OUTDOORSMAN ACTIVITY BADGE

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DEN MEETING FUN

FIELD TRIP

Visit REI. Look at demonstration of camping equipment and handy gadgets that make camping easier. Look at outdoor clothing and hiking boots, too.

FIRE STARTERS

An inexpensive, yet effective fire starter can be made from cardboard egg cartons. Fill the wells with lint from a clothes dryer. Use a small dry pine twig stuck into middle as a wick. Pour melted paraffin over the entire carton, saturating the lint each well.

To start a fire, simply tear off one well and light the pine twig. Add kindling and soon you'll have a blazing fire. Since this fire starter is water-resistant, it is especially useful in wet weather.

AWARENESS HIKE

The objective is for the Webelos to discover objects which have the following characteristics. Make up a sheet for them to write the name of the object and category description. Stop periodically while hiking so they can work on the sheet.

• Size: Heavy, thick, short, tall, small large, narrow, big, little.
• Shape: Oval round, ridges oblong square, pointed, curved, triangular, odd shaped.
• Texture: Furry hairy, ribbed soft, hard, slim, velvety, slick, gooey, moist, damp, dry
• Density: Solid, lumpy, hollow, spongy, porous, and non porous.
• Temperature: Cold, hot, moist, dry, lukewarm.

UP AND DOWN

Plan a whole den meeting on the camping theme. First demonstrate how to set up a tent properly, including precautions on handling to avoid damage. Then divide the den into two teams and give each a tent bag. On signal they must race to the tents set up. The first team to finish receives a bag of mini candy bars.

Once both tents are up, allow boys to climb inside to have a secret meeting. Take off shoes first. Inside, they have ten minutes to plan a song or a short skit to entertain the other boys at their campfire.

Ring a bell to call the boys out to the campfire. Choose one team to lay the firewood. Talk about fire safety. Use sit-upons the boys have made and gather in a circle around the fire.

Teams take turns entertaining each other. Leader gives closing and the other team puts out the campfire properly. Take down the tents, sing taps and go home.

SEALED ORDERS

Set this game up to use on your den camping trip. Visit the location beforehand and make up a set of simple directions: Count 25 paces to your right and them go to the nearest oak tree. Find the hollow log at the edge of the clearing. Go to the water pump. Find a wildflower in the field to the east of our camp. (Try to include specific nature thing for them to look for.)

At home, write the directions on index cards. Make several sets so the groups can work as teams. Mix the cards within each set and put them in an envelope. Label it "Top Secret."

To play: Divide the campers into teams with adults and boys on each. Pass out the bags and set a time limit. Everybody takes turns reaching into the bag to pull out the next direction.

PACK MEETING

This activity badge is especially well suited for displays at the pack meeting. Arrive early to set up, and then be ready to answer questions as families arrive.

Things to display: Tents, sleeping bags, cooking equipment, fire building patterns, poisonous plant identification charts, fire safety rules, state park maps, pictures from your camp out.

AWARD CEREMONY

A tent is set up on center stage with the entire Webelos den inside it. The Webelos leader emerges and tells some of the accomplishments in earning the Outdoorsman activity badge. A s each boy's name is called, he emerges from the tent and receives his badge.

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SIMPLE COOKING IDEAS

Banana Hot Boat -- Cut a v-shaped wedge from the top of an unpeeled banana. Fill wedge with pieces of chocolate and marshmallow. Wrap in foil and place on coals for 8-10 minutes.

Chili Bag -- Cook up a pot of chili (homemade or canned). Buy individual size bags of Doritos or something similar. Cut an X on front of bag and open. Put chili on top of the chips, and shredded cheese. And you have portable lunch time nachos/tacos.

Corn -- Remove silk and soak ears in water. Lay on hot coals for about 8 minutes per side.

Egg in orange peel -- Scoop out the orange pulp and eat it, then grease the inside of the peel, crack an egg into it, and set on coals to cook.

Egg on skewer -- Prick a tiny hole in both ends of an egg and skewer it, but be careful not to go through the yolk. Place on a forked stick and hold over coals. Or, coat the egg with a stiff mud paste and cook covered in coals for 20 minutes.

Eggs and Bacon in a Paper Bag -- Put strips of bacon on the bottom of the bag, crack an egg or two on top of the bacon, fold over the top of the bag and hang it on a stick over hot coals.

Hot Rock Cooking -- Lay a flat, hot rock on coals and use it as a griddle to cook hamburger, eggs, steak, fish, bacon, or bread.

Hot Rock Cooking -- Kabob -- Skewer meat, potatoes and another vegetable (tomato, zucchini, mushrooms) on a stick. Cook over hot coals.

Onion Oven-- Cut an onion in half and scoop out all but the two outside layers. Crack an egg into each half, or fill with chopped, seasoned meat, cap, and place directly on hot coals.

Potato1 -- Cut out the center of a potato. Fill with hamburger and diced onion, or with butter and cheese. Plug the hole with some of the pieces you removed. Coat potato with 2 inches of thick mud and place in coals. Cook for about an hour.

Potato2 -- Slice off the top of a spud, hollow out a tunnel, and crack an egg into the hollow. Rub a bit of the egg white around the cut top, then put the “lid” back on the potato. Wrap in foil and bake in coals.

Stick Bread -- Press a wad of dough onto the end of a stick and bake over hot coals. Try cinnamon twists. Pat dough into a rectangle, spread with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar, and cut into 2” strips. Wrap strip around a green stick and toast over the coals.

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FOIL COOKING

`There are many ways to make a foil dinner. The short paragraph tells you how to make the foil package with cooking times. This is followed by many ideas on what to put into the foil packages.

`Use two layers of light-weight, or one layer of heavy duty aluminum foil. Foil should be large enough to go around food and allow for crimping the edges in a tight seal. This will keep the juices and steam in. A good place to find heavy duty foil is a restaurant supply service. This wrap is know as the “drugstore” wrap.

Drugstore Wrap

Use heavy foil three times the width of the food. Fold over and roll up the leading edges. Then roll sides for a steam proof seal. Dinners can be mark with a Sharpie marker with the person's name or have them fold edges in a certain way to help identify dinners.

You will need a shallow bed of glowing coals that will last the length of cooking time. A good brand of charcoal works well. Make sure the bed of coals is big enough so all the boys and adults can put their dinners on at the same time. You may want to have two beds based on the number of people. This will help prevent a few headaches.

Cooking Times:
Chicken pieces: 20-30 min.
Whole Apples: 20-30 min.
Sliced potatoes 10-15 min.
Carrots: 15-20 min.
Hot dogs: 5-10 min.
Hamburger: 8-12 min.

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FOIL RECIPES

ALUMINUM EGGS (FOIL BREAKFAST)

Place potatoes, scrambled egg (doesn't need to be cooked) sausage patty and spices in foil. Wrap securely. Place on coals for 15 minutes.

CAMPFIRE SANDWICH

Place chipped beef and cheese on a bun. Wrap in aluminum foil. Place on coals about 5 minutes per side.

Variations:
a. You may use any type of meat.
b. Add a slice of cheese, onions, relish or other favorite topping.

Check how this prepares a Webelos for Boy Scouting!

STANDARD FOIL DINNER

Lay slices of potatoes, onion, and carrots on a sheet of heavy-duty foil then place hamburger patty on top. Cover with slices of potato, onion, and carrots. Season with butter, salt and pepper. Cook 20-30 minutes over hot coals, turning twice during cooking.

VARIATIONS

This a collection of ideas to make foil dinners more interesting. They came from the Internet. None are mine but they all sound great.

Just a touch of garlic salt makes a lot of difference. If you look at the labels in the stores, you will see that onion and garlic are part of almost everything! It doesn't take much to make it great.

Use cabbage leaves to wrap it all in before wrapping in foil. A little catsup helps for some boys. So can a few slices of onion.

Add Cream of Mushroom soup to our “hobos.” It adds taste as well as additional moisture. A couple of tablespoons will do just fine. Yum-yum.

How about adding BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or even Italian dressing?

A measuring teaspoon of Italian seasoning or of curry powder or of chili powder wouldn't hurt.

HELPFUL HINTS

DO NOT, REPEAT NOT use cheese in your recipes, unless put on after cooking.

The cheese will warm and separate and the oil will catch fire or cook the food faster than expected. We had a few very unhappy Cubs expecting Cheeseburgers, but receiving, well something else if you can imagine.

It may cost a bit more too, but try to keep your meats lean and let the veggies add the moisture necessary.

Rik Bergethon, Pueblo, Colorado.

FOIL COOKING LINKS

MacScouter's Foil Cooking Page

Drugstore Wrap

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SKIT

GOING IN STYLE

Characters: Leader and all Webelos. Pack the items into the backpack in reverse order of when they are used.

Leader: There! I'm all packed. (Sets the backpack on the table, opens it and looks around in it.) Everything I need is here for our camping trip. I'd better go check if the boys are here yet. (Closes the pack and leaves the stage.)

Boy #1: Enters from left and peeks into the backpack. Removes a map and makes a paper airplane out of it. Throws it into audience.

Boy #2: Enters from right, bouncing a ball. Looks into the backpack and pulls out a "Boys Life." He rolls it up and put a rubber band around it then hits the ball with his new 'bat' as he exits.

Boy #3: Enters from the left and carries a jar of bugs. Looks into the backpack and shakes his head. Exits to the right.

Boy #4: Looks into the pack and pulls out the sunglasses. Put them on saying, "Oh Cool!!! Exits.

Boy #5: Looks into the pack and removes the first aid kit. Puts a Band-Aid on his finger. Exits.

Boy #6: Looks into the pack and removes the Boy Scout Handbook. Walks off balancing it on his head.

Boy #3: Boy with the jar of bugs enters and looks into the pack again. Shakes his head and exits the other direction.

Three boys enter together. They remove a jar of vitamins, a comb and a shampoo bottle from the pack. They form a rhythm band, shaking the vitamins, humming on the comb (with tissue), and removing bottle cap blowing over the top. Exit dancing.

Boy #1: Removes shaving cream and towel. Applies shaving cream to his face and pretends he is shaving. Wipes off on the towel and exits.

Boy #2: Removes the leader's Scout shorts and shirt. Puts them on and pretends to be the leader yelling at the boys. Exits.

Boy #3: Enters again with his jar of bugs. Looks into the pack. Shakes it upside down (its empty now.) and decides to put his bug jar into it. He closed all the belts and sets it back on the table the way it was originally.

Leader: Enters from right and stands in front of the backpack facing the audience. "Well, they're all here. This is going to be a perfect camping weekend. It certainly pays to BE PREPARED! (Slings the pack onto his back, never looking into it. Whistles a happy tune while departing.

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KNOT FUN

THEIVES' KNOT

The theives' knot looks like a square knot but acts quite differently. Have your Webelos tie each one and then test its strength by pulling on the standing ends of the rope.

Tie the theives' knot by starting with a loop as you would tie a sheet bend, and not with an overhand when tying a square knot.

The square knot tightens up under stain but the thief knot pulls apart. Can your Webelos see why this happens?

This knot has no practical use except as an interesting example.

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HOW TO UNTIE A SQUARE KNOT

When a square knot is subjected to strain, especially when wet, it may jam and be difficult to untie. This is a simple way to loosen the jam and untie the knot. Grasp the two ends that emerge together from one side of the square knot and pull them apart hard attempting to straighten it. If you are successful, the knot will break similar to the lower picture on the right. It is then easy to pull the straightened end (red) out of the jumble (blue.) The jumble is no longer a knot and falls straight.

SUPER FAST CLOVE HITCH

Tie a clove hitch three seconds - or even less if you practice a bit!

This is something my old patrol leader taught me many years ago when i was a tenderfoot Scout. We used to challenge Scouts in other patrols by saying we could tie a clove hitch around our right arm faster than they could tie one around a pole.

	Hold the rope in both hands as shown in 1 - left. Rotate both hands clock-wise so that the rope portion in each hand forms a loop as in 2.
	Note that the rope end in the right hand falls towards you while the end in the left hand falls away from you. Now move the loop in your right hand behind the loop in your left hand. This forms the clove hitch shown in 3.
	The two loops can be slipped over a spar (as in 4), a tent pole, a staff, or - just to show off - your right arm.
Clove Hitch

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