So I was wondering how introduce my scouts to hammocking. I thought a cheap strater might be an ENO single to a complete DIY speer. Most of them are piglets right now at this age. So any scouters out there with any first hand experience with this?
So I was wondering how introduce my scouts to hammocking. I thought a cheap strater might be an ENO single to a complete DIY speer. Most of them are piglets right now at this age. So any scouters out there with any first hand experience with this?
Tortoise never for a moment stopped, but went on with a slow but steady pace straight to the end of the course.
Translated by George Fyler Townsend. Aesop's Fables (p. 18). Amazon Digital Services, Inc..
I had 3 in hammocks this month (only 2 tents). We've done several things.
First, using my hammock (or my spares) on all of our campout has provided an example that they can see. More importantly is the parnets and other leaders see it and the advantages. They all get a chance to try it out and see how I can put mine up anywhere and in less time then the tents.
Second, we've built some things for them (using patterns I've found here) - like stoves, etc. We've talked about tarps and hammocks, but haven't yet (for lack of material and time, not interest).
This year, I am focusing on self-contained - i.e. get everything into your pack and carry what you bring. We are trying to do less and less 'car-camps', at least where the trip back to the vehicles is undesireable enough that they don't want to make more then 1 trip. Hammocks are great for this since they are small enough to slip into their pack without lots of bulk/weight.
My only obstacle is that some of the boys/leaders don't like the loss of the 'stand-up privacy' that a tent offers and is difficult to reproduce with a tarp, but they are not comparing real backpack tents/bivys/etc.
-b
"There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes." - Dr Who
my scouting resources
There are at least two badges that you can relate to hammocking. The primary one is sewing.
I am working on DIY kits. I have the fabric bodies with the seams already sewn. I have 1" polyester straps with loops sewn in one end. I have ring buckles and two sizes of rope. a 2mm line for whipping the ends and a 4mm line for attaching the rings. I am promoting it as a chance to actually use some of the knotting skills that they have learned. They get to put them together. I'm donating the time and fabric, they pay $10 per kit for a single layer 1.9 ripstop hammock. So far I've got 7 takers!
I am looking to get my scouts interested as well...
Bigred
just remember to check with the camp rangers about tying to the trees, hammocks are not allowed at places like Philmont.....
Besides myself, I've had three start hanging and the other adults are starting to get interested. For the boys, a skeeter beeter or even a Parrot Bay hammock ( http://ewins.com/items/11203345/EWIN...Hammock_-_Blue ) works until they get bigger. Tarps are easy to obtain as well. Some use the Sportsman's Guide ( http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/c....aspx?a=254694 ) which gives them plenty of coverage.
We had 3 hammocks at our Winter Camp site last week, my son and I as well as a recent Life Scout tent convert. We're taking the passive approach to bringing in more hangers.
Nearly every tent got drenched the first day as front line stalled on top of us. Not one of the hammocks took on water, so we had plenty of people coming in to take a look at our setups. Several others came forward and admitted to having them in the closet at home, but not quite the nerve yet to bring them out for a week long winter camp. Commitments abbounded after they saw this weeks results.
Look forward to a few more members to the forum. Several were wondering how to learn more, so we handed out the website address.
My key has been to hand an extra when available. Talking around to the Boys most often ends up with one climbing in for the night when others aren't watching.
H4x
Most of our leaders are hammocking now and the venturer company is gearing up for it. We've taken advantage of Hennessy's group discounts and the freebie Scout hammock promotions to build up our inventory.
Our winter camping conditions are a little different from yours so we go to ground (well snow actually) with Canadian military winter bivy systems. They can take us down to -60C. One of our group leaders is a quartermaster at one of the local military bases.
Lead by example. I always use my hammock. My sons bring theirs. Other leaders are now getting them. Some of them are learning the hard way about bottom insulation. Funny story from summer camp last summer. We were were walking to the mess hall for breakfast. I said to one of the boys, where is Jacob? (my son). No one new. Of course he was the loan hammocker and still sound asleep in the woods. No one woke him up. He would have probably would have slept all day.
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