Vol. 1, No. 11

THE WINTER ADVENTURE ISSUE

Temperatures are dropping. In parts of the country there's snow in the air. Time to pull on warm clothes and get outside for some of Scouting's great adventures! You won't need to go far. A sledding party a on city park hill can fill an afternoon with fun. Try a cold weather hike along trails you know well. Snow too deep for walking? Cross-country skis and snowshoes can take you where you want to go.

STAY COZY IN THE COLD

Wear layers of clothing you can adjust to match conditions. Start with long underwear, then add warm shirts and pants, vests, and jackets. Choose fleece, wool, and other fabrics that insulate even when wet. A windproof outer layer will shed snow and sleet. Gloves, mittens, hats, and hoods hold in body warmth.

Layers of clothing allow you to meet a wide range of weather challenges

Cub Scout Winter Gloves

FUELING THE FURNACE

Your body burns calories to stay warm. Give it the fuel it needs with food and drink that makes you happy, too.

Vacuum bottles full of steaming cocoa or soup will hit the spot in the middle of the day. Oatmeal can be the main course of a good breakfast at home or on the trail, as can stew and pasta dishes for dinner. Snack on cheese, nuts, and chocolate to add fats and carbohydrates for generating heat.

Carry a lightweight backpacking stove to prepare hot meals and melt snow to replenish your water supply. A 6" x 6" square of plywood can be a platform to insulate the stove and prevent it from sinking into snow.

Whisperlite Stove WINTER SAFETY

Safety comes first in any outdoor adventure. Prepare for cold weather activities by reviewing your Scout first aid training to identify and treat hypothermia, frost nip, and frostbite. Learn about avalanche dangers in your area and how to avoid them.

COLD WEATHER SHELTERS

Snow caves, quinzees, and igloos are terrific winter shelters. They shed wind and insulate well. Four- season tents are ideal for overnight camps, too, especially when you're on the move.

Snow Cave

Use a shovel to carve your cave into a deep drift or bank of snow. The interior should be dome- shaped. An entrance lower than the inside platform will allow cold air to drain out of the cave. With a ski pole punch a couple of vent holes at an angle into the ceiling. Fit a backpack into the doorway to seal it from the wind.

Snow Cave (Cross-section of interior)

Quinzee

Heap up snow, allow it to settle, then scoop out the interior.

Igloo

1. Cut packed snow with a saw to form building blocks.

2. Spiral the blocks to form the igloo shell.

3. Complete the shelter with a carefully-shaped capstone.

Four-Season Tents

Designed for year-round use, four-season tents are built to withstand wind, snow, and cold.

See the BSA's Fieldbook, 4th edition, for complete instructions on constructing snow shelters and using tents.

SLEEPING SYSTEM

Just as clothing layers give you options, a sleeping system can be adjusted to match the temperature. Here's what you'll need:

• Tent or snow shelter to block wind and snow.

• Ground cloth (on snow or bare ground) or tent floor.

• Sleeping pad that insulates against the cold.

• Sleeping bag suitable for the season.

• Sleep clothing. Start with dry socks, long underwear, and a stocking hat. Add a fleece vest or jacket for colder nights.

Eureka! Wild Basin Sleeping Bag

Sleeping System in Action

COLD WEATHER SCOUTING LONG AGO

Almost a hundred years ago, National Scout Commissioner Dan Beard encouraged Scouts to build sleds and use them to deliver food, clothing, and gifts to those in need. The Boy Scouts Year Book of 1918 included Beard's instructions for notching together a sled that needed no nails in its construction.

Scouts enjoying the BSA's 50th Anniversary year practiced good camping skills in summer and winter. By following the principles of Leave No Trace, today's Scouts know that campfires can be a feature of some winter campsites, while in other places stoves are a better choice.

SNOW SPORTS MERIT BADGE

Do you enjoy snowboarding, downhill (alpine) skiing, or cross-country (Nordic) skiing? Refine your skills by meeting the challenge of the Snow Sports Merit Badge.

WINTERS AT THE BSA HIGH ADVENTURE BASES

The BSA's High Adventure Bases offer terrific winter opportunities. Northern Tier's program is Okpik - the Inuit word for snow owl. The winter program at Philmont Scout Ranch is Kanik. That's Inuit for snowflake. (The Inuit are the indigenous peoples of much of the Arctic region.)

Okpik and Kanik participants learn and practice the best winter travel and camping skills. Their classrooms encompass the great outdoors of the North Woods and the rugged mountains of northern New Mexico.

Ready to escape the cold for sunny times on the high seas? The BSA's Florida Sea Base has year- round journeys afloat that explore the waters of the Bahamas and the Florida Keys.

For more information, check out all the BSA's High Adventure Bases at: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HighAdventure

MAKING MEMORIES

Scouting is a year-round program of terrific opportunities. There is always much to learn and experience. Use good sense, but don't be afraid to get out in the winter air and have fun. Your Cub den, Scout patrol, or Venturing crew will find plenty to do--and memories to make--through all the seasons, warm and cold.