The Scouts of Troop 433 in Minot, N.D., don’t learn about cold-weather camping by talking or reading about it.

They live it.

The high temperature in Minot from November to April is anywhere from 36 degrees to 3 degrees.

If these Scouts didn’t go outdoors in the cold, they wouldn’t go outdoors at all except for maybe a few months in the summer.

“It’s our weather for half the year,” says 17-year-old Life Scout Austin Westmeyer. “We don’t let it hold us back.”

When these guys — almost all of them natives of North Dakota — aren’t getting up before sunrise to go ice fishing, they’re skiing, snowshoeing, digging snow caves, or practicing to see who can build a fire and boil water the fastest.

DRESS FOR SUCCESS

“The cold really doesn’t matter if you dress warmly,” says 17-year-old Life Scout James Drawz.

James and the rest of his troop wear layers: long underwear, snow pants, sweaters, jackets, hats and gloves.

Because they spend so much time outdoors in cold weather, they spend a lot of time preparing for the worst. They polish their winter survival skills every year during their Klondike derby.

The 5-mile course tests their ability to build an emergency shelter, cross a gorge with a sled full of gear, build a fire and boil water.

Scouts also practice winter first-aid, from treating hypothermia to building a travois to moving an injured person to a place where he can get medical treatment.

They also practice rescuing someone who has fallen through the ice.

“You never, ever go out on the ice to assist the other person,” Austin says. “It puts you at risk of falling through.”

Instead, Scouts practice getting a rope to the person who is in trouble and using it to pull them out.

SLEEPING IN SNOW

Austin has twice tried to earn his Zero Hero award — sleeping outside overnight when the temperature drops below zero degrees.

Even though the temperature didn’t drop below zero either time, Austin learned a lot about sleeping outdoors in the cold.

The first time, Austin set up a tent over a bed of straw.

“Most tents don’t have a solid waterproof bottom, and your body heat will melt the snow,” Austin explains. “The straw keeps you warm.”

The next time, he and some of his fellow Scouts covered a huge box with snow, then carved out a door and air holes. They put down straw and blankets to keep their sleeping bags dry.

“Sleeping in something made of snow was really cool,” Austin says. “You can sleep in a tent whenever.”

LIVE AND LEARN

Sometimes, the Scouts of Troop 433 make mistakes just like the rest of us.

One time, James tried to go ice fishing in blue jeans. He still had plenty of layers on. What harm, he thought, could come from a little cotton? He quickly realized the error of his way.

“Sometimes the water creeps out of the (fishing) holes and gets on the ice,” he says. “I got my jeans wet. That will happen in snow, too, because your body will melt it.”

James and other Scouts also recommend bringing spare dry clothing and extra gloves. After all, it’s easy to get wet when you are adventuring in the snow.

One frigid day last winter, Travis Patterson was ice fishing at Lake Darling, 40 miles south of the Canadian border. When he finally saw the fishing bobber move, he hauled his line out of the ice.

A foot-and-a-half-long northern pike flopped off the hook.

Travis tackled the fish and instantly learned why these fish are nicknamed snot rockets.

“I got slime all over me,” says Travis. “Don’t wear your best clothes ice fishing.”

Last summer, just months after their visit from a Boys’ Life photographer, record flooding on the Souris River caused major damage to the homes of more than 40 Scouting families in the Minot, N.D., area.

In addition, three of the seven Scout troops in Minot have had to find new places to hold weekly meetings because of flood damage to the churches where they met.

Summer day camps were postponed and the Fall Camporee was canceled.

The Big 4 Boy Scout Camp, which sits along the Souris River about two miles west of Minot, was flooded from early April to early August. Most of the buildings at the camp had up to six feet of water from the overflowing river.

Several picnic tables were washed downriver. Tools and equipment stored at the camp were ruined.

The Big 4 camp has been used year-round for weekend campouts. It also was the summer meeting place for Troop 433.

Groups of Boy Scouts from throughout North Dakota have been assisting the Minot Scouts since the flooding.

Click here for information on how you can help.

Here’s an easy way to trace your way from one winter constellation to another.

1. In the north winter sky, look for the Big Dipper constellation. It looks like an old well dipper, and is part of Ursa Major, the Great Bear.

2. At the “dipper” end, two stars nicknamed the Pointer Stars form a straight line to Polaris, the North Star. Polaris tips the end of the Little Dipper, also known as Ursa Minor, the Little Bear.

3. From Polaris, draw an imaginary line across the sky to a sideways M constellation recognized as Cassiopeia the Queen.

4. Turn your back to Polaris, and look for three stars in a row. These stars form the belt of Orion the Great Hunter.

5. Trace the belt stars down to the left, or east to the brightest star, Sirius, found in The Great Dog (Canis Major).

6. Trace the belt stars up to the right, or west to a V-shaped constellation, Taurus the Bull.

Here is a sample packing list from a backpacker who participated in an ultralight trek last summer based out of the Montana Council’s Montana High Adventure Base.

• Down Balaclava, 2.05 oz
• Sunglasses, 0.82 oz
• Sun Hat, 1.97 oz
• Mosquito Head Net, 0.33 oz
• Base Layer Clothing, 5 oz
• Down Jacket, 7.67 oz
• Rain Jacket, 7.69 oz
• Wool Shirt, 5.06 oz
• Down Gloves, 1.45 oz
• Hiking Pants, 10 oz
• Rain Pants, 3.57 oz
• Down Pants, 10.64 oz
• Boxer Briefs, 4.21 oz
• Trail Shoes, 7.8 oz
• Wool Socks, 2.51 oz
• Gaiters,  1.89 oz
• Down Quilt, 17.8 oz
• Sleeping Pad, 8.7 oz
• Bivy Sack, 5.10 oz
• Pillow, 0.93 oz
• Backpack, 1 pound, 13 oz
• Pack Liner, 1.32 oz
• Stuff Sacks, 0.67 oz
• LED Flashlight, .28 oz
• Sunscreen, 0.32 oz
• Lip Protection, 0.34 oz
• Compass, 0.95 oz
• Whistle, 0.29 oz
• Notebook, 2.08 oz
• Bandana, 1.09 oz
• Mug, 1.75 oz
• Spoon, 0.27 oz
• Water Bottle, 1.3 oz
• Trekking Poles, 8.39 oz
• Bug Spray, 0.30 oz
• Pocketknife, 1.49 oz

For more information about ultralight backpacking, see the “Faster, Farther, Stronger and Lighter” article in the April 2011 issue of Boys’ Life magazine.

With a few ramps in his backyard, he has a great spot to practice right at home, which he does almost every day. Except that Keith doesn’t call it practicing.

“It’s just having a good time with my friends, being creative, doing whatever we want skating.”

Here are some skateboarding tips from Keith:

TIP 1: LEARN HOW TO FALL

It’s a fact, Keith says. “Be prepared for falls when you’re starting.” That’s why it’s important to learn the right way to take a tumble.

If the fall is too big for you to just land on your feet: Use your feet for a second as a stepping point. Tuck up into a ball (something like a skier’s tuck position), and then tumble and roll onto your shoulder.

And, Keith adds, always wear safety gear!

TIP 2: LEARN HOW TO DROP IN ON A RAMP

Start with the tail of your board on the edge of a ramp. Next, push down with the front foot and stay centered over the skateboard.

TIP 3: LEARN HOW TO OLLIE

You’ll be airborne for this trick, which can be done on either a flat surface or on a ramp.

Kick down on the tail of the skateboard and then level out the board by sliding your front foot forward. Think of it as sort of a jumping motion with the board “glued” to your feet.

This will take lots of practice. But once you master the ollie, you’ll have the foundation for many other tricks.

Find out more about skateboarding basics in the February 2011 issue of Boys’ Life magazine.

The following lists will help you Be Prepared for times of emergency.

Family Emergency Kit

If you must evacuate your home with little notice …

• Three-day supply of water
• Nonperishable foods (including pet food) and a nonelectric can opener
• Eating utensils
• Special foods for any dietary restrictions, including baby foods
• Family first-aid kit
• Battery- or cranked-powered radio
• Flashlight
• Extra batteries (rotate these out regularly so they don’t go stale in your closet)
• Matches in waterproof container
• Blanket or sleeping bag for each family member
• Extra clothing
• Face masks for air filtering
• Soap, wipes, antibacterial gel
• Toilet paper
• Copies of important family documents in waterproof containers
• Signal whistle
• Local maps
• Cash

Major Disaster Preparedness Items

If you can safely stay in your home during an emergency …

• Fire extinguisher
• Tool kit (with ax, shovel, broom, screwdriver, pliers, hammer, coil of rope, coil of bailing wire, duct tape, razor blades, adjustable wrench for turning off gas or water)
• Chart showing location of shutoff valves in your home, including the main electrical switch
• Portable fire escape ladder for homes or buildings of more than one floor
• Portable butane or charcoal stove (to be used outdoors away from the garage)
• Gloves and cloths for cleaning up dangerous spills
• Covered containers for storing waste
• Garden hose kept near an outside faucet

Personal Emergency Service Pack

If you and your troop are called out to serve during an emergency …

• Poncho or raincoat with hood
• Change or underwear and socks
• Small bag with toiletries
• Sleeping bag and waterproof ground cloth
• Map of area where you’re going
• 50 feet of No. 5 sash cord
• Hand ax, folding saw or pocketknife
• Water treatment equipment
• Cook kit and canteen
• Flashlight
• Battery-powered radio
• Extra batteries
• Hard hart
• Personal first-aid kit
• Matches in waterproof container
• Emergency ration
• Pencil and small notebook
• Handkerchief
• Compass and map of the area (and GPS if you have one, with extra batteries)
• Watch
• Facial tissues
• Work gloves
• Face masks for air filtering

Watch the Scouts competing in the following videos, and find out more about the biathlon in the January 2011 issue of Boys’ Life magazine.

The shooting portion of the biathlon competition is critical. Competitors must remove their skis, rush to the shooting line, catch their breath and shoot as straight as possible. The Scouts loaded their guns in advance of the actual competition.

The Scout biathlon was a team event. Four competitors started with some cross-country skiing. After making a lap around the track, the guys rushed to the shooting range, then sprinted back to the starting line so the next team member could do his part.

In between biathlon training sessions, the Scouts from Troop 4 rode the slopes of Soldier Hollow Cross-Country Ski Resort on tubes, a nice break from the competition of the biathlon.

Watch our step-by-step video to learn how, and check out the article in the December 2010 issue of Boys’ Life magazine for more information.

Remember: Even in a survival situation, try to avoid harming the environment when building your fire. Look for a spot from which a fire could not spread and where the surrounding area would not be damaged.

Download our templates below to help you get started.

TRIP PLAN

Once your crew has agreed on an itinerary, write down your plans, and leave copies with your parents and a handful of other responsible adults.

• File No. 1: Trip Plan, Microsoft Word: Modify it yourself to fit your trip.
• File No. 2: Trip Plan, PDF: Print our file and fill in the details for your trip by hand.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN

Before you leave for any trip, try to anticipate what could go wrong. Altitude sickness? Flooding? Avalanche? A serious injury? Provide copies to a handful of responsible adults who won’t be going on the trip.

• File No. 1: Emergency Response Plan, Microsoft Word: Modify it yourself to fit your trip.
• File No. 2: Emergency Response Plan, PDF: Print our file and fill in the details for your trip by hand.

DUTY ROSTER

Your duty roster should help you organize the responsibilities of each member — or each patrol — as you progress along your trek. Come up with a list of duties (water purification, cooking, cleanup, etc.) along with a list of the Scouts who will perform them. That way everybody knows from the start what they’re in for.

• File No. 1: Duty Roster, Microsoft Excel: Type in your own job names and the names of who will perform them.
• File No. 2: Duty Roster, PDF: Print out file and write down the names of the jobs and the Scouts by hand.

Different situations call for different knots. The knots needed for tying fishing line to a hook are different from the knots needed to join two sections of line together.

To be prepared for anything, learn these knots before you hit the water.

IMPROVED CLINCH KNOT
(for tying line to a hook)

1. Thread the line through the eye of the hook, then make 5 to 7 wraps around the line with the loose end.

2. Thread the loose end of the line through the loop closest to the eye, then back around inside the loose section of line.

3. Pull both ends of the line until tight.

4. Trim the loose end of the line if necessary.

PALOMAR KNOT
(for tying line to a hook)

1. Double your line to make a loop, then push the loop through the eye of your hook.

2. Tie a loose overhand knot.

3. Pass the loop around the end of the hook and pull on the line to tighten.

TURLE KNOT
(for tying thin line to a small hook)

1. Run the line through the eye of the hook, then tie a loose double overhand knot in the end of the line.

2. Pass the open loop over the hook and tighten the whole thing so that the loop tightens around the eye.

BLOOD KNOT
(for joining two sections of line together)

1. Line up the ends of each line together for several inches, then wrap the first line around the second at least five times.

2. Wrap the second around the first at least five times, and bring both loose ends back to the middle between the two lines.

3. Pull tight on each line until the knot is snug.

DOUBLE SURGEON’S LOOP
(for forming a loop in the end of a line)

1. Fold over the end of the line to make a double line, then tie a single overhand knot.

2. Pass the loop through the hole in the overhand knot one more time.

3. Moisten the knot and tighten.

WIRE LINE TO MONO KNOT
(for attaching wire line to monofilament)

1. Fold four inches of wire line back over itself to form a bend at the end of the line.

2. Run your monofilament line through the middle of the bend, then wrap it once around the bottom of the bend.

3. With the monofilament, make seven close turns around both lines.

4. Pass the loose end of the monofilament above the center strand of monofilament and below the wire line, then pull snug.

TUCKED SHEET BEND
(for attaching line to a leader loop, or snelled hook to the line)

1. Pass the end of the line through the loop, then make a simple sheet bend knot.

2. Pass the end of the line back through the loop of the sheet bend.

3. Tighten until snug.

SNELLING A HOOK
(for attaching monofilament to a hook)

1. Pass the end of the line through the eye of the hook twice, creating a loop that hangs alongside the hook.

2. Wrap the loop around the hook, forming tight coils, 5 to 10 times.

3. Holding the coils in place with one finger, pull the line up until the loop is snug under the coils.

It’s important to keep your gear clean and in good working order. You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Take care of your gear and it’ll take care of you.” Well, it’s true and we’ll show you exactly how to do it so you’ll be ready for your next adventure.

HIKING BOOTS

It’s important to clean and dry out your boots after every trip. Rinse them in cool water and use a soft-bristled brush to brush the grime off, paying special attention to the seams and stitching.

If they are super dirty, you might try a cleaner like Nikwax Footwear Cleaning Gel ($8; nikwax.com) or Granger’s G-Max Footwear Gel Cleaner ($6; grangers-usa.com).When your boots are looking especially manky, you may want to use a spray or rub-on conditioner like Granger’s Paste Wax ($6; grangers-usa.com).

Finally, if the boots aren’t shedding water the way they should, try water-proofing them with a product like Tectron Water Repellent for boots and shoes ($6.50; rei.com) or ReviveX Leather Spray Water Repellent ($8; mcnett.com).

TENTS

After every outing, check your tent for damage and sweep out the inside to remove all dirt, sand and debris. If it’s dirty, spot- clean using a simple sponge with cold water and nondetergent soap (don’t use dishwashing liquid, bleach, stain sticks, etc.) and NEVER machine-wash your tent.

Also avoid putting your tent away when it is damp. It’s one thing to stuff it inside your backpack because it’s raining on the trail, but once you’re home be sure to let it air dry. If you’ve indeed packed it away wet, there’s a good chance it’s stinking from mildew. If that’s the case, try to treat it with an odor eliminator like McNett MiraZyme ($5; mcnett.com). You can also try a water solution mixed with 5 percent hydrogen peroxide.

If your tent is leaking, seam-seal the floor seams and the rainfly with a product like McNett Seam Grip ($7.25; mcnett.com). Finally, waterproof the fly and the bottom of the tent with a waterproofer like Granger’s Tent Waterproofer ($10; grangers-usa.com) or Nikwax Tent and Gear Solarproof waterproofing spray ($18; nikwax.com), which also protects the tent from damaging UV rays.

If you’ve got plenty of storage room, you might even consider storing your tent poles fully assembled to put less stress on the shock-cords inside.

SLEEPING BAGS

After every outing, air out your sleeping bag. And, if possible, store it on a hanger in a closet. If you don’t have space for that, store it in a large, loose bag NOT compressed in a stuffsack. Then, before each camping season, wash your bag. This will help restore its loft (puffiness) and its warmth. It’s best to machine-wash your bag in a front load washer because it’s gentler than a top-loader; but NEVER dry clean a down bag as it’ll reduce the warmth of the down inside. And don’t use regular detergent. Instead, throw it in the wash with something like ReviveX Down Cleaner ($9; mcnett.com) or Nikwax Down Wash ($9; nikwax.com), which cleans the down and boosts its water repellency too. Be sure to run it through the rinse cycle twice. For synthetic bags, try a cleaner like Granger’s Performance Wash ($9; grangers-usa.com).

FIRST-AID KITS

Before and after every outing, check your first-aid kit. Make sure it’s clean and dry. If any medicines and ointments have expired, replace them. For a list of what ought to be in your kit, check out our first- aid kit ingredients list at boyslife.org/firstaidkit.

COOKING POTS & PANS

This may seem like it goes without saying: Thoroughly clean your pots and pans after every outing and before you store them for the season. Nobody wants year-old omelet residue in his breakfast. When storing Dutch ovens, place a paper towel or piece of newspaper inside to collect any moisture, and prop open the lid with a folded-over paper towel to let air circulate and prevent the oven from getting a rancid smell.

CAMP STOVES

After every outing, check your stove for damage, missing parts and any fuel leaks. At least once a season, plan on doing full maintenance on your stove. One of the simplest ways is with a cleaning kit from the manufacturer, such as this MSR Annual Stove Maintenance Kit ($15; cascadedesigns.com/MSR).

Don’t leave fuel in your stove in the off-season either. Instead, disconnect the fuel bottle and let the gas burn all the way out. If your stove has a plunger for pumping the fuel, put a little 3-in-1 oil on the pump cup. Also, check all of the seals and treat the o-rings with petroleum jelly (to prevent cracking) before storing it for the season.

RAINWEAR AND SHELL JACKETS

If your rainwear isn’t really keeping you dry anymore or if it’s wetting out instead of repelling water, it’s time to clean it and, possibly, renew its water-repellency. A jacket’s DWR (durable water repellent) coating can wear thin, and dirt and grime can clog the membranes of Gore-Tex, eVent and other waterproof/breathable fabrics, making
them not-so breathable anymore.

Often, just a good washing paired with about 45 minutes in the dryer on low heat and/or a quick once-over with a warm iron is enough to revive your jacket. Most important, read—and follow—the care instructions inside your jacket. Some conventional detergents and fabric softeners may clog the membranes, so use a specialized treatment like Nikwax Tech Wash ($9.30; nikwax.com) or one that cleans and renews the jacket’s waterproof finish simultaneously like Granger’s One Step Wash and Waterproofer ($15; grangers-usa.com). If you want to boost the DWR even further, try a spray-on waterproofer such as ReviveX Spray-on Water Repellent for Outerwear ($8; mcnett.com). It’s important to note that Gore-Tex warns against using wash-in waterproofers with their jackets and recommends spray-on products only.

Clean your room! Do the dishes! Wash behind your ears! As much as it pains me to say this: Your mom’s actually. Keeping clean is a great habit to have both at home and on the trail.

Here are some tips to make it easier.

BABY WIPES AREN’T JUST FOR BABIES

Many outdoorsmen I know carry a small pack of baby wipes on the trail. They’re lightweight and contain just enough liquid to feel refreshing on your skin.

WASH YOUR HANDS

Do it religiously after you use the bathroom, before you cook a meal and prior to eating. Warm water and soap is best, but on the trail a gel-based hand sanitizer is often easier. Choose one with an alcohol concentration of at least 60 percent so it’ll kill all the microbes that can collect on your skin and make you sick. Be sure to rub the gel into your hands for about 20 seconds or until dry. Check out Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer (about $2; purell.com).

BRUSH YOUR TEETH

Home. Not home. You still need to clean your chompers. Bring along a toothbrush and use it. If you’re camping with your troop, consider sharing a tube of toothpaste between friends. And if you’re really an ounce-counter (a hiker who is fanatical about ultralight backpacking) cut off the handle of the toothbrush to save weight. Need one? Check out the Boy Scout Toothbrush ($2.59; scoutstuff.org).

BATH TIME

Sure, being dirty can be fun for a few days, but if you’re sharing a tent with fellow Scouts, pay attention to your stink factor. When it’s bath time, get a pot of water and scrub yourself down.

Use a biodegradable soap like the liquid Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap ($2.50; drbronner.com)—I like the peppermint scent—or Sea to Summit Pocket Soap ($5; seatosummit.com): little, thin, single-use leaves of soap. If you’re really homesick, try the solar-heated hangable Sea to Summit Pocket Shower ($28; seatosummit.com), which gives you about seven minutes of warm showering. Finally, my favorite: swimming. Nothing feels better than a quick dip after a long day on the trail.

DRY OFF

Obviously you need a towel to dry off after bath time, but it’s silly to bring a big ol’ thick towel from home. Besides being heavy, they’re slow to dry. A better bet is a lightweight, quick-dry towel like the MSR PackTowl Ultralite ($14 to $30; cascadedesigns.com/MSR) or REI Multi-Towel Lite ($12.50 to $26.50; rei.com).

PUT ON CLEAN UNDERWEAR

If you have room in your backpack, bring along an extra set of underwear and clean clothes for wearing around camp. Once you do your sponge bath or swim, it’s nice to change into clean (or sort of clean) clothes. It also gives your trail clothes a chance to air out and dry overnight.

WASHING MACHINE-A-GO-GO

For longer backpacking trips, you can wash your clothes by putting them in a drybag (turn it inside-out) or plastic trash bag with a little water and soap (Dr. Bronner’s works great). Seal it up, then hike with it attached to the outside of your pack. Or simply shake it vigorously for 10 minutes or so. Drain the soapy water and refill for the rinse cycle.

DISH DUTY

If you’re on dish duty, use a biodegradable soap like Campsuds ($3.50; campsuds.com), Dr. Bronner’s or Sea to Summit Pocket Soap. One simple way to do dishes is with a portable sink like the Kelty Kitchen Sink ($46; kelty.com), which comes with a retractable drying rack. Remember: You don’t need purified water to wash your camp dishes as long as you let your clean dishes air-dry before using them again because most microorganisms can’t survive in a dry environment. You can even use river water and a handful of sand to scrub the pots like a Brillo pad.

WIPE YOUR FEET

Use a small folded-over towel as a kind of welcome mat for your tent to collect dirt before it gets tracked inside. Make a rule that you and your tent mates must take off your boots before getting inside.

AIR IT OUT

You are no doubt familiar with the sleeping bag stank syndrome. After several days of hiking hard and going to bed without a bath (you didn’t read Bath Time, above, obviously) your sleeping bag and tent often stink. So when you can, let your sleeping bag and tent air out in the fresh air before breaking camp each day.

“It’s the only way to get better,” McAlexander says.

McAlexander uses a casting technique called The Shooter that can break a light bulb from 30 feet away using a fishing pole, some line and a lure. (Check out cool video of his trick at boyslife.org/casting)

Start with these basics from McAlexander, and you could soon be casting like a pro.

THE SHOOTER

Great For: Fishing Boat Docks and Brush Piles

“Shooting is basically an old crappie fishing technique,” McAlexander says. “I just took it and went into the bass world with it.”

Step 1: Lower the lure about half the distance between the rod tip and reel.

Step 2: If you’re using a spinning reel, flip open the bail, which is the thin wire part of the reel that is flipped from one side to the other. Hold the line with your dominant hand, and grasp the lure with the opposite hand.

Step 3: Draw the rod tip down and pull the lure back to your chest. You can even shoulder the rod like a rifle.

Step 4: Aim straight down the rod, then release the lure with your fingers and point straight down the rod with the finger that was holding your line. The line will come off the spool and propel the lure forward.

OVERHEAD CAST

Great For: Distance

“You can really get a lot of power behind an overhead cast,” McAlexander says. “It’s very accurate too, because you’re looking where you’re casting.”

Step 1: With your thumb, hold down the button on your bait casting reel and bring the rod back.

Step 2: Bring the rod forward and release your thumb. The bait will drag your line out.

Step 3: Push the button back down with your thumb to slow your spool. “If you don’t do it efficiently, you can end up with a backlash (line tangle),” McAlexander says.

PITCHING

Great For: Casting 10 Yards or Closer

“I like to use pitching for up-close, finesse fishing,” says McAlexander.

Step 1: While holding the rod straight up, let out enough line so that the lure comes down to the reel.

Step 2: Hold down the button on your reel, holding the spool steady. Grab your lure with your opposite hand. (Watch out for the hook!)

Step 3: Drop the rod tip down, bringing back your lure while keeping the line taut.

Step 4: Raise the rod tip in one swooping motion, pulling the lure out of your other hand. “That will drop the lure wherever your rod tip is pointing.”

Step 5: Control the distance by slowing the line with your thumb.

FLIPPING

Great For: Casting Into Weed Mats

“Flipping is a little bit faster than pitching, but it’s even shorter range,” McAlexander says. “It’s extremely effective, especially around shallow docks with mixed timber and vegetation.”

Step 1: Pull out a lot of slack line, estimating the distance to your target. Keep your thumb on the spool or keep your reel engaged.

Step 2: Start the lure swinging, then let the lure go out with the slack line. Do not let your thumb off the spool.

Step 3: “You can sit there, jiggle it a couple seconds in that spot, then pull your slack line out and do the same thing for the next spot.”

SIDEARM CAST

Great For: Windy Conditions

“If it’s windy outside, you want to keep your lure low,” McAlexander says. “With a straight overhead cast, the wind will really throw your lure around and reduce your distance. With the sidearm cast, you can skip your lure across the water and under cover.”

Step 1: Bring your rod back at your side, holding the button and using a circular swooping motion.

Step 2: Snap your wrist forward, releasing the button, which releases the line.

THE REEL WORLD

Spincaster: This is the classic push-button reel most people start with. McAlexander says it lets “you get the casting motion down before you have to figure out the mechanics of the reel.”

Baitcaster: This push-button reel gives you more control. To cast, you push the button down with your thumb; it locks in place. Then you hold the spool steady with your thumb until you cast. After you cast, you gradually apply more pressure to the spool to slow the speed of the lure as it gets close to its target. McAlexander likes to use this reel to get fish out of thick cover. He says it’s also good for casting spinner bait, jigs, crankbaits and swimbait lures.

Spinning reel: This is an open-face reel that has a spool of line parallel to the rod. McAlexander likes to use this reel to cast light crankbaits, Texas rigs, drop-shot rigs, jerkbaits and weightless soft plastics.

It doesn’t have to be that way. With a bit of know-how you can carry what you need and reduce your pack weight by half, if not more. And you can do this without roughing it or compromising safety.

In fact, done right, “fastpacking” will make your outings more fun, and that’s what it is all about. Fastpacking isn’t just about what you carry; it is also about the clothes you are wearing and the boots on your feet.

In short, fastpacking requires that you look at all of your gear and ask yourself, “Do I really need this?” and “Is there a lighter-weight alternative?”

Here are two keys to successful fastpacking:

1. CARRY LESS

Travel Lighter By Carrying Less: What you can leave at home will surprise you.

• Tent: A tent is necessary for surviving the cold and snowy slopes of Mount Everest, but most likely you will encounter more pleasant conditions. Because a tent is the single heaviest piece of gear you will pack, you can save the most weight by leaving it at home.

One good alternative is a tarp. A tarp weighs a pound or less, and you can string it from the branches of a tree, or simply prop it up with sturdy branches you find on the ground.

• Cook kit: A pot, skillet, bowl, mug and cutlery are civilized, but you don’t need all of that. Pack dinners that require only boiling, such as dry noodles and dehydrated soups, and all you’ll need are a one-quart cook pot that you can share with your buddy, a mug for eating and drinking, and a spoon.

• Stove: Due to regulations that can prohibit campfires, you sometimes have to carry a stove. But, when you have the option of cooking over a fire, you can leave the stove at home. To cook on a fire, let the flames die down, nestle your cook pot among the coals and you’ll have hot chow in no time.

• Water filter: Creek, river and pond water is brimming with parasites and bacteria that can make you sick, but you don’t need to carry a heavy water filter to clean your water. Instead, treat your water with lighter-weight water-purification tablets.

2. CARRY LIGHTER GEAR

Travel Lighter by Carrying Lighter Gear: Equipment manufacturers rival NASA in their quest to make better and lighter equipment.

• Headlamp: LED technology is lighter and allows for longer burning than conventional bulbs. Use an LED headlamp and you can save some weight, too.

• Boots: Match your footwear to the conditions you’ll encounter. If you’ll be hiking across snowfields, you’ll need ankle-high, waterproof boots, but if you will be hiking on mostly dry and even trails, you can probably do with a sturdy pair of much lighter trail-running shoes.

• Sleeping bag: Mummy-style, goose-down-insulated sleeping bags can weigh half that of their synthetic-fill counterparts. Down doesn’t insulate once it gets wet, but if you are sleeping in a tent or under the shelter of a tarp, your bag is unlikely to get wet. If, however, there is that risk, pack a synthetic bag just to be safe.

• Sleeping pad: A full-length foam pad is pure luxury, but a half- or three-quarters- length pad can save some weight. To pad and insulate your legs from the cold ground, simply put extra clothing or your pack under your legs.

Fear not. It’s still possible to get homemade baked goodies — including pizza, breaded chicken, blueberry pie and fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookies — even when you’re camping miles away from the troop trailer.

Typically weighing just a pound or two, a reflector oven is an effective alternative. The oven looks like a square box cut diagonally in half with a shelf in the middle to hold the food. Unassembled and stored in a pouch, it’s about the size of a one-subject notebook.

Complete ovens sell for about $60 online, where you can also find plans for making ovens of different shapes and sizes from scratch using some lightweight metal flashing, a few rods and a handful of rod pins.

The radiant energy from a roaring campfire travels into the oven, hits the oven’s angled top and bottom and bounces toward the food on the shelf, where the food absorbs the energy and bakes. The oven works best set a few inches from a fire.

“It can be challenging to make sure the oven stays level and that it’s close enough to the fire so the food in the back gets cooked but not so close that the food in the front gets burned,” says Eagle Scout Michael Milazzo from Troop 1570 in Herndon, Va. “Reflector ovens are unconventional, but they’re fun to use, fun to get other campers’ reactions, too, and it’s really great to have them available as an option.”

There is a right time and place for everything, including reflector ovens.

“They are great to use on a cold day or when you’re making a giant fire for a campfire ceremony,” says Brandon Timbrook, a Life Scout with Troop 1570. “All you need is a roaring fire and you’re ready to bake.”

By their very nature, reflector ovens aren’t for every camp-out. A ban on ground fires will keep it packed away. Charcoal briquettes and propane gas won’t work with it either. Reflector ovens need the radiant heat of strong flames from a wood fire.

Here are some of the dishes that Troop 1570 can create with its reflector oven.

BERRY PIE

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2⁄3 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening
• 5 tablespoons water
• 5 to 6 cups berries
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter

Place flour and salt into bowl. Mix in shortening thoroughly. Sprinkle in the water one tablespoon at a time, mixing until flour is moistened and the dough almost cleans the side of the bowl. Gather dough into a ball and divide it in half. Shape one half of the dough into a flattened round and layer between two sheets of floured wax paper. Roll out the paper-covered dough until it is two inches larger than an inverted pie pan. Gently remove one sheet of wax paper. Ease dough into pie pan dough-side down, and peel off second sheet of wax paper. Repeat with second half of dough, but instead of placing into pan, set aside. Stir together four tablespoons flour, brown sugar and salt for the filling. Pour over berries in a bowl and toss gently to mix. Pour berry mixture into the pie pan and dot with the butter. Carefully cover with the dough for the top crust. Pinch the edges of dough all the way around the pie to seal, then cut slits in the top to allow the steam to escape. Place on center shelf with oven close to high flames. Carefully turn pie every 15 minutes or so to encourage even baking. Remove when crust is brown. Allow pie to cool before serving.

BROWNIES

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup shortening
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup flour
• 2 squares melted baking chocolate
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch of salt

Mix ingredients well and pour into greased 8-inch square pan. Bake until knife inserted into brownies comes out clean.

SAUSAGE BREAD

• 1 lb. ground sausage
• 1⁄2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 can “Ready to Bake” bread dough or Pillsbury
• Pizza Crust

Cook the sausage until it’s crumbled; drain. Spread out the dough. Spread the sausage and cheese over the dough. Roll it up; seal it. Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes until the bread is fully cooked. (NOTE: A full loaf might be too big for a reflector oven. Consider cutting finished loaf in half to make two smaller loaves. )

BISCUITS

• 3 cups flour
• 6 tablespoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons oil
• 1 cup milk

Mix ingredients well. Roll out flat on a flour-covered surface. Cut out biscuits and bake until browned and stiff, and knife blade inserted into biscuits comes out clean.

PAN PIZZA

• 1 can “Ready to Bake” pizza crust
• 1 jar pizza sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Toppings, such as Italian sausage, sliced pepperoni, green pepper, onion, mushrooms

Divide pizza crust and place into two 9-inch cake pans. Spread crusts with pizza sauce. Top with cheese. Add desired toppings. Bake approximately 15 to 20 minutes, until crust edge is golden brown.

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE-CHIP COOKIES

• 2½ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder and mix well. In separate bowl, blend sugars well then add butter and beat to form grainy paste. Add eggs, vanilla then beat until light. Add flour mixture, chocolate chips then blend until just combined. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until knife blade inserted into cookie comes out clean.

CARDIAPPLE ARREST (Baked Apples and Bananas)

• 4 apples
• 4 bananas
• 3⁄4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄2 stick butter
• 1 cup mini marshmallows (optional)

Slice apples and bananas and place in cake pan. Spread brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over fruit. Place pats of butter on top of the brown sugar. Bake approximately 15 minutes. If desired, top with marshmallows and bake until melted and brown on top.

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup pineapple juice
• 4-8 slices pineapple
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4-8 maraschino cherries
• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup brown sugar

Grease the baking pan. Arrange pineapple rings to cover bottom of the pan. Place a cherry in ring hole of each pineapple ring. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the pineapples. Mix well the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, then add the eggs, pineapple juice and vanilla. Beat until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter evenly over the pineapple rings and brown sugar. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Invert onto a cutting board.

BREAD

• 1/8 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 package yeast
• 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 ¾ to 3 ¼ cups flour
• 1 tablespoon butter

Pour the warm water over the yeast in a bowl. Heat the milk to the same temperature as the water (about 105 degrees). Add the warm milk, butter, sugar, salt, and 2 cups of the flour. Beat vigorously for at least 1 minute to make a thick, rough lumpy, pasty batter, not stiff enough to hold its shape. Stir in enough of the remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, to make stiff but not dry dough. It should take all but about ½ cup of the flour. Dust a cutting board and knead the dough for a minute or two, then let it set for 10 minutes to absorb moisture. Then knead for 6-10 minutes more until you have a smooth ball. Grease a bowl and place dough in it, making sure the dough is greased all around. Cover and let rise until doubled, an hour or two. Then grease the baking pan. Punch the dough down and knead for a minute or so to get the air out of it. Then spread the dough evenly in the baking pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes.

CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

• Vegetable oil for pan
• Flour for pan
• 1 package devil’s food or chocolate fudge cake mix
• 1 package chocolate instant pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ cup warm water
• ½ cup vegetable oil

Coat pan with vegetable oil, then dust with flour. Shake out excess flour, then set pan aside. Blend cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, water, and oil. Beat well. The batter should look thick and well combined. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth over the top. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. The cake should pull away from the sides of the pan and should spring back when lightly pressed. A toothpick should come out clean. Cool 20 minutes before removing. Then loosen with a knife and remove by inverting onto a plate.

You’re trying to sleep, but there’s a baseball-size rock poking you in the back. You keep sliding downhill in your sleeping bag. Just as you drift off to sleep, you’re jolted awake by the sound of your Scoutmaster snoring like a gorilla with a head cold.

While we can’t help you with your snoring Scoutmaster, Gear Guy is here to save you with some handy sleep tips and gear that will help you get a better night’s rest on the trail.

EAT. Don’t go to bed hungry if you can help it. Your body generates more heat when it has calories to burn, so you stay warmer and sleep better.

GET LEVEL. Pick a spot that’s as flat and level as possible so you’re not sliding downhill all night. Flat ground can be tough to find, so if sleeping on a slight incline is unavoidable, always have your head on the uphill part so all the blood doesn’t rush to your noggin.

CLEAR THE WAY. Before you go to bed, do a quick sweep of the spot you’ll be sleeping on to remove sticks, stones and other things. But leave the pine needles and leaves right where they are. They’ll give you a little extra padding, and leaving them will make less of an impact on the environment.

LOOK ABOVE. Check for dead trees, limbs, pine cones and other stuff that could fall on you in the night. Avoid those spots.

DO A STAKEOUT. Take the extra time to stake out the body of your tent and the guy lines on your rainfly. That way, if the wind whips up, you won’t be kept awake by the annoying flapping of the fly. Also, this will improve airflow and ventilation within your tent and will help you avoid your tent wetting through with morning dew and condensation.

KEEP IT ROLLED UP. If you’re going to sleep out under the stars (good for you! It’s one of Gear Guy’s favorite things to do), keep your sleeping bag rolled up in its stuffsack until it’s time to hit the hay. That way you’ll prevent your bag from getting wet from dew or humidity, and it’ll give the creepy crawlies less opportunity to get inside before you do.

BRING PJs. I’m not saying you ought to pack those Spider-Man pajamas, unless that’s how you roll. Just make sure you always have clean clothes to wear to bed. Maybe it’s simply a T-shirt and boxers, but having something that doesn’t smell like campfire, dinner or your own B.O. will help you sleep better. Bonus: It’ll keep your sleeping bag cleaner, too.

THROW IT AT YOUR FEET. Cold-weather tip: Whatever clothes you’re planning to wear in the morning, toss those in the bottom of your sleeping bag. They’ll keep your feet warmer, and the clothes will be cozy and warm when you get dressed in the morning. Sure they’ll be wrinkled, but get over it. You’re camping!

SLEEP IN YOUR CLOTHES. If it’s particularly cold, wear layers to bed. Long underwear (tops and bottoms), warm (clean) socks and a fleece jacket are a good start for frigid nights.

D-I-Y PILLOW. Don’t bring that huge, bulky pillow from your bed at home. Instead, make a do-it-yourself pillow. Use a stuffsack (or a fleece jacket) and fill it with your other clothing layers to make a soft mini pillow.

WEAR A HAT. We lose most of our body heat through our heads, so keep a stocking cap or balaclava close at hand. Then if you get chilly in the night, you can just slip it on and warm up.

SLEEP LIGHT. Keep a headlamp or flashlight at your side when you sleep; doing so is key to being able to find your way in the middle of the night—whether it’s an emergency or you’re just heading out to relieve yourself. Bonus: If it’s cold, keeping your headlamp inside your sleeping bag prevents the batteries from getting cold and losing their power.

PEE IN A BOTTLE. Maybe you’re camping somewhere cold or where getting out of your sleeping bag to relieve yourself could be uncomfortable or dangerous. If so, stash an empty quart-size plastic bottle in your tent. The wide-mouth ones, like a Gatorade bottle, are best. When nature calls, simply kneel in your sleeping bag, position the bottle just so, and VERY CAREFULLY pee into it. When you’re finished, screw the top on tightly and set it outside the tent door.

One way is to make an insect spreading board — your own nature museum made up of the most common insects in your neighborhood. It might make you think twice before squashing the next bug you see.

Here’s how to make your own bug board:

STEP 1: Get a good field guide. You can buy “Bugs & Slugs: An Introduction to Familiar North American Invertebrates” from www.scoutstuff.org ($5.95, Item No. 30403), but you can also find good guides for free at the library or on the Internet.

A good guide should provide color photos or illustrations of different bugs, along with information on their behavior and habitat.

STEP 2: Make a collecting net. You can buy one at many retail stores (often in the toy department), or you can make your own with a wire clothes hanger and a patch of nylon strainer netting available at most hardware stores.

Bend the clothes hanger into a loop. Go to the paint section of the hardware store and ask for a five-gallon nylon strainer. Weave some fishing line through the holes near the edge of the strainer and “sew” it to the clothes hanger. Use duct tape to fasten the hanger to a broom handle or a wooden dowel.

STEP 3: Construct a killing jar. Freezing is the safest and cleanest method of preparing bugs for mounting. Just place your specimens in a jar and leave the jar in the freezer until the critters are dead.

You can also enlist the help of an adult or merit badge counselor to make a killing jar that uses chemicals (such as nail polish remover). Be extra careful, as these chemicals can be dangerous to you as well as the bug.

STEP 4: Make a bug board. You can use almost any shallow box to show your insects. Sometimes the top of a large box works great. Use a material such as polystyrene foam, cardboard or fiberboard to reinforce the bottom of your board.

Regular straight pins are O.K. for pinning insects, but they might rust over time and spoil the specimen. Search online for special insect pins that will last longer.

When pinning a bug to your board, be careful to do as little damage as possible. Small bugs should be glued instead of pinned.

STEP 5: Catch some bugs. Take your field guide with you. When you get started, it might be easier to look for any bugs, instead of one specific bug. Once you’ve collected a nice variety, then you can move on to filling the holes in your collection.

Learn which bugs are common in your area. A bug collection in Wisconsin is going to look different from a bug collection in Southern California. Don’t waste your time looking for critters that don’t even live in your region.

STEP 6: Label your bugs. You can simply tear off a small piece of paper from a standard white sheet, or you can buy labels from an office supply store. Write down the name of the bug and the date and location where it was found.

Take it a step further and write down the scientific name of the bug, along with notes on other conditions in which it was found, such as temperature, the kinds of plants nearby and recent rainfall.

Beware of Carpet Beetles. If you spot some brown dust on the bottom of your bug box, your specimens are likely being targeted by the larvae of carpet beetles, which will eat mounted insects. A moth crystal inside of an envelope will keep them out. Place the entire box in the freezer for a week to get rid of the ones that have already set up shop.

Good Hunting. You can watch and study insects wherever you find them, but it might be illegal to collect them from natural areas such as state parks, national parks and wildlife refuges. Collect them instead from around your house and throughout your neighborhood.

But when he went on a long camping trip to New Mexico, things got dicey.

“I got one shower every seven days. In between, I needed to do whatever would make things bearable,” Brian says.

Dallas Shewmaker, owner of www.lowergear.com, a camping-supplies rental company, offers these hygiene tips for campers:

• Carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer in your pocket and use it frequently — especially after going to the bathroom and before eating.

• Rub down with isopropyl alcohol on cotton balls each night. Make sure you hit underarms, feet and groin areas.

• Don’t wash your hands in a standing pool of water. Often, the water will have more bacteria than your hands.

• Carry at least two pairs of socks. Wash out one pair each night.

• Carry a small bottle of biodegradable soap to give yourself an occasional sponge bath.

• Using antiperspirant in the backcountry is generally not recommended. Scents attract animals and bugs. But if you do, make sure it’s unscented.

• Carry a travel-size toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss — and use them often.

To begin your quest for stone skipping success, follow these steps:

1. Select a skipping stone. The stone should be mostly flat, about the size of the palm of your hand and about the weight of a tennis ball. Triangular stones tend to skip best. Avoid circular stones. They’re less stable.

2. Grip the stone. Hold it with your thumb and middle finger, then firmly hook your index finger along the edge. Your thumb goes on the top of the stone, not around the edge.

3. Throw the stone. Stand up straight, facing at a slight angle to the water. Try to maintain this position during your entire windup and release. The lower your hand is at the release, the better.

Throw out and down at the same time. A skipping stone is bouncing off the water, so give it plenty of downward force. Try throwing faster instead of harder — strength is not the key, quickness is.

4. Release the stone. The faster the stone is spinning, the better it will skip. Spin it as hard as you can with a quick snap of your wrist. The stone should hit the water parallel to the surface.

Jerdone McGhee is founder of the North American Stone Skipping Association.

Today’s treasure might be marked N 41 51.649 W 085 46.433.

Confused? Then you probably haven’t heard about geocaching (pronounced geo-cashing).

Geocaching, a modern-day treasure hunt activity, uses global positioning systems (GPS), handheld radio-based navigation systems that give a location’s longitude and latitude “address” with coordinates. For example, N 41 51.649 W 085 46.433 will lead you to Camp Tamarack in Michigan.

To play, someone must first hide a cache, or container, with an object inside. The hider gives the seeker the item’s coordinates, and the seeker uses GPS to find the item. “It sounds simple, but it can be quite hard,” says Erik Sherman, who wrote the book “Geocaching: Hike and Seek With Your GPS.” “The GPS signal will get you within about 40 feet of the spot, but some people are fiendishly clever in how they hide the cache.”

Caches have been hidden in all kinds of places, such as the heart of Manhattan, Antarctica and even 120 feet under water.

THE FUN IS IN THE FINDING

Bringing home the treasure might be the goal, but “the real fun is the search itself,” Sherman says.

And when you find a cache and take a trinket, you must leave a trinket for the next finder.

Life Scout Khris Brown, 17, of Troop 963, Valparaiso, Ind., has participated in geocaching with his troop.

“My favorite part is hiding the caches,” he says. “It’s fun to see how long it takes the other Scouts to find it.”

Geocaching is a great way to hone your navigation skills.

“Bring a compass with you because GPS units can have trouble under heavy tree cover,” Sherman advises. “And be sure to remember where you entered the area so you can get back out.”

REMEMBER THE RULES

Avid geocacher Dr. Mary Stevens, who mapped out the first geocaching course for a national Scout jamboree, says there are four basic geocaching rules:

1. Safety: Stay far away from traffic or railroad crossings. Don’t place a cache higher than six feet or require dangerous climbing or swimming to retrieve it. Avoid hiding caches near electrical switch boxes. And always enforce the buddy system.

2. Respect the environment: Never bury a cache in the ground. Avoid sensitive ecosystems. Don’t place caches in archaeological or historical sites. Don’t deface any object.

3. Respect private property: Get permission from landowners to hide caches. Caches are not allowed on national park lands, national wildlife reserves, military installments and school properties.

4. Be a positive ambassador for Scouting by following the Scout Oath and Law.

MORE INFORMATION

For the best online geocache information in the world, check out geocaching.com and its excellent frequently-asked-questions page.

Here are some good books to get you started in geocaching:

For Younger Readers

• “Let’s Go Geocaching: Boys’ Life Reader” (DK Publishing, 2008)

For Older Readers

• “Geocaching: Hike and Seek with Your GPS”, by Erik Sherman (Apress, 2008)
• “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Geocaching”, by Jack W. Peters (Alpha, 2004)

LEARN FISH HABITS

Fish behave differently after dark.

With no light, they depend on their sonar senses. Tiny nerve endings around the face and along the centerline of both sides pick up the smallest vibrations of bait movement, wiggling and spinning of artificial lures. So keep baits moving.

And because predator fish can’t see as well at night, smaller panfish will come out of heavy cover to roam about looking for food. These include bluegills, rock bass, redear sunfish, crappies, yellow perch, small bass and small catfish.

LANTERN LESSONS

Lanterns do more than just help you see.

Flooding the water surface with light brings in tiny critters called phototropes to the top. They are attracted to light. They, in turn, bring the small minnows to feed on them. And panfish come to dine on the minnows.

Then, you come in — to dine on the panfish.

Just for fun, take along a magnifying glass. You’ll be amazed at the number of phototropic organisms in
the lighted surface waters.

Don’t forget that lanterns attract bugs. Take along some insect repellant.

TACTICAL TIPS

When fishing from shore or a dock, cover the hook with your bait and try several different places.

Try fishing around weeds, lily pads, brush and other panfish hangouts. Dunk the bait and move it around until you catch your first fish.

Where there is one, there usually are more. Keep trying different depths until you begin catching fish.

Once you locate a school, you can catch enough for the whole crew. If you don’t catch fish within your immediate area, try casting out farther. Eventually, you will find the fish.

A flashlight is handy for locating different kinds of cover.

If you’re using a bobber, drop the bait close to the edges of the cover and keep moving until you cross paths with your target.

PRACTICE AT HOME

Casting can be tough when you can’t see. Practice in the backyard with a cork over your hook or with a practice plug. Eventually, you’ll be able to tell how far you’re casting without even looking at the line.

Changing sinkers, bobbers and hooks is also a challenge in the dark. If you practice at home, you won’t waste valuable time at the lake when your line breaks.

SAFETY FIRST

• Get permission from an adult before heading into the dark.
• Don’t go alone. Even in daylight, fish with a buddy. Tell someone where you’re going to be, how you’re going to get there and when you are going to return.
• If you have one, take a mobile phone. You might catch your limit early and want a ride home.
• Take at least one flashlight for each fisherman. And take an extra set of batteries.

It’s July 2008 at Sid Richardson Scout Ranch just outside of Fort Worth, Tex., but it might as well be July 1908 in a cabin in the middle of nowhere.

That’s how authentic the outdoor living-history portion of the Road to Ranger high-adventure camp at Sid Richardson can be.

“I made a crowbar,” Hunter says. “I had never done that before.”

Hunter and the rest of his crew are here to make progress toward their Venturing Ranger Award, an achievement that requires knowledge on a wide variety of outdoors sports and interests.

At the blacksmithing cabin, the guys are making their crowbars from raw metal. Sid Richardson staff members handle the metal and the viciously hot stove while participants handle the hammer.

It’s a lot heavier and harder than it looks. The metal is so hot it bends more and more each time it’s pounded by the hammer. One errant swing and the bar could be twisted into an undesired shape.

“It was red-hot orange,” says Nick Jordan from Crew 1969 in Hillsboro, Tex. “You have to make sure you hit it firm on the heated part.”

With a little practice and only a few discarded chunks of metal, everybody has his own homemade crowbar. And everybody’s one step closer to Ranger.

COPING WITH CHALLENGES

Outdoor living history is one of 18 electives Venturers can choose from as they work their way to Ranger. (Participants must complete four of the electives to earn the award.)

At the U.S. Cavalry frontier-history outpost, campers dress and act like soldiers from the 1800’s. They scout the area and eventually fire cannons to protect the post from invading forces.

Another elective is COPE, or challenging outdoor personal experience. Sid Richardson’s COPE program pushes participants to expand their comfort zone to include activities that maybe they didn’t think they could do before, like scaling a state-of-the-art climbing wall.

“We climbed a 30-foot wall and got some people higher than they would normally go,” says Austin Jones, 18, with Crew 229 in Harker Heights, Tex. “We had to climb the wall and then rappel down it. It was a really fun experience.”

Another section of the COPE program is the Mohawk Walk. Staffers rig a series of ropes tied between trees. Participants must use teamwork to walk across the foot-high rope without touching the ground.

“You have to use your friends to keep stabilized on the rope,” Austin says. “There are a few things you can grab onto at some spots, but basically it’s impossible to do by yourself.”

Other electives offered include shooting sports, equestrian and scuba.

In other words, everything you need to take some serious steps toward the Ranger Award. But despite the conveniences of a program like Road to Ranger, the award is not something you can earn in one week.

That’s why it’s called Road to Ranger, not Destination Ranger.

THE CORE OF THE MATTER

Ranger candidates must complete eight core requirements.

Core requirements offered at Sid Richardson include land navigation, Leave No Trace and wilderness survival.

In the dining hall, a camp staffer leads a discussion on putting together a wilderness survival kit. Some items are obvious: rope, compass, signal mirror, whistle.

Others, not so much. A pencil and paper?

“To keep your sanity,” says Sid Richardson survival expert Jonathan Wood. “Most experts say after three days your mind starts degrading. You get angry and you want to vent.”

Other items include a slingshot and adhesive bandages. The slingshot can be used to hunt small game. Adhesive bandages can be used for tape. And the little pieces of paper that come off the bandages make great tinder for an emergency fire.

After the discussion with Wood, campers get their own wilderness survival experience. No tents, no sleeping bags. Just one night in the wild, man and nature.

“I’m building a shelter with a rope and a tarp,” Austin says. “I’ve always been fascinated with wilderness survival, but I’ve learned even more here.”

No worries.

Just take a deep breath and use these handy checklists. You’ll find one for most outdoor adventures, plus insider tips from our experts and a couple of surprise things you didn’t know you needed.

• Scout outdoor essentials
• Gear for a warm-weather outing
• Gear for a cold-weather outing
• Gear for a paddling outing
• Gear for a bicycling outing

The best-known snow shelter is the igloo. A brilliant use of engineering and resources, this simple dome made out of snow blocks is both strong and versatile.

THE MOST FAMOUS SNOW SHELTER

Arctic cultures such as the Eskimo and the Inuit developed it, and over time they came up with a hundred tricks to make the shelter more comfortable and sturdy, including making the entrance small (to help keep heat in) and melting the inside of the dome and letting it refreeze (for increased strength).

The earliest reference of igloo use came from the Vikings, who settled parts of Greenland and explored the eastern Canadian coast about a thousand years ago. They found natives living in igloos, but didn’t use them themselves because they considered the technology inferior.

History has proven otherwise, as the Vikings lasted for only about four centuries in the harsh climate of Greenland, while the native peoples are still carving igloos from the landscape today. Six hundred years after the tough Vikings were defeated by the tougher weather of the Little Ice Age, Boy Scouts still use the design of the igloo to keep warm.

BUILDING AN IGLOO

Diameter: Not to exceed 10 feet. Anything bigger would require a perfect dome, which is next to impossible to construct in the field.

Materials: Top layers of dry powder won’t work. Pack mounds of snow until they harden, or cut blocks of snow from the depth where your feet stop sinking.

Entrance: Build a door in the ground, about 18 inches lower than the ground inside the igloo, and tunnel below the wall into the igloo. For proper ventilation, never seal or close the entrance.

Walls: Cut the blocks into a spiral layer, leaning one block against the next. Keep the interior wall smooth so moisture can run down the side of the wall, instead of dripping from the ceiling. Include a vent hole to allow for better circulation.

Animal track illustrations are courtesy of Lynn Levine and Martha Mitchell. For more information see Mammal Tracks and Scat: Life-Size Tracking Guide or click on Heartwoodpress.com.

STICK IT TO A SNOWFLAKE

A tiny, one-of-a-kind snowflake lands on your coat sleeve. You look; you breathe; it’s gone. How can you make a flake stick around longer?

Try superglue. It can seep into small spaces, and trace amounts of water cause it to harden. Put these properties to work and make a lasting snow crystal “fossil.”

On a snowy day, pre-chill a tube of superglue (not the gel kind) and some glass slides and cover slips outside. Be sure to read the safety precautions on the glue’s label before you start.

Catch some snow on a dark surface. Find a crystal you like and move it to the middle of a glass slide. “Use a small paintbrush or a toothpick,” says snowflake expert Dr. Kenneth Libbrecht. “The crystals are delicate, and metal tweezers can conduct heat from your fingers.”

Cover the flake with a drop of superglue. Touching only its sides, gently place a cover slip over the glue. It can take as long as a week for the glue to completely set. Until then, protect the snow crystal by storing your slide in the freezer.

Later, view your snowflake “fossil” with or without a magnifying lens or microscope.

HOT TIPS FOR COLD CAMERAS

Taking photos outside in winter can be tricky. Here are some helpful hints:

• Wear thin gloves so you can adjust your camera.
• Batteries lose their juice in the cold, so keep a spare set close to your body.
• In bright snow, increase exposure time and/or add a flash.
• Store your camera in a plastic resealable sandwich bag. This keeps your camera dry outside and prevents condensation from forming on it when you go back inside.

PUT WINTER IN A CAST

A blanket of snow covers the ground: It’s prime time for animal tracking. So why does your cast of that picture-perfect raccoon print look like it came from an eight-toed alien?

Don’t give up just yet. Making plaster casts of tracks in snow is tricky but not impossible.

Before you cast, reinforce the track so it can stand up to the weight of the plaster. If the snow is wet, dust it with some powdered plaster and let it set. If the snow is dry and powdery, spray a mist of water over the track and wait for it to freeze. You can also try using Snow Print Wax — crime-scene investigators use it to collect evidence.

Plaster gives off heat as it hardens. When casting in snow, mix the plaster to the thickness of half-melted ice cream, adding some snow to cool it down. Pour from a short distance to minimize damage to the track.

If the plaster freezes before it sets, turn the cast track-side up and bring it inside to thaw and finish setting.

New to tracking or just want to brush up? Check out these books:

• “Peterson Field Guide to Animal Tracks” by Olaus J. Murie and Mark Elbroch (Houghton Mifflin, $19.95 softcover)
• “Tom Brown’s Field Guide: Nature Observation and Tracking” by Tom Brown Jr. (Berkley Trade, $14 softcover)
• “Field Guide to Tracking Animals in Snow” by Louise R. Forrest (Stackpole Books, $16.95 softcover)

For younger readers:

• “Nature Detectives” by K.C. Kelley (A Boys’ Life DK Reader, DK Publishing, $3.99 softcover)

TAKE A NIP OUT OF JACK FROST

Feeling artistic? Team up with the cold and make some hoarfrost. These large, fragile ice crystals might look complex, but they are easy to grow.

When temperatures are below freezing, set out an open pot of water. Put it somewhere that’s wind-free, such as in an unheated shed or barn. Keep the water warm with a hotplate or other heat source. Position a tree branch or other object for the hoarfrost crystals to grow on a few feet above the water. Now wait patiently for at least a day.

The air temperature and amount of water vapor coming from your pot will affect how the hoarfrost crystals grow. You might end up with crystals that look scaly, feathery or needle-like.

Want to hold on to your natural masterpiece in warmer weather? Take a picture!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Utility knife
• Tape
• Saw
• Drill
• Roofing nails
• Glue
• 2 sheets of corrugated cardboard, 7 1/2 inches by 30 inches
• 2 2-by-2-by-12-inch connector boards
• Piece of poster board large enough to cover the bottom of the cooker
• 12-inch-wide aluminum foil
• 2 1-by-1-by-13 1/2-inch wood uprights
• Small wooden dowl, sharpened at one end

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Step 1. Using the utility knife, cut a curve from the two pieces of cardboard.

Step 2. Connect the curves together using the 12-inch connecting boards, glue and roofing nails.

Step 3. Bend the poster board over the curves, mark with a pencil and cut to size. Glue and tape in place.

Step 4. Spread glue evenly onto the poster board. Carefully glue down the aluminum foil. Make it as smooth as possible.

Step 5. Drill a hole in one upright, cut a notch on the other and glue in place.

Step 6. Aim the cooker at the sun, skewer your hot dogs, and get the rolls and mustard.

HOW IT WORKS

The sun reflects heat off the parabolic curve and concentrates it at a single point.

No referee? No official sports field nearby? No problem. Here are five fun outdoor games that you can try.

TOUCH FOOTBALL

Our touch football-style game requires only a ball. The rest is up to you.

Depending on how many guys want to play, designate one quarterback and an equal number of receivers and defensive backs. It doesn’t matter what slot you start at. In this game, everybody gets to rotate and play each position.

The QB gathers his receivers and designs a play. The defensive backs do their best to cover the receivers and break up the pass. If you have an even number of Scouts, one position should be a designated pass rusher who counts to 10 then rushes the QB.

A completed pass gets 1 point for the QB and 1 point for the receiver who makes the catch. A pass breakup or interception gets 1 point for the defensive back. A sack (remember: this is touch football) gets 1 point for the rusher.

There are no first downs. A drive ends after four plays or a touchdown or interception, whichever comes first. A touchdown nets 2 points each for the QB and the receiver who scores.

After each drive, the players rotate positions. Once everybody has had an equal number of drives at each position, you total the points and see who wins.

SOCCER SHOOTOUT

It’s easy enough to get a game of pickup soccer going. You might not have a real goal, but the space between two trees works.

If you’re short on players, consider re-enacting one of the most exciting plays in the sport: the shootout, which pits one goalie against one player attempting a free kick.

If you have more than two Scouts, rotate guys in and out after each shot attempt. If you have just two players, switch back and forth between goalie and forward.

In real soccer, the goalie can’t leave the goal in a shootout, but who says you can’t tweak the rules in your game?

Players get 1 point for a goal when they’re on offense and 1 point for a save on defense. Give everybody an equal number of chances at each position and then see who comes out on top.

TRACK

Running is one of the oldest sports in the world. Racing on foot is a great game to play anytime.

After running a few sprint races from one spot in your campsite to another, consider changing it up so flat-out speed doesn’t always win. Chart a course that zigzags through the site (but steers clear of campfires and hazardous ground) to test agility.

Or try this: Write down a few basic knots on several different sheets of paper. Fold them, then mix them up and lay them next to a length of rope at the base of several different trees. The race is complete when a Scout sprints from the starting line to one of the trees, unfolds the sheet of paper, ties the knot that’s written on the paper, then sprints back to the starting point.

KICKBALL

Baseball’s a blast, but it’s a pain to carry bats and gloves on a hiking trip. As an alternative, consider kickball. Trust us — it was fun in the third grade, it’ll be fun now.

You know the rules: It’s like soccer-baseball. It can be played with a soccer ball or a softer rubber ball. You’ll need a decent number of Scouts to play so you don’t end up chasing a kicked ball through the woods all day.

Don’t worry about designating positions in the field. Just spread out enough so you’ve got most of the ground covered. You can use empty backpacks for bases. Just don’t stomp on them too hard.

When you were younger, you may have played with the rule that allows you to throw the ball at a runner to record an out. While that might seem like a good idea, keep in mind that you’re probably a lot stronger now than you used to be. A blow to the head with even the soft rubber ball isn’t fun for anybody.

And definitely don’t try that with the soccer ball. Instead, record outs the old-fashioned way — by touching the base before the runner gets there.

ULTIMATE

You wouldn’t dare go camping without a flying disc, would you? If you can throw a disc but you haven’t played Ultimate, then you don’t know what you’re missing.

It’s like soccer, with one major difference: You can’t run with the disc. Once you make a catch, you must wait for a teammate to get open and throw him the disc. When he makes the catch, it’s your job to get open downfield while he stays put and throws it back to you.

The ultimate goal is to pass the disc into the end zone.

End zones can easily be designated with trees or other landmarks. Ultimate can be played with as few as four players, two on each team.

Got more ideas for games? Share them in the comment section below.

Step 1: Make a mesh container from a piece of fiberglass window screen. Roll it into a tube with overlapping ends. Staple the tube together leaving a two-inch opening to slip fireflies through. Cap off each end with a plastic lid and duct tape.

Step 2: To use a female decoy firefly to catch males, connect the leads from a green LED light to two six-foot lengths of insulated copper wire. Attach one of the wires to a 9-volt battery. To make your “female firefly” flash, touch the second wire to the battery. Keep the light six feet away from you. (Fireflies avoid humans.)

To crack the fireflies’ code, watch a female in the grass answer a flying male’s signal. Note how long she waits before flashing a response. With your LED light inside an open container, mimic the female’s pattern.

Step 3: Put any males that arrive into your lantern. At least 40 fireflies per lantern should give you plenty of light. Release them, unharmed, the next day.

FINDING YOUR STRIDE

Everyone has a different stride (natural pace). Find yours during the first steps of a hike. It should be smooth — with rhythmic breathing, swinging arms and a consistent length to the step.

Maintaining that pace can be difficult. Slower hikers ahead on the trail slow your pace. Faster ones tempt you to hurry along.

Spreading out helps you maintain your pace, says Mark Anderson, director of program at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. “The truth is your pace can’t be any faster than the slowest hiker in your group. It’s important that the group stay together.”

If not, when Scouts come to a fork in the trail they’ll get separated. And if a problem arises with hikers at the rear, the ones in front won’t know about it and will keep going.

HEADING UPHILL …

The 50- and 100-mile backpack treks offered at Philmont cover trails at 6,000 to 12,000 feet of elevation. Shorten steps to pull such grades but retain your rhythm.

Also, step over objects in the trail instead of stepping on them. Stepping up on logs and rocks in the trail all day is like climbing an extra thousand feet straight up.

“On the really steep parts you might try what we call the rest step,” suggests Mr. Anderson. “with each climbing step straighten either the forward or trailing leg (the rear leg is easier for me) and lock the knee. Pause for a second, letting the bones of the locked leg bear your weight. This gives the leg muscles a short rest between steps.”

… AND BACK DOWNHILL

The uphill struggle is rewarded with a downhill coast. “But,” Mr. Anderson cautions, “I see way more injuries to hikers going downhill because they’re not in control.”

A slight bend in the knees absorbs the shock to the feet and leg joints when coming downhill. Placing the feet flat on the ground provides more boot sole surface to grip the ground.

“If the going’s real rough you might even want to side-step down the trail,” he says.

REST STOPS

Time between rest stops varies.

“Here at Philmont, with the hot and dry conditions and an uphill grade, you’ll want to rest every 20 or 30 minutes,” Mr. Anderson says. “At the least, you’ll want to stop every hour to readjust packs and drink some water.”

Limit rests to five minutes or so. Any longer and muscles tend to tighten, making it harder to resume your hiking rhythm.

Sit and give your feet a break while resting. Face downhill so your pack rests on the ground, not on your aching back.

Leave the pack on, but loosen the hip belt and shoulder straps. That eliminates lifting the pack and struggling back into the belt and straps.

With a break and a drink, you’re ready to hit the trail again with a steady step.

HELPING HAND

A walking stick lends a supporting hand while crossing streams or rough spots on a trail. Many hikers use the enduring wooden staff.

Modern trekking poles made of metal and/or plastics are lighter and provide a molded grip. Some hikers clutch a trekking pole in each hand. The swinging poles help help keep a fluid pace.

You can carve your own wooden walking stick. Click here to find how-to plans for creating your own.

Here’s how to maintain some of the components on your bike. Contact your local bike shop for books and advice on where to turn for more advanced maintenance tasks.

CLEANING YOUR BIKE

Why: Oil and dirt stick to components such as brake and gear systems, making them less effective.

How Often: Depends on how often and in what conditions you ride. Check your bike weekly and clean as needed.

What to Do: Spray the entire bike with a garden hose to remove excess mud and loose dirt. Use a degreaser on the crankset, derailleurs and chain to get rid of built-up oil and grit. Use hot water and a soapy sponge on the drivetrain, turning the pedals and running the chain through the sponge. Use a small cleaning brush to clean the cassette. Use a different sponge with soapy water on the rest of the bike. Use a silicon-based lubricant on the chain, derailleurs, cable ends, brake calipers and brake levers.

Tip: Start with the top of the bike and work your way down. That way dirt from above doesn’t seep into parts you’ve already cleaned.

ROUTINE SAFETY CHECKS

Why: Reduce the chance of mechanical failure causing an accident.

How Often: Before every ride.

What to Do: Check the frame for bulges or cracks, a sign that the tube is fatigued. Check the wheels and spokes for cracks and irregularities. Scan the entire drivetrain for worn parts. Make sure every bolt and screw is tight. Try to turn the handlebar while holding the front wheel still. If it moves, tighten bolts in the steering mechanism. Check the brakes by applying both and pushing the bike forward. The bike should stop before the brakes are fully applied. If not, see “Maintaining Your Brakes.”

Tip: Don’t overtighten bolts. Applying too much force can weaken it.

MAINTAINING YOUR BRAKES

Why: Just think about it.

How Often: Check your brakes before every ride. Maintain them as needed.

What to Do: Check the pads for wear. If they are glazed and hard, or if less than 1⁄8-inch remains outside the holder, replace the pads on both sides. Make sure the main brake cable is pulled taut and the anchor bolt is tightened. Turn the barrel adjuster to make sure both brakes are centered on the rim and that they just clear the rim as the wheel spins. Make sure the brake pads are directly in line with the braking surface of the rim. Loosen the bolt on the pad to adjust it. If you have to pull the brake lever all the way back before the wheels stop, loosen the cable-fixing bolt, squeeze the outside of the brake pads until they nearly touch the rim, then tighten the bolt.

Tip: Make sure your wheels are “true” while adjusting brakes. If a wheel wobbles while it spins, take it to a bike shop for adjustment.

MAINTAINING YOUR TIRES

Why: Improperly inflated tires can cause more expensive bike problems than just about anything.

How Often: Check your air pressure every time you ride.

What to Do: Use only a frame or hand pump to inflate your tires. Automobile service station pumps can blow out tires. Check tires frequently for cracks and worn treads.

Tip: Tires should be kept inflated within the range of the pressure recommended by the manufacturer. Look on the side of the tire for the recommended pressure.

Photographs from the “Complete Bike Book,” published by DK Publishing. Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder.

Want to learn more? For more information on bike maintenance, check out the “Complete Bike Book” by Chris Sidwells, available at www.scoutstuff.org or by calling 1-800-323-0736.

• Use barbless hooks or flatten the barb on the hook before using a fly for the first time. This makes the hook much easier to remove and lessens the potential injury to the fish’s mouth.

• Use either needle-nose pliers or forceps to gently remove the hook from the fish’s mouth.

• If the fish has swallowed the hook, or if the hook is set too deeply, cut the line and release the fish. The hook will dissolve over time without harm to the fish.

• If the hook is in the gills, the throat or an artery, the fish’s chances of survival are greatly reduced. If it’s legal, keep the fish. Also, if a fish is bleeding, keep it if it’s legal to do so.

• Minimize the amount of time the fish is out of the water.

• Once the hook is removed or the line is cut, gently hold the fish in the water, pointing upstream, until it can swim away on its own.

Visitors to Boyslife.org were curious about how to build the mailbox stove that was depicted in the November issue of Boys’ Life (“Come And Get It!”).

You ask for it, you got it. We got the guys from Troop 33, Charlotte, N.C., to show us how you can make your own stove.

Expect to spend at least half a day building (less if an adult uses power tools to speed some of the cutting) and between $60 and $80 on supplies (cut costs by recycling damaged metal mailboxes and by using nuts, bolts and washers already on hand).

The mailbox stoves lets Troop 33 bake, simmer and stay warm on windy days when campfires aren’t practical.

“It looks very complicated, but once you get started, one thing follows the next and it comes together pretty easily,” said Scout Rob Hagan, 15. “Once you get the hang of working with the tools and materials, you can make it pretty fast.”

MATERIALS:

• Jumbo steel mailbox ST20 series
• Elite steel mailbox regular size
• ½ grid galvanized wire screen (about 1-2 square feet)
• Three 36-inch-long all-thread metal rods (1/4 inch – 20 tpi)
• White marking tool, such as a white grease pencil or crayon
• Black permanent marker
• Four ¼-inch bolts approximately one inch long.
• ½-pound box of ¼-inch nuts
• ½-pound box of No. 8 deck screws 2-1/2 inch long
• ½-pound box of ¼-inch washers
• 1/8-inch aluminum strip 2 inches tall by 13 inches long (Note: This is for the temperature-control catch/handle. It can also be made of 1/16-inch steel by adults in a workshop.)
• .025-inch thick sheet metal 12 inches by 18 inches
• Wooden handle for temperature-control catch. Can be made from 1-inch diameter hardwood.
• Large metal clip, such as a spring clip, to hold door closed while cooking
• Cooking thermometer used for grills (must have locking nut to hold instrument in place)
• Furnace cement (black)
• Corner “L” bracket approximately 1-inch by 1-inch by ¾ inch wide
• Cabinet or drawer handle (not plastic)
• 9×9-inch metal grate to sit atop the smaller box opening when cooking.

TOOLS:

• Power drill
• 5/16-inch heavy-duty drill bit
• 1/8-inch heavy-duty drill bit
• 2-1/2-inch wood/metal hole saw
• Jigsaw with metal-cutting blade
• Power screwdriver
• Vice to hold rods while cutting
• Putty knife
• Flat metal file
• Tape measure
• Hacksaw
• Ruler
• Hammer
• Center punch
• Two 7/16-inch open wrenches
• Pliers
• Tin snips
• Safety glasses

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1. On bottom of smaller box, measure and mark (using white grease pencil) 16 inches away from side that opens. Center equal distance from edges. This will become the air intake hole.

Step 2. On side of box, measure and mark a parallel line 14 inches from open end. Mark line at two inches, four inches and six inches from bottom. Repeat on other side of box.

Step 3. Using center punch and hammer, tap each mark to create a small dent (to keep drill bit from slipping). Drill holes using 5/16-inch bit.

Step 4. On right side of front door (flag side), center corner brace on door three inches from bottom and flush to right side. Mark then drill with 5/16-inch bit.

Step 5. Use hole bit to cut air-intake hole in back of mailbox (where previously marked). Empty shavings from box.

Step 6. Cut steel rods using hacksaw to 6-5/8 inches long (cut three) and 11-1/2 inches long (cut six). File smooth with hand file. Each rod will take four nuts.

Step 7. Insert three smaller bolts through holes in sides of small box and secure with nuts. Note: Rods with nuts should not extend out past ¼ inch on each side.

Step 8. Laying ½-inch galvanized screen atop mouth of small mailbox, trace shape using permanent marker. Cut two shapes using tin snips. Push into box to rest upon rods.

Step 9. Against bottom edge of large box, draw perpendicular lines at 2 inches, 7 inches and 13 inches from opening side. Then mark at 3 inches and 7 inches up line from bottom. Tap with hammer and center punch to dent slightly, then drill with 5/16 bit.

Step 10. Measure location of air-intake hole on the bottom of the small mailbox and apply same distance to back end of large box. Use hole drill to cut.

Step 11. Mark centerline on top of both boxes. Using these lines as guides, set smaller box atop larger box and trace outline of shape. Have adult partner drill a pilot hole with 5/16 bit, then cut box using jigsaw. Save leftover piece.

Step 12. Using pliers, open hole slightly (as necessary) to insert smaller box into larger box. The air intake holes should line up.

Step 13. Once fitted together, use the 1/8 drill bit to drill six holes randomly in the bottom of the large box and into the smaller box. Screw a deck screw into each hole in order to secure the two boxes together.

Step 14. Trace a 4-inch-by-6-inch square in the center of the scrap piece cut from the large box. Include a one-inch-wide tongue at the top. This will become the handle used to slide the air-intake door open and closed. Hammer flat. Cut with tin snips or jig saw (adult). Dress with file to smooth edges. Save leftover pieces.

Step 15. Trace an outline of the door around the air-intake hole. Mark area for deck screws to be placed to hold door in place along door’s edges. Drill holes with 1/8 drill through both boxes, then install deck screws. Fit door in place.

Step 16. Using one of the leftover pieces trimmed from the air-intake door, measure the width of the gap space between the bottom of the small box and the rear of the large box. Trim with tin snips, adjust as necessary with pliers and insert gently into space. Piece should hold itself into place.

Step 17. Bend sheet metal horizontally to replicate the curve of the smaller box. Insert into larger box, along front edge of smaller box. Sheet becomes a shield to evenly distribute the heat inside of the oven.

Step 18. Insert the six 11-1/2-inch rods into the holes in the side of the large box, securing each rod with four nuts (two nuts on each rod on the inside of box, two nuts on rod on outside of box).

Step 19. Trace pattern onto aluminum strip. Drill pilot holes in each of the curved areas using 5/16 bit. Use hacksaw to remove pieces to form teeth. Bend handle forward at 90-degree angle, with teeth on the right.

Step 20. Through flag hole on the right side of small box, create a catch for the lid arm. Leaving about a quarter-inch of space on the shaft of the bolt, secure it using a washer and nut on the outside of the box and another washer and nut on the inside of the box.

Step 21. Attach corner bracket to right hand side of door on smaller box using the hole drilled in step 4. Attach in this order: Bolt, washer, corner brace, mailbox, washer, locking washer, and nut.

Step 22. Attach aluminum arm to the corner brace in this order: Bolt, washer, aluminum arm, washer, corner brace, washer, nut, jam nut. The jam nut helps keep the other nut from working loose. Note: Secure arm in place loosely, so it can easily move up and down.

Step 23. Attach clip to top front of large mailbox. Drill a hole for bolt, if necessary. Adjust clip and attachment to allow clip to hold door shut securely. Note: Clips with flatter profiles are easier to work with than the spring clip shown in photo.

Step 24. Mark and drill holes to secure drawer handle to front of door on large box. Insert grill thermometer at top of door (drilling hole, if necessary) and secure in place with nut.

Step 25. Seal joints, holes and gaps using a generous amount of furnace putty. This seals the heat into the oven and binds the two boxes together so the heat can’t escape. Allow to harden overnight before using the oven.

TO OPERATE:

Fuel oven through “chimney,” or the smaller box sticking upright. Fuel through the mouth of the smaller box onto the screens sitting inside.

Start with paper and small wood shavings to help the fire catch. Slowly add larger and larger shavings and splinters to help the fire grow. When ready, fuel with small blocks of wood. Soft woods, like pine, help the fire burn quickly. Hardwoods, like oak, create nice coals that create consistent heat. You can also burn pinecones and other yard debris.

“Just slide this door up and down to let in more air to help the flames burn, or to lower the air intake to take down the fire a little,” says 15-year-old Scout Rob Hagan.

Control the oven temperature by opening and closing the door of the small box. Closing the door increases the oven heat and vice versa. With practice, you’ll be able to control the temperature while you cook.

Use a small cookie sheet to bake inside the oven. Set a skillet or pot atop the 9×9 grate set atop the mouth of the smaller box.

Enjoy your meal!

Get prepared by studying basic map-and-compass skills such as taking a bearing. Then move on to more advanced techniques such as aiming off and factoring in declination as you navigate your way through the course.

THE BASICS: TAKING A BEARING

1. Align one edge of the compass with your starting point — in this case, Point A. Align the forward edge of the compass with your destination, Point B.

2. Turn the compass housing until north on the dial is aligned with north on your map. The direction you need to go — in this case, 245 degrees — can be read on the compass base.

3. Hold the compass in front of you near your midsection with the arrow pointing away from you at a 90-degree angle. Rotate your body — and the compass with it — until the compass needle is aligned with the “N” on the dial.

4. Follow the arrow on the compass to your destination.

Tip: To develop a solid plan of attack for an orienteering competition, you need to know how fast you can walk (or run) over a certain distance and be able to adjust for different kinds of terrain. (Obviously, it takes longer to hike through woodlands than it does to jog along a trail.)

THE NEXT STEP: AIMING OFF

In some cases, going from Point A to Point B isn’t as easy as it might seem. Let’s say the terrain between your current location and your intended destination consists of rolling hills, streams too deep to wade across and vegetation so thick that you have to go around.

Face it: You aren’t going to be able to maintain a straight course. A veteran of orienteering will instead aim off to the left or right of their destination as it appears on the map to hit some permanent landmark, such as a road or stream.

Then, even if you don’t make it straight to your target, you’ve purposefully aimed off to one side, so you know you have a relatively short walk down the stream or road to get where you need to go.

For example: Let’s say you don’t want to risk hiking through some water and thick underbrush that lies between Points A and B on the map. Instead, purposefully aim off to the right, around Point C.

Even if you miss Point C by a good bit, you know you’re going to walk southwest on the road until you get to your destination.

Tip: It’s important to keep track of where you are all the time, especially when the distance between Point A and Point B (or C) is significant. Use attack points at which you stop and compute your bearings. Choose easily identifiable spots on the map as attack points – the edge of a pond, the end of a road, etc. Remember to add about a minute to your travel time for each time you check your compass.

SERIOUS STUFF: DECLINATION

Taking a bearing with a map and compass will show you the relative direction from Point A to Point B. The actual direction, as related to true north and south, is different.

The north magnetic pole is actually about 1,200 miles southwest of the true North Pole. Therefore, magnetic north — the spot to which your compass points — is not the same as true north.

The difference is called declination.

In some cases, the difference between magnetic north and true north is so slim that it isn’t going to greatly affect your course. But, depending on where you are and how far you’re going, factoring in declination can save you some major headaches down the road.

Declination varies depending on where you are. Every topographic map should include a declination diagram.

On this map, magnetic north is 4 degrees east of true north. To factor declination into your bearings, you would subtract 4 degrees from your bearing.

The declination diagram here also indicates grid north: the direction of the grid lines on the map, which don’t point to true north either.

In this case, grid north is 2 degrees west of true north. So if you take a bearing from your map using grid lines, convert it to a magnetic bearing by adding 6 degrees — 2 degrees to true north and then 4 more to magnetic north.

Tip: Declination diagrams aren’t always drawn to scale, so don’t use them to adjust your bearing. You have to do it the old-fashioned way — with math.

Tip two: Some orienteering veterans draw their own lines on their map that run parallel to the north magnetic pole and use them instead of the grid lines that are already on the map. But the bigger the map, the harder it is to accurately draw a straight line, which means it’s best to use — you guessed it — math.

Many historic trails retrace the steps of Native Americans. Others were originally hiked by soldiers who fought for independence and American unity.

They vary in length, terrain, difficulty and accessibility, and they crisscross the United States from coast to coast. If you’re interested in American history and enjoy exercising in the great outdoors, go take a hike — a historic hike.

PONY EXPRESS NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL

Missouri to California: 1,855 miles

Then: Riders carried mail nonstop on horseback from St. Joseph, Mo., to Sacramento, Calif., in the early days before telegraph wires linked America’s coasts.

Now: The National Pony Express Association stages yearly rider re-enactments along the route. Extremely difficult hiking trails along the route test even the most experienced hikers.

Foot Notes: The challenging Hawley Grade National Recreation Trail was part of the Pony Express Route over Echo Summit near the Upper Truckee River. The steep upper portion weaves through boulders and descends into lush vegetation near a small waterfall.

POWELL PLATEAU — GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

Arizona: 15 miles plus

Then: Major John Wesley Powell explored the Colorado River and Grand Canyon in the late 1800’s. On his second expedition into the canyon, Powell scouted the river from an eight-square-mile, 7,000-foot-high plateau named in his honor.

Now: Powell Plateau is a challenge. It is accessible only by following other trails into the remote backcountry of the canyon’s north rim.

Foot Notes: The Grand Canyon’s tough North Bass Trail leads to a rugged climb up to the plateau. Parts of the plateau, including a scenic overlook of the Colorado River, have no trails.

NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL

Idaho to Montana: 1,170 miles

Then: In 1877 Nez Perce Indians displaced from their homeland attempted to escape reservation confinement by fleeing from Idaho to Canada. Guided by Chief Joseph, the Nez Perce made a valiant trek overland to escape capture by U.S. military forces but were stopped short of the Canadian border.

Now: The trail — considered sacred land by the Nez Perce — bisects Yellowstone National Park. It has various trails and historic sites that hikers are urged to treat with respect and reverence.

Foot Notes: The Nee-Me-Poo Trail used by the Nez Perce is part of the Hell’s Canyon National Recreation Area, which straddles the Snake River in Oregon and Idaho. It has steep rocky sections, some heavy brush, stream crossings and even desert and alpine environments. Rattlesnakes also reside in areas along the trail.

LEWIS & CLARK NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL

Illinois to the Pacific Ocean: 3,700 miles

Then: In 1804 President Thomas Jefferson commissioned Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore remote areas of North America after the Louisiana Purchase. Lewis and Clark led an expedition up the Missouri River from Illinois and blazed a trail to the Pacific Coast.

Now: There are 22 national refuges on or near the route taken by Lewis and Clark. Road markers and hiking trails retrace their historic journey.

Foot Notes: The Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge lies near the beginning of the trail. Jameson Island in Big Muddy affords hikers a mile-long trail along an old levee and provides excellent wildlife viewing.

GETTYSBURG BATTLEFIELD HERITAGE TRAILS

Pennsylvania: 17+ miles

Then: The Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 was the turning point of the Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s attempted invasion of the North was repulsed by Union troops in one of the conflict’s bloodiest engagements.

Now: Hiking trails traverse various historical sites and are split into three parts: the Johnny Reb Trail (3+ miles, named for the Confederacy); the Billy Yank Trail (9 miles, named for the Union); and the Gettysburg Trail (about 4 miles).

Foot Notes: Billy Yank is the most difficult. The loop trail begins at Cemetery Ridge and goes up Little Round Top. After several twists and turns, it follows Seminary Ridge. Some areas of the trails are paved.

NATCHEZ TRACE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL

Mississippi: 65 miles

Then: The Natchez Trace began as a series of animal paths and Native American trails. Frontiersmen, explorers and military men used it as a route through the wilderness. General Andrew Jackson used it after his army’s victory at the Battle of New Orleans.

Now: Numerous hiking trails and horseback trails now dot the route.

Foot Notes: The Cypress Swamp hike near Canton, Miss., is a half-mile loop suitable for a family hike. It is a well-maintained trail with unique views.

WASHINGTON CROSSING STATE PARK

New Jersey: 1,399 acres

Then: General George Washington’s Continental Army landed here after its famous Christmas night 1776 crossing of the Delaware River during the Revolutionary War.

Now: The park has 15 miles of hiking trails, including a historic 2.5-mile trail starting where the troops landed. It follows the path taken by Washington and his officers to a 1740 building where they planned an attack on British troops.

Foot Notes: The historic trail is rated easy to moderate, and the surrounding area supports a variety of wildlife. In winter, trails can be used for cross-country skiing.

IDITAROD NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL

Alaska: 2,450 miles

Then: The Iditarod is a system of remote wilderness trails used by miners, merchants, mail carriers and their sled dogs during the Alaskan Gold Rush. In 1925, 20 of Alaska’s best mushers and their sled dogs used 675 miles of the trail to carry serum to save the residents of Nome from an outbreak of diphtheria. Balto, one of the lead sled dogs, became a national hero and folklore legend.

Now: The trail is the home course of the world famous 1,150-mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race. It is also used by skiers, snowmobilers and mountain bikers. Segments through the mountains near Anchorage are popular summer hiking trails.

Foot Notes: Unlike some historic trails, the Iditarod route is far from populated areas and can be a very dangerous hike. It crosses rugged terrain and is best traveled during winter when rivers and tundra are frozen. Thick tundra vegetation makes hiking during summer months difficult.

FIND MORE TRAILS

To view a list of the National Park Service’s scenic and historic trails, click on http://www.nps.gov/nts/nts_trails.html

For additional trail suggestions, go to http://www.scouting.org/applications/trails.aspx

• Standing at the canoe’s center, rock the boat to generate enough momentum so that it’s sideways, with the top facing away from you.




• With your right hand, reach over the boat and grab the center of the yoke. Then spin the canoe completely around toward your thighs.




• As the canoe comes up, grab the top gunwale with your other hand.




• Using your thighs to support the canoe (which is now facing you), move your other hand from the yoke to the bottom edge of the canoe.




• Push the canoe up with your knee and snap it around your head.




• Settle the yoke on your shoulders—not your neck—and go on your merry way.

On the first portage, Michael Jokl was wearing sandals and almost twisted his ankle in the thick mud. Michael learned the hard way that while sandals are ideal at home, they don’t provide the necessary ankle support for doing a wilderness portage.

When carrying upwards of 80 pounds over mud, rocks and roots, you need sturdy boots with good traction. Matt Hidding’s swamp boots — or any jungle boot with a vulcanized sole — are ideal.

Here are some of the generally accepted signals for belaying climbers and rappellers.

For more on climbing, see “About Time” in the March 2008 issue of Boys’ Life magazine.

Signals for Belaying Climbers

• “On Belay?” — Is the belay ready?
• “Belay on.” — Your belay is ready.
• “Climbing.” — Here I come.
• “Climb” or “Climb on.” — Come ahead.
• “Slack.” — I need some slack in the rope.
• “Up rope.” — Take in the loose rope.
• “Falling!” — I’m falling! Brake the rope!
• “Tension.” — Hold the rope tightly in case I fall.
• “Got you.” — There’s tension on the rope.
• “Ready to lower.” — Lower me down the route.
• “Lowering.” — I’m letting you down now.
• “Rock!” — Look out for falling objects.
• “Rope!” — Rope being thrown down.
• “Off Belay.” — I’m in a safe place and no longer need a belay.
• “Off Belay.” — I’m no longer belaying you.

Signals for Belaying Rappellers

• “On belay?” — Is the belay ready?
• “Belay on.” — I’m ready to belay.
• “Rappelling.” — Your belay is ready.
• “Rappel on.” — Go ahead.
• “Falling!” — I’m falling! Brake the rope!
• “Off belay.” — I am done rappelling and am in a safe place.
• “Belay off.” — I’m no longer belaying you.
• “Off rappel” or “Off rope.” — The rope is free of hardware and is ready for the next rappeller, and I am in a safe place out of the fall zone.

Being prepared to survive in the outdoors starts with knowing what to be prepared for. You can live days without water and weeks without food. People who don’t survive in the outdoors most often die from losing their body heat, not necessarily from starvation or dehydration. You need to be able to start a fire. And perhaps most importantly, you need to be able to build a shelter to stave off wind, rain and snow, and to keep your body heat trapped where it belongs: near your body.

Here are the keys to taking shelter in the wilderness:

DRESS WISELY

Your first line of defense against the elements is the “shelter” you choose to wear. If you wear layers of synthetic material or wool, and carry a shell of windproof, waterproof material, you are ready for anything. You’ll trap your body heat instead of expending it on the outside world.

THE RIGHT SPOT

Choosing the best place to build a survival shelter is important. It should be in the driest spot you can find. Nothing sucks out body heat faster than wetness. If it isn’t too cold, build a shelter on high ground. Breezes will help keep the bugs away, and you’ll be easier to see if a search party passes nearby. If a cold wind is blowing, choose a spot sheltered by trees. But don’t build in the bottom of deep valleys or ravines where cold air settles at night.

THE COCOON

If it’s almost dark and you can hurriedly collect dry debris (leaves, pine needles, bark) from the forest floor, make a pile two or three feet high and longer than you are tall. When you burrow into the pile, you are in a natural sleeping bag that protects against heat loss.

THE FALLEN TREE

The simplest shelter is a fallen tree that has enough room under it for you to crawl in. Lean branches against the windward side of the tree (so the wind is blowing into it and not against it) to make a wall. Make the wall thick enough to keep out wind. If you can build a fire on the open side of your shelter, the heat will help keep you warm.

THE LEAN-TO

If you find a fallen tree without enough room under it, or a rock or a small overhang, you can build a simple lean-to. Start by leaning fallen limbs against the object, such as the top edge of an overhang, to create a wall. Lean the limbs at an angle to help shield rain. Cover the leaning limbs with leaves, boughs, pine needles, bark or whatever the forest offers. When you have built a thick wall, you can crawl underneath into your shelter. Remember to make your shelter no bigger than you need to fit you and anybody else with you. The bigger the space, the harder it is to keep warm.

You can also build a lean-to by placing one end of a long stick across a low limb of a tree and propping up the other end of the stick with two more sticks. Tie the ends of the sticks together with your boot laces or belt. Lean more sticks against the horizontal stick. Then pile leaves and other forest debris against the leaning sticks until you have a wall. Once again, a fire on the open side of the lean-to will add much heat to your “room.”

THE A-FRAME

If you can’t make a lean-to, you can make an A-frame shelter. You’ll need two sticks four or five feet long and one stick 10 to 12 feet long. Prop the two shorter sticks up in the shape of the letter A. Prop the longer stick up at the top of the A. Tie the three sticks together where they meet. The three sticks will be in the shape of an A-frame tent with one end collapsed against the ground. Now prop up more sticks against the longer stick, and pile forest debris against the sticks until you have an insulated shelter open at the high end.

A TARP

When you have a tarp, sheet of plastic or Space Blanket with you, and some rope or cord, tie a line between two trees. Tie it low to the ground with just enough room for you to lie beneath. Stretch the tarp over the line. Place large rocks or logs on the ends of the tarp to hold it in place with the edges close to the ground. If it’s snowing, tie the line off higher on the trees. Steeper walls will shed snow better. Now you have an emergency tent.

YOUR BED

Your shelter is not complete until you have made a bed to lie in. Dry leaves work well. Make your bed a little bigger than the space your body covers and at least eight inches thick. When you snuggle into it, you are ready for the unexpected night out.

BAD PLACES TO BUILD A SHELTER

1. Anywhere the ground is damp.

2. On mountaintops and open ridges where you are exposed to cold wind.

3. In the bottom of narrow valleys where cold collects at night.

4. Ravines or washes where water runs when it rains.

But present those same materials to a pioneering expert and you’ll get chairs, tables, bridges and all kinds of equipment that’s useful in the outdoors.

Here’s how to build three items — a chair, a flagpole and a table — that could be useful around camp. Click on the pictures for detailed instructions and how-to videos.

Build a flagpole

Show your colors by building a flagpole for your camp.

Build a camp table

Keep your stuff out of the dirt by building a table for your camp.

Build a camp chair

Relax around camp by building a comfortable chair.

BUILDING A QUINZEE

Step 1: Shovel a pile of snow into a mound seven to eight feet high and big enough around to hold two people once it is hollowed out. Mix snow of different temperatures to cause it to harden, or “sinter.” Flip the snow over so it mixes when you pile it into a mound.

Step 2: Shape the mound into a dome and allow it to sinter for about 90 minutes. Then begin to hollow out the mound.

Dig a small entrance on the downhill side. Smooth out the walls and ceiling. The walls should be one to two feet thick. Poke measuring sticks through from the outside of the mound, so you will know to stop hollowing out the inside when you see the ends of the sticks. Hollow the shelter out from the top down.

Step 3: Use the last foot of snow to make elevated snowbeds. Dig a narrow trench between the beds all the way to the ground. This allows cold air to flow down and out of the quinzee. Poke a small ventilation hole near the top of the dome.

Step 4: Building a quinzee will make you sweat. Prevent hypothermia by changing into warm dry clothes after you finish building your shelter.

Make sure you mark your entrance in case it gets covered with snow while you are away having fun. Keep a small shovel inside in case you need to dig your way out.

WINTER CAMPING TIPS

- If you have to visit the latrine in the middle of the night, eat a snack afterward to help warm up your body and get back to sleep. Don’t worry about keeping the snacks in your quinzee — when you camp in winter, you don’t have to worry about bears.

- Jell-O gelatin mix makes a great hot drink. Store Jello-O powder in refillable backpacking tubes and add it to hot water. Try cherry Jell-O in instant hot chocolate!

- Eat your meals from their packages. Vacuum-sealed meals and packages of oatmeal can be opened and used as “bowls.” If you don’t rip the top off completely, you’ll have only one piece of trash to dispose of.

- Bury your water jugs in a snowdrift. The snow insulates the water and keeps it from freezing.

Who says camp food has to taste blah? With minimal effort, a troop of North Carolina Scouts has gotten creative with campfire cuisine to cook up mouth-watering entrees.

“We get a lot of stares when we’re at a camporee and start cooking fish over the campfire,” says 17-year-old Scout Jordan Mitchell, Troop 33, Charlotte, N.C. “I tell them fish over a fire tastes great and it’s really not hard to do after you’ve done it a few times.”

In Troop 33, the Scouts will starve before the leaders will cook for them.

“[Cooking]‘s actually kind of fun,” insists 13-year-old Scout Hayden Hoffler, as he flips up the lid on a mailbox-turned-camping stove.

The Scouts in Troop 33 are practicing recipes used by Scouts for generations. But some of Troop 33′s recipes have a twist. For example, their mailbox stove lets them bake, simmer and even stay warm on windy days when campfires aren’t practical.

Here are some of the troop’s favorite recipes.

FISH ON A SKEWER

Ingredients:

Fresh fish, cleaned inside and out (trout, crappie, bluegill, perch, brim, catfish or bass)

About 1/4 cup olive oil

Juice from 1 lemon

Salt and pepper

Dried parsley

Wooden skewers 12 inches long

Mix olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and parsley together then brush on cleaned fish. Starting at the tail end, spear skewer through fish, with pointed end coming out through mouth.

Place fish in coals (no flames) head first with tail sticking up straight. Cook for about 10 minutes until flaky (165 degrees).

BANNOCK BREAD BAKED IN A MAILBOX

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

4 tablespoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

Water

Mix dry ingredients in a gallon-size plastic bag. Stir in water gradually to form heavy dough that isn’t sticky.

With floured hands, roll into balls and pat flat into biscuit-size cakes or “bannocks.” (You can also cook it as one large flat cake.) Coat with flour to prevent sticking. Bake in oven or pan until done.

MAILBOX STEW

Ingredients:

1/2 pound stew beef

1 tablespoon oil

3 carrots (not peeled)

2 potatoes (not peeled)

1 onion (diced)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

Parsley or dried parsley flakes

Cut beef into bite-size cubes. Brown beef in oil in bottom of two-quart pot. Add water to cover meat and simmer for 30 minutes. Chop vegetables (leaving potato and carrot unpeeled for extra vitamins and fiber) and add to pot. Add spices and additional water to cover vegetables. Simmer covered 1 to 2 hours until vegetables are cooked.

DINGLE STICK CHICKEN

Ingredients:

Whole chicken

Salt and pepper

Fresh sage (diced)

Heavy string (100 percent cotton)

Hardwood sticks (green) about 12 inches long with bark removed (Do not use soft wood or wood with sap.)

Season chicken inside with salt, pepper and diced sage. Tie chicken securely with string. Spear the chicken with sticks to help maneuver it while cooking. Using another long piece of string soaked in water, make a loop that wraps around the sticks and hang chicken from thick branch pounded into ground securely. Cook over coals, letting drippings fall into pan, which keeps drippings from creating flames. Occasionally, turn chicken end over end. Chicken is done when thermometer reads 165 to 170 degrees.

STONE CHICKEN

Ingredients

Whole chicken

Salt and pepper

Fresh sage (diced)

Heavy aluminum foil

1 large smooth river rock or 2 medium-size smooth rocks

Clean stone(s) and place in fire. Make sure each stone is dry; residual moisture could result in popping rocks. Season chicken inside and out with salt, pepper and diced sage. Using tongs, place stone inside chicken. Wrap chicken tightly with foil. Place inside gallon-sized zippered bag (to catch juices). Place bagged chicken inside of a burlap bag filled with straw or dried grass or leaves (this acts as insulation). Tie burlap bag and let cook 5 to 6 hours. Chicken is done when thermometer reads 165 to 170 degrees. The burlap bag can be left to cook at your campsite or carried in a backpack. The stone cooks the chicken as you walk.

Research which fossils are common where you’ll be hiking.

Stop by a museum or visitor center, call a local university’s geology department or search for a club of paleontologists (people who study fossils of plants and animals).

Find the right kind of rocks.

Fossils are found in sedimentary rocks, like sandstone, limestone or shale. Sedimentary rocks look like layered pancakes.

Look for exposed rock.

Check out stream cuts, bluffs, sea cliffs, road cuts or any place where bedrock is eroding.

Get low.

You’ll see more fossils when you’re on your hands and knees. Use a magnifying lens. Form a “search image” in your mind. If you spotted ammonites at a nearby rock shop, think about what they looked like. Search for spirals and snail shapes. And remember that most fossils are small sea animals – not rare dinosaur bones.

Leave fossils as you found them, so others can enjoy them, unless directed otherwise by local authorities. If you think you’ve found something unusual, make a careful note of its exact location – information that’s as important as the rock itself. A fossil’s location tells its story, where and how the animal lived.

FIVE EASY-TO-FIND FOSSILS;

Here are five fossils that you can look for on your next hike.

Ammonoids: People in the Middle Ages called ammonoids “snake stones” because they thought the fossils were coiled snakes.

Brachiopods: Scientists say most brachiopods disappeared 250 million years ago, when as much as 95 percent of ocean animals died in a mass extinction.

Corals: Algae lives inside the coral, giving it nutrients and oxygen.

Crinoids:

This flower-shaped animal’s anus was next to its mouth.

Trilobites:

Growing trilobites crawled out of old exoskeletons through head splits, giving their fossils “facial structures.”

Planning a Klondike derby is a great team-building exercise requiring leadership and decision-making skills. The best derbies incorporate traditional Scouting skills into fun competitions.

The Scouts of Troop 323, Fruita, Colo., (featured in the November 2007 issue of Boys’ Life magazine) chose to reward patrols with points for their abilities in shotgun shooting, emergency shelter building, fire starting, tug-of-war, sled racing, orienteering and first aid in their Klondike derby.

Here are some other ideas for your next derby:

The Injured Scout: Blindfolded team members must carry one of their teammates on a stretcher through an obstacle course, relying solely on instructions from the Scout on the stretcher.

The Injured Scout, Version 2: Scouts must figure out what condition has stricken a teammate and provide correct treatment, while the teammate can only give them hints on his fake condition, without actually naming it.

The Out-of-Reach First-Aid Kit: A first-aid kit lies just 10 feet away, but you can’t walk over to it. Instead, patrols must use pioneering skills to create a device to retrieve the kit.

The Don’t-Spill-the-Serum Race: Your basic sled race with one twist — there’s a cup of liquid “medicine” (use water) sitting on top of the sled that can’t be spilled during the race.

Click on the link at the top of the page for more ideas in our detailed Klondike derby guide.

BUILD A SLED

Click here for plans for a great Klondike derby sled. Even though our sled is fast and strong, you don’t have to be a master carpenter to build it. Cost of materials is about $100; the plans will set you back a suggested price of $10.

Dress in layers, watch your buddies for frostbite, don’t leave your water bottle in the snow overnight, and, whatever you do, do NOT allow yourself to get wet. If you do, change into dry clothes immediately!

Yes, there are a lot of rules, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have some serious fun, too. Snow camping provides a good opportunity for activities unique to this time of the year.

Here are a few activities we came up with. Can you think of more?

TUG OF WAR

Try a tug of war with a twist — the losing team crashes through a wall of snow.

It’s easy enough to execute. Build a wall of snow at least chest high, split into two teams with hands on opposite ends of a rope and start pulling.

Overachievers will build a taller wall, get it nice and compact, then carve out a hold through which the rope can run.

SNOW BASEBALL

Set up a baseball diamond with a mound of snow representing home plate and first, second and third bases. Place an empty water bottle on the top of each mound.

The “pitcher” stands in the middle of the diamond and hurls snowballs first a home plate, then around the bases. Whoever knocks down the bottles with the fewest pitches wins.

RACING

It’s one of the oldest sports of all time, but snow adds a whole new element. In the snow, you don’t race on your feet. Instead, try scooting on cross-country skis, sleds, skates and, if you’re really cool, your belly.

You can also try sliding down a slight incline on garbage-can lids, inner tubes, plastic flying disks or heavy cardboard.

SNOW GOLF

Take some time to smooth out a “fairway” and a “green.” Take an open can and plant it in the snow—this is the hole.

For golf balls, use hockey pucks. For clubs, use hockey sticks or real golf clubs.

ALASKA SERUM RACE

The doctor needs this serum in order to save the patient, and time is running out.

Split into patrols of two or more Scouts. Each patrol gets a sled with a rope tied to the front.

All patrols must transport the “serum” to the doctor by crossing four stations (landmarks spread across the campsite). Each patrol starts with one Scout pulling the rest on the sled. At each station, the Scouts rotate so a different one is doing the pulling.

First patrol to reach the doctor wins.

For an added twist, compete as individuals, and make the serum a cup of water filled to the brim that sits on the sled. If the serum spills, you’re done.

SNOW CARVING

The snowmen you built as kids aren’t good enough anymore. We demand a masterpiece.

Split into patrols and compete in a snow-carving competition. Out of a mound of snow, create a work of art. (Hint: It doesn’t have to be a sculpture of a person.)

The patrol with the most creative snow sculpture (as judged by the unbiased adult leaders) wins the competition.

The boys’ route through the woods and up a gentle slope didn’t seem long to Frank. But Bill Wright, his best friend, was wearing thin gloves instead of thick mittens. After an hour or so Bill said in a frightened voice, “I can’t feel my fingers!”

Frank looked at them. They were white and extremely cold to his touch. Frank told Bill to put his hands in his own armpits, against his skin, until the fingers were rewarmed.

Bill did and was able to ski back to the lodge. He was lucky. He’d suffered no permanent damage.

COLD BITES

Frostbite is tissue damage caused by freezing. It comes in three types: Frostnip, superficial frostbite and deep frostbite.

Frostnip is not true frostbite, just supercold skin. It looks pale and feels cold. Sometimes frostnipped skin apprears as a patch of white on your cheeks or nose. As soon as you see this, cover the cold spot with your warm hands.

If your fingers or toes are affected, do as Bill did. Stick them inside your clothing, next to your wam skin, until they rewarm and appear normal again.

Superficial frostbite is the term for cold-damaged tissue that hasn’t frozen solid. When you push carefully on the cold skin, it’s still pretty soft. It looks like frostnip, but when you rewarm it (the same way you rewarm frostnip), fluid-filled blisters develop.

Don’t pop these blisters. Cover them with a clean dressing and be careful to keep the skin from freezing again. This person needs to see a doctor.

Deep frostbite occurs when tissue has frozen solid. The skin is no longer soft. It feels like ice. Unlike superficial frostbite, you don’t want to rewarm deep frostbite. It can be very painful, and a doctor should oversee it. Insulate the area to keep it from thawing or freezing even more, and get the person to a doctor as soon as possible.

PREVENTION

You can protect yourself from frostnip and frostbite by:

1. Wearing mittens. They hold more heat than do gloves.
2. Being especially careful to wear winter boots that fit. Don’t cram extra socks into summer boots and think that will keep your feet warm. If your feet are too tightly smushed into boots, warm blood can’t get to your toes.
3. Drinking plenty of water and snacking often. Your body turns water and food into fuel to warm you.

REWARMING NO-NOS

Do not rub frostbite to rewarm it. Rubbing causes more damage. Do not hold frostbitten skin near a fire or another source of high heat. High heat causes more damage, too.

Here is a drawing of a typical fly-fishing tackle assembly from the October 2007 issue of Boys’ Life magazine.

Click on the knots to find out how to tie them.

TURTLE KNOT

Use the Turtle knot (or Turle knot) to make a straight connection between the fly and the leader.

1. Pass the end of the leader through the fly’s (or hook’s) eye from the front, as shown, and slide the fly up the leader so that it will be out of the way.

2. Make a loop with a slipknot in the end of the leader.

3. Pull the loop over and around the fly, bringing the free end around twice, like a double overhand knot, and tighten.

4. Pull the leader and wrap the loop around the back of the hook’s eye as shown, tighten, and trim the end.

DOUBLE SURGEON’S LOOP

A double surgeon’s loop can be used to add a tippet to the leader. For loop-to-loop connections, the double surgeon’s loop is the easiest knot to use because it is easy to tie.

NAIL KNOT

Use the nail knot to tie fly line to the backing or to attach a leader to a line. This knot works well for tying together monofilament of different diameters. If you don’t have a nail handy, use a substitute such as a thin tube.

1. Hold the nail along the fly line and backing between your thumb and forefinger.

2. Lay a loop of line along the nail and, with the free end, wind the monofilament around the nail, loop, and leader about six times. Pull on both sides of the line to tighten, making a smooth knot.

3. Hold the “coils” carefully between your thumb and forefinger, remove the nail, and tighten the knot all the way.

BACKING KNOT

Use a backing knot to attach the backing to the spool.

But as Erick reached the end of his final slide, he discovered Andy had vanished! The temperature was dropping quickly, and soon Erick was desperate in his search for Andy.

Where could he be?

The older boy walked near an abandoned construction pit, calling “Andy! Andy!” That’s when Erick heard a weak cry. His brother had slipped into the pit and was too small to climb out.

Erick jumped down into the pit to rescue him. Andy was dazed, crying and unable to walk. Gently, Erick picked him up and carried Andy to the nearest house. It was a close call. Andy survived, but the cold had almost killed him.

Heat Balance

Your body gets energy from the food and water you consume. As you process food and water, heat is released, keeping you warm inside. Usually you make more heat than you need. Your body sheds the excess heat through conduction, convection, evaporation, and radiation to stabilize your inner (core) temperature at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

Too Much Cold

When you lose heat faster than you make it—Andy’s problem—your internal temperature begins to fall. A drop in core temperature is called hypothermia. A hypothermic person develops increasingly serious problems as his body continues to cool down.

They are:

1. Confusion and trouble solving problems, plus mild shivering.
2. Stumbling and stronger shivering, pale skin, having trouble speaking and an “I-don’t-care” attitude.
3. Inability to walk and horrible shivers.
4. Slow heartbeat and breathing. Skin turns blue. Muscles grow rigid. Shivering stops for the same reason a motor dies—there’s no more fuel. Then, death.

Warming Up

Someone who can still shiver, walk and talk has mild hypothermia. You can warm that person back up to normal body temperature.

It’s simple. Here’s how:

Change any wet clothing for dry stuff. Add extra dry layers of clothing to provide more insulation. Also, use blankets or something similar to insulate the person from the cold ground. Offer him fluids, especially warm, sweet fluids like hot cider or sweetened tea, as well as high-energy foods, such as candy. If you can, get the person to a source of heat, such as a fire.

Severe hypothermia starts when someone can’t shiver anymore. Handle the person with care. No rough stuff. Take off his damp clothing. Bundle him in warm, dry layers and make sure there’s insulation underneath him.

Wrap him in something waterproof and windproof, such as a tent fly, and be careful that his head is protected from the cold, too. Then go for help.

The best medicine is prevention. Here are some ways to prevent hypothermia:

1. Wear clothes designed to keep you warm in the cold.
2. Wear lots of thin layers of clothes instead of one heavy garment, such as a coat. If you get warm and sweaty, take off a layer to let the sweat dry. If you start feeling cold again, add layers of clothing.
3. Drink and eat a lot, so your body has plenty of “fuel” to generate heat.
4. In a group, watch out for hypothermia’s symptoms in others. They may not realize they are becoming hypothermic.

You’re ready for fishing. You’ve got everything … but bait. And no cash to buy any. Well, forget throwing money at minnows. Gather your own! It’s simple with this easy-to make trap. Here’s how:

You’ll Need:

• Two plastic soda pop bottles. The three-liter size is best, but two-liter will do.
• One woodworking nail, about 6-penny size (the exact size is unimportant).
• Some twine, kite string or something similar.
• Adult permission and/or help.

For tools, scrounge up a pair of sturdy scissors and locking pliers (such as Vise-Grip) or common slip-joint pliers. A utility knife can help with initial cuts but isn’t necessary. You’ll also need a controllable flame source — the kitchen stove is perfect.

STEP 1: Label one bottle “A” and the other “B.” Cut off the bottom one-third of bottle A and put in your home recycling bin. Leave the bottle cap on.

STEP 2: On B, cut off the neck & shoulders, close to the top of the bottle label. It should be cut just below — maybe a half inch or so — where the sides begin to straighten out. Toss the bottom and spare bottle cap in the recycling bin.

STEP 3: The remaining steps should be done near your flame source, with the pliers and nail handy. Keep a bowl with cold water nearby also. Fit funnelshaped piece (B) into the bottom of A so it points toward A’s remaining bottle cap. It should now form a nice little “cave.”

STEP 4: Holding the two bottles together firmly in your weak hand (left hand if you’re right-handed, right if you’re left-handed), turn on the flame with the other hand. Pick up the pliers with your free hand and firmly grasp the nail near its head with the pliers. Carefully hold the nail over the flame so that it gets good and hot.

STEP 5: Keeping your grip on both the A and B bottle parts and the hot nail in the pliers, push the nail point through both the funnel and bottle, in 10 to 12 spots around the lip of the “cave” that we mentioned. Drop the hot nail into the cold water.

STEP 6: Using your string or twine, sew the two bottle parts together. Alternately, simply cut the string into short pieces, using the same number of pieces as there are holes, and individually tie each hole up so that the two plastic parts A and B don’t come apart.

STEP 7: Reheat the nail as in Step 4, and put a bunch of holes all over the sides of the bottle (A). A couple of dozen should do it.

Setting Your Minnow Trap

To use your trap, add some bread or cracker bits through the funnel (B). Sink the trap in your favorite pond or lake for a few hours, preferably overnight. Tie it securely to a dock or tree. The minnows will go in the trap but aren’t smart enough to get out. Next morning, simply open the bottle cap and pour the minnows into your bait bucket. You’re all set for a day of fishing!

WHO’S OUT THERE?

Ancient peoples perceived the stars in patterns, what we call constellations. They represented the figures and tales from the ancients’ mythologies. Many centuries later, our maps of the night skies still preserve familiar constellation names. Lumbering overhead, for example, you’ll find Ursus Major, the big bear, and Pegasus, the winged horse, soaring through the night. Due to Earth’s motion, constellations move continuously across the sky. with different seasons.

In winter, a good place to begin is Orion (see drawing), a giant constellation believed by the Greeks to be a bold and handsome hunter from their myths.

Orion’s seven main stars are very bright. To locate them, look low in the southeastern sky two or three hours after sunset. Find a rectangle with the three close stars in the middle. Together, these three stars form Orion’s Belt. They are called “pointer stars” because they can be used to find other constellations. The two brightest stars in Orion are blue-white Rigel (RYE-jul), which shines at the hunter’s left knee, and Betelguese (BET-el-jooze), a red star tthat marks his right shoulder.

ORION’S COMPANIONS

The Greeks also named nearby star patterns for figures in Orion’s story. (Yes, it required a little imagination.) They called a V-shaped constellation Taurus, the celestial bull that Orion pursues.

Two smaller constellations Canis Major and Canis Minor, for big dog and little dog became Orion’s loyal hunting companions.

Canis Major, sitting at the hunter’s right heel, is easiest to find. Follow Orion’s Belt east, to your left, and toward the horizon. You will see Sirius (SEAR-e-us), or the dog star, just above the horizon. The brightest star in the sky, Sirius marks Canis Major’s eye, nose or shoulder.

Follow Orion’s belt to the west until you see the orange star Aldebaran (al-DEB-ron), the brightest star in Taurus and one of the bull’s eyes. Taurus also features two famous star clusters: The Pleiades (PLEA-a-dees), part of Taurus’s neck and the Hyades (HI-ah-dees), which form its nose.

ANYONE ELSE?

Finally, Orion’s other companion, Canis Minor, stands across from the hunter’s shoulders. Little dog is made up of just two stars, including Procyon (PRO-see-on), the eighth brightest in the night sky. Once you locate these four figures, they become your stepping stones to still other constellations. And not just in winter. Winter may be the most spectacular time of year for stargazing. But if you prefer the view from a lawn chair with a summer breeze blowing, there are great constellations in every season.

A STAR PARTY

Share your celestial discoveries by having a star party! What’s that? Just what it sounds like—a gathering for people who like to stay up late looking at the heavens. A star party can be either simple or elaborate. Either way, a few basic preparations can make the difference between a ho-hum evening and a great adventure.

MEET ME AFTER DARK

First, pick the right time and location; the darker the night the better. A new moon—when there is no visible moon—is best for observing stars. For those who want a bit of moon and a dark sky, the best dates are usually three to five nights after the new moon when the crescent moon is low in the evening sky.

Your event also can be timed to coincide with a major celestial event, such as a meteor shower, a comet or an eclipse. If light pollution dims your view, get at least 50 miles away from a small town and 50 miles from a city. State parks and farms are good sites.

DON’T GET LOST

You’ll also get more out of your star party if you learn a little about astronomy and the heavens ahead of time.

Astronomy author Fred Schaaf suggests that each person learn about a particular planet, bright star or constellation, then share his knowledge with the others. You should also invite an experienced astronomer, so that you’re not literally wandering around in the dark. Museums, universities, astronomy clubs or even high school science programs often have people who are willing to share their expertise and telescopes.

Finally, telescopes are great, but not necessary. The unaided eye becomes a powerful tool on a dark night, as you look for meteors, planets, satellites and constellations. You can get a great look at fainter targets, such as moon craters or very distant star clusters, with a pair of good binoculars. Mr. Schaaf recommends a pair with a power of at least 7X50.

BLISTERS

Look for this: A red, tender area, usually on feet and hands.

Do This: Cover it with a piece of tape, If the blister is torn, use scissors and tweezers to remove the dead skin. Clean it with antiseptic solution or soapy water and cover it with antibiotic ointment and a bandage until it heals. If the blister is intact, clean it and apply antibiotic ointment and a strip of tape. Then, cover the blister with gauze or felt, and secure it with smooth tape or moleskin.

Don’t Get Them: Prevent blisters by making sure new boots fit well and are broken in slowly. Wear a thin, acrylic inner pair of socks and a thicker synthetic or wool outer pair. Apply foot powder twice a day to keep your feet dry. Cover any area you think might blister with tape, moleskin or petroleum jelly.

SPRAINED ANKLE

Look for this: Your foot turns inward, and the thick bands (ligaments) that support your ankle joint stretch and tear. The area just below the outer knob of your ankle (sometimes, the inner knob) will be very tender and start to swell. If the knob is tender, you probably broke your ankle.

Do This: Control the swelling. Wrap an elastic bandage around the ankle, starting at the base of the toes and finishing a little more than three inches above the ankle. Elevate the ankle above heart level and apply an ice pack. If you don’t have an ice pack, soak the ankle in a cool stream. Rest the ankle as much as you can. If you must walk to get out of the wilderness, take off the bandage and put your boot back on. Use a walking stick for support and stop every hour or so and elevate your ankle for 10 minutes.

BROKEN COLLARBONE

Look for this: If you take a tumble and land hard on your shoulder, you may break your collarbone. You’ll see and feel the break.

Do this: It won’t hurt as much if you keep the arm in a sling. Make the sling out of a triangular bandage, a shirt or a piece of cloth. Rest the injured arm on on the bandage, and wrap one corner behind the victim’s neck and tie it to the safety pin to keep the elbow in place. Strap the sling against the chest with an elastic bandage. Apply ice to the collarbone, and rest in a nearly upright position. Loosen the sling if the fingers become numb or turn blue.

POISON IVY RASH

Look for this: Red, swollen patches and blisters.

Do This: After brushing against poison ivy, wash the area with soap and water immediately. If you don’t, you might break out in a rash one to three days later. If you get the rash, apply cool burrow’s solution or oatmeal compresses for 15 minutes. Do this four times a day. After each of the compresses, apply calamine lotion. If the rash is widespread, add a cup of oatmeal to a tub of water and soak in it for 15 minutes, three times a day. Take an antihistamine tablet, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), to control itching. Apply moisturizing lotion to soften the scabs, and don’t pick at them. Be patient. The rash will take about two weeks to heal.

BLEEDING

Look for this: Dark blood oozing from a wound comes from cut veins. Bright, red blood that spurts from a wound comes from an artery. Arterial bleeding can be more serious and is harder to control, but the treatment is the same.

Do this: The victim might bleed to death if the flow is not controlled. First, apply firm pressure to the wound with any clean, bulky material. Your shirt will do if nothing else is handy. If that doesn’t stop the bleeding within a few minutes, pack the wound with sterile gauze and cover it with lots of bandages. Then, wrap gauze and an elastic bandage around it. Put the victim in the “shock position” with his head down, legs flexed at the hips and knees straight. Cover him with an open sleeping bag and offer him sips of water while someone goes for help.

STOCK UP BEFORE GOING OUT

Serious campers should know what goes in a medical kit — and how to use the contents. Here is what each person should carry to treat most minor emergencies.

WOUND CARE MATERIALS:

• Bar Soap
• Antibiotic ointment, 1-oz. tube
• 4 Adaptic dressings, 3″x3″
• 10 sterile dressing pads, 4″x4″
• 2 roll bandages, 4″ by 5 yards
• 2 Suripads, 8″x10″ or ABD pads 8″x8″
• 1 roll waterproof adhesive tape
• 10 bandage strips, 1″x3″
• 10 skin closure strips, 1/4″ x 3″
• 10 skin closure strips, 1/2″ x 3″
• Compound benzoin tincture, 2 oz.

MEDICINES:

• 20 aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen tablets
• 20 diphenhydramine tablets, 25 mg.
• 10 imodium tablets
• Calamine lotion, 8 oz.
• 12 Domeboro tabs
• Sunscreen, 8 oz.
• Zinc oxide, 1 oz.

MISCELLANEOUS:

• 2 instant cold packs
• 2 elastic bandages, 3″ and 6″
• Bulb irrigating syringe, 60 cc
• Triangular bandage
• 6 large safety pins
• 2 tongue blades
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Signal Mirror
• Magnifying glass
• Penlight flashlight
• Waterproof matches
• Sam splint
• Moleskin
• Water-purification tablets

And never be afraid to switch it up. Even the pros will try a variety of lures to figure out what the fish are biting on that particular day.

Plastic Worms

Plastic worms can be attached to hooks in a variety of ways, such as using them with jigs or hooks with a sinker or even a weedless hook. They should be fished slowly, on or near the bottom, and can be made to swim or wiggle.

Jigs

Jigs are basically hooks with weights molded into the head. They can be found with a large variety of bodies and are meant to be fished slowly, especially in cold weather. Use the lightest jig you can as long as you can still feel when it hits the bottom.

Crankbaits and Plugs

Designed to dive below the surface and wiggle like a fish as they are reeled in, crankbaits can be difficult to handle out of the water because of the multiple hooks. But in the water, they’re a breeze. Vary the speed with which you retrieve the bait — maybe even pause every once in a while — until you get a strike. Plugs fished across the surface of the water are made to imitate bait such as a frog hopping along the surface or an injured minnow.

Spoons

Made out of shiny metal to imitate the glisten of minnows and other bait fish, many spoons are shaped like the lower part of a teaspoon. Weights are used to achieve different depths, and different colors might attract different fish.

Spinners

Like spoons, spinners are designed to flicker like a small baitfish swimming in the sunlight. A spinning blade makes up the front of the lure, which should be pulled through the water just slowly enough that the spin can be detected without a blur.

Hooking Live Bait

Some anglers choose to fish with live bait like minnows. Key word: Live. Don’t kill the bait when hooking it. Here are two ways to do it right:

A) Hook the minnow through both lips, starting from the bottom and going through the top, or

B) Place the hook through the minnow’s body near the tail.

Hooking methods for other types of live bait vary. It’s best to hook a crawfish through it’s tail, but you’ll get better movement from a worm by embedding the hood in its head.

Catch and Release

Releasing your fish after the catch is the right idea, but if you don’t do it the right way, you could harm the fish and defeat the whole purpose.

• Use artificial lures with barbless single hooks. They ‘re easy to remove and do less damage.

• Don’t play your catch to exhaustion: it might never recover. Release it as gently and quickly as possible.

• Don’t try to remove a deeply embedded hook; it can do more harm than good. Instead, cut off the line as close to the hood as possible.

• Don’t use stainless steel hooks. If swallowed, they will not dissolve over time.

• When possible, avoid removing the fish from the water.

• If you must use a net, use on that’s made of soft nylon, not hard mesh.

• Wet your hands before handling your catch. Support the fish horizontally in the water, avoiding the eyes and gills. Revive it by gently moving it back and forth in the water until it swims away on its own.

But if you ask 14 year old Travis Archuleta what he remembers most about Mount Elbert, it won’t be the view.

“I thought I was going to die,” he says.

He made the summit, but Travis was too sick to enjoy the moment. In fact, he blew lunch all over the side of the mountain.

Was it something he ate? Nope. The flu? No.

Instead, Travis was sickened by the altitude. And it could have been much worse. Altitude sickness can kill you.

Oxygen and you

Your body takes vital oxygen from the air you breathe. As you climb higher, the concentration of oxygen molecules (O2) in the air declines. Mountaineers call this “thin air.”

Your body may react in several ways to the reduced amount of oxygen in every breath, a condition doctors call hypoxia (high-POCKS-see-uh). Shortness of breath, expecially at any exertion, is one sign that you’re getting less oxygen. Headache is another. You may have trouble sleeping at high altitude. You’ll be tired, even if you’re in great shape, You also may lose your appetite, feel nauseated or even vomit.

Hape and Hace

Those are nasty feelings all right, but they usually don’t mean you’re seriously sick. You’re just suffering from thin air.

Sometimes, however, high altitude can cause fluid to collect in your lungs. This is called high Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE). Your chest hurts, and it gets harder and harder to breathe, even while you’re resting. HAPE can be fatal if so much fluid collects that it is impossible to breathe.

Fluid also can collect inside your skull. This is known as High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE). One symptom is severe headache, seemingly as if an elephant were stomping on your brain. Another is dizziness, or difficulty keeping your balance. A severe case of HACE will squish your brain, killing you even more quickly than HAPE.

You never know when HAPE or HACE will strike. Some climbers have developed serious problems as low as 8,000 feet. Other climbers may have no trouble at all at any height, then suddenly get hit with HAPE or HACE on their 10th or 15th ascent.

If you do develop either type of edema, you must get down the mountain to “thick air” as soon as possible — don’t wait until morning (unfortunately, HACE and HAPE often strike at night). The lower you go, the better you should feel. But make sure a doctor checks you out for possible internal damage.

Take time to go High

Altitude sickness is never fun and sometimes very serious. But there are ways of preventing it. Before you climb high, a doctor may prescribe acetazolamide for you. Often sold as Diamox, this product protects you from mild sickness. However, it doesn’t have any effect on serious complications.

The best form of prevention is to take very good advice from Dr. Charles Houston, probably the world’s most famous altitude researcher: Take time to go high. Acclimitization, the process of adjusing your body to altitude, takes time. How much? Well, if you’re climbing to less than 8,000 feet, acclimitization probably is unnecessary. Between 8,000 and 10,000 feet is a sort of intermediate zone, where you’re still unlikely to have problems.

If you’re going above 10,000 feet, however, spend a day or two just below that plateau before pushing higher. And when you do, don’t gain more than 1,000 feet per day unless you can drop back to within 1,000 feet of where you were the previous day to sleep. For example, if you sleep one night at 11,000 feet, you can climb up to say, 14,000 feet, but then you should descend to 12,000 feet to sleep the second night.

Because you can blow off a lot of water with all the huffing and puffing, Dr. Houston also advises drinking extra water to avoid dehydration, and to avoid overexerting yourself until you’re fully acclimitized.

Turning up the Volume

You seal a trail snack in a plastic bag at sea level, leaving just a little bit of air in it. Then as you’re about to summit one of Colorado’s Fourteeners — Mountains at least 14,000 feet high — you reach for your bag to discover it now resembles a pillow.

Here’s what happened. Air pressure is a measure of all the air weighing down on a particular point. The lower you are, the higher the air pressure, and vice versa. So, as you climbed, the air pressure around you dropped, causing the air inside your sealed bag to expand, stretching out its flexible sides until the pressure inside the bag equaled the pressure outside.

Next time you fly somewhere, take along a small bag of your favorite chips, and then check it out when you hit cruising altitude. You’ll see that the same amount of air now occupies a much larger volume. That’s thin air.

“I’m tired, and I think I’m going to barf,” he moaned.”

The eighth grader and his Scout patrol were hiking a section of the Appalachian Trial in the Mark Trail Wilderness of north Georgia.

John, 13, was a good student but he didn’t exercise much and wasn’t in very good shape. The summer heat was hammering him. He sat beside the trail, slumped against his pack, pale as a ghost. Sweat poured down his face. His breathing was fast.

Pete Barnes, the Scoutmaster, helped John into a patch of shade. Mr. Barnes wet his bandanna from his water bottle, and draped it over the boy’s head. He told John to drink the rest of the water in small sips. Over the next hour or so, John drained the bottle. By then, he seemed his same old self. Hiking slower and drinking more water, he was able to finish the trip.

Losing It

When your body loses too much water and salt, trouble follows. Heat cramps — muscle cramps caused by water and salt loss — aren’t serious, but they do hurt a lot.

To get better, drinking water with a pinch of salt is very important. If you rest and gently stretch cramped muscles, and massage them a little bit, the pain goes away faster. Your body loses water when you sweat, urinate or defecate, vomit or have diarrhea; and every time you breathe.

Always drink before you’re thirsty. If your urine isn’t clear, you’re not drinking enough.

A Body of Water

You may look and feel pretty solid, but more than half of you is water — and you need it all. On a normal day you may lose a gallon or more in various ways. Usually you gain back the lost fluid by drinking and eating. But when you lose too much water, as John Musgrove did — a problem called dehydration — your health and maybe even your life are threatened.

Sweat It

Sweat is mostly water, with some sodium chloride, also known as salt, in it. When sweat evaporates from your skin on hot days, that cools you inside. If you’ve lost too much water, or if it’s too humid (moisture in the air) you may not be able to sweat enough, and you can begin to get sick from heat exhaustion. Symptoms include headache, nausea, light-headedness, pale skin and extreme fatigue.

This is a serious health problem, but it’s not life-threatening. You can beat heat exhaustion by resting and drinking water the way John Musgrove did. It’s a good idea to drink at least a quart of water, slowly, and to add just a pinch of salt to it. You can also nibble a few salty snacks while drinking. Remember: Sip slowly so your body absorbs as much of the water and salt as possible.

Too Hot, Too Dry

If you get too dehydrated, your skin becomes red and hot and you heat up inside. Your brain, which is very sensitive to rising temperatures, begins to cook. A hot brain can make you crazy, feel lost and want to argue or pick a fight. Heat stroke has struck. You have only minutes to act!

A person with heat stroke should be cooled down as quickly as possible. Soak his skin with water and fan him to speed the cooling effect of evaporation. Massage his arms and legs to send the cooled blood near the skin back inside. If water is short, focus on cooling his head. And get medical help — immediately!.

Be Cool

You can prevent heat problems. Avoid hard exercise during the hottest part of the day. If you’re not in shape, slow down and let your body adjust. Wear cotton clothes to help sweat evaporate. Eat snacks that contain a little salt. Drink water and keep drinking it.

STEP 1: For gear, KEEP IT SIMPLE. All you need is a cane, fiberglass or graphite pole, available at a bait shop or discount store for about 10 bucks. Also buy a small spool of monofilament fishing line (6- or 8-pound test for fresh water, 10- or 12-pound test for salt water), a couple of plastic bobbers, some split shot sinkers (BB size) and some hooks (size 2 for small bait, up to size 3/0 for bigger bait). A small tackle box with divided trays and a carrying handle keeps it all organized.

STEP 2: Bait. You can buy minnows, night crawlers, redworms and crickets at a bait shop. But it’s more fun to CATCH YOUR OWN. Get minnows out of a nearby creek by using a dip net. Look under stream rocks for crayfish. Find redworms and crickets under logs and leaf litter. Other baits work, too. Saltwater fish love shrimp, dead or alive. Trout will bite kernel corn and cheese. Catfish will eat pieces of Ivory soap! Carry your bait in a small plastic bucket.

STEP 3: Cut off a length of line about a foot longer than the length of your pole. Wrap an end around the tip of your pole and TIE IT TIGHTLY.

STEP 4: Match a hook to your bait. (Size 3/0 for long worms, say, 1/0 for small shrimp.) Tie the hook to the opposite end of the line using a knot that won’t slip, such as THE PALOMAR KNOT shown here. (Wet all knots before pulling tight.) Bad knots lose good fish.

STEP 5: You’re ready for the fishing hole. If you live near the coast, you can catch all kinds of saltwater fish around piers and large rocks close to shore. If you live inland, A POND IS YOUR BEST BET – most ponds are loaded with bluegills and bass.

STEP 6: Try bobber-fishing. After baiting your hook, attach the bobber above your line (two feet for starters, longer if the bait needs to go deeper). Now simply extend the pole out over the water and lower it UNTIL THE BOBBER FLOATS ON THE WATER. Keep the pole horizontal to the water and hold it steady.

STEP 7: Wait for the fish to bite. FISHING TAKES PATIENCE! It’s common for fish to take several minutes to find your baited hook. Watch your bobber. If it jumps or shakes, a fish is nibbling your bait!

STEP 8: When the bobber goes completely under the surface, SET THE HOOK by raising the pole quickly. Then point your pole straight up in the air, so the fish swings to you.

STEP 9: Handle with care! Most fish you’ll catch from shore don’t have sharp teeth, but many have spiny fins. Grasp the fish GENTLY BUT FIRMLY behind the head as shown. Use needle-nose pliers to remove the hook.

STEP 10: Take a photo of your catch with a disposable camera. Then gently put the fish BACK IN THE WATER so it can swim away, grow bigger, make babies — and be caught another day.

There are several techniques you can use to find true north and get yourself reoriented.

The Watch Trick

If you’ve got a watch, and it’s not digital, you can use it like a compass. First, point the hour hand towards the sun. Then find an imaginary line halfway between the hour hand and the 12 on the watch face. (During daylight savings time, the halfway line is between the hour hand and the 1.) That imaginary line points south. North, of course, is 180 degrees in the other direction.

If you’ll wait awhile, you can watch the sun and see which way it is moving. If it’s rising, that’s east. If it’s setting, that’s west. You’re oriented.

The Needle Trick

If you’re lucky enough to have remembered your first-aid kit, get a needle from it. Rub it on the silk liner of your sleeping bag or other material, and the resulting static electricity magnetizes it.

Lay the needle on a blade of grass and float that in a cup of water. It will orient itself in a north-south axis. You’ll have to guess which way is north, but at least you’ll have a 50-50 change of being right.

The Stick Trick

Find a stick that is about three feet long. Poke it in the ground so that it is standing straight up. Then place a rock at the end of the shadow cast by the stick. Wait about 15 minutes.

Now place another stone at the end of the second shadow. With your back to the stick, stand with your left toe touching the first rock, and your right toe touching the second rock. You’re facing north.

Draw an imaginary line from the first rock marker to the second. West is the direction of the first marker.

The Oldest Trick in the Book

But if you have no watch, no needle and the sun has gone down, stay put. Rescuers look near where you were last; if you wander, you’re less likely to be found.

1. Kneel in the canoe, wedge your knees against the sides of the craft and rest your weight against a thwart or the front edge of a seat.

2. Work as a team with your partner, paddling in unison on opposite sides of the canoe.

3. Strokes should be steady and light. Use the strong muscles of your shoulders and back.

4. Keep your eyes on your destinations. This will help keep your line of travel straight, and you’ll use less energy.

Feathering

Turn the blade flat (parallel with the surface of the water) as you move it forward out of the water. You can feather your paddle underwater, too, by turning the blade sidways. Feathering cuts wind and water resistance.

Forward Stroke

With one hand on the grip and the other on the shaft near where it meets the blade, dip the full length of the blade into the water. Pull with our lower arm, push with the upper one, and draw the paddle through the water parallel to the canoe.

J-Stroke

Begin lie a forward stroke, but when the paddle is even with the hip, rotate it so the edge of the blade nearest the canoe turns back and out, forming a “J”. This helps keep the craft on course.

Backstroke

Storm on the brades by pushing the blade forward until it breaks the surafce, then feather it back and stroke again. Throw your shoulders and back into this one-it requires some power.

Drawstroke

To rotate the canoe toward your paddle, pull with the lower hand, push with the upper one, and slip the blade out sideways (feathering it underwater) to begin the next stroke.

Prystroke

This stroke rotates your canoe away from your paddle. Slip the blade into the water next to the canoe and push it away.

1. The Right Spot

Clear the area of debris, avoid overhanging branches and make sure your fire is a safe distance from tents and other flammable materials. Build your fire on an earthen pad like this one.

2. The Right Material

The three types of natural fuel are tinder (material that burns easily such as dry grass or shavings whittled from a stick), kindling (slightly larger material such as twigs that will burn with a little encouragement) and firewood (dry branches that will be the main fuel of the fire). No shortcuts allowed—never use flammable liquids.

3. The Right Shape

Two ways to build your fire are the tepee, in which you arrange the kindling in the shape of a tepee over the tinder, and the lean-to, in which you push a small stick in the ground at a 45-degree angle with the upper end pointing into the wind. Place the tinder beneath the stick and lean the kindling against it. Light the tinder and add kindling as needed. Add the larger branched last. Never leave a fire unattended.

4. Put It Out Way Out

Pour water on the fire, stir the ashes with a stick, pour some more. It’s not out until you can run your bare hands through the coals.

YOU’LL NEED:

• A straight tree or tree branch that’s 1-1⁄2 to 2 inches thick at its big end,

  and 55 to 65 inches long (DO NOT CUT ANY TREE; see Step 1.)

• A 1-inch-long piece of 3⁄4-inch diameter copper water pipe
• Five-minute epoxy glue
• A small saw to trim the stick to its final length
• A sharp pocketknife
• A spokeshave and a wood-burning tool (both optional)
• Adult help and/or supervision

Step 1: Cut your wood to length, making sure both ends are free of splits.

You can use dead, dry wood, but it’s hard to carve and makes a weak walking stick. If possible, use fresh wood; hardwood from deciduous (leafy) trees is better than evergreen softwood because it is less gummy. Note: Scouts never cut just any live tree! Take wood only from approved sources, such as a conservation project that thins out a timber stand or trail-building and trail-improvement projects.

Step 2: Using your pocketknife, whittle the bark from your stick, revealing the bright wood beneath. This job takes patience, especially when you are working around knots. Keep at it. You make discover your stick has an inner layer of bark, as well. Carve it away too, or your stick will darken as it dries.

Step 3: Now is the time to carve a head for your stick, if you want one. Using a pencil, draw on the nose, eyes and mouth, then slowly and carefully use the tip of your knife to bring out the details. If you rush this part of your work, you risk slipping and cutting yourself.

Step 4: To protect the bottom end of your walking stick from splintering, whittle it down until the piece of copper pipe slips snugly onto it. Secure the pipe permanently with five-minute epoxy.

Step 5: Your walking stick is now ready for immediate use. However, if you’d like to carve it to a smoother finish and apply a protective coat, you’ll need to let it dry indoors for about a month. Use sandpaper or a spokeshave (if you have one) to make its surface even smoother.

Step 6: Optional: Add your personal mark to the walking stick using a wood-burning tool. When you have the stick carved to your satisfaction, apply a stain or other such finish and a protective coat of polyurethane. Take your walking stick with you on all your hikes. Whenever you pick it up, the stick will remind you of your past outdoor adventures and make you wonder what excitement lies ahead.

Then he searches for someplace to spit it out.

The offending food? Jiffy Pop Salad—a crunchy combo in which popcorn, bacon and celery mingle with mayonnaise. This goofy grub is from a batch of recipes recently tested by the Scouts of Troop 221 of Plano, Tex.

We scoured cookbooks, the Internet and our memories for strange recipes and oddball cooking methods. We kept the recipes under wraps until the Scouts arrived at the campsite at Erwin Park in McKinney, Tex.

Then we wasted no time in splitting the Scouts into teams and giving them recipes, ingredients and instructions. If all went well, we’d have a feast in a few hours.

The result? Lots of laughs—and some surprisingly good chow.

The Recipe: Orange Peel Cakes

The Challenge: Bake cakes in the coals

The Scouts stirred up some batter. Then they cut a small “lid” in the top of each of six big navel oranges and scooped out the insides, just like carving a pumpkin.

Cooking a cake on coals is a snap when you use a hollowed-out orange peel instead of a pan. The Scouts ate the orange pulp, then poured the cake batter into the gutted oranges, each about two-thirds full.

They popped the “lids” back on the oranges, wrapped them in heavy foil, and set them on the coals for about 20 minutes, turning them often.

The Recipe: Pinto Bean Fudge

The Challenge: Don’t think about it—just keep stirring

“Pinto Bean Fudge?” questioned Tenderfoot Scout Chase Hairston, 12. “Did you make this up, or is this for real?”

It’s for real, thanks to a long-ago camper who discovered that a can of pinto beans can be substituted for a pound of butter when making fudge.

Chase maintained a perfect boil (without scorching) after reluctantly dumping a can of beans into the melted chocolate.

The Scouts poured the finished fudge into a shallow pan, then tucked it in the cooler.

The Recipe: Dingle Fan Chicken

The Challenge: Can something called a “dingle fan” cook chicken at all?

Dingle fan roasting is for campers who have better things to do than fuss over their food. Rather than endlessly basting and turning a piece of meat over a fire, campers can let this fan-powered rotisserie do the work.

Life Scout Andrew Motter, 16, and Star Scout Alan Hairston, 14, wedged a long wooden pole between two rocks so that it angled very near—but not directly over—the flames. Next, they attached a short length of chain to the end of the pole.

The next step was to make the dingle fan by sticking a paper plate on the end of a metal skewer. The fan would be attached to the chain, from which a raw chicken would hang. (Be sure to leave enough space between the fan and the flames, since that plate could catch fire if it’s left too close.)

The heat from the fire should hit the fan, causing the chicken to slowly rotate throughout the cooking process.

All we needed now was a chicken, innards removed, buttered and bound in string. That duty fell to Tenderfoot Scout Matthew Motter, 12.

“This is like something out of ‘Survivor,’” Matthew says, referring to the reality TV show.

Once dangling from the chain, the chicken wouldn’t need tending over the next two hours, when it would be safely fully cooked, but there was no time to sit back and relax. On to the next challenge!

The Recipe: Solar Oven Bread

The Challenge: Bake a loaf of bread … without fire or electricity

Cooking with the power of the sun is ideal for campers who want to try something fun and different.

Our solar oven called for bending a 2-foot-by- 4-foot sheet of cardboard into the shape of a funnel and covering the inside with aluminum foil. When the funnel is angled toward the sun, heat builds up in the base of the funnel.

Star Scout William Weiner, 15, made dough and kneaded it for about five minutes before putting it into a two-quart jar, spray-painted black to make it absorb more heat.

Before putting the jar into the funnel, the Scouts slipped it into a clear plastic bag, then blew air into the bag and closed it with a twisttie. This extra step created a “greenhouse effect” around the jar, allowing for additional heat build-up.

If all went well, the dough would rise inside the jar and, perhaps, bake.

The Recipe: Ice Cream Football

The Challenge: Make ice cream without a freezer

You need milk, cream and sugar to make ice cream, plus rock salt and lots of ice. As long as the ingredients keep moving and stay cold enough, the mixture will turn into ice cream.

Now for the football part.

Andrew measured ingredients into a quart-size zip-top bag, sealed the top, then placed it inside a larger, gallon-size bag. He filled the outer bag with crushed ice, packing it around the inner bag of ingredients, then sprinkled rock salt over the ice.

The Scouts wrapped the bags in layers of newspaper and secured the bundle with duct tape. The resulting “football” was ready for about 20 minutes of passing — to keep the mixture moving — before being spiked into the ice chest.

TIME’S UP!

Even after falling into the dirt a couple of times, the Dingle Fan Chicken was a thing of beauty.

The Scouts scrambled for plates as Jeff ripped off a bite. He sampled it, then gave it the ultimate compliment: “Tastes like chicken!”

The fan had worked. The chicken was golden and crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside.

And the bread?

The Scouts had kept their eyes on the solar oven all afternoon and had given it an occasional nudge to keep it in the path of the sun’s rays. Its temperature had peaked at 310 degrees.

Not only had the dough risen, it had baked to perfection, filling the jar.

Even the Jiffy Pop Salad was getting good reviews from some of the tasters (but still not from Jeff Cumonow).

For dessert, the Scouts retrieved the fudge and ice cream from the cooler. Both were delicious — no hint of an aftertaste from the pinto beans. The orange-peel cakes were a hit, too. Spongy and moist, with a hint of, well, orange.

Bellies full, the Scouts declared their meal a success. Good food, good times — and no pans to wash.

-T-O-P!

If you don’t know where you are or which way to go, STAY PUT. People will start looking for you as soon as someone realizes you’re missing. Meanwhile, it’s time to use your No. 1 survival tool — your brain. Follow the STOP signs.

Stay calm. You can’t use your brain well if you’re in a panic. Breathe slowly and deeply. Drink some water, eat a little something.

Think. How did you get here? Get out your map and see what you can figure out.

Observe. Look for your footprints. What about landmarks? Find the clues and maybe you can solve the mystery of where you are.

Plan. If you’re pretty sure of the way back, move carefully. But what if you’re wrong? Mark your trail as you move — piles of stones, broken branches. That way you can always come back to where you were.

GET NOTICED

Help searchers find you. The universal distress call always comes in threes: Three shouts, three blasts on a whistle. Start calling. Make a smoky fire in the daytime (toss grass or green leaves on the flames) or a bright fire at night. Spread extra clothing or any bright gear in the open to catch the eye of a rescue pilot. Make yourself comfortable. Pitch a tent if you have one, or make a shelter out of the wind. Use the gear you have to help you stay warm and dry. How long can you last? Without water, for several days. Without food, for several weeks.

BRIGHT IDEA

On a clear day, the flash of a signal mirror can be seen up to 100 miles away. Any mirror will do. To aim it, hold the mirror with one hand and extend the other hand in front of you. Tilt the mirror until its reflected light fills your empty palm. Make a V with your illuminated fingers, then sight through the V toward an aircraft. The lid of a tin can, a piece of foil or anything shiny can also work.

Dry Bags, Float Bags And Dry Pouches

A waterproof bag with buckles at the top works great for holding things that must stay dry such as your wallet or food. Don’t put too much in there. Leave enough room to fold the opening over at least three times before buckling shut. The buckles keep the folds pressed together and keep water out. Dry bags come in sizes from one quart to 25 by 43 inches. Find them at most outdoor retailers.

Resealable Bags

These work in the kitchen, and they can work on a canoe trip. They come in all sizes. Sandwich-size bags store toilet paper or socks. Two-gallon bags hold jeans or sneakers. Some stores even carry sizes up to 12 and 20 gallons. Don’t overfill. Seal carefully.

Five-gallon buckets

If you don’t have to lug your gear far, these can be useful. A sleeping bag fits in one perfectly. Take two and put spare clothes in the other. Seal the lid to the bucket with duct tape. Buckets can also double as a place to sit around the campsite.

Protect It Even More

Combine waterproofing for things you absolutely must keep dry. Put small items in resealable bags and stuff all of those in a larger one. Then, put everything in a bucket or dry bag. If the outer layer leaks, your gear is still protected.

For the first time ever, the unusual courtship ritual of the Marvelous Spatuletail hummingbird has been caught on video.

Watch as the male hummingbird uses his long, spoon-shaped tail feathers to attract females. To complete for their attention, he’ll spin the feathers around at high speed and even attack other males.

The Marvelous Spatuletail is a rare and endangered hummingbird that lives in a tiny part of northern Peru. This video was captured by filmmaker Greg Homel and provided to Boyslife.org by the American Bird Conservancy. Click here to learn more.

LEARN THE LINGO

A stream pool is the area of slow to moderate current, usually located below waterfalls, chutes or runs. Pools almost always hold the deepest water within a stream. This is one reason they are so attractive to fish. For a fish, deep water means safety. The pool’s head is the uppermost section of the pool. The pool’s tail is the downstream boundary, the place where the water stops running at a fast pace.

TAKE IT TO THE STREAM

As current enters a pool, it carries organisms that offer trout and bass a steady food supply. The fish will station themselves at the pool’s head where they don’t have to move far in order to feed. The heads of pools almost always hold fish. Hot summer days are usually the best times to target them.

IF THEY DON’T BITE, MOVE DOWN

Another prime location is a pool’s tail. Here, the water moves slowly, and many fish station themselves at the tail in order to pick off any insect or small fish that is being carried downstream by the current. Early or late in the day, when the light is low, is usually the best time to fish a pool’s tail.

Remember to keep your movements and noise to a minimum. These fish spook easily.

LOOK FOR COVER

Another important area is the pool’s main piece of cover. This might be a sunken log or an old tire. It could be a boulder in the deepest part of the pool. A prominent piece of cover not only gives fish a location from which to ambush their prey, but it also provides a comfortable place to rest and conserve energy. Find this important cover, and you’ve found the fish. Often, this spot will hold the largest fish within a pool. Once you learn to identify these key features, you’ll find yourself fishing pools with greater confidence and success.

Want to learn more about fishing streams? Try these books:

• “Trout from Small Streams,” by Dave Hughes (Stackpole Books, 2003)
• “Reading the Water: A Fly Fisher’s Handbook for Finding Trout in All Types of Water,” by Dave Hughes (Stackpole Books, 1988)
• “Small Stream Bass,” by John Gifford (The Countryman Press, 2002)
• “Fishing Rivers and Streams,” by Dick Sternberg (Creative Publishing International, 1990)

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• A pizza box
• Black construction paper
• Aluminum foil
• Plastic window covering
• Permanent marker
• Glue
• Tape
• Scissors
• Ruler
• String

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

STEP 1: Line the inside bottom of the box with foil.

STEP 2: Cover foil with black paper and tape in place.

STEP 3: Set the plastic under the box and trace the outline of the box.

STEP 4: Remove the box and draw another outline 1⁄4-inch inside the first outline and cut along inside line.

STEP 5: Close the box cover, and draw another line 1 inch from each side.

STEP 6: Cut along the lines on the front and sides—not the back.
STEP 7: Open the cover and line the inside with foil.

STEP 8: Glue foil in place.

STEP 9: Cover foil with the cut plastic and tape in place.

STEP 10: All layers should be airtight and wrinkle-free.

STEP 11: On the outside of the box cover, attach a string long enough to keep the flap open and let the sun shine in.

STEP 12: Once you have the oven, all you need is the sun. Choose a spot that will get at least several hours of direct sun away from any strong wind.

TRY IT OUT

Solar cooking takes a little practice. Try this recipe first:

Solar Oven S’mores:

Ingredients:

• Graham crackers
• Milk chocolate bars
• Marshmallows

Place graham crackers next to each other on the bottom of a black cast-iron pot. Black pots are best because they absorb and retain the sun’s heat better than light-colored pans. Top each cracker with a piece of chocolate and a marshmallow. Put a glass lid over the pot and place the pot in the center of your solar oven. When the marshmallow is gooey, take out the crackers and add the second layer of graham crackers on top to complete it.

There are plenty of reasons to take good care of your bike, and you don’t have to be a professional technician to do it. Richardson Bike Mart, in Richardson, Tex., is the shop that sponsors the Matrix Cycle Club, which gave a little-known biker named Lance Armstrong a boost early in his biking career when he joined the team in 1987. Now, the experts there will give you a boost, too. Just a few tools and the know-how on the following pages will get you off to a great start in maintaining your bike. Then you can ride confidently, knowing that your set of wheels will come through when you need them most.

CHANGING A FLAT TIRE

Ken “Woody” Smith, the general manager of one of Richardson Bike Mart’s Dallas-area stores, says most repair work he does is fixing tires damaged from riding with low air pressure. Get in the habit of checking your tire pressure once every 7 to 10 days, whether you’ve ridden your bike during that time or not. And “checking your tire pressure” doesn’t just mean squeezing the tires with your fingers and guessing how much air is in there. It means connecting a pressure gauge to the tire to get an accurate reading. But sometimes, flats just happen. A nail in the road or a sharp rock on the trail can create the need for a new inner tube, or in some cases, a whole new tire. Here’s how to remove your tires and fix a leak:

Step 1. Start with the back tire (the most difficult to remove). Shift the chain to the smallest sprocket (the highest gear). If you ride a bike without multiple gears, use a wrench to loosen the nuts and remove the chain from the sprocket.

Step 2. Unhook the brake by pulling the noodle (the part that connects the left and right brakes) to the side and unhooking the brake-release mechanism.

Step 3. To remove the tire, pull the quick-release lever all the way and loosen the opposite side counterclockwise two to five turns. If your bike is sitting upright on a stand, the tire will fall out. If you don’t own a stand, have a helper lift the bike temporarily to allow the wheel to fall out. If you’re on your own, you can always place the bike upside down and lift out the wheel yourself.

Step 4. Completely deflate the tire. It’s much easier to get the tire off of the rim and the tube out of the tire if there’s no air in it. We used the pointed end of a tire lever to release the air, but a fingernail can also depress the valve core.

Step 5. Use the flat ends of the tire levers to create some space between the tire and the rim. Use three levers, placed two spokes apart, with the flat end underneath the edge of the tire, and the pointed end attached to a spoke.

Step 6. Pry the inner tube out from between the tire and the rim. With the inner tube removed, the tire will slide off the rim easily.

Step 7. Run a rag inside the tire around its entire length, checking for anything that could have caused the flat. It won’t do any good to patch a tube

or install a brand-new one if the rock or shard of glass that caused the flat is still in there. The rag will protect your fingers.

Step 8. If you’re on the road, you can repair your tube with a patching kit. This will provide enough protection to at least get you home. If you do have a new tube handy, replace the damaged one.

Step 9. Repeat the process in reverse order to put the tire back on the bike. (Except try not to use the tire levers, as they can pinch and damage a tube when you’re putting it back on the rim.) Align the air valve stem with the hole in the rim through which it fits. Until you get familiar with the process, never have both tires off at the same time. As long as one tire is on the bike, you can use it as a reference for how the other one should fit.

THE BRAKES

Nothing is more dangerous for a biker than having unreliable brakes. Just like monitoring your tire pressure, it’s easy to check your brakes to make sure they’ll be there when you need them.

Step 1. Start by simply rolling the bike while walking alongside it. When you apply the brakes, the bike should stop immediately with no delay or drag.

Step 2. Check the brake tension. Look for the brake-adjusting barrel located on the inside half of the handlebar braking device. Adjusting the barrel counterclockwise will tighten the brake cable, moving the brake pads closer to the rim. Turning the barrel clockwise will loosen the cable and create more space between the pad and the rim. Leave three to four millimeters, but this is mostly a personal preference that you can adjust to your best fit.

Step 3. You can also move the brakes to the left or the right to make sure the pads on one side don’t wear down faster than the pads on the other. There is a brake centering screw on top of each braking clamp on each wheel. Loosen the screw and move the brakes left or right as needed.

THE GEARS

Over time, the gear cable that runs from the sprockets to the gear-shifter by your hands will stretch. This can make it more difficult to shift gears. This problem can easily be fixed by adjusting the derailleur.

Step 1. If your gears aren’t shifting smoothly, or if they’re making noises they weren’t making before, try turning the derailleur adjustment barrel counterclockwise in 180-degree increment turns to tighten the slack in the cable.

Step 2. Avoid adjusting the limit screws that keep the derailleur in place unless the bike has been damaged in a crash.

THE CHAIN

A bike’s chain is the component that makes the whole thing go. It should be clean but slightly oily. It should never be dripping with oil. Check it whenever you’re tuning up your bike.

Step 1. With one hand, turn your bike’s pedals. With the other, allow the moving chain to run through your fingers. (You may have to have a friend raise the bike in the air if you don’t have a stand.)

Step 2. If the chain is soaking wet, run the chain through a dry cloth to remove the excess liquid. If the chain is dry, apply a Teflon bike spray evenly over the whole chain.

Step 3. It’s O.K. if the spray gets on the gears, but don’t get any excess spray on the pedals or brake pads. Hold the spray in the same spot near the back gears while rotating the pedals so the chain moves. (Spray while turning the pedals backward five times at a moderate speed.)

Step 4. After you spray, repeat the testing process to make sure you haven’t sprayed too much.

To help you wade through the sea of gear options and decode the marketing mumbo-jumbo, our own Gear Guy huddled with two former Scouts who now work for Adventure 16, one of the top outfi tter shops in San Diego, Calif. Our guest experts are store manager Christo Kuzmich, 38, a former Life Scout from Troop 126 in Los Angeles; and Eagle Scout-turned-assistant manager Chris Koci, 21, of Troop 51 in La Mesa, Calif. On the next few pages, you’ll find our gear gurus’ head-to-toe recommendations for both what you want and what you really need.

WHAT YOU NEED:

SOFTSHELL REI Neo

A softshell is the type of jacket that’ll get you through 90 percent of weather conditions—everything except a downpour. The 22-ounce Neo does just that, plus it’s breathable and has four-way stretch for maximum mobility. ($99; www.rei.com or 1-800-426-4840)

SHELL Marmot PreCip

Every outdoorsman needs a good rain shell, and the 12-ounce PreCip is “hands down the best product for the price,” Koci says. It’s seam-taped and waterproof/breathable. ($100; www.marmot.com or 1-888-357-3262)

FISHING ROD Bamboo Fishing Pole Kit

Food is a necessity on the trail, and nothing is tastier than a pan-fried brook trout that you caught! This super basic eight-foot pole comes with spool, line, hook and sinker. ($4.65; www.scoutstuff.org or 1 800 323 0736)

MIDLAYER Columbia Steens Mountain Sweater

For about $30, you can get the Steens midweight polyester fleece that will keep you toasty warm. “A great fleece sweater for the price,” Kuzmich says. ($33; www.columbia.com or 1-800-622-6953)

WATCH Timex Expedition Camper

This thing keeps track of your time on the trail in water-resistant style. Nothing less, nothing more. ($35; www.timex.com or 1-800-448-4639)

BASELAYER Cabela’s MTP Polartec Medium-Weight Top and Pants

Forget that cotton tee. You need something that wicks moisture away from your skin to keep you warm even when it’s wet. A smart choice is this Cabela’s long underwear made from the same high-performance Polartec fabric you’ll find in more expensive baselayers, but at half the cost. ($30 top, $25 pants; www.cabelas.com or (1-800-237-4444)

SUNGLASSES Ryders Tangent

What your eyes need is a pair of lightweight sunglasses with interchangeable lenses that can handle a wide variety of light conditions, from hazy to bright, while still providing 100 percent UV protection from the sun’s harmful rays. The Tangent does all that while looking cool. ($60, www.ryderseyewear.com)

HEADLAMP Petzl Tikka

Flashlights are fine, but a headlamp leaves your hands free. The Tikka is a reliable water-resistant single-watt LED that’ll provide 120 hours of light on the trail. ($26; www.petzl.com or 1-877-807-3805)

BACKPACK Jansport Carson

Newer isn’t always better. This classic 4,900-cubicinch capacity external-frame pack “has enough capacity for a weeklong trip and can still handle a growing kid,” Kuzmich says. “I did the John Muir Trail with a pack like this four times, and I still have it.” ($130; www.jansport.com or 1-800-558-3600)

NAVIGATION Silva Polaris

You need a compass. Period. This classic one has everything you need to find your way and – best of all – it’ll never run out of batteries. ($12; www.silvacompass.com r 1-800-572-8822)

STOVE MSR PocketRocket

“For its size and weight, this stove boils water like nothing else I’ve seen,” Koci says. The PocketRocket is one of the lightest around – just three ounces. For boiling water on the trail, it’s tough to top. ($40; www.msrgear.com or 1-800-531-9531)

SLEEPING BAG Kelty Chinook 20

Synthetic bags like the Thermolite Quallo-filled Chinook are better for Scouts on a budget because they are cheaper than goose down – and they still keep you warm even when wet. ($90; www.kelty.com or 1-800-423-2320)

HYDRATION Recycled Gatorade bottle

Forget those fancy canteens and water bottles. What you need to do is buy a 32-ounce Gatorade. When you’re done drinking it, slap on a makeshift handle with some webbing and duct tape and fill it back up with water. ($4)

PANTS White Sierra Trail Pant

You need pants that can do double-duty as shorts. These nylon pants are quick drying, provide full sun protection and are treated with stain resistance to keep you clean in the field. ($45; www.whitesierra.com or 1-800-980-8688)

BOOTS A boot that really fits!

“Don’t worry about what looks good on the wall, just get a boot that fits well,” Koci says. “Go to a specialty shop and let the professionals fit you. You’ll be a lot happier in the long run.” If it fits, a great starter boot is the waterproof leather Hi-Tec Altitude IV. ($80; www.hi-tec.com or 1-800-521-1698).

Also pick up some Superfeet Green insoles. Or try the new Orange insoles, with an extra shock pad and antistink treatment (much-needed in the Pedro Patrol). “Just buy them!” Koci says. “Especially if you’re purchasing inexpensive boots. Superfeet will turn not-sogood boots into a really good pair. It’s one of the best buys you can make because they will save your knees, back and ankles.” ($35, Green; $40, Orange; www.superfeet.com or 1-800-634-6618)

HAT Columbia Bora Bora Booney

It’s wide enough to block the sun and has mesh paneling to vent hot heads, exactly what a hat needs to do. ($20; www.columbia.com or 1-800-622-6953)

WATER PURIFIER Katadyn MicroPur

What you need is to get those puke-inducing microbes out of your water. You could spend $100 and filter your water through a pump or you could just pop one of these tablets in your drink for purified water in about 30 minutes. “It leaves no taste and works very fast,” Koci says. ($13 for 30 tabs; www.katadyn.com or 1-800-755-6701)

TENT Kelty Teton 2

“All you really need is a tarp. I did the John Muir Trail four times with just a tarp, but first you need the skills to be able to use it,” Kuzmich says. In the meantime, check out the Teton 2, a two-man, three-season tent with durable aluminum poles weighing in at less than five pounds. ($100; www.kelty.com or 1-800-423-2320)

WHAT YOU WANT:

HEADLAMP Brunton L3

The drool factor is high with the L3, a three-watt luxeon lamp that has four modes (from power saver to emergency blinker) and can throw light for more than 200 feet, making it one of the most powerful headlamps on the market. ($110; www.brunton.com or 1-800-443-4871)

BASELAYER Icebreaker Bodyfit260 Slalom Zip and bottoms

For the ultimate midweight baselayer, try the all-merino wool Bodyfit. “I bring this with me on every trip,” Koci says. “It still retains its warmth when wet and keeps you cool in warm weather but doesn’t hold smell like polyester baselayers. Last year at Philmont, I wore my Icebreaker for 14 days straight, and it didn’t stink!” ($100 top, $70 bottoms; www.icebreaker.com or 1-866-363-7466)

SUNGLASSES Kaenon Klemm

The Klemm blends street-style bling with no-nonsense performance polarized lenses – some of the best in the sunglass industry. ($200; www.kaenon.com)

NAVIGATION Garmin 60CSX

Kuzmich’s favorite compasson-overdrive is the 60CSX, a water-resistant GPS with a color screen, altimeter and expandable memory that even lets you upload your own maps. ($482; www.garmin.com or 1-800-800-1020)

BACKPACK Gregory Baltoro

Internal-frame packs with smart suspension systems make carrying heavy loads a breeze. “I went up to Mount Whitney last year and carried over 30 pounds more than is recommended for this pack, and it still carried like a charm,” Koci says. “It’s the best pack I’ve ever worn, hands down.” ($269; www.gregorypacks.com or 1-800-477-3420)

MIDLAYER Patagonia R2 Jacket

When money is no object (yeah, right), go for the R2, which is “a lot more breathable and packable” than ordinary fleece, Kuzmich says. It’s lighter, too; made from Polartec Thermal Pro, the R2 weighs just 14.5 ounces. ($150; www.patagonia.com or 1-800-638-6464)

SHELL Arc’teryx Beta SL

“The more you spend on a shell, the more you are paying for breathability, which means more comfort,” Koci explains. The 432-gram Beta SL is superlight, but with Gore-Tex PacLite and XCR, it’s also supremely waterproof and breathable. Oh, and it looks sweet, too. ($350; www.arcteryx.com or 1-800-985-6681)

HYDRATION Hydrapak Reversible Reservoir

If you covet the fluid-carrying capacity of camels, slip the 100-ounce Hydrapak inside your backpack. It’s just like other easy-drinking hydration sacks, but this one can be turned inside-out for easier cleaning and a microbe-free gulp every time. ($30; www.hydrapak.com)

SOFTSHELL Patagonia Ready Mix

Step up to the Ready Mix and you’ll get a super lightweight jacket (just 15 oz.) with welded seams and more water resistance than most other softshells. “I took this up Mount Whitney for a winter mountaineering trip and never once needed my rain jacket,” Koci says ($199; www.patagonia.com or 1-800-638-6464)

WATCH Suunto X9i

If you’ve got five-hundy to burn, get the X9i – which probably has more computing power than your dad’s laptop – with its built-in altimeter, compass, barometer and GPS! ($499; www.suunto.com or 1-800-543-9124)

WATER PURIFIER First Need Deluxe Portable Purifier

Tablets are fine, but a lightweight filter like the First Need is a faster – and usually tastier – option for clean water. Just attach this filter to your water bottle and pump clean, ready to-gulp water that’s free of nasty things like bacteria, cysts, viruses and pesticides. ($98; www.firstneed.com or 1-800-441-8166)

SLEEPING PAD Exped Downmat 7

“I threw out all my other pads after I got this one,” Kuzmich says. Why? Because it’s cushy soft, super light (just 20 ounces) and the down filling gives you three times the insulating warmth of any synthetic mat. ($130; www.orgear.com or 1-888-467-4327)

BOOTS AKU Utah Lite GTX

Kuzmich’s top boot pick is the beefy Gore-Tex Utah. “The leather has a phenomenal feel, and it’s not wide and boxy like a lot of other boots. It also really holds your foot well across the top.” ($210; www.akunorthamerica.com)

STOVE MSR Reactor

Spend $100 more than on the PocketRocket and you can get MSR’s Reactor, a super fuel-efficient windproof canister stove. It comes with an attachable 1.7 liter pot. Though the stove isn’t exactly tiny – 21 ounces – MSR is claiming it’s the fastest-boiler available, able to boil one liter of water in less than 3 minutes. ($140; www.msrgear.com or 1-800-531-9531)

HAT Tilley LTM3 Airflo

The four-ounce Tilley is lightweight, water-resistant and very breathable with its ring of mesh. It’s also fitted for a more precise fit and comes with a secret pocket in the crown plus closed cell foam that makes it float. ($66; www.tilleyendurables.com or 1-800-363-8737)

FISHING ROD Orvis Frequent Flyer Fly/Spin Combo

Imagine packing this seven-foot four-piece, breakapart rod that can be equipped with either a fly reel or a spin reel (both included), depending on your mood and the fish you seek. ($349; www.orvis.com or 1-888-235-9763)

PANTS Ex Officio Buzz Off convertible pant

These zip-offs are a step above all others because they “are made with more comfortable fabric and come with built-in insect repellant,” Kuzmich says. They’re also sun protective to UPF 30+, quick drying and wrinkle resistant. ($80; www.exofficio.com or 1-800-644-7303)

TENT Bibler Ahwahnee

“The Ahwahnee is a single-wall tent that’s really breathable. It’s my 90-percent tent, the one I use for most every trip,” Kuzmich says. At 6 pounds, this two-man, four-season tent has two doors for great ventilation in the summer, yet it’s still extremely waterproof for winter camping. ($650; www.bdel.com)

SLEEPING BAG Western Mountaineering Alpinlite Super

“This is simply the best-made sleeping bag on the planet,” Kuzmich says. At almost $400 it oughta be. This down bag is just shy of two pounds and is made of the finest materials available for super durability. “With side baffles that allow the down to move freely from top to bottom and vice versa, the versatility of this bag is worth the almost $400 price tag,” Koci says. ($390; www.westernmountaineering.com)

They’re called “essentials” for a reason. Every packing list starts with these items.

• Pocketknife
• First-aid kit
• Extra clothing
• Rain gear
• Water bottle
• Flashlight
• Trail food
• Matches and fire starter
• Sun protection
• Map and compass

Keeping Clean

• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Dental floss
• Soap
• Comb
• Waterless hand cleaner
• Small towel
• Washcloth
• Toilet paper
• Trowel for digging cathole latrines

Cooking and eating

• Large plastic cereal bowl or kitchen storage bowl
• Spoon
• Cup or insulated mug
• Water treatment system
• Backpacking stove with fuel
• Large pot and lid (2.5- or 3-quart size)
• Small pot and lid (1.5- or 2-quart size)
• Lightweight frying pan (10 to 12 inches in diameter)
• For melting snow, add 1 large pot and lid (6 to 10 quarts)
• Hot-pot tongs

Extras

• Watch
• Camera
• Notebook
• Pen or pencil
• Sunglasses
• Small musical instrument
• Swimsuit
• Gloves
• Whistle
• Nylon cord
• Insect repellent
• Repair kit
• Hiking stick or trekking poles
• Binoculars
• Fishing gear
• Animal identification books, plant keys, geological studies, star charts or other guides

You’re frantic. Panicked even. In exactly one hour, your troop is heading out the door on a paddling outing — and you’re struggling to pack. What clothes do you need to bring? How about extra gear?

No worries.

Just take a deep breath and use this handy checklist. In addition to your basic outdoor gear, you’ll also need:

• PFD (a.k.a. life jacket)
• Paddle
• Lightweight rain gear
• Sunglasses with strap
• Sunscreen, nonoily cream
• Water bottle with clip
• Swim trunks
• Wide-brimmed hat
• Towel
• Baby powder or Gold Bond powder (to reduce chafing)
• Insect repellent, DEET based
• Flip flops (or other appropriate footwear)
• Fishing license

PADDLING EXPERT ESSENTIALS:

From Paul Beal, general manager, Florida Sea Base, Islamorada, Fla.

• Dry bag. “Whether you’re in a kayak or a canoe or one of our war canoes, they get water in them. And the last thing you want is for all your gear to get wet. So you need a good dry bag that’s big enough to hold all your stuff.”
• Dry box. “They are indestructible, float and don’t leak. Every time I get on a boat, I bring mine to carry my wallet, digital camera and anything that I don’t want to get wet.”
• Fishing hat. “Wear a hat with a long brim and apron in the back or a big straw hat—just something to protect your face, head and neck from the sun.”
• Polarized sunglasses. “Not the 10-dollar drugstore sunglasses. Polarized glasses cut the glare off the water so you can see the bottom better, and they protect your eyes from the harmful UVA and UVB rays.”

TWO THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU NEEDED:

• Lightweight long-sleeve shirt and long pants. “Something people don’t think of when they’re going some place like the tropics is to bring long pants and a long-sleeve shirt. They give you sun protection plus help keep away insects.”
• Dive booties. “When you get out of the boat and wade onto shore, dive booties protect your feet from whatever is on the bottom and give you some traction.”

You’re frantic. Panicked even. In exactly one hour, your troop is heading out the door on a bicycling outing — and you’re struggling to pack. What clothes do you need to bring? How about extra gear?

No worries.

Just take a deep breath and use this handy checklist. In addition to your basic outdoor gear, you’ll also need:

• Repair kit
• Screwdrivers sized for your bike’s various screws
• Allen wrenches and box wrenches for your bike
• Chain rivet extractor
• Spoke wrench
• Chain lube
• Tire patch kit
• Spare inner tube
• Mini pump

BICYCLING EXPERT ESSENTIALS:

From Adam Craig, nine-time national mountain bike champion, Bend, Ore.

Multi-tool. “This will take care of the screwdriver, chain tool, Allen and box wrenches items from above, all while fitting in your pocket nicely.”

Hydration pack. “Whenever I’m not racing I’m wearing one of these packs. You can carry water, all of your tools and some extra clothing. Everything you’d ever need can fit in a small pack.”

Sunglasses. “I’m a big fan of riding with eyewear. It seems that whenever I have to take my glasses off due to rain (Rain-X helps a lot, by the way), I inevitably get poked in the eye with a stick.”

Gloves. “Sweaty hands don’t grab handlebars very well. And the branches that don’t poke you in the eye will surely scrape across your knuckles.”

TWO THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU NEEDED:

• Energy bar. “This is important for two reasons: One, you get hungry when you ride. More important, though, is the fact that you can use the wrapper as a handy-dandy tire boot in case you run over something sharp that slices your tire. Before putting in your new inner tube, fold the energy bar wrapper to thicken it then place it between the sliced tire and tube. This ‘boot’ will keep the tube from popping again.”
• Zip ties. “I never leave home without them. They can fix a broken helmet or hold your pedal cage on after you hit a rock, in addition to just about anything else. Worth their weight in gold!”

You’re frantic. Panicked even. In exactly one hour, your troop is heading out the door on a warm-weather outing — and you’re struggling to pack. What clothes do you need to bring? How about extra gear?

No worries.

Just take a deep breath and use this handy checklist. In addition to the basic camping gear, you’ll also need:

• Socks
• Long-sleeved shirt (lightweight)
• Long pants (lightweight)
• Sweater or warm jacket
• Brimmed hat
• Bandana
• Rain gear
• Extra underwear (for longer trips)

WARM-WEATHER EXPERT ESSENTIALS:

From Mark Anderson, program director, Philmont Scout Ranch, Cimarron, N.M.

• Water. “Always pack enough water depending on the climate and the availability of fresh water where you’ll be. Here in the desert Southwest, we suggest bringing four liters for the day. That works out to about a liter for every 1 to 1.5 hours of hiking.”
• Rain suit. “A good, quality rain suit will allow you to keep hiking and remain active around camp while still enjoying the experience.”
• Boots. “When backpacking, I prefer hiking boots over trail runner-type shoes—safety is the issue. Also make sure your boots fit correctly and are well broken in.”
• Backpack that fits. “Both internal- and external-frame backpacks work fine. The key is to test drive your pack on several short hikes before taking a long trip. This ensures that all of your pack adjustments are done properly.”

TWO THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU NEEDED:

• Personal blister kit. “Even with well-broken-in boots and socks that you have hiked in before, you can still get a blister. Being able to take care of blisters early can ensure that it doesn’t negatively impact your trek. I even carry a blister kit on day hikes.” A good blister kit will include moleskin, adhesive tape, safety pins and antibiotic ointment.
• Parachute cord, 20 feet. “Parachute cord can be used for all sorts of things from backpack and tent repairs to a clothesline and replacement shoelaces.”

You’re frantic. Panicked even. In exactly one hour, your troop is heading out the door on a cold weather outing — and you’re struggling to pack. What clothes do you need to bring? How about extra gear?

No worries.

Just take a deep breath and use this handy checklist. In addition to the basic camping gear, you’ll also need:

• Long-sleeved shirt
• Long pants (fleece or wool)
• Sweater (fleece or wool)
• Long underwear (polypropylene)
• Hiking boots or sturdy shoes
• Socks (wool or synthetic)
• Warm parka or jacket with hood
• Stocking hat (fleece or wool)
• Mittens or gloves (fleece or wool) with water-resistant shells
• Wool scarf
• Rain gear
• Extra underwear (for longer trips)

COLD-WEATHER EXPERT ESSENTIALS:

From Joe Mattson, program director, Northern Tier National High Adventure Bases, Ely, Minn.

• Bandana. “In the cold, your nose tends to run. To keep your mittens, sleeves and jacket clean and snot-free, use the bandana to wipe your nose.”
• Sorel boots. “Boots or shoes will not keep you warm and dry if you’re in the snow. And if it gets well below freezing, regular hiking boots or shoes won’t keep your feet warm either. Wear Sorel boots for wet snow conditions and mukluk-style boots for dry snow.”
• Wind parka with hood. “A long wind parka that covers the upper torso down to your mid-thigh will help keep you much warmer than a regular jacket. The heat generated by the lower body and groin area moves to the upper body and then out the neck and head keeping those areas much warmer, much the way a chimney works.”
• Side-attaching suspenders. “Using suspenders to keep your pants up instead of a belt is less constricting and allows heat from your lower body to rise freely to the upper body. The side-attaching type allows you to remove your pants without having to take layers off and are easier to reattach.”

TWO THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU NEEDED:

• Rubberized gloves. “When filling liquid-fuel cooking stoves in really cold weather, wear rubber gloves. If it’s below zero degrees, the fuel will still be liquid at that temperature and can cause instant frostbite if you spill it on your mittens or hands.”
• Headlamp. “Daylight is short in the winter, and using a headlamp allows you to use both hands when you do anything from cooking to eating to searching for something in your pack. Plus, if you put your metal mini-Maglite in your mouth when it’s really cold, it’ll freeze to your tongue or lips instantly—ouch!”

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Two sections of 1/2 inch PVC pipe, each 6 feet long.
• Manila or hemp rope, two 7-foot lengths and one 6-foot
• A plastic sled, 3 to 4 feet long. Use a plastic toboggan,

  with ridges on the bottom. These ridges help keep the sled behind you.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Step 1: Start with the belt. Using a bowline knot (left), tie a one-inch loop about one foot from the end of the six-foot rope. Wrap the rope around the back of your waist with the loop just in front of your left hipbone. Tie another one-inch bowline in front of your right hipbone.

Step 2: Attach the PVC pipes to the sled. Tie each seven-foot piece of rope to the sled in place of the rope handle that came on it. Thread the ropes through the PVC pipes.

Step 3: Tie each rope to the loops in the belt. Never untie these ropes from the belt. When pulling the sled, tie the belt around your waist. When you reach camp, untie the belt, but leave the rest intact.

Step 4: Lash it or lose it. Once underway, you could drop something important without noticing. Tie everything securely to the sled.

Relax around camp by building a comfortable chair. It’s easy if you have the pioneering skills.

Materials

• Three spars about 4 inches in diameter, two 8 feet long and one 12 to 15 feet long
• Four sections of rope, one 30 feet long and three 3 to 4 feet long
• 6-by-8-foot (or slightly bigger) tarp, folded into an isosceles triangle
• Three heavy rocks slightly smaller than baseballs but larger than golf balls

Step One: Determine which ends of each spar are the thickest, and designate those as the base of each spar. Lay the two shorter spars together on the ground, parallel to each other, with each base at the same end and even with each other.

Lay the long spar down in the opposite direction, with its base at the opposite end from the bases of the shorter spars, with only about two feet of overlap at the tops. Keep them all parallel.

Use the 30-foot rope to perform a tripod lashing around all three spars.

Step Two: Fold each rock into a corner of the triangle-shaped tarp and twist to create a pocket that will hold the rock. Then tie one of the three shorter ropes around the pocket holding the rock by wrapping a few times and tying off the end with two half hitches.

Be sure to leave 2 to 3 feet of rope available. Repeat for each corner.

Step Three: Attach the tarp to the tripod by wrapping the remaining rope around each spar once or twice and finishing with a taut-line hitch.

The longest spar should act as the back leg of the chair, so attach the rope at higher point on that spar to create the back of the chair.

Step Four: Relax comfortably in your chair.

Keep your stuff out of the dirt by building a table for your camp. It’s easy if you have the pioneering skills.

Materials

• Two spars up to six feet long (or long enough to be lashed to both trees) and about 3 inches in diameter
• Several shorter spars, the number depending on the distance between the trees
• Two sections of rope, both around 25 feet in length
• Four sections of rope, each around 50 feet in length depending on the diameter of the trees (Each can be made with two sections of 25-foot rope tied together with a square knot, or a sheep’s bend knot if rope is of two different diameters)

Step One: Pick out two trees up to five feet apart with nothing between them. Have one person hold one of the longer spars horizontally across both trees. Tie a clove hitch around one spar right next to the tree, then use a square lash to attach the spar to the tree.

Step Two: Repeat the square lashing to the second tree at the other end of this spar, and repeat the whole process with the second spar on the other side of the tree. The lashings on both sides of the tree will have to overlap each other to ensure that the spars are level with each other.

Step Three: Lay the shorter spars across the two spars that are now attached to the trees. Lash the shorter spars to the longer spars with a floor lashing.

Step Four: Enjoy your new camp table.