So since I got back from my week long trip with my son and his Scout troop!

We had a great time the boys got so survive sleeping in tents and hammocks thought a severe thunderstorm! Wind  I was told were the strength of an E1 tornado. My cheap tent held up but smacked me in the face as I sleep.

We had a great time the boys learned a lot! It was awesome as everyday during lunch they read to the boys what each award was on military uniform. They started at the highest we only got thought one a day as they keep telling the awesome stories about how they were earned!

I had a lot of fun each night we made a fire and tried to do a new method each night but mostly went back to the whole firesteel and the chemical fire.

I also tied to make a fire starting tool took 12mm paper straw and shredded cotton balls and mixed the cotton balls with petroleum jelly. Them stuffed the cotton in the straw. Cut the straw in four  then sealed them with wax.

It worked ok starting the fire did make them fast I feel if I mixed the jelly and cotton better it would have worked great! The 12mm straws were also great for making other fire starting tools.

The boys wanted to see if the straws could hold up to the glycerin that we used to make a chemical fire with potassium permanganate!

We did not get the solar fire starter to work and the fire piston! But we will keep trying!

Best part we had a boy who has had a very hard few years his father committed suicide not 100% sure why but was told it was to avoid prosecution for a crime. He has now an over protective mother who treats him like gold and spoils him!

The young man is 12 years old and very shy! At the start of the week he would only walk far enough to get his waist wet. By the end of the week with a lifesaver he was kicking around with the other boys! It was one of the best feelings I have ever had! It was even better that my son helped out! Just hope the little guy keeps on trying to swim!

We had a great time! The week not only was great for my son but it was also great for me! Fun to teach these young men how to be men and teach them new things and to be someone older they can talk with and not feel shy about asking questions!

Today, the Op was cool. Good work.

Good on you OP!!! I enjoyed the monthly advancement campouts and summer camp when I was in the Scouts. We had a really cool Scoutmaster who took the summers off (Univ. prof) and took his VW van and a Church van and went on 4-5 week trips throughout the Southeastern states and hiked a bunch of the Civil War battlefield trails ie Vicksburg, Horseshoe Bend(indian wars) Chickamauga, and many others. Awesome way to spend a summer. If you can swing it a 3-4 day trip to hike the trail in Vicksburg would knock the young men out. It is an amazing place.

I love to share woodcraft with the younger guys.  Good for you OP!

Great Work O.P.

My son came back from Philmont on an "exciting" trip.

1/2 his troop showed up with old - obsolete gear that they were specifically told NOT to bring.  Texas summer sleeping bags don't cut it up high in the mountains of New Mexico.

Many hadn't taken any of the conditioning hikes he had done of the weekends building up to get ready & use to the load for the trip, or even to figure what gear to bring (and what not to bring).

He was well kitted out & very fit (2nd trip) so he ended up pretty much running the show.

He made sure everyone who went out made it back!

So Proud that My Boy!

I was an ASM for my boy's troop until it went co-ed and I hung up my shirt for good.  Guess I'm a dinosaur but I believe scouts should be a time for boys to spend time with men learning skills and values, not being distracted by female scouts.

There are other ASM's that have girls so they were all gung ho for the girls joining.  To each their own but I'm done.

I do miss the campouts :/

Headed to Philmont TOMORROW  with my 16-year old son and rest of troop.

I AM READY.

Enjoy the Scouting years while the last. You will miss them before you know it but always be able to look back and enjoy the memories.

Just got back and we had a blast.    Those boys were made into men on the mountain.    Can’t recommend it enough, it is what scouting and in a greater context, what life is all about.

I'll be going back to Philmont for the third time next summer.  Taking my younger boy.  We have already started conditioning hikes.

Where did you hike? Get to see the new “super south”?

Yeah we had a southern route.   Did 6 peaks including Mt. Philips at 11,700 ft.   We did the Tooth of Time one morning and had breakfast on top!  Actually ran out of water that day as it’s a dry camp and route but a passing Ranger and another crew spared us some.    I was carrying 4 Litres.

We had a solid group of 12 and wound up “adopting” another crew of 5 and became a Supercrue like on Day 3.   That other crew lost an older guy who had to call it quits.    That other crew was from Texas!

Took many a shit in the woods.   Our crew took count of our shits and quality the whole time.   I was the winner qw.   Had one kid not shit for 4 days and were getting worried.  Another kid a actually went into shock the fist night above 8000ft; nearly had to medivac him out.   Got some more liquids and electrolytes and he bounced back the next day.   Kids...

Altitude did not bother me as I had feared. I drank a lot and got at least one good dose of electrolyte supplement per day.    Altitude gain was mostly slow so I acclamation mated well.

I’m a big guy, 6’4”, 255 lbs, carrying a 60lb+ pack.  Did the calorie math and I figured I had about a 10,000 calorie deficit each day for 11 days.... had some pizza and beer the next 3 days after hike ended and think I gained all my weight back....

My pack was pretty light, 40 lbs with water but adding crew gear and meals took that weight up to 60lbs+ a couple days.    Maybe 50lbs on a light day.  Hiking sticks were a must for balance for me.   Some of those downhills were dangerous, I’m actually surprised my ankles weathered it well.   All the bicycling I did this spring and summer did a good job of getting my legs in shape to climb.