Scoutmaster Musings

We're building quinzee huts and camping in them in a couple weeks. Here's a few tips to keep in mind when your troop camps in cold weather.

• Fail to Plan / Plan to Fail
• Always bring a bit more than what you think you'll need - water, food, clothes.
• Make sure that you have a good knowledge of the signs of frostbite and hypothermia. You should be able to recognize it in others and in yourself. Tell someone right away if you or another scout is showing signs of cold-related problems.
• Stay hydrated. It's easy to get dehydrated in the winter. Eat and drink plenty of carbs.
• Keep out of the wind if you can. A rain fly for a tent can be pitched to serve as a wind break. The wind chill factor can often be considerable and can result in effective temperatures being much lower than nominal.
• Bring extra WATER. It's easy to get dehydrated in the winter. You aren't visibly sweating, so you don't think to drink water, but since the air is so dry, you lose a LOT of water through breathing. Drink lots of water!
• Bring extra food that doesn't need to be heated or cooked. Granola bars, trail mix, etc.
• Keep a pot of hot water available for cocoa or Cup-a-Soup, these warm from the inside.

The entire list of tips can be read at Winter Camping Tips

Scout On!