Scouting and Hammocks

[OutandBack]

You make some excellent points Ozy Gus.
I wonder if having some scouts in tents and some in hammocks might hurt the team building effort that goes on when all are doing the same thing?
When I was a scout we only had two man tents supplied by the troop. Only the scout masters had larger 4 man tents with cots.
You typically got to pick your tent buddy. There were whole group camp tasks, patrol tasks, two man tasks and individual tasks.
It was to teach the boys how to work together in different sized groups. Having tenters and hammockers might setup an us vs them scenario which would not be good for team building.

[doogie]

I agree with what you have pointed out. That is why I decided to limit it to first class and above; the same as solo camping. So far it has worked well, only a boy or two who wanted to hammock camp, but didn't qualify. And they were extra motivated to advance. And have now done so.

[zukiguy]

Howdy,
I had my hammock setup at Camp La-No-Che several years ago and got strange looks from scouts and parents alike. Fast forward about 4 years and on my last scouting backpack trip there were over a dozen hammocks and only 2 tents.

With that said, the majority were HH and it was harder to break some of the parents of bad habits than the boys. One parent in particular had his setup strung kind of low and nearly banjo-string tight. He was pushing the max weight for his rig too. I'm not sure how he didn't snap the ridgeline.

Hammocks, especially here in FL appeal to the parents and kids alike. Parents that are apprehensive about letting their little darling sleep on the ground with all the creepy-crawlies are a little more open to hammocks. The price point is what sends most parents running. They'll spend $40 on an Ozark-Trail tent from WalMart but dropping over $200 on a hammock/tarp setup makes their eyes roll back. That's great you're working a program to have kids make their own. A lot of parents aren't interested in the DIY solution (tablecloth hammock, fronkey thule net, tyvek tarp).

Be sure everyone is using tree straps to build good habits. Hanging in the state parks is still in the early stages. All it takes is a few bad apples to send the program backwards. It's also a good idea to either treat the body with permethrin, use a double layer, or take some other steps to prevent mosquitoes from biting through the bottom. I forgot that detail on my first trip out with my oldest and he looked like a pin cushion in the morning.

[CoastieRon]

G'day,
As a scout leader and hammock camper I have an opinion on scouts hammock camping. I strongly discourage scouts (10.5 - 14 yo) from hammock camping on scout camps. This is because the patrol system, that the scouting system depends & relies on, is not compatible with groups of scouts solo camping. Scout age kids learn a lot of teamwork, cooperation and tolerance by crowding into a tent. They share the weight of a hike; figure how to redistribute as the food load drops, all with consideration to the different abilities of the patrol members. They plan and cooperate to erect large bell or cottage tents on a standing camp. They work together to return a troop tent in good order. I believe these are all good lessons and that scouts can't get enough of them. That being said many scouts do ask me about my hammock; and the explanations provide them with some good understandings of insulation etc. Also I think it is important for scouts to learn the hard skills of selecting a tent position and setting it up properly etc.

I help venturer scouts (15 -18 yo) set up their hammocks; all good. The above lessons should be learned by this stage. With scouting's increasing levels of self determination hammock camping is a good progression.

Just my thoughts, though if I had to choose between scouts stopping at home or hammock camping I'd prefer they hammock camp.
Gus

Also I guess it is easier for me to take this position because in Australia hammock campers are a rarity.

Absolutely spot on. However, our troop uses two man tents, so while we are in patrols, it doesn't quite function the same way. At the same time, we make sure that the kids that are hanging during the camp outs are still in a patrol together, help each other set up, etc. the patrol method is still in effect, and it's the older scouts (first class and up) that are hanging.

Best,

Ron

[dorinh]

I think it's great what you guys are doing. I can remember my scouting days, and most of what I remember was schlepping stuff around, and thinking, "why do we need all this stuff?!" We would often bring a trailer full of stuff just for an over-nighter.

That got me interested in lighter-weight camping, namely, tarp camping. As this was in the 80's, there wasn't much in the way of light weight hammock camping yet.

I would have loved to have this when I was in scouts!!

A couple of ideas:

* Might be neat to show them how to go-to-ground.

* Show them UQ's, but let 'em squirm on a cheap foam pad for a while.

* I really think there's a fun factor appeal to hanging. That should get them interested.

* I really love the idea of having the boys involved in making gear. I never realized before I got into DIY that I could ever make high quality, light weight gear. I think the Scouts have always failed when it comes to teaching light weight camping. Again, I always loved camping as a child, but always dreaded BSA camping due to all the stuff we had to drag around.

Anyway, keep up the great work!!!

Hello All. New to this forum, but this thread is right on the money for some research I'm doing for a Hammock Presentation for a BSA Council Training Event. I have been tinkering with Hammocks for a few years now, but only started using them on Scout Campouts this summer.
With the all benefits of Hammocks aside, how do those of you using hammocks in your Boy Scout Troops handle changing of clothes and privacy issues when in camp. Yes they offer great sleeping accomodations, but little in the way of privacy. Do you have a "Changing Tent" that boys/adults use?
I'm looking forward to the input from this group! Thanks again!

dorinh

[Dirt Dobber]

Go behind the tarp. Adults should be adult enough not to worry about it. Turn your backside to everyone else and change efficiently. Some of the boys will have issues with it, but hammocks are not for everyone. We've never had an issue with it.

[chefkeith]

With the all benefits of Hammocks aside, how do those of you using hammocks in your Boy Scout Troops handle changing of clothes and privacy issues when in camp. Yes they offer great sleeping accomodations, but little in the way of privacy. Do you have a "Changing Tent" that boys/adults use?
I'm looking forward to the input from this group! Thanks again!

dorinh

I agree with standing behind a tarp for privacy, which is what I do.

Also, they are probably taking showers in gym class by that age, so not a huge concern, right?

[perdidochas]

You make some excellent points Ozy Gus.
I wonder if having some scouts in tents and some in hammocks might hurt the team building effort that goes on when all are doing the same thing?
When I was a scout we only had two man tents supplied by the troop. Only the scout masters had larger 4 man tents with cots.
You typically got to pick your tent buddy. There were whole group camp tasks, patrol tasks, two man tasks and individual tasks.
It was to teach the boys how to work together in different sized groups. Having tenters and hammockers might setup an us vs them scenario which would not be good for team building.

Well, in our troop, we have a rule that until Star, they have to share a tent. They are allowed to bring their own tents at that time, but they have to share it with at least one patrol member. At Star, they can start sleeping solo in their own tents or hammocks or troop tents (if enough extra are available). I kind of agree about having the younger scouts work on tents together. For our older scouts, though, it's good for them to be solo (when they want to be), as they are usually in leadership positions, and need to be able to take down their stuff faster, and for the most part, a single older scout can put up his stuff faster than a tentful of younger scouts.

I'm the sole adult hammocker (had another try, but he just can't get comfortable enough for some reason). We have several boys that do it, including my own two Eagle scout sons. My oldest likes to hammock as much as possible. My younger son prefers to hammock in the summer and when the chance of rain is low (bad experience his first night hammocking, he had a 9' tarp on diagonal, and the stake holding one side down flew off in about 20 mph winds in a thunder storm. he got soaked).

[perdidochas]

Hello All. New to this forum, but this thread is right on the money for some research I'm doing for a Hammock Presentation for a BSA Council Training Event. I have been tinkering with Hammocks for a few years now, but only started using them on Scout Campouts this summer.
With the all benefits of Hammocks aside, how do those of you using hammocks in your Boy Scout Troops handle changing of clothes and privacy issues when in camp. Yes they offer great sleeping accomodations, but little in the way of privacy. Do you have a "Changing Tent" that boys/adults use?
I'm looking forward to the input from this group! Thanks again!

dorinh

My tarp (kelty 12) has enough coverage, so I can change under it.

[bwhntMT]

A brief stint as an Assistant Scoutmaster is what introduced me to hammock camping. Several of the scouts were already into it and pretty experienced. They hammock camp most outings now.