Gear Advice From the Bottom-Up

by Assistant Scoutmaster O'Donnell


Making an investment in the right equipment for your scout will not be wasted. We expect to do a lot more backpacking going forward. Why?
 

1. One of the greatest aspects of the Scouting experience is getting to know, see, feel, and taste the great outdoors. This is best accomplished by backpacking into areas that are remote. (For example, you may have heard about the large black snakes seen at Yaw Paw last weekend).

2. We have found in previous years that for many of these young men, the backpacking trips are often the biggest physical challenge they have faced in their young lives. In every case, the boys have met the challenge and grown from the experience. Scouting is about turning fine young boys in fine men..... and carrying a pack up and down hills for miles will test anyone's mettle.

Boots -- These should be purchased ASAP and worn many times between now and 10/14. These do not need to be expensive. Campmor has many styles and good fitters. They should be water-resistant. They MUST provide ANKLE SUPPORT. While "sneaker-style" hiking shoes are in vogue due to comfort, these are not really appropriate for backpacking on very rocky trails. A scout who badly sprains his ankle will be a significant burden when he and his gear need to be carried by the rest of the troop for miles on end.

Socks -- cotton sweat socks are a bad idea. Use hiking socks available at Campmor or Ramsey Outdoor store.

Clothes -- ALL trail clothes should be poly materials. Pants should be nylon -- the convertible pants are great for hiking/camping since the kids can zip them into shorts if necessary. On the trail, LONG pants should be worn for obvious reasons. Shirts should NOT be cotton -- UnderArmor or similar "wicking" materials are preferred. All scouts should bring a long sleeve fleece for warmth. VERY BAD IDEAS -- include blue jeans, sweatshirts, and anything else that is heavy -- and heavier still when it gets wet. I will leave underwear up to each scout, but they do make nylon underwear also :).

Backpacks -- OK.....there are many varieties to choose from here.....internal or external, sizes, colors, integrated Camelbacks, etc. My advice is to keep it SIMPLE. However, DO NOT under any circumstances put your scout on the trail without a hip belt that can be adjusted so that it fits SNUG at the top of his hip bones. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT backpack issue. In order to backpack comfortably, the weight of the pack needs to be carried by his hips....NOT his shoulders. If your son has a pack and he cannot tighten the hip belt, he needs a smaller pack. If your hip belt buckles are broken, do not use the pack. In most cases, using Dad's old pack because it is hanging in the garage is a very bad idea.........

Sleeping bags -- it would be a good idea to invest in a decent sleeping bag. Many kids still have the very bulky -- and very heavy -- old-style bags. The ones that roll up the size of a large microwave oven. These are difficult to carry on a backpack since they often lack waterproof covers and usually are difficult to secure tightly to the backpack frame. For serious scouts, I would recommend a down sleeping bag that can be stuffed into a small package. Check with the experts at Campmor, but keep in mind that we intend to winter camp this year so I would recommend a bag that will keep you warm down to 20 degrees or so. In any event, the most important issue for sleeping bags on a backpacking trip is waterproofing. Make sure your scout's sleeping bag will stay dry on the trip. Wet sleeping bags make for miserable scouts.

Mattress Pads -- BEST = none at all. However, most scouts choose not to sleep directly on the ground. The Thermarest pad are expensive and quite comfortable but also HEAVY. (I use a Thermarest and try to drop weight elsewhere -- I am too old to do without). Many scouts use the foam pads that fold up accordion-style. These offer some comfort versus the bare ground and are VERY light.