Campout Training Wheels
I took the 11-yr-old scouts on a "campout" last night. We met at the
church with our backpacks and hiked to the home of one of the boys and
set up the tents and campsite in the backyard of the boys home (many
thanks to the Johnsons for their hospitality!). The kids had a good
time, but they still are pretty wet behind the ears and have a lot to
learn. One boy showed up with a school backpack with a flimsy sleeping
bag loosely tethered to it. This despite several weeks of preparation,
instruction, and many e-mail to parents. Another boy showed up with
"skater" tennis shoes instead of hiking boots... you know the kind, with
flat soles and big fat laces that don't seem capable of being tightly
laced.
There were other "tenderfoot" moments such as when one boy said:
"I'll be right back, I need to get my jammies on."
Needless to say, I did not put "jammies" on the pack inventory list.
But all in all, it was a decent campout. The boys had a lot of fun
staying up late, playing steal the flag, and telling ghost stories in
the troop tent. Fortunately, I slept in a separate tent - the boys may
have got 4 hours of sleep... if that.
I was able to use much of the new gear I bought for this "camping trip"
(see
here,
here,
here,
and
here
for reviews). I borrowed a bag, pad, and pack from my brother-in-law.
I need to buy my own bag, pad, and pack if I do a lot more of this.
The church Father/Son campout is coming up next month, so that might be
a good enough excuse.
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Re: Campout Training Wheels
Don't expect it to get any better. We just had a campout for the varsity scouts (14-15 years old) at a county park, all of 13 blocks from my house.
:: Comment posted by Bryon
on Sun, 30 Apr 2006 20:37
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