Month: April 2021

April Camping – Yawgoog Sherwood Forest

tom capirchio Camping

After 15 months of no camping, Troop 8 was able to get back out in the field for overnight camping. We did have to abide by some new COBID-19 rules such as one family per tent and masks when you are within 6 feet of each other. However, despite these rules, camping felt closer to “back to normal” than you would expect.

The troop arrived around 9a Saturday morning and the boys spent the first hour setting up camp. Most scouts slept in their own tents, a couple of scouts decided to take the hammock approach, while one made an impressive improvised shelter with a tarp. The Wilderness Survival Merit Badge has paid off for him.

For the past couple of years, the troop has put the lighters and matches aside and started honing their skills in using a magnesium/ferrocerium rods to generate a spark into a tinder bundle to start a fire. On Saturday morning, the boys participated in a fire starting demonstration where they learned of different types of materials that could be used to catch a spark; many of which can found in nature with very little effort. The list includes:

  • fat wood
  • dried grass
  • birch bark (from a fallen tree)
  • punk wood
  • chaga mushroom
  • char cloth
  • cotton ball with petroleum jelly
  • duct tape

The afternoon was free time for the scouts to hang out with their friends. Many of the boys went fishing, some went out to explore Yawgoog, and some set out for a hike to the Trading Post.

Although the scouts normally head to their tents in the evening to hang out with friends, due to the social distancing restrictions, they had to congregate outside. Fortunately, Sherwood Forest had many fire pits. Some scouts took advantage of the fire pits and started their own campfires, while others played board games under the wooden structure on the campsite. It was great to get back and the scouts picked up like we never went on pause. They knew what needed to get done, they supported each other, they took care of each other, they entertained each other, and you can tell everyone was thrilled to be back camping!