Sequoia Council Winter Preparedness Training

The 2011 Winter Preparedness training hosted by Troop 223 in Fresno was a great presentation. Adult Leaders and Scouts were very good at covering details Troops and patrols would need to have a successful Klondike Weekend.

Some of the things pointed out during the seminar were to very aware of your "SWEAT" condition and the layers you have on. Wet Sweaty layers under your waterproof layers are just as dangerous as plain old wet clothes. Maintain your core temperature by adjusting your layers throughout the day and night. remember 40% of your body heat is lost through your HEAD! Oh and for layers possibly start investing in merino wool clothing. It maybe the new "Wonder" wool for happy camping.

Tent conditions were also discussed. Cheap 2 season tents may not cut it at Klondike while a Good level 3 Season Tent should be OK. The best for Klondike would be a 4 season tent but in our parts your would only use it once maybe twice a year since they are heavier than a good 3 season tent. Klondike has seen Rain, Sleet snow and Blizzard so you never know what Klondike weather will be like.

Sleeping bags in good condition are recommended. And BTW a clean sleeping bag will keep you warmer than a dirty sleeping bag so wash your gear every now and then. Again for our usual uses Scouts would be fine with a 20 - 30 degree bag. If we do do a Snow or winter outing a smart Scout would layer up before getting in the bag or ad a Sleeping Bag liner to his equipment.

Everyone was reminded that WATERPROOF BOOTS are a must for a Snow campout. Snow boots maybe worn however they may become uncomfortable for the hike in. All hiking boots should be of the waterproof variety and not the Summer variety. If your boots do get wet plastic grocery bags can be used to keep your feet dry when you change socks.

A new event is being added to Klondike this year. There will be a Orienteering competition this year. Each patrol is required to have their own compass for the event. The course is a challenge to find your Mine Claim. Once you find it you must write home a Telegram message to tell your family back home where it is. The creative message is part of the competition. Oh and the Tomahawk throw is BACK!

The Scouts of 223 also brought up the idea for Preparing your camp meals at home and precooking some of the meals to speed up the cooking time at camp. This will save fuel and time. Fires at Klondike were discouraged as Troops must hike in all of the Wood the plan to burn. Stoves will be the primary means of cooking. Calorie intake is very important to stay warm on a snow outing. propane stoves may not be quite as efficient in the cold weather so liquid fuel stoves may be the "HOT" Ticket.

Scouts in attendance were Ricky, Taylor, and Clayton. Thank you to Mr Sharp, Mrs. Hoffknecht, and Mr Nishimoto for also attending. Our Senior Scouts will be taking the information they learned and put together an activity plan for the Troop to prepare for Klondike.