Camp Cooking Questions

[jtanner]

I'm a new SM for a troop that didn't use the Patrol Method prior to me taking over. In fact, they don't appear to have done a lot of camping in the past few years at all. Aside from trying to teach basic troop operations and patrol method to the 12 scouts, I'm also burdened with having to try and "update" the troop equipment.

 

My plan is to purchase Eurkea 4-man tents for the troop as our current tents are 25+ year old pup tents (Philmont style). I don't have a problem with those tents but difficult trying to get them to use Troop tents instead of their own personal tents.

 

Here's my questions though:

 

1. Dining Flys - I want to get a lightweight dining fly for each patrol and I would love to get the official BSA type from scoutstuff.org, but they cost entirely too much for my budget. What are some of the other troops using for Dining Flys and where do you buy them from?

 

2. Cooksets - Similar question as above, I absolutely love the BSA Trail Cook Kit that has the 8qt, 4qt, & 2qt pots with 2 frying pans. I think they are almost perfect for a patrol. But they come with plates and cups which are wasted because we require each person to bring their personal mess kit and we still end up compensating with cast iron frying pans. Are other troops venturing out to using other types of trail cooksets or are most units sticking with the $80 BSA set?

 

Thanks for the responses everyone!

 

Jeff Tanner

Scoutmaster -T43

Versailles, KY

[gcnphkr]

Isn't the dinning fly little more than a trap with poles? You should be able to get those for $30 at Cabela's. Of course if you get a fancy tarp you could spend up to a $100 for that. I don't know if I see the need for the ridge pole.

 

I've not found a good alternative to the cook kit. http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___82013 is not bad, but I don't like non-stick coating on camp gear. Things still seem to stick and you can't use sand to scrub it.

[AnniePoo]

We just got a dining fly for our cub scout pack. I can't remember the brand, but it's one of those white tent things that's actually meant to be used as a semi-portable shelter over a car. We got the industrial quality version, 12' x 26', and it was around $170 on sale at Menards. It's pretty sturdy, particularly if you stake down the corners.

[anarchist]

Jtanner,

 

Fly recommendations - depends on what you consider "light weight" and how you are going to use them.

 

for car camping our troop uses a really cheap ($12.98) roughly ten by ten poly fly we get at K-mart (other big box store have them also) the poles and "ropes" are garbage and we discard and make poles (five) out of 2X2s with threaded studs epoxied into the ends. We love these things 'cause if one "accidently" comes down on a hot lantern...we can duct tape the damage (hole) a couple of times then simply replace the fly with out major damage to the troop budget.

 

For hiking and canoeing we have discovered that Sportsmans Guide (a mail order/on line operation) sells a pretty nice, very light weight (aprox.) 12x12 nylon fly for about $28.00. We make our own set of lines (the ones shipped with the tarp are garbage) and these tarps seem to work very well...however they will "vaporize" (like most nylon) if they "drift" down on a hot lantern.

I personally have a really nice 16x16 tarp/fly that weighs under five pounds from kelty but if memory serves it set me back $80-90 a couple of years ago and there are real ultra lights for 2 and 3 times that amount!

 

cook set depends on the number of people in the patrol...the old BSA sets are great for full 6- 8 person patrols...and some of the cook set items can be found in various scout shops as "open Items"- but hurry BSA is down sizing the patrol gear...you might find a couple of the large pots and then want to buy a smaller cook set...but you need a four quart pot (or larger) for patrol sized pasta. we rarely use the plates and cups...they are the "company china" used for guests (SM, parents, district folks having a look see etc.)

 

The troop has a bunch of dutch ovens and some iron fry pans for certain meals. Most of our boys have learned the modern mess kits are a waste and bring only half of the kit (and a spoon or fork) leaving the top half and "pot" at home...same for the plastic cup (more garbage) many of our boys are using big metal mugs, serria cups, or WWII canteen cups (good canoe bailers also). The current aluminum mess kit can serve as plate/bowls for two boys (thrifty). Cooking in thin aluminium is tough for scouts so if they are going to cook in the things "push" for stainless steel.

 

let us know what direction you take.

anarchist

 

 

[John-in-KC]

All those plates and cups in the camp cook kit come in handy for serving stuff at the table! The cups come in handy for measuring liquid and dry ingredients.

 

No problem with the classic cook kit. In fact, I have my families version of it. We camped every summer as our vacation in my youth; it was great on top of the Coleman stove.

 

If I really want to go to town on making soups and chilis, that cook kit comes out at home now!

 

As far as flys go, guess it depends on if you are going to camp heavy or light, and what the prevalant winds are like. In Flyover Country USA, we get LOTS of wind; we'd need 18" stakes to keep a simple fly down.

 

We used the carports with quite fair success.

[jtswestark]

We use an approx. 20x30 grommetted heavy tarp from Harbor Freight (about $40?); two 10 2x4 with a bolted sleeve to connect the two end to end for the ridge, and two 14 with rebar pins driven in the end to go through the tarp & drilled hole in the ridge pole (very similar to wall tents used at most camps, just larger scale). About five 8 conduit lengths with spike nails & washers through the tarp grommet hold up each side of the fly. Made rope outriggers and rebar ground stakes to keep it all in place. All parts are easily replaced and readily available at any hardware store. They are a bit of a pain to put up (builds teamwork in the dark on a Friday eve), but are durable as heck and weve used the same ones/parts for years. At summer camp we use three of them, weekend camping only one. I would like to get some small pop ups for each patrol, because in any inclement weather everyone hoards under the one fly.

 

Once a year or so we go visit a local bowling alley to pick up some of their old pins they are discarding. They make great stake mallets, they are large and white, sized right to grip around the neck, show up well in the grass and I dont have to keep buying anymore stinking sledge hammers. And the price is right for as many as we want, free

 

[shortridge]

The technical term for a bowling-pin hammer is "schmoo," alternatively spelled "shmoo."

 

They are fantastic at hammering in wooden or large metal stakes. Also for adjusting outriggers and 4x4s when setting up platform wall tents at summer camp.

[Twocubdad]

We went through the same process last year.

 

After much research, we settled on both the flys and the cook set from BSA, although the flys were low on our priority list and we haven't actually bought them.

 

You can find less expensive cook sets, but most are designed for a family of four. The BSA sets are designed for an 8 man patrol. We found that by the time we fiddled around putting together everything we wanted in a cook set, the BSA set was a better deal. Plus it all matches and nests nicely within itself.

[SctDad]

I don't know what you have in your local area but here is something that I have done. I went to the somewhat local federal supply warehouse and we got a rectangular parachute for $10. It may not keep 100% of the rain out. I am going to be trying it this weekend. we are going camping at a state park and I think that they will have trees that we can string the chute up on. we also got a roll of 1" nylon webbing. This is what we are going to use to set it up. If we need I will probably come up with some kind of pole.

 

As for cook sets we have mostly personal equipment and that is what is used.

[Knot Head]

I like this one which is 3 meters x 4 meters for $40.

 

http://www.mosquitohammock.com/rainfly3x4.html

 

We are almost always near trees but you can rig it between 8 foot 2x2 poles that are staked out properly if you have no trees nearby.(This message has been edited by knot head)