Year End Odds and Ends

 Hey everybody!  Here are a few things that should be done or almost done by now.  If you are off from school for a few days then now is a good time to take care of them.

• You have a 60 liter or more backpack
• You have hiking boots or will have a pair by March or April (depending on how fast your feet grow)
• You have your wool socks and sock liners
  
• You are starting to fill out your packing list in your 2020 Philmont guidebook and know what you still need.
•  You have at least two 1Q/1L water bottles, preferably Nalgene (they can handle hot and cold liquids)
• You have a pack cover
• You have a multi tool or mini multi tool
• You have your first aid kit 

IF YOU HAVE MOST OR ALL OF THE ABOVE DONE THEN YOU ARE DOING GREAT!  

If not then now is the time to get it done, the school year will be over sooner than you think.

Adult Leaders (and 18+ year old crew)

• You've taken online YPT (if not then see earlier post about this and get it done)

• You've taken online VIRTUS training (if not then see earlier post about this and get it done)

***IMPORTANT***

 I've looked at the new trek itineraries and they do not differ from the choices we made last year.  If you would like to suggest a change or look at the new book then let me know and I'll get that to you.  Otherwise I'll put in the choices we made last year.

 Finally:  Keep up your exercise program.  Our next crew practice hike is in the works.

 

B.S.A. KIT, FIRST AID

 Today's entry is about the first aid kit you'll have in your backpack on the trek.  There will be a crew first aid kit but you will also need one for yourself or, if an injury happens, you may be the closest to the action.  You have a couple of options here.

1. You can upgrade the one you made back in your run up to First Class rank.  (you know where that one is... right?)

2. You can buy a new one

3. You can start from scratch and build a new one.

Lets look at those options.  If you upgrade the one you made for your early ranks then you may realize that you had a good start but it's not quite up to snuff and will need some upgrading. If you buy a new one I would strongly suggest you buy specifically a version that is small, pack-able, and useful specifically for  backpacking.  Understand that it can be expensive and may not have everything we need. Or worse, it's expensive and is missing items we need and instead has some useless contents. If you start one from scratch, the first thing you'll need is a durable container that is small, pack-able, and useful.  I hope you're seeing a pattern. DON'T LET PRICE GET IN THE WAY OF SAFETY!  If you have trouble deciding then let a leader know and we can work with you.

The following video is your standard.  It's under 8 minutes and explains the parts of a quality backpacking first aid kit very well.

When we shakedown packs for weight and contents, you'll be expected to have your personal first aid kit included.  When in doubt, ASK.  Don't just expect someone else's kit to be good enough.  Add your thoughts and questions in the comments below.

Multi Tools and Pocket Knives

 You may already have your multi-tool or mini multi-tool for our trek.  If you do then take the time to:

1. make sure you know where it is

2. make sure it's clean and the blade is sharp

    If you are still looking for a good multi-tool then I suggest getting a small or mini multi tool rather than the full size one.  I say this concerning the amount of weight you'll be carrying is important to keep under control.  There's no requirement for carrying a small multi-tool rather than a full sized one but just keep overall weight of your pack in mind.

    If you're looking for something to add to your Christmas list and you don't yet have a knife then consider the following:

    This Gerber knife and mini multi-tool set is currently at Home Depot for $19.88.  Gerber is good quality and I have no complaints with my full-size Gerber multi-tool that I've had for almost 20 years now.

 

    At Cabellas we have the current edition of what I usually carry.  It's the store brand of mini-multi-tool but it's lasted me many years now and I haven't exactly been kind to it.  It's tough and durable and I've used every tool in it multiple times.  The only downside I notice is that the blade, though not bad is not the hardest of steel and often needs re-sharpening.  A very big upside is that it's only $5.99.

 

    If you have a preferred brand or would like to talk about the positives or negatives of brands you're experienced with then please comment below.

    For something a little different, I ran across this article about pocket knives.  I really enjoyed it and I think you will to.  Lots of great trivia and some info I've never heard of.

https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/complete-guide-pocket-knives/

 

 

 

I had no idea all the different blade formations had names!
 

Gear Deals (Pack and Dry Bag)

 

 

 

 Everybody take a look at the deals here.  This sale is only good until December 14 so If you need a pack or dry bag for the trek then let us know and we can order it.  The price on that 75 liter pack is very good. 

If you are looking for a tent and groundcloth then these shown are great for regular camping.  They're too big for Philmont but if you're in the market then it's also a good deal.

 

Water Water Everywhere

 When we are out on the trail at Philmont we won't have access to water faucets or fountains to refill our canteens.  We can fill up at base camp and there may be a staffed camp that has filtered water but mostly we will be doing it on our own.  That means we get water from streams and other natural sources.

 That DOES NOT MEAN we fill our canteens (I'm using that word for all our water containers) from a stream or spring and just start drinking.  We must and will filter and/or use other methods for water purification before we can drink it or use it in cooking.  We'll be using a gravity water filter and iodine tablets to do most of the purification work for us.

 One of our methods is this filtration system that will fill our 1qt canteens one at a time using two options.  One option is to fill smaller 32oz bags and then filter them into your canteen.  The other is a gravity method that we can use to continuously fill bottle after bottle.  I'll include a video demonstration.

 

The next method we will use is the iodine tablets.  With this method you will fill your canteen from a stream but cover the mouth of the bottle with a bandana to keep out any "floaties" witch can be bits of plant matter or dirt.  After it's filled you drop two iodine (water purification tablets) in the bottle and dissolve the tablet in the water.  After three minutes the water is potable (drinkable).

 

We will have at least one backup purification system with us but for now familiarize yourself with these methods.  Ask any questions about either of these systems in the comments below.  Or let me know of a system you are interested in.

 

 

TROOP RECHARTER **IMPORTANT INFO***

 Hi everyone.  It's troop 595 Recharter time and that means everyone has to recharter to be able to go to Philmont this summer.  For scouts 15-17 it involves the same procedure as always including getting a check to Dr. Dolle.

IF YOU ARE 18 YEARS OLD OR OLDER...

If you are 18 years old or older then your registration will cost a little less but you will have to:

• Take Youth Protection Training
• Take the Catholic Church Safe Haven Training 

I know what you're thinking. "GROAN! More training?!"

Relax.  It doesn't take that long and you can do it online now and just print out the certification.  And by the way I think you should put the "!" before the "?" in that quotation.  Just helping out with your grammar there.

These trainings are required in the troop and to go to Philmont.

Online YPT Training: https://my.scouting.org/

1. Go to My Scouting dot org (above) and make an account or sign in if you already have one.

2. Click on the menu in the upper left corner and then on My Training.

3. From there you can sign up and take the YPT course.  It takes about an hour from what I remember.

 

 

 ST. BERNADETTE SAFE HAVEN TRAINING: 

https://stbchurch.org/safe-environment-virtus

This is much better than it used to be.  You no longer have to find one of these somewhere in Houston and sign up for an in-person training that lasts hours.  It's much quicker online.

CONTACT DR. DOLLE AND LET HER KNOW YOU ARE STARTING THESE TRAININGS.  A GOOD GOAL TO SET FOR YOURSELF IS TO GET THIS DONE BEFORE THANKSGIVING.

 

HOLY SOCKS!

 Your backpacking socks are important.  Use the right socks the right way and your feet will be  happy the whole trip.  That means starting a new habit when backpacking, if you haven't already.  We spoke before and at the Tellepsen practice hike about socks and boots but here it is in writing.

Your feet should first have on a pair of sock liners.  Don't be afraid and think you should spend a fortune on this them.  I mean... you can if you want to, plenty of places would happily charge you $20+ for a pair of "hiker socks" that do wonderful things, but it's not necessary if you don't want to.

 

Here's a pair of "hiker socks" that is actually pretty reasonably priced.  But if you can find a pair of poly socks that fit nicely then that's all you really need.  Don't let me dissuade you from a nice pair of sock liners if that's what you want!  These are your feet and need to be treated well.  Just know that you don't have to.

Next up is your wool socks.  This can be real wool or "smart wool".  The reason for that is wool or "smart wool" will still keep your feet warm even if they are wet.  Also they are thicker than normal socks so they fit snugly in your boot so your foot doesn't move around as much.  Less movement, less chance of blisters.

 

 

WHY A SOCK LINER AND A WOOL SOCK?

You need both because you'll be wearing your socks for multiple days at a time.  If you have a wool sock and a sock liner, the majority of sweat will go into the sock liner and not the wool sock.  That way you only have to wash the sock liners every couple of days to keep your feet fresh.  That way you only have to have one pair of wool socks.  

Just wash a pair of the sock liners every couple of days and let them dry while wearing a second pair.  Your wet socks WILL be dry by the next day when you need them.  Northern New Mexico is dry, not humid like Houston.

To Summarize:

2 pair of sock liners

1 pair of wool socks

Not listed but needed: package of  moleskin.  If you don't know what that is, it's a soft spongy material with a peel-off sticky side.  It can be cut to any size to cushion a blister on your foot.

 

 Leave a comment below if you have suggestions or experience that can help others get ready.