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Stay connected, bridge the gaps, we'll all be fine. — **Now What? – Scouting and Coronavirus** Mar 17, 2020
Show notes

As we confront the fallout of coronavirus let’s remind ourselves Scouting is staying connected and bridging the gaps.

Yep. we *are* in a pickle aren’t we?

We have very little idea of what our lives will look like this time next year. Coronavirus has shaken us all up and we are all doing our best to hold on.

Scouting will continue to be around, though, if we look for it in the right place.

This is a good time to remind ourselves what Scouting is and what it ***is not*** because much of what it **is not** may be going away for good or at least slipping below the horizon for a while.

Besides it’s so much easier to remember what Scouting *is–*

**Scouting is the development of character in the individual Scout through the application of the Scout oath and law.**

Everything else **is not** Scouting, it’s merely window dressing.

I like window dressing as much as anyone, but I don’t absolutely need it.

All levels of organization above the patrol; the various and sundry programs, meetings, and events; the trappings, gee-jaws and gimcracks – all of these window dressings will be out of hand for most of us for the uncertain future – and we’ll have the opportunity to hone in on what really matters: the development of character in the individual Scout.

How, exactly, will we do this?

I am not exactly sure, but we will.

If I were still a Scoutmaster I’d be asking my youth leaders for their ideas. I’ll bet they have some answers I never thought of. There must be many ways we can serve our communities and focus on what Scouting is even in these challenging times.

We’ll all be surprised at how resilient and flexible Scouting can be when you concentrate on the real power of what it *is.* Many inspirational examples can be found in the stories from Scouts who were in occupied countries during WWII:

Check out this post about one of my favorite Scouting books “The Left Handshake“

Read about Kazimierz Piechowski.

Keep in touch, stay connected, bridge the gaps, we’ll all be fine – let me know what your Scouts come up with and I’ll share it with everyone.

Gifts for Scouts & Scouters – More Gear! Dec 08, 2018

Show notes

Here’s my recommendations for gear gifts for Scouts or Scouters that I have owned and used, some for many years.Check out my gear guide for more in-depth advice.If you follow my links and make a purchase I get a referral fee. My Tee Shirts & Books Check out my custom tee shirts for Scouts and Scouters at Amazon , and here are my books at Amazon too. Rayovac Sportsman’s Lantern I’ve tried out several different LED lanterns, and the Rayovac Sportsman is built more solidly, is smaller, tougher, and has higher brightness and longer battery life than any of the others. Rayovac Sportsman’s Lantern on Amazon Storm Matches 25 Stormproof matches and 3 strikers in a waterproof container. Unlike other “waterproof” or “windproof” matches, UCO Stormproof Matches are easy to light even after being submerged in water, and stay lit for up to 15 seconds. Storm Matches on Amazon Contingency Kit I carry a kit like this on every camping trip. I rarely have to use anything in it but I can throw it in my pack and I know it’s there of I have no other options “Contingencies” (someone forgot a flashlight, wet weather makes fire building difficult, etc.) are much more common than actual emergencies on Scouting trips. I recommend a first-aid kit supplemented with a few other items on the ‘ten essentials’ list. This kit is your Scout’s ‘air bag’ – it’s essential but you hope, like the air bag in your car, you’ll never need it. While it is possible to assemble a first aid kit from things you have around the house or pick up at the pharmacy, I’ve found that a carefully chosen pre-made kit is usually cheaper. Coghlan’s Trek II First Aid Kit is packed in a durable zippered pouch, add these items to build a great contingency kit. Spare flashlight, I recommend these inexpensive LED flashlights Spare whistle, I like these. Trail food, a couple of granola or energy bars. Matches like the storm matches above, and fire starters. Dutch Oven Cooking If you aren’t cooking in a dutch oven you are missing a lot of fun and some great food! More Dutch Oven posts on Scoutmastercg.com If you need to get outfitted here’s what you’ll need: Lodge 8 quart pre-seasoned dutch oven Lodge Camp Dutch Oven Lid Lifter Welding Gloves Lodge dutch ovens are the industry standard, it’s hard to beat Lodge for fit and finish. Do you absolutely need a fancy lid lifter? I use one and would not be without it; it makes things a lot easier. These Gloves cover your forearms and make handling stuff around the fire much easier. A couple of extra dollars for purpose built gloves is worth it. Lodge dutch oven at Amazon Lid lifter at Amazon Welding Gloves at Amazon Dutch Oven Lid Stand Weber 7416 Rapidfire Chimney Starter Lodge Pan Scrapers You can park your lid on another pot or a couple of empty cans but having stand assures you wont soil the inside of the lid or loose the coals on the top. A couple of crumpled sheets of newspaper on the bottom, charcoal on top, light the paper through the draft holes and you’ll have hot charcoal in a few minutes. Two polycarbonate Pan Scrapers for cleaning the stuck on food from dutch ovens without scratching. Each corner of the scraper is a different shape to easily clean every crevice or corner. Lid stand at Amazon Weber 7416 at Amazon Pan Scrapers at Amazon Winco Pot Gripper I’ve used many different kinds of pliers to mange hot cooking pots and pans on a fire, but this is the best I’ve found. Made for handling pizza pans they are designed for constant use in a commercial environment, so they ought to last a lifetime. The most important feature, though, is that there’s a spring that keeps the pliers open allowing you to use them one handed – something no other pot pliers I have used have. Winco PPG-8A Cast Aluminum Gripper at Amazon EcoZoom Dura Wood Stove High efficiency wood burning technologies significantly reduce both health and environmental impacts. One of the leading innovators in this work, Dr. Larry Winiarski, developed the Winiarski Rocket Stove. The rocket stove is designed to burn the gases released from a wood fire as completely as possible so less fuel is required. The EcoZoom Dura weighs 11 pounds and packs very neatly into a standard five gallon plastic bucket. I’ve had people ask me if it would be possible to build a similar stove. There are a number of tutorials and plans out there and I considered doing this myself but decided that by the time I did we’d have spent nearly the cost of a manufactured stove on the materials required and still wouldn’t duplicate the durability or features of the EcoZoom stoves. EcoZoom Stove at Amazon Cleaning Up Having the right gear for cleaning up after cooking is important. If you are wondering how I wash dishes while camping, here’s my method. Sanitizing Tablets Campsuds Dish Brush Steramine tablets are used in the sanitizing step of washing dishes. They work in hot or cold water and are ideal for washing up on a campout. Lots of cleaning power in cold water, super concentrated, I have lots left in an eight ounce bottle shared by a group of 7 over a week of canoeing. My Oxo Dish brush is compact, durable and get;s into all the nooks and crannies of camp cookware. Steramine Tablets at Amazon Campsuds at Amazon Oxo Brush at Amazon Cast Iorn Scrubber When you first see the cast iron scrubber you’ll probably say the same thing I did; “it’s too expensive!” But the next time you have a crusty dutch oven to clean you’ll agree that it’s worth every penny. Put some water in the oven while it’s still warm, and scrub away. The chain mail design won’t scratch, and is very effective at lifting tough baked-on residue. No soap needed, cooked-on crud will clean up easily and you’l have a clean dutch oven pretty fast without worrying about damaging the seasoning. Inspired Basics Cast Iron Cleaner at Amazon Collapsible Bucket The collapsible PVC water bucket holds six gallons and weighs only 14.5 ounces and I think it makes an indispensable group camping tool. Handy for hauling water, washing dishes, clothes or yourself! Collapsible Bucket at Amazon Mountainsmith Lumbar Day Pack Stoutly made and versatile I use the pack to carry my camera and other gear for short hikes, walks around town, and any other time I need to stow a few things. The waist belt stows away in its own compartment when using the bag with the detachable shoulder strap. Load adjusting straps assure I can carry pretty heavy loads (15-20 lbs) without the pack flopping around or sagging. Two mesh water bottle holders hold a 1 qt Nalgene bottle or other gear. The pack has a front compartment and a generously sized main compartment with a zippered pocket that is ideal for stowing a wallet and there’s a clip for keys. There’s also a ticket pocket behind the well-padded back panel. Larger gear can be carried outside of the bag (most often I carry a wet raincoat or a waterproof map case) with an adjustable lashing cord. Mountainsmith Day on Amazon Solo Wood Stove The double-walled Solo Stove is a “natural convection inverted down gas gasifer”. Air intake holes channel air to the bottom of the fire and direct warm air up between the walls creating a burst of preheated oxygen causing a secondary combustion of the gases (smoke) given off by the burning wood. Follow that? What it means is the stove turns the wood and gasses given off by the wood into a strong, concentrated, efficient flame that burns like a blowtorch! A generous handful of smallish sticks will boil 32 ounces of water in less than fifteen minutes Constructed of stainless steel and Nichrome wire the Solo Stove measures a compact 5.7 x 4.25 inches weighs only 9 ounces. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to light and use. A few small (pencil lead sized) twigs and small sticks will fire up a pot of boiling water in minutes Very few embers and ashes are left and the stove cools off quickly. Solo Stove on Amazon Coffee! The first time a GSI java press showed up on a camping trip I scoffed, it seemed a little over the top. After I had a cup of coffee brewed in it though I changed my mind and ordered one right away. I don’t think I am a coffee snob, but I sure do like my Java press! I bought a GSI infinity mug a few years back when my trusty old Stanley insulated mug gave up after fifteen years of faithful service ( I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away, so it enjoys retirement on a closet shelf nearby). The Infinity mug is well-designed, simple and as become an indispensable component of my camping kit. Java Press on Amazon Infinity Mug on Amazon Anti Shock Trekking Trail Poles While climbing Mt. Marcy in the Adirondacks years ago I watched other hikers fly past me using trekking poles. I had thought of trekking poles as sort of effete, fancy, accouterments for folks who couldn’t hack it with a good old hiking stick. A few hikes later one of my old Scouts who had through-hiked the Appalachian Trail let me try his trekking poles for a few hundred yards and I was hooked. I bought a much more expensive pair than I am showing here, but I have found the less expensive poles to be of very good quality. Since we fly to our Switzerland trips with only carry-on baggage we can’t bring our trekking poles, so I buy an inexpensive set when we arrive. and they perform just as well as my ore expensive poles. Trekking poles will save your knees and feet, something I have found helpful as I have grown older, Anti Shock Trekking Trail Poles on Amazon Black Diamond Storm Headlamp I’ve owned several LED headlamps, but the Black Diamond storm is my overall favorite. The Storm is fully water proof, and sports 1 TriplePower LED and 2 SinglePower LEDs provide 100 lumens at maximum brightness. I especially like the ability to dimming feature that allows me to set the level of brightness to the task at hand. 2 SinglePower Red LEDs save night vision. The four AAA batteries last for 200 hours at maximum brightness and a led monitors the battery level. Finally the light can be locked so it does not accidentally turn on in your pack. All these features come at a price, but I carry my Storm headlamp everywhere. It comes in handy looking under things or in dimly lit conditions like taking out the trash at night and it has been very handy during power outages. Black Diamond Storm Headlamp on Amazon Fingerless Ragg Wool Gloves I’ve worn out a dozen pairs of these gloves over the years. Most of the time when I am outdoors in winter I need to use my hands, and I have yet to find a full glove that keeps my hands warm and allows for the kind of dexterity required while camping or working outdoors. When the temperatures really plunge I can put a pair of mittens over my fingerless gloves. The wrist portion is long enough to cover your wrist and that tends to keep your fingers warmer. FingerlessGlove on Amazon Stormy Kromer Wool Hat Nature makes a few perfect heads, the rest are covered with hair. Keeping my perfect head warm during the winter can be a challenge, but my Stormy Kromer wool hat performs admirably. An integral wool band can be slipped over my ears when the wind blows. I have a big head (my wife insists that it get’s bigger every year) but the Stormy Kromer hats are available up to XXL, so a good fit is assured. Crucial to my dashing old guy profile. Stormy Kromer Wool Cap on Amazon. Wool Watch Cap If it’s good enough for Jack it’s good enough for me. The design of the classic wool watch cap hasn’t changed in decades, and they are as near a perfect winter hat as you are likely to find. There are any number of stylish beanies out there (I wonder at the hipsters who wear them year round, what are they thinking?) but my favorite is the the simple wool watch cap without stripes, zig-zags, or clever sayings and corporate logos embroidered on them. They are a lot cheaper too; the one I have set me back all of ten bucks. Wool Watch Cap On Amazon Victorinox Midnite Minichamp I have a couple of full-sized Swiss Army Knives, but the Victorinox Minichamp (2.3 inches long) rides on my keychain. One of the most useful tools is the hooked ’emergency’ blade pictured on the lwer right above. It’s an excellent tool for opening that frustrating plastic clam shell packaging. Having a spare pen and led light has come in very handy on many occasions. Midnite Minichamp Tools Blade Scissors Nail file with nail cleaner Cuticle pusher Screwdriver with ruler Emergency blade (package and letter opener) Orange peeler with scraper Bottle opener with magnetic Phillips screwdriver Wire stripper LED mini white light (18,000 MCD) Retractable ballpoint pen Key ring Victorinox Midnite Minichamp on Amazon Tilley LTM6 Airflo Hat I’ve worn my Tilley Airflo it camping, backpacking, canoeing, and touring for about a decade and it’s one tough hat. It’s been crushed, soaked, washed and re-washed without showing any appreciable wear. I doubted my sanity spending what I did for it, but it’s been a solid investment.Tilley LTM6 Airflo at Amazon Neos Overshoes I discovered NEOS overshoes (New England Overshoes) working on a film outside in cold, wet, snowy weather all late fall and early winter. Several members of the film crew wore NEOS and spoke highly of them. A gusseted opening makes them easy to get on or off, and a drawstring closure snugs them up around the ankle to keep snow out. As the name implies NEOS are worn over shoes or boots. I have the insulated Voyager model and they are very warm, easy to put on or take off, and totally waterproof. I have worn them on snowy camping trips when temperatures didn’t get much higher than 20F day or night and they kept my feet nice and toasty. The lighter-weight uninsulated Neos Villager is great for rainy or snowy days around town. Neos Voyager at Amazon

Full show notes at the publisher

Gifts for Scouts & Scouters – Great Books Dec 06, 2018

Show notes

These books would make excellent gifts for Scouts or Scouters. As a Scouter and outdoorsman they have been a source of inspiration, practical skills, Scouting history, outdoor lore, and for many years. If you follow the links and purchase an item on this page I get a referral fee. A Sand County Almanac I cannot gather wood and light a fire without recalling Leopold’s essay “Good Oak”: We mourned the loss of the old tree, but knew that a dozen of its progeny standing straight and stalwart on the sands had already taken over its job of wood-making. We let the dead veteran season for a year in the sun it could no longer use, and then on a crisp winter’s day we laid a newly filed saw to its bastioned base. Fragrant little chips of history spewed from the saw cut, and accumulated on the snow before each kneeling sawyer. We sensed that these two piles of sawdust were something more than wood: that they were the integrated transect of a century; that our saw was biting its way, stroke by stroke, decade by decade, into the chronology of a lifetime, written in concentric annual rings of good oak. – A Sand County Almanac A Sand County Almanac on Amazon The AMC Guide to Outdoor Leadership There are significant differences between how groups function in an indoor and outdoor setting. Group concepts that work in a corporate training center fall apart in the campsite. Most of our Scout training is based in the world of business, so it falls flat when you try to take it camping. There’s a great deal of information about working with teens, risk management, and building risk management plans Scouters will find particularly valuable. I attribute the success of our annual extended canoe trips with studying the first edition of the guide but the skills are equally valuable on our weekend camp outs. AMC Guide to Outdoor Leadership on Amazon Listen to my interview with Alex Kosseff on Scoutmaster Podcast 68 Will To Live As a Scout leader and outdoor program teacher I’ve been involved in a few (comparatively) minor wilderness emergencies. Anyone who has been in true danger in the wilderness does not want to repeat the experience. Reading Will to Live is an unparalleled opportunity to strengthen skills and learn an attitude of preparedness that will enable you to bring yourself and the people you lead safely home. Interview with Les Stroud on Scoutmaster Podcast 58Will to Live by Les Stroud on Amazon Medicine for the Outdoors Our first duty as Scout leaders is the safety and well being of our Scouts. We need to know how to keep them safe and how to respond if they are injured or ill. There is nothing in this book that you don’t need to know. I don’t think you have to memorize this book but I would encourage you to know what’s in it and how to find it quickly. Make notes and practice the skills before you need them. I have a Kindle copy that I can carry on a smartphone, iPod or similar device. Medicine for the Outdoors on AmazonHear an interview with Dr. Auerbach on Scoutmaster Podcast 57 Working The Patrol Method Working the Patrol Method a Scout leader’s guide to youth leadership training is the best work on the patrol method since ‘Green Bar’ Bill Hillcourt’s Handbook for Patrol Leaders last published in 1965 or Baden Powell’s Aids to Scoutmastership originally published in 1920.Authors Rob Faris,Ted Knight and Harry Wimbrough have written an indispensable book for understanding, implementing and maintaining Scouting’s centrally important concept, the patrol, in the 21st century. Listen to an interview with the authors in Scoutmaster Podcast 40Working the Patrol Method on Amazon The Scouting Party A thoroughly researched, unflinching account of the founding and first decade of the BSA focused on the lives of Earnest Thompson Seton, Robert Baden-Powell and Daniel Carter Beard. No one has so thoroughly analyzed the events and personalities that, despite their differences and rivalries, brought Scouting to the United States. Listen to my interview with the author in Scoutmaster Podcast 20The Scouting Party on Amazon Camping’s Top Secrets My first reaction to this title was “yeah, right”. I’ve been a camper all my life spending a thousand or more nights under canvas or on the trail. My camping education started forty years ago with Colin Fletcher’s book ‘The Complete Walker’ and expanded to the classics written by Horace Kephart, Nessmuk and Bradford Angier. I thought I knew all the tricks until I read ‘Camping’s Top Secrets’Camping’s Top Secrets on AmazonInterview with Cliff Jacobson on Scoutmaster Podcast 54 Freezer Bag Cooking The ingenious technique ‘boils down’ to this; measure ingredients into a 1 quart freezer bag and add hot water, wait a few minutes and viola! – a great-tasting meal. Most of the recipes consist of ingredients you can find on the grocery store shelf Add a home food dehydrator and the possibilities really expand. Blogger and author Sarah Svien offers home made cozies (an insulating fabric envelope for freezer bags) and other supplies at the Trail Cooking Website that features a blog and quite a few recipes. Freezer Bag Cooking on Amazon Woodcraft and Camping ‘We do not go to the green woods and crystal waters to rough it we go to smooth it. We have it rough enough at home…’‘ The temptation is to buy this or that bit of indispensable camp kit has been too strong and we have gone to the blessed woods handicapped with a load fit for a pack mule. That is not how to do it. Go light, and the lighter the better so that you have the simplest material for health comfort and enjoyment. ‘ – Nessmuk Nessmuk is the pen name of George Washington Sears. In 1884 he wrote the book Woodcraft and Camping and it has been in print ever since. His approach to camping is satisfyingly philosophical and completely practical. Worthy reading for anyone who wants to take to the woods. Woodcraft and Camping at Amazon. To Build a Fire and Other Stories ‘He worked slowly and carefully, keenly aware of his danger. Gradually, as the flame grew stronger, he increased the size of the twigs with which he fed it. He squatted in the snow, pulling the twigs out from their entanglement in the brush and feeding directly to the flame. He knew there must be no failure. When it is seventy-five below zero, a man must not fail in his first attempt to build a fire…’Jack London’s storytelling is as crisp and clear as a cold winter’s day. He wastes no words in drawing us into a the stark and challenging realities of the north woods. With each reading of ‘To Build a Fire’ I can feel the frost creeping into my fingers. To Build a Fire and Other Stories at Amazon Eric Sloane’s Weather Book Eric Sloane explains the way weather works illustrated with his own drawings.A couple of hours spent with The Weather Book and you are thoroughly versed in the workings of the atmosphere and well on your way to becoming a reliable forecaster. Knowing the weather is an important skill for Scoutmasters and outdoorsmen in general and The Weather Book is a fine resource for developing your expertise. Eric Sloane’s Weather Book on Amazon The Scoutmaster’s Other Handbook In this unique and highly personal book, Ray offers hundreds of proven ideas for building strong, successful, sustainable troops that truly achieve the promise of Scouting. Beginning with Scouting’s aims and methods, the book moves quickly through every aspect of the program, from troop meetings and outings to fundraising and administration. The Scoutmaster’s Other Handbook on Amazon Listen to my interview with Mark on Scoutmaster Podcast 72 Golden Guide to Trees I have a couple of other guides but reach for my well-worn Golden Guide to Trees first because I find it easier to identify trees from illustrations rather than photographs. The guide features over 730 species of trees grouped in 76 families. Each species description includes characteristics-tree shape, bark, leaf, flower, fruit and twig-for quick identification. As with any guide one must learn how to use it properly. Become familiar with the family descriptions and nomenclature featured in the front of the book and you will be a tree expert in no time.The Golden Guides have been around for decades and remain popular for their clarity, simplicity and utility. Golden Guide to Trees on Amazon National Outdoor Leadership School Cookery Each year 3000 students spend two weeks to three months in the back country on National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) courses. Thats a lot of back country cooking! The folks at NOLS have developed a simple, varied and inexpensive diet that is based on staple foods that can be found at any grocery store. There’s also a wealth of information on planning, packing and preparing meals for extended trips or just a weekend.My particular favorite receipt is Thai Gado-gado Spaghetti featuring a peanut sweet and sour sauce. Mixing peanut butter in spaghetti raises some eyebrows but I have never had any leftovers. National Outdoor Leadership School Cookery at Amazon How to Sh** in the Woods Author Kathleen Meyer has written pithy, humorous, informative, completely frank manual about how and (perhaps more importantly) how not to sh** in the woods. Does such a evidently simple aspect of outdoor life deserve it’s own book? Anyone who has found themselves in the middle of the wilderness lacking key information about the subject would say yes! How to Sh** in the Woods at Amazon Canoeing Wild Rivers Anyone planning a canoe trip of a few days or a few weeks will benefit from studying the advice given in this book. Author Cliff Jacobson offers solid, tested techniques and then points out the many ways things could go wrong. He uses stories form his considerable experience to illustrate how important it is to plan carefully, not to compound mistakes and thereby opens up the possibilities of canoeing in some incredibly wonderful places.There is a section devoted to accounts of expeditions by different authors that serve to inspire and inform planning. A very engaging and thorough book, the premier one on the subject. Expedition Canoeing at AmazonInterview with Cliff Jacobson on Scoutmaster Podcast 54 Canoe Paddles: A Complete Guide to Making Your Own I actually made a canoe paddle, and plan on making some more. My new paddle served me admirably on a decade of extended trips. This is as complete a treatment of the subject as one could hope to find. Making a paddle is a reasonably complex process but the authors explain every step with well-illustrated clarity. Canoe Paddles at Amazon

Full show notes at the publisher

Gifts for Scouts and Scouters – Camping Tools Dec 04, 2018

Show notes

Sturdy, reliable tools make a solid camping kit and great gifts for Scouts and Scouters. There are cheaper alternatives to some of my choices, but I have chosen tools that I think are a are great value for cost. If you follow the links and purchase an item on this page I get a referral fee. I have owned and used these exact tools, or have otherwise evaluated them throughly. Pocket Knives There is not one absolute best pocketknife for every Scout in every situation, but any one of the three Victorinox Swiss Army Knives below are an excellent choice. A decent knife will last a lifetime but parents are tempted to buy cheap pocketknives because Scouts may lose a knife or two along the way. Cheaper knives don’t stay sharp, have loose joints, and I have seen them break or fold up and injure Scouts accidentally with normal use. A sharp knife is actually safer than a dull knife. Victorinox produces quality knives at a reasonable cost and guarantees them for life, a bit more expensive than cheaper alternatives, but well worth the additional cost. A bright red knife is less likely to be lost, especially if it is attached to a lanyard or chain. Lanyards are great fun to make, and a cheap way to protect your investment in a quality knife. Huntsman Hiker Recruit Large blade Small blade Corkscrew Parcel Hook Wood saw Scissors Lanyard ring Toothpick Tweezers Can opener Small screwdriver Large screwdriver Bottle opener Wire stripper Reamer with sewing eye Large blade Small blade Phillips driver Wood saw Lanyard ring Toothpick Tweezers Can opener Small screwdriver Large screwdriver Bottle opener Wire stripper Reamer with sewing eye Large blade Small blade Lanyard ring Toothpick Tweezers Can opener Small screwdriver Large screwdriver Bottle opener Wire stripper Hunstman at Amazon Hiker at Amazon Recruit at Amazon Here’s a quick guide for using some of the tools on the knives I have chosen; Best All-Around Pocket Knife for Whittlers You’ll get change from a twenty dollar bill if you buy a Schrade two-blade jackknife, a great choice for whittling (see my post on other whittling resources here)Schrade Middleman Jack 2 Blade on Amazon Knife Chain Keeping track of a pocketknife isn’t always easy, but a chain or lanyard certainly helps. This 19.5″ long chain features a sturdy belt clip. Pocket Chain Belt Clip at Amazon Fixed Blade Knife The absolute best all around knife for cooking and other camp chores when you need more than a pocket knife. Mora knives are of excellent quality and utility without being costly. I like a brightly colored sheath and handle so it’s easy to find. Excellent stainless steel blade holds an edge for a long time. Morakniv Companion Fixed Blade Outdoor Knife at Amazon Saw The Bahco Laplander is a fantastic, quick cutting saw I’ve used for years. It’s lightweight, sturdy, and not too pricy. Bahco LapLander Saw on Amazon Hatchets A good quality new hatchet will cost more than lower quality tools, but they are worth the investment. Many highly touted hatchets and axes on the market are upwards of seventy to a hundred dollars, and I suppose they are probably worth the cost but they seem over-priced to me; these excellent tools that will do the same work for less than $40.00. Estwing makes two great camping hatchets; the 16″ camper’s axe ( and the 14″ sportsman’s hatchet, either will last a lifetime. The larger camper’s axe is better suited to heavier work. Estwing E44A Camper’s Axe on Amazon Estwing E24A Sportsman’s Hatchet on Amazon Fiskars’ 14″ hatchet is a sturdy tool that get’s great reviews. At around $25-30.00 it’s a great choice for Scouts, and includes a plastic sheath with a carrying handle. Fiskars X7 14 Inch Hatchet on Amazon Splitting Mauls Fiskars Splitting Axe (17 1/2″) Estwing Fireside Friend, (14″) Collins Kindling Splitter (18″) At Amazon At Amazon At Amazon A dedicated splitting tool is a useful camp tool for processing large amounts of firewood. Fireside Tools Check out my dutch oven kit and other dutch oven related posts A small shovel comes in handy when maintaining trails or doing similar work, but Scouts should not be digging new fire pits, or otherwise disturbing the soil in campsites. I have used small shovels like the Gerber to empty existing fire pits and load the lid of my dutch oven with coals. Gerber Gorge Folding Shovel on Amazon A whisk broom comes in handy for sweeping off picnic tables, tent floors, and clearing ashes off of dutch oven lids. A coal shovel doubles as a dustpan and handling hot coals for dutch-oven cooking. A fire poker comes in handy too! 18.5 inch long Steel Coal Shovel on Amazon Whisk Broom on Amazon26″ Fire Poker with Wood Handle on Amazon Edge Tool Maintenance Sharp tools get the job done better, and they are safer. Your kit should include a sharpening stone, honing oil and I highly recommend the Lansky Blade Medic for quick touch-ups. Be sure to check out my infographic on caring for hatchets and axes. Honing Oil Honing oil is used to lubricate and protect oil sharpening stones, carry away the debris (swarf) created when sharpening. Honing oil is easy to make yourself, and a lot less expensive. One part mineral oil to one part mineral spirits makes a great honing oil. Mineral oil is available at most pharmacies, and mineral spirits is found in hardware and paint stores. Lansky Dual-Grit Tool Sharpener (Oil Stone) The round shape of this coarse and fine grit carborundum stone is particularly well suited to sharpening axes and hatchets but is also fine for pocket knives. Lansky Dual Grit Sharpener at Amazon Lansky Blade Medic See my video review of the Lansky Blade Medic here. The blade medic features two ‘crock stick’ sharpening tools, one in ceramic, one in carbide. They are two pieces of material configured in a ‘v’ shape that forms the proper cutting angle on just about any knife. In addition to these there’s a cone-shaped diamond rod and a profiled strip of ceramic for serrated blades. In the video I sharpen three different blades, a pocketknife, a serrated multi-tool blade and a sheath or kitchen knife blade. Lansky recommends using the carbide tool sparingly and I concur. If you have a very dull blade the carbide tool will shape a good edge, then you’ll want to refine it with the ceramic tool. Nine times out of ten a well-maintained edge will only need a few passes over the ceramic tool to keep it sharp. I’d think anyone willing to spend a little time practicing will be able to sharpen just about every knife blade they own with the Lansky Blade Medic. It’s not just another gimmicky gadget, it’s a serious tool. It’s perfect for Scouts – simple, effective and quick with a much shorter learning curve than the traditional sharpening stone. Available at Amazon File and File Card Sharpening axes and hatchets sometimes calls for a file to shape the edge and remove nicks or dings. An eight-inch mill bastard file and a file cleaning “card” or brush are great additions to your tool kit. The metal teeth of the file card remove the metal debris (swarf) removed from the blade that sometimes fills the grooves of the file.File Card & Brush at Amazon 8-Inch Mill Bastard File at Amazon Tool Bucket Camp Stool A five gallon bucket with is simple, inexpensive, way to keep track of your camping tools, maintenance supplies and other things in your camp kit. The bucket is a tool in itself, handy for carrying water, dousing fires, washing dishes, and other camp chores. It provides waterproof storage for your tools, and makes a comfortable camp stool (tools up to 14″ long will fit into most buckets).Lightweight Plastic Bucket Seat on Amazon 5-Gallon Pail on Amazon

Full show notes at the publisher

Model	Batteries	Battery life	Lumens	Cost
Rayovac Sportsman	3 D	40 hours (high), 90 hours (low)	High – 240, Low 90	$26
Coleman Pack-Away	4 D	18 hours (high), 40 hours (low)	High – 145	$28

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2019 Update This review was written in 2013, and after six years of heavy use in the hands of Scouts later these Rayovac lanterns are still going strong, just about indestructible.

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WHY ARE THESE THE ‘BEST’?

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2007 Annual Father and Son Weekend

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P-38 OPENER, CAN, HAND, FOLDING, TYPE I

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Live Long and Prosper

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My Troop at Camp Horseshoe, 2005

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