Basementdweller

The problem with the ebay unit is that it does not list lumens or candle power. I would also mount the battery on the tongue of the trailer or outside cargo area. Remember you get what you pay for.

You should absolutely use a charge regulator, But I still believe that it would be more affordable and practical to just charge the battery from AC. If you absolutely positively have to do solar. I would disconnect the panels after the camp out and reconnect meeting before your outing or as I mentioned store the panel inside the trailer. Make sure you power cycle the batterys...... Run the lights or put an heavy load on the batteries to help maintain them. Then charge them back up. Not a simple set it up and forget it situation.

LED flood lights are still very expensive http://www.theledlight.com/floodlight_F412.html Harbor freight and northern tool both offer kits for lighting tool sheds and such. A couple of problems, The battery will get destroyed with the constant charging. If you store the panels in the trailer and put them out only once on site, you will need 10-20 watts in panels. If you are looking for a greener low maintenance solution. Deep cycle marine battery, plug it in at home to charge up before the weekend. Then use a couple of 5 watt panels to charge it during the weekend.

Llbob So how do you handle the parents who enroll their boys in scouting to make him camp and enjoy the outdoors. We had a mother this summer drive her son to resident camp daily 2 hours each way because he would not sleep in a tent. As pointed out earlier most packs are unofficially coed. Keep boy scouts for boys, let the young ladys join venturing. I think it would help with one element of the fume problem.

Libob The idea isn't to put the GS out of business. But to allow interested Girls to join the BSA before 13 or 14. Personally I would like to see it happen with Cubing. The BSA troops and Packs all have different personalities. Some will welcome sibs and other young ladies to their program others will not. Make it a CO decision. I mentioned it to several parents this weekend and they were excited. We may have a sib den this fall. (This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

I respectfully disagree. The only way the BSA would become non camping is if the front line volunteers allow it. I for one will not allow it.

Not sure I like the name Fox patrol, why not just call them the beaver patrol. I am being silly or course But I do like the concept. So do they were uniforms and all or do you just have a den specific t shirt. More details please.

Tonight we hiked down to the fireworks in our down town. it was 10 miles round trip. Filled the camel baks and off we went. Made the return trip in an hour and a quarter. they were humping. We beat our neighbor who drove down home. really cool.

I don't see the need for changing requirements for advancement....... Could you give me some examples and the whys???????? I don't see anything in cub scouting that would need changed. I would want to make sure we had two deep leadership for sure. Webelos, if you had young ladies in the den would need coed leader ship and single sex tenting on camp outs.

Eagle that would be easy. when they move to Webelos.......you split boys and girls.... the girl program runs for 5 years and the boy program runs for 2 with crossing over into boy scouts. That way Boy Scouts can remain boy scouts. Beavah thx for spinning this thread

I like coed Cub scout and then something Junior ventures or something before venturing. We have many families that the girls already participate in cub scouting right along with their brothers. Girl scouts is not that way........Every troop my daughter has been involved with we have been shoved right out the door.

here ya go gluten free dehydrated backpacking meals http://www.trailfoodexpress.com/ http://www.glutenfreeforgood.com/blog/?p=332 It is expensive in my opinion....but what the heck

I have to agree with the councils position on the RV, they should have responded sooner. Did you even read shortridges links Dehydrated food is for the rich backpacker/camper. Your grocery store has a large selection of less expensive foods. Shelf stable chicken in bags, Spam, flavored tuna and other meats precooked in bags. Not to mention the selection of knorr meals yes they have rice too. you can sub rice noodles for ramen. Who needs a fridge, a cooler with a mid week supply drop would be perfect. I would take a stove, jetboil or something small, they will never know. Heck we take a stove every year just to make coffee. While I sympathize with you and your sons allergy. You are two or four out of what 500 people.

Our council trashed all of the merit badge councilors and everyone must reapply.

Pack Sometimes standing behind the truck just before leaving on a non-scouting camping weekend I feel lost. Like you said, no trailer, no tour permits, no over bearing parents. Just you the kids and the wife.

I think it is a great idea for Parents to complete youth protection. We have had some youth protection violations on some of our outings.....It wasn't leaders but well meaning parents. So we instituted a policy of everyone gets youth protection trained before going on a family camp out. Just the way it is going to be.

Joe....why wisconsin? There is plenty of adventure to be had in Georgia. I started close to home and then further and further away.

So Backpacking with your young daughter can be fantastic. How many Scout leaders fail when it come to their daughters???? too many. I remember a district guy near tears at missing his daughters fall camp out with the church because of Boy Scouting. Family first boys family first. Both of my children began hiking at about 4 years old. Cool short hikes. Longer and longer hikes as they got older. Finally our first overnight, I remember my daughter looking at the stars and commenting on how many there were. I don't know if I have ever seen that many before or since....a magical night. The bear night was fun and frightening at the same time, to hear her tell the story, I fought off the marauding bears with nothing but a blunt toothpick and guts. I remember telling her to be quiet and listening to the bear trying to get our bear bag. I didn't sleep a wink the rest of the night. If your going backpacking, first trip have a very specific destination, make it short only a mile or so in. make it easy. My daughter just started carrying her sleeping bag. With her weigh she is only good for 12 pounds in her pack. Spend the money and get her a pack that fits her. Her pack cost more than mine and worth every penny. She loves the outdoors. She has about 400 miles under boot, the best part is she wears them out before she out grows them. Makes a dad smile. The beat up boots are part of my recruiting display

Packsaddle, My daughter, now 8, Has packed her gear into the Grayson Highlands and climbed mount Rogers. Spring break there is discussion of Springer to Neels Gap trip. She knows how's and whys of cat holes, can filter liters of water and understands why. Seen black bears up close and heard them trying to get our grub from the tree. She knows the cub scout oath, law, and outdoor code. She is a year younger than my son but tougher mentally and physically. She loves scouting and understand it is a boy thing at this point. It is a shame she needs to wait till she is 14.

Yes my post was confusing. We have several high adventure crews that have yet to camp. We also have a number of crews that do other things and do not claim to be high adventure. We are calling the high adventure crews posers.(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

We have several no camp not high adventure crews. We have one that meets at a gun range and shooting is all they do. We have one that meets at a volunteer fire department and is active as fire fighter/ems. one involved in law enforcement somehow and another involved in horses/ranching too. There are two different high adventure crew that haven't camped, rafted or backpacked since their inception. Our troop is more active and high adventure than any of the districts crews....... In our troops opinion they are posers.

I wasn't taking boy scouts being coed. Venturing is High adventure????? Posers is what most of the crews are. In our area it is mostly kids with no scouting experience being recruited. Their only draw is the ladies. The only thing BSA is lacking to make the Cub Scout to Crew work is a 3 year program. My daughter is now a girls scout and hates hates hates it. She cannot wait to join venturing. There is 6 other young ladies in our pack families that are virtually members of cub scouts, they just lack the membership card and blue shirt. I don't like girl scouts. end of discussion Half tempted to sign them up.(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

Want to Save scouting? Make Cub Scouts Coed. Lower the Venturing join age to 11. I have a large number of families that would love to have their girls join. Simple solution,

After reading all these pages of ranting and finger pointing I just gotta ask. What doe this have to do with your program or recruiting numbers????? NOTHING If you recruit poorly who is to blame???? Economy? Society? Bad boy talk? bad word of mouth? I don't know. I believe if my Pack, den and Troop Program is decent quality the boys will come and stay, irregardless of what national does.(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

Eagle, In our City we have three churches that have 10k-20k members. They are completely absorbed by the church and its function, I equate it to a Cult. They are only friends with the members of the church. The children only are active in church functions, the youth group. Several of our recruiting schools have high concentrations of these church members. I have to agree with the statement about computers, xbox, nintendo. Texting is a huge problem during the meetings. I didn't have to worry about that when I was in scouts. Heck if I was luck our Party phone line wasn't being used I could make a rotory phone call. Ours would have three short rings.