Stosh

It had nothing to do with what is being discussed, but that's okay. Stosh

Most of the titles for the BSA "Every Boy's Library" are not scout related, but related to activities involving adolescent boys or subject matter that would be of interest to them. I do believe there are 73 titles in this collection. Stosh

Up where I live, one needs a pick-ax to dig a hole, no shovel is going to work. Stosh

I was talking about Spammers, not you LeCastor.

MattR, A plastic sheet to keep the moisture from soaking into the bedding and a foam pad for insulation will do better than a wool blanket. My RidgeRest pad rolls up and takes less space, and is lighter than a wool blanket. For those that prefer the tents over snow shelters, the best one I've found is the old military pup tent. Those insulated with snow do a lot better, have a low ceiling, and retain heat better than nylons. The only problem is deadfall staking. I've had to jury-rig the tent sometimes because it is not free-standing. KDD, I would think just letting them sit out in the tent would be better than digging a hole in the frozen tundra. Also the ground is terrible for robbing the heat out of charcoal, I"m thinking one would lose a lot of valuable heat from the rocks if they were buried in frozen ground. Stosh

Whatever one think is right for them. How hard can that be? And yes I knew the boy to be homosexual and an Eagle before the BSA's ruling. And yes I wear his mentor pin. Stosh

I'd be a happy camper if I had a magic wand and I just waved it and all the annoying people around me would just disappear. Until that time comes, I'm just going to have to suffer slack-jawed fools and unfortunates. My burden in life. Stosh

Personal preference is just that, it works for one person, but unless it is properly studied and evaluated, the facts remain just that facts. Cotton looses 100% of its insulating capability when wet. Wool retains 100% of its insulating capability when wet. Choice is yours. Moisture against the skin is the reason why we cool off, i.e. we sweat to cool off. Just because it's winter doesn't mean we quit sweating. Fabrics that wick moisture off our skin, i.e. polypropylene offers 0% insulating capability, but is is a hydrophobic fabric which means it wicks moisture off the skin into the next layer. Cotton not only looses its insulating capability, it holds moisture against the skin which will cool the body. One needs more energy and heat to counter this and that also produces more sweat/moisture. Not a good cycle to develop Yes, one can over layer while sleeping just like they do when up and active during the day. One needs the ability to regulate the body temperature. However, if one gets too warm wearing cotton and then reduces insulation, they will cool off too quickly. The poly/wool allows for a less radical in between layer that doesn't affect the body directly. Hat? There are a tremendous amount of blood vessels in the head because of the cooling necessity the body needs to protect the brain. There is also no layer of fat to insulate the head and thus the warm blood in those vessels lose heat at a tremendous rate, which it is supposed to be doing. For those using the nalgene bottles, remember one has to keep hydrated which makes one's problem even worse, but compromised circulation will reduce the flow of warm blood throughout the body. Drink like it was summer. The relative humidity is way, way down and evaporation from one's breath is increased with the dry air. Balance of sugars, carbohydrates and proteins is vital to staying warm and generating heat throughout the night. At winter survival camp, the staff goes through everyone's clothing and removes anything made of cotton. The scouts are warned up front that the staff will be doing this and if there's no enough clothing left for your activity, one has to say back at the lodge. As for me, I wouldn't make it through the night with Calico's advice, but maybe some of the younger folk could. I wouldn't want to be up at 3:00 am walking a kid around camp lap after lap trying to keep him warm until the sun comes up. A nalgene bottle isn't going to help much with that. And yes, over the years I have seen my fair share of people having miserable nights, frostbite, and boots they couldn't get on the next day for the hike back because they didn't listen to explicit directions. When it comes to winter survival in our clime, it's best to listen carefully. Stosh

While a tent can add about 10 degree difference it's insulation properties are pretty weak. Yes, it can knock down the wind chill factor quite a bit. If the temperature is heading towards zero, it's best to build a snow cave. People often don't take into consideration that snow is an excellent insulator. Ask any Eskimo. One of the problems with a snow cave is moisture. 3-4 boys in a snow cave can warm up the inside with body heat to the point where the ceiling will melt and drip. I have never tried it because of the nylon bedding, but it has been reported that a well built snow cave and plumber's candle can maintain an inside temperature of 45 degrees regardless of the outside temperature. When I take the boys winter camping I generally make a small one-man snow cave and do just fine for the weekend. I have modified the snow cave to a series of hoops with tent fly laid over them and then covered with a thick layer of snow. Because one is not piling up snow to hollow out, but just adding snow over an established cavity, it will take all day to build without collapsing. One year I got lucky and found room under a downed tree. Shebanged both sides and piled snow on it leaving a small opening. Because of the strength of the tree, I didn't worry about it collapsing and had a shelter built in less than an hour with a minimum of 1'-2' of snow for insulation. The year I tried the tent route and while it did keep things drier, it was not as warm. Stosh

Because of this book P. K. Fitzhugh was commissioned to write for the early BSA. His works produced are the Tom Slade Series, which the original book had a movie made from it. Roy Blakeley Series, Pee Wee Harris Series, Westy Martin Series, Mark Gilmore Series and a series of individual publications lumped under the Buddy Boy Series. His legacy remains in the BSA mascot of Pee Wee Harris. These books give a really good look at scouting as it existed in the early years before adults got in there and messed with it. Stosh

Why wouldn't it be prudent just to just register the boy, take his $1, get his records from the Council and be done with it. Providing troop records of a boy's advancement is not necessary in that he should have a complete record in his book, if not he gets credit for what the Council records show. One might ask as a courtesy to the boy for a copy of the boy's advancement. If the other SM doesn't provide it, it's no big deal. So one has a boy that is transferring and the other troop refuses to provide his records. A $1 isn't too much to pay to keep the paperwork clean. If they provide their IHR (?) record or book? If he doesn't provide this, what? he gets busted back to Scout? And even if he does you might or might not accept it? Sounds like there is more going on here than just what is being expressed. Stosh

It's plastic and will go through the wash without removing it. What we don't do for the boys. Stosh

I wasn't referring to US legal code, I was referring to: "Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor." Unless one knows for sure what a true witness to an event is, it's better to not lower oneself down to the level of the cheater by repeating hearsay and gossip. I wouldn't want to offer up a suggestion that inspires a thread on this forum about what does one do when they have proof that a scout is participating in inappropriate hearsay and gossip about another scout. So I'll stick with my original advice. If one doesn't know all the facts first hand, don't worry about it. Stosh

"Along the Mohawk Trail" by Percy Keese Fitzhugh Stosh

T-shirt? #1 Rule of winter camping, no clothing whatsoever made of cotton! Cotton Kills is the phrase used here. Polypropylene or silk against the skin, everything else is wool. Dry clothes before heading to bed. Stocking cap (wool) is mandatory. Vapor barrier, insulator pad, sleeping bag, no cots. Hydration and balanced food - Sugars to generate energy for the first 2-3 hours of sleep, carbohydrates for hours 3-5, proteins for hours 5-8. No campfires or heat sources except to heat food. Never stand still, keep active and keep warm. Take the felt liners out of boots and open them up before going to bed. ..... just take the course, it has a ton of information that is helpful for winter camping. Stosh

Welcome to the forum! What parents do with their kids when they camp with them is up to them. No Flames in tents, that pretty much sums up no space heaters. Any heat source in a nylon tent with nylon bedding is going to be a problem. It might be beneficial for your boys to take a course in Winter Camping. Well worth the effort and cost. If one knows what they are doing, the warmest you will be all weekend long is in your sleeping bag at night. Up where I live the temps can easily drop to 20 below, but I've never been out on those weekends. In and around zero is easy to deal with. A troop in our council was out and spent the weekend camping at -43-degrees. Those are some serious bragging rights. Stosh

Welcome to the forum! My college ID # was my SS# My Driver's License in a couple of states I lived was my SS# My bank account # is on every check I issue. My driver's license number is also on my checks, so the cashier doesn't need to write it on the check. Every time someone gets carded for tobacco/alcohol purchase the store owner see's your DL # Ever leave your debit card on the tray after a meal and the waitress swipes it? How many times? Sheet of paper and pencil and in 2 seconds she has a copy of your card # I'm thinking the BSA council offices and people handling the applications are far more sensitive to one's privacy than the person themselves in everyday life. My people understand the seriousness of the issue and take every precaution they can to make sure no one has access to the information before getting turned in. Council people will need to fill in what happens after that. Stosh

Yep, LVAllen does it the same way we do it. Stosh

Welcome to the forum! I wonder how prevalent what you describe is in GSUSA. One would think that if BSA were to drop out the Whittling Chip, building fires, and Camping in tents in the woods, that they might suffer the same consequences. Stosh

I wonder if that's why in some moral codes it is addressed as a no-no? Stosh

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SM Minute? Would the topic concern cheating or would it be concerning passing on hearsay gossip? Stosh