Cooler Tips

Posted By Joel on October 23, 2008

Someone recently asked me forips on keeping food cold longer. I wanted to share those tips here as well:

The thicker the cooler walls, the longer it will stay cold. I have kept ice for 5 days in mid summer (in Alabama) with the right cooler and using common sense.

Here are a few tips:

If you take more than 1 cooler, pack one with items you need the first day or 2 so you don’t have to open the second one.

Open the cooler as few times as possible. When preparing a meal, remove all the items you need at once and keep it open as short a time as you can.

Solid blocks of ice stay frozen longer. Fill a gallon size milk jug 3/4 full of water and freeze it, preferably in a deep freeze. Use it as your ice. The water will stay in the jug and your stuff won’t get all wet. Lasts much longer than a bag of ice too. You can also drink the water as it melts.

If you won’t be needing access to your cooler for a couple of days, use duct tape around the seam where the lid meets the cooler. This will add a day or 2 to how long it stays cold.

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The One Piece of Gear Every Scout Troop Should Own

Posted By Joel on September 22, 2008

I recently saw an advertisement on television for a device called “Spot.”  This gadget, which is about the size of a cell phone, is just about the coolest thing since the first GPS unit I purchassed.  It embodies the scout motto “Be Prepared.”

Spot uses GPS technology, but instead of showing you where you are, it transmits your coordinates VIA SATELLITE to your pre-set contact list.  It also gives you access to a global 911 emergency center.

Imagine all of the parents of your scouts being able to log onto a web page and see where you are and that everything is OK.

As a Scoutmaster, we have added this to our gear. Last spring, we took a week long hiking trip. As we were preparing to leave, one mom came up to me and asked “How can I get in touch with my son while you are gone.” All I could say was “You can’t.”

The area we were visiting had no cell coverage. I assured her that everything would be fine (and it was) and we would find a way to contact her if there was a problem, but she still worried for the entire week.

Now we own a SPOT! It will give all of our parents the “Peace of Mind” that they are looking for. They can see where we are and we can signal that everything is OK, no mater where we travel. And parents know that we have immediate access to help if we need it.

This is an affordable addition to our troop budget at only $149 and pennies a day for service. That’s a cheap price to pay for peace of mind. Our worried mom would have gladdly paid this herself last spring!

Check it out: http://www.findme-gps.com

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A weekend camping - Hammock Test

Posted By Joel on September 15, 2008

I spent this weekend in the woods with my Boy Scouts. We had a very relaxing time boating, swimming, and sitting around the campfire.

One reason I was looking forward to this camping trip was my brand new hammock.

I love to camp, but I always wake up sore from sleeping on the ground.  I recently purchassed a “Skeeter Hammock” by The Travel Hammock. You can see it here: http://www.outdoor-gear-online.com/store-products-47386-UL-Skeeter-Hammock%2C-Forest-Grn_41016735.html

I must report, I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable it was.  If you toss and turn during the night, it may not be right for you because you really can’t turn over.  I was able to roll partially on my side which was enough for me.

It still wasn’t like sleeping in my bed at home, but I will be using it again. I wasn’t sore like I am after sleeping on the ground.

The mosquito net kept the bugs away and I stayed much cooler than the guys who were in tents.  Bottom line - I definately recomment this hammock!

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Frugal Camping

Posted By Joel on September 9, 2008

BeingFrugal.net has a great video blog with camping tips (and being frugal too).  Check it out at http://beingfrugal.net/2008/08/13/camping-for-beginners/

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Fire Starting Tips

Posted By Joel on September 6, 2008

FreeCampingTips has some good fire starting tips:

Start saving your dryer lint. It makes great tinder as it catches fire quickly. The only downside is that it burns up very quickly as well so make sure you have other tinder touching it to catch on.

Cotton balls rolled in vaseline will burn for about 3 minutes giving you plenty of time to get your fire started. The cotton balls can be stretched or manipulated depending on how your tinder and kindling is setup or for an easier angle to initially light.

See the whole article at http://freecampingtips.com/campfires/camp-fire-starting-tips

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