Scouting Memories

Yesterday Borepatch linked to a story by ASM826 who authors the blog Random Acts of Patriotism.

The section Borepatch quoted was enough to get me to check out the new to me blog.

Tell us what she was like and how much fun it was. This whiny apology crap makes you look weak and nobody, not me, not the press, not your political cronies, and certainly not your wife, believes a word of it.

The rest of the posts had me reading for a while. I left a comment on a post about camping. ASM826 included some great photographs from the campsite.

He was kind (or crazy enough) to add a quick post adding me to his blog roll. Then we exchanged comments about Scouting.

Now, he has two posts that, while brief, capture the essence of Scouting and Camping from a while back. Those of us who were in Scouting a while back will be able to remember what it was like, those who have only camped with modern camping gear will be amazed at how it was.


I highly recommend everyone head over and read them.

From "5 Mile Hike"

Designed by golden eyed demons, the Boy Scout knapsack was such a perfect device to torture a Scout that it was essentially unchanged for decades. It had no frame, no padding, no waist belt, and it was too small to hold what you needed. You tied your sleeping bag and tent to the outside to allow for more room. You took a poncho, a steel mess kit, a first aid kit, dry socks, a flashlight (2 D-cell batteries), waterproof matches, a metal mil-surp canteen and food. If you took no more than this, you might get it all in there.

And a follow up post - Making Fire

Make a fire and cook a meal. Straightforward enough. One of the hurdles on the road to 2nd Class Scout. Here's the steps. Gather wood, prepare site, lay fire, light fire, feed fire, cook meal. At the end of a rainy week, where all the wood is damp, the firepit has a puddle in the center, and you have just been given a box with two (2) kitchen matches, it's not a hurdle, it's a wall.

It isn't just that we were young. Making fire is a skill. If you haven't done it, and done it often, in all sorts of weather, it is not an easy or intuitive process. We were young, though, and must have been the source of much amusement to the adults and older Scouts. Another lesson to be learned the hard way

I hope that most people who stop here are already reading ASM826 but if anyone isn't please stop in....it's worth the time.