Freeze Out 2019!
Post date: Jan 06, 2019 5:56:2 PM
We had a great time on January 26 & 27 at the annual "Freeze Out" trip to Nobscot. See below for details and images on this fun scouting event!
9:00 am Arrival, set-up, claim bunks
10:00 am Raise flag
10:30 am Big hike
12:00 pm Lunch
1:00 pm Den activities
2:30 pm Outdoor games
4:45 pm Lower flag
6:00 pm Dinner
7:00 pm Campfire program
10:00 pm Lights out
Things to pack for the January Freeze Out:
Six essentials, and a pack to carry them on a hike.
Filled water bottle
Trail food
First aid kit (the one we made in October is fine)
Whistle
Sun protection (hat with a brim is probably sufficient)
Flashlight
Headlamp for night hiking
Winter boots
Warm socks, long underwear, and other layers to keep warm
Warm hat and gloves
Sleeping bag and pillow (sleeping bag should be rated for 0 or 30 degrees Fahrenheit)
Mess kit for eating (plate, cup, fork, and spoon; doesn’t need to be camping specific)
Pocket knife, for Scouts who have earned Whittling Chip
Stories and songs for the campfire
Slippers to wear inside the cabin
From Scouting Magazine, Eight essentials for staying warm while cold-weather camping:
1. Toes cold? Put on a hat.
Your body loses up to half of its total heat in 40-degree temperatures. So, when it’s below freezing and your head is uncovered, you could be radiating more than three-fourths of your overall body heat from your head.
2. Get off your rear end.
If you’re sitting on a snow bank or a cold rock, you’re conducting the heat from your body into the surface of the object beneath you. Often, Northern Tier cold-weather campers stand and sit atop thin foam pads.
3. Beware of frosty fuel.
Pouring fuel into a stove? Put on a pair of thick rubber gloves. If it’s sub-zero outside, so is the fuel (since it doesn’t freeze like water). Spill it on your hands and you will have instant frostbite.
4. Baggy clothes are back in style
— at least in the freezing-cold wilderness. Your body heats itself most efficiently when it’s enveloped in a layer of warm air. If your clothes are too tight, you’re strangling the cold right out of your body. Dressing in loose layers helps aid this convection layer of air. Tight clothes or too-tight boots can also restrict blood-flow.
5. The three W’s:
Every cold-weather camper needs to dress for the occasion. You’ll need a wicking layer (long underwear), a “warm” layer (fleece) and a “wind” layer (waterproof shell).
6. Bundle up!
It might be a phrase often heard from your mother, but mom is right about this one. If you’re moving around outdoors in the cold and suddenly stop to eat lunch or take a break, put your warmer layers on — even if you’re not cold. This change in activity will cause your body heat to plummet. Preempt the cold with an extra layer.
7. Fuel the fire.
Feeling cold? Eat a snack. Staying warm is just like keeping a fire burning; every fire needs a steady supply of slow-burning fuel. Unlike a fire, you’re body will also need lots of water to help digest food and stay hydrated.
8. Wet feet?
Grab a bag — a bread bag, that is. The long plastic bag can stretch over your foot and serve as a liner between your sock and your boot.
Source: https://scoutingmagazine.org/2015/11/eight-essentials-for-staying-warm-while-cold-weather-camping/
January 26-27 at Camp Nobscot! We will climb a mountain, play in the snow if we get any, look at the stars, and enjoy a campfire. We'll sleep in a cabin, so no one will actually freeze.
Scouts are free, siblings and parents are $5 each to cover food costs. We will collect payment at the January Pack Meeting.
Activities will start with a flag ceremony at 10 am on Saturday, and culminate with a campfire around 7:30 that evening and stargazing at 9 pm. We will have a hot breakfast on Sunday morning.
We have rented a large cabin to sleep in, which has 24 cots.
Please note any dietary restrictions in the Comment field when you sign up.
