rice. Toss in a little corn starch and some seasonings......

TRUST me it cannot be beat on a cold camping trip. REALLY killer good.

Another thing if you have the time is dehydrate ground beef or sausage. THen get the packeges of the Idaho "Fully Loaded" instant potatoes, put the beef in the water as you are boiling it (rehydrate) and then as it boils you dump in your taters and some parmesean cheese (get it from the pizza places) YUMMY! Trail version of Shepards Pie.

I've been experimenting with the instant potatoes... Adding beef buillon etc...

Unfortunately I love the mountain house chicken and rice with some curry, so i'v been eating a lot of that..

Right now with classes and stuff i'm too busy to prepare a lot of stuff ahead of time.. I'm hoping to get into the dehydration activity this summer

I will make note of your recipes

'32oz

Mountain HOUSE...? Is it good. I try to shy away from the packaged stuff. Years ago we had I think...SWISS CHALET? or something (talking 1970's) and got their "Western Omlette". One morning a bear broke into camp and we watched as he tore down the tree our bear bag was in opened the various items and ripped open the Omlette...took a taste and knocked it to the ground.

A week later we got a resupply...tried the omlette and agreed with the Bear.

I like Enertia Trail Foods for a trail food.

JUST Ordered some harmony house beef substitue pieces and some dehydrated veggies. So I may yet make some stuff this weekend.

Oh and girls (and I am guessing maybe Hyway here too (LOL)) One of my good friends just moved back in the area. Now this guy will ON A BACKPACKING TRIP take the items to make...FRESH BREAD in the morning. Uses a bakelite and it is fantastic. He is moving back becuase he managed to lose 125 lbs of worthless weight (got divorced) and is moving back in with his parents to get his life back in order.

I don't do a whole lot, but the speghetti and meat balls is good.. I didn't care for the mac and cheese. Will be trying the lasagne soon..

'32oz

Well we had the whole thing set up, on Friday I am at the store getting a couple more things for the weekend. My Phone rings and it is one of the moms telling me her son is "crying" and "doesn't want to go. SO she puts him on the phone. I chat for a while and he decides he will GO if he can leave Saturday. Apparently the last troop NEVER did campouts. They did sleepovers and Summer Camp.

We get out there (three NEW really NEW boys). We are tarping it and doing "backpacking meals " i.e. NO coolers.

By Saturday afternoon I call the new kid over and mention I can call his mom he tells me,"HECK no I am having a blast." They got good training and learned some neat tricks.