Scouting Tips

Camping and Hiking Tips

• Forgot your mess kit?  Line a Frisbee with aluminum foil to use as a plate; after dinner, put the foil in the trash and work off all that food with a game of, you guessed it, Frisbee…

• Keep Your Clothes Warm - when camping in the winter, put your next days clothes in your sleeping bag with you at night.

• True or False - Waterproof clothing is ideal for cold weather camping?

• FALSE - To keep warm in the cold, your clothing must allow body moisture to escape.  Moisture that is trapped too close to the body can wick heat away through evaporation.  It's better to layer your clothing in cold weather - wool, GorTex, and polypropylene garments work well in the cold; also wear insulated underwear. 

• Instead of carrying a pillow, stuff your clothes in one of your larger stuff sacks -- it makes a dandy pillow; your clothes will be dry and maybe even warm in the morning. 

• Keeping Your Tent Dry - Are you camping under trees?  The trees will help break the rainfall, but they will continue to drip after the rain has stopped.  You win some, you lose some!  

• Prevent Condensation in You Tent - when camping in the winter, leave your tent windows open a bit. That will let condensation (from breathing) escape, keeping the inside of the tent drier. 

• Make a personal camping packing checklist and use it for every campout. Start with the lists in the Boy Scout Handbook, and then customize it for yourself. Print it out and check off the items as you pack.

• After each campout, review the list:

  1. do you consistently take items you don't use (if so, consider taking them off your list - unless they're part of the Ten Basic Essentials)

  2. did you need something you didn't have (if so, consider adding it to your list) 

• Rule number one - no matter the time of year, dress in (or at least carry) layers. It's the easiest and most effective way to control your body temperature. 

• Sleeping Bag Tips - Choose one appropriate for the season. A lightweight sleeping bag will do in warmer months, but in the winter you'll need one with a lower temperature rating. Always go with one that will keep you toasty in a lower temperature range than you actually plan to camp in (just in case the weather forecast is wrong). Mummy-shaped sleeping bags are warmer than rectangular bags (they fit closely around your feet, preserving body heat). In terms of materials, a sleeping bag filled with synthetic fibers will dry quicker than one stuffed with down (and it's also non-allergenic); but a goose-feather sleeping bag is easier to carry because it's lightweight. 

• Ten Tips for Keeping Warm in Cold Weather:

  1. Clothing does not make you warm; it is your body processes that keep you warm. Clothing merely provides the insulation to preserve your warmth.

  2.  Layered thickness is warmth.

  3.  Keep your torso warm so that it can send heat to the extremities.

  4.  Avoid sweating by ventilation.

  5.  Keep rain and wind out of your insulation.

  6.  Use your head. Keep it covered when you're cold; remove cap as you warm up to avoid sweating.

  7.  Strain one muscle against another to maintain metabolism.

  8.  Wool clothing is best but needs wind protection, synthetics are next best. Down is OK as long as it stays dry, cotton is a poor choice.

  9.  If your feet are cold, put a hat on.

  10.  Remember the word "COLD"

      • Clean - Keep your clothing clean.

      • Overheating - Avoid overheating

      • Loose - Wear clothing loose

      • Dry - Keep clothing dry 

• Can you pitch your tent in the dark? Can you pitch your tent with one hand (while holding a flashlight in the other hand)?  If not, then always take a head lamp and extra batteries. 

• Winter Camping Myth: Leather hiking boots will keep your feet warm. -- FALSE.  The snug fit of most leather hiking boots can limit the circulation of blood in the foot; especially with thick socks on. Over-boots cut generously enough to hold your foot and shoe are much more effective. The cloth stitching in leather boots can also wick moisture into the shoe; nothing is worse that wet feet in cold winter. 

• Winter Camping Myth: Winter camping does not require much preparation. -- FALSE.  Arctic conditions exist when the wind is blowing and the temperature drops below 20 degrees F. There are only seven states in the U.S. that do not experience arctic weather; Missouri is not one of them. It is very important to prepare and even over prepare. I've never heard anyone complain about being too warm or having too many dry clothes on a winter campout. 

• Cold Weather Camping - Water Consumption:  Dehydration can seriously impair the body's ability to produce heat. Drink fluids as often as possible during the day. You're less likely to feel thirsty during cold weather, but you still use up a lot of water -- in colder weather, your body has to work harder to humidify and warm the air that you breathe. 

• Cold Weather Camping - Staying Warm at Night:  REMEMBER: The sleeping bag doesn't heat you, you heat it. So use this rule, "Thickness is warmth", to keep this heat. If you're cold, add some more insulation (blankets, clothes, hoodie, etc.). 

• Cold Weather Camping - Staying Warm at Night:

  • CHANGE CLOTHES:  Never sleep in the same clothes you have worn all day; they can be damp and will cause you to chill at night.

  • EAT A CANDY BAR: This increases your metabolism (moves your blood faster) and it helps keep you warm.

  • PUT TOMORROW'S CLOTHES UNDER SLEEPING BAG: This heats up clothes for tomorrow's cold morning and also provides more insulation. 

• Cold Weather Camping - Headgear:  A stocking cap is one of the warmest things you can cover your head with in cold weather - get one that is large enough to pull down over your ears. 

• Camping Tip -Take Multi-Purpose Gear:  Packing multi-use gear ensures you can easily adjust to changing conditions and helps reduce the amount of gear you need to take:

  • pants that zip off into shorts

  • using swim trunks (when they're dry) as a pair of shorts

  • extra sweat shirt/hoodie used as a pillow, etc. 

• Even if you're not fashion-conscious, planning outfits for your outdoor adventure is just as important as any other camping tip. Dress in loose layers of clean clothing. Of course, in months with colder weather, you'll wear more clothing (hats, gloves, jackets, thermal underwear, etc.) than in warmer seasons. The key is to peel off layers of clothing before you start sweating so that you stay dry. If you perspire and get your clothes damp, you won't be as comfortable as you'd like. 

• If something happened on a hike and you had to spend the night on the trail, could you survive with what you have with you? Be Prepared!  Click the link for a list of survival supplies to take with you:  Hiking Survival Kit 

• Backpacks -- backpacks are sized according to torso length, not a person’s height.  Torso length is determined by measuring the distance between the top of your hips to your C7 vertebrae (that bony protrusion near the top of your neck). 

• Always take an extra set of clothes (including underwear and socks), extra pair of shoes or boots, and personal first aid kit – if you never need them, that’s a good thing… 

• Camping Tip - Keeping Your Tent Dry:  Examine your camp site carefully before setting up the tent. That nice flat spot, is it a low point? If you camp in a hollow, you may end up camping in a puddle if it starts raining. 

• Summer Camp tips:

  • Drink BEFORE you get thirsty….

  • Take three pairs of shoes – hiking shoes, tennis shoes, and water shoes ...

  • Take a draw-string day pack to carry your stuff with you during the day...

  • Take sun screen and use it...

  • Don't forget your cap and sun glasses ...

  • DON'T wear your wet swimsuit all day, you will regret it...

  • Gold Bond Powder!! (ask the boys who have been to summer camp before...) 

  • Pack out what you pack in. Carry a trash bag and pick up litter left by others.