Scout Camp 2014 Itinerary

When: 7/9 – 7/12

Where: Stillwater Trail in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest

Who (leaders):

• Bruce P. Simpson – Varsity Scout Leader
• Ryan Romney – Bishopric 1st Counselor
• Jed Eastman–YM President
• Garrett Ryan-Venture Crew Leader
• Roger Peters – YM 2nd Counselor

We have invited any dads and other ward leadership to accompany us.

Advancement Requirements:

• Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class: Many of the younger scouts are still earning their Tenderfoot, Second Class, or First Class scout advancements. We will work on these requirements throughout the trip with the intention for each boy to be at least one advancement further than he is now, with the ultimate goal of having all of the boys as close to or achieving their First Class rank by the time the camp is over. Bruce Simpson will be the leader in charge of these requirements.

Merit Badges:

• Camping: This adventure and preparation therefore will help every boy who doesn’t already have this badge to meet most of the requirements for it. There is one requirement that will not be fulfilled; 20 nights camping. As soon as the boys have this requirement met, they will have obtained this badge. Bruce Simpson will be the leader in charge of this merit badge.
• Fish and Wildlife Management: We will take one night of the week, most likely Thursday night and review and complete the requirements for this merit badge. Garrett Ryan will be the leader in charge of this merit badge.
• Fishing: All requirements for this merit badge will be fulfilled / met on this adventure. We will work on this merit badge throughout the trip. The lakes and rivers of the Uintahs are full of fish and every boy will catch one. Bruce Simpson and Garrett Ryan will be in charge of this merit badge.
• Environmental Science: We will help every boy who needs this badge to meet every requirement for it while on the camp. Thursday afternoon will be dedicated to this merit badge but many of the requirements will be met and discussed and we hike and explore. Bruce Simpson will be the leader in charge of this merit badge.
• Citizenship in the Community/Nation/World: Several different boys need one or more of these required merit badges. Requirements for at least one of the merit badges will be discussed throughout the camp, but Friday night will be dedicated to making sure everything is checked off the list. Garrett Ryan and Bruce Simpson will tackle this these requirements with those who need them.

Agenda:

• 7/9 – Wednesday:
• Leave Salt Lake Wednesday morning and drive to Christmas Meadows Campground and the Stillwater Trailhead. Hike from the trailhead, with our packs, 2.5 miles to where the trail forks.
• Set up camp and prepare for the rest of the week
• Work on  Advancement and All Merit Badge requirements
• 7/10 – Thursday:
• Early breakfast.
• Day hike 5.5 miles to Ryder Lake.
• Work on Environmental Science Merit Badge, Citizenship Badges and Advancement requirements on the trail and at lake  
• Lunch at the lake
• Fish, hike in lake area, or explore lake, then hike back.
• Dinner – Catch a fish for dinner – Fishing Merit Badge
• Fun at camp
• 7/11 – Friday
• Early Breakfast
• Day hike 3 Miles to Amethyst Lake
• Work on Fishing Merit Badge, Citizenship Badges, Environmental Science Badge, and Advancement Requirements
• Lunch at the lake
• Fish, hike in lake area, or explore lake, then hike back.
• Dinner – Catch a fish for dinner – Fishing Merit Badge
• Fun at Camp / Finish up lingering merit badge and advancement requirements
• 8/4 – Saturday
• Breakfast
• Pack up camp – Hike back to cars
• Drive to Kamas for lunch

Preparing For a Basic Campout

Here's a list of what every Scout should have on a campout.

• Sleeping Bag
• This is a very personal choice - sleeping bags range in functionality and price.  I'd recommend as light of a sleeping bag as you can afford because it ends up being the heaviest thing in your backpack (and i personally feel that you should always be thinking about a 50 miler when you think about your camping gear.  I recommend bags made from real down - it's lighter and warmer than synthetics. 
• Sleeping Mat
• Alps Speeping Mat I have one of these - I've had a lot of sleeping mats and this one is the best quality for the best price when you're looking for a self inflating mat.  I recommend getting as small of a mat as you're comfortable with.  
• Foam Sleeping Mat For around $20 you can get a foam one as well.  
• Camping Utencil
• Spork: This is what i personally use - it's one tool (so it takes up less space) and very functional)
• Titanium Spork I use this one - it's lightweight and indestructible.  at $12 it's not for everyone though.  You can get a pack of 4 plastic ones for about $10 online or at wall mart. 
• Regular fork/spoon/knife from the kitchen (ask your mom first!) - you can get a dedicated fork/spoon/knife from a thrift store like DI or St. Vincent Depaul for probably 10 cents. 
• Camp Stove
• Campfires: In our dry environment one of the things that's becoming more commonplace is for campgrounds not to allow campfires.  A good pocket stove is a great way to ensure you are always prepared for anything that comes our way.  
• Backpacking Stove  This one on amazon is fantastic and under $10 - you'll need fuel that fits it so i recommend going to your local camping store for that.  
• Emberlit Camp Stove:  This is a great stove for light backpacking.  You can cook anything on it and it has a very small environmental footprint as well.
• Mess Kits/Camp Cookware
• Classic Mess Kit - ~$10 - this is what most of your dads would have had when they were a kid.  Very Handy, it has everything you need and at a very low cost
• The camp cookware i have is big enough to fit a camp stove fuel canister in so i can conserve space and weight in my backpack but they tend to run anywhere from $20-$50 for a set.  
• Tent
• For most scout adventures we'll be camping near the car so we can use a big tent.  This is usually provided.  
• Backpacking Tents usually fit about 2-3 people and are ultra lightweight so they can be carried with you on your backpack.
• Coleman Hooligan - ~$50 it's the best priced small/light tent it's ~7-8 lbs
• Kelty Salida - ~$150 this is the tent I have, it's very light at around 3 lbs so that's what you're paying for with the extra money yet it's about $100 less than the REI or Cabellas equivalent.  
• Footwear
• This is fairly subjective just as a sleeping bag is.  The things to think about are:
• Waterproof - Modern sandals made by Keen or Chaco or many others fit the bill here for a great waterproof shoe/sandal but they can be spendy $50-100.  I've personally done a lot of 5-15 mile hikes with Chacos so i recommend them.  
• Hiking Soles -  Just about anything these days will do for this.  You'd be surprised that on a very long hike comfort tends to be more important than super thick soles
• Ankle Support - This is something that will vary on an individual basis.  The more you depend on ankle support the more you'll need it.  I've personally never needed ankle support on a long hike or campout and have always opted for lighter footwear.  
• Comfort and lightweight - New Balance shoes are amazing for hiking.  They're comfortable, lightweight and very versatile.  That's right - running shoes for hiking/camping!  A good pair of NBs can be had for like $50