TROOP 614 BASIC GUIDE TO WINTER CAMPING
3
Introduction
Staying Warm in the Outdoors
The essentials of staying warm:
Warming Ways
Sleeping Warm
3
4
4
4
5
Clothing
Head
Torso
Hands
Legs
Feet
5
5
6
6
7
8
Gear
Sleeping bag
Mattress pad
Tents
Mess kit
Stoves
Lights
Sled
9
9
12
12
12
13
13
13
FOOD
14
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR WINTER CAMPING
14
APPENDIX A - CLOTHING MATERIALS
16
APPENDIX B - THE TEN+ ESSENTIALS
18
Map
Compass
First-Aid Kit
Headlamp or Flashlight
Matches
Fire Starter
Knife or Multi-Tool
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
18
18
19
19
19
19
19
19
20
APPENDIX C - WINTER CAMPING EQUIPMENT LIST
21
APPENDIX D - BACKPACKING RECIPES
24
Backpack Cooking Hints and Tips
24
Recipes
25
Ember Cooking w/RecipesHow To
32
Troop 614 Basic Guide to Winter Camping
Derek Palmer
November, 2004 - Rev. 1.0
Introduction
For those of us raised in the northern states or provinces we had many of the
basic principles of dressing for cold weather and winter camping drilled into us as
a kindergartener. Often, 6 months of the year are spent in a winter environment.
Growing up in a family that liked to hunt and fish, it was either learn a few tricks
to cope or just read about the exploits of others during those months.
Having lived in California for nearly 20 years now, I have come to realize that
many of these principles are not common knowledge because no one
experiences these extremes. Working with the San Diego Search and Rescue
team one year taught me that, in no uncertain terms, when we I went out on a
call to find a family of 4 who’d gone missing.
They’d simply taken a nice 3-hour hike up a local mountain on a sunny 80degree day when a storm came up from the lee side of the mountain. 3-hours
away from their car, they we caught in a rainstorm with driving winds and a wind
chill factor down in the low 40’s. Wearing only shorts and t-shirts and not having
any provisions, they we caught unprepared! Sadly, only the family dog survived
the hike that day. Never take Mother Nature for granted. The Boy Scouts take the
“Be Prepared” motto very seriously.
Winter camping is a lot of fun. You will see few people and breathtaking
landscapes in winter, but it presents some subtle dangers. Winter camping, if you
are not prepared, is dangerous. But for many boys who take the time to learn and
prepare, it’s a fun challenge, and a "cool" (pardon the pun) thing to do. My son
experienced his first snow camping trip one year ago and thinks it’s the best trip
he’s taken to date.
What follows is what I was taught as a boy in Canada and what I have
learned over the years from Sierra Club instructors and members, personal
experience, and other experienced Scoutmasters. Consider that people have
lived and thrived in Arctic climates for centuries. You don’t need expensive hightech gadgets to winter camp comfortably. We just need to understand some
simple principles. I continue to learn new techniques and get new ideas each
time I go out.
Keeping warm and dry is the most important part of cold weather camping.
Use the C-O-L-D method to assure staying warm.

-C - Clean
Since insulation is only effective when heat is trapped by dead air
spaces, keep your insulating layers clean and fluffy. Dirt, grime, and
perspiration can mat down those air spaces and reduce the warmth of
a garment.

O -Overheating .
A steady flow of warm blood is essential to keep all parts of your body
heated. However, overheating creates sweat and dampness that can
accelerate heat loss. Wear several loosely fitting layers of clothing and
footgear that will allow maximum insulation without impeding your
circulation.

L - Loose layers avoid overheating by adjusting the layers of your
clothing to meet the outside temperature and the exertions of your
activities. Excessive sweating can dampen your garments and cause
chilling later on.

D - Dry
Damp clothing against skin can cause your body to cool quickly,
possibly leading to frostbite and hypothermia. Keep dry by avoiding
cotton clothes that absorb moisture. Always brush away snow that is
on your clothes before you enter a heated area. Keep the clothing
around your neck loosened so that body heat and moisture can
escape instead of soaking several layers of
Staying Warm in the Outdoors
It’s hard to stay happy when you’re too cold, too hot, or too wet. Choosing
the right outdoor clothing can keep you comfortable and protect against potential
dangers such as hypothermia. Outdoor fun is, after all, meant to be fun.
The essentials of staying warm:
Stay dry: Water conducts heat many times better than air. The more water
held in your clothing, the faster your body heat will be transferred away. As
moisture evaporates it also produces cooling, so wet clothing has two sneaky
ways to steal your body warmth.
Block the wind: Wind increases convective heat loss by carrying your heat
away on currents of cool air. Your best wind-proofing strategy is to wear a tightly
woven shell garment that deflects wind but allows some moisture transport.
Layer to trap heat: Spaces between the fibers of your clothing trap a layer of
warm, still air next to your skin. The amount of air you can trap depends on the
number of layers you’re wearing, their thickness, and loft. Layering your clothing
is probably the single best way to manage heat loss in the outdoors. It allows you
to regulate your body temperature to match physical activity, wind, temperature,
and moisture.
Warming Ways


Eat regularly and keep well hydrated.
When you’re moving, remove a layer of clothing before you start to
sweat. When you stop, add a layer before you start to cool off.





Wear mittens when possible. Mitts are warmer than gloves because
your fingers can share their heat.
Use thin, polyester liner gloves. Liner gloves don’t inhibit your dexterity
and provide an extra bit of warmth when you take off heavier gloves or
mitts.
Wear a wool or fleece hat – and a scarf or neck gaiter. Up to 70% of
your total heat loss occurs through the head and neck.
Ensure your boots, gloves, and socks are not too tight. Good blood
circulation is essential to keeping hands and feet warm.
If your fingers feel like blocks of ice, swing your arms in wide circles as
fast as possible. After a few minutes enough blood is pushed into your
fingertips to warm them.
Sleeping Warm





Buy a sleeping bag rated for temperatures a few degrees colder than
you expect to encounter.
Before you get into your sleeping bag, exercise for a few minutes until
you start to feel warm. When you climb into your bag, the extra heat
will be trapped so it takes less time to warm up the space inside.
Empty your bladder before going to bed, so your body doesn’t have to
expend energy keeping the extra liquid warm.
Wear your hat to bed.
Use your spare gear, jacket, ropes, and pack, to add extra insulation
under your sleeping bag.
Clothing
Head
Starting with the top, a wool or polypropylene, or fleece hat. A good hat is
extremely important because as much as 70% of the body’s heat is lost through
the head and back of the neck. When hypothermia sets in the body will start
shutting down blood flow, and therefore heat, to the extremities in order to keep
the core warm. Your head is an extremity! The first sign of hypothermia is
diminished mental capacity, or poor decision-making! An old saying is, "Cold
feet… put a hat on". This hat will also be valuable at night in the sleeping bag.
Some sort of face shield is needed. A wool or acrylic scarf, or even a spare
wool sock for those boys who forget the scarf, keeps frostbite away when the
thermometer dips below zero. The nose is an extremity and is very sensitive to
cold breezes. Balaclavas are hats, which also cover the nose, mouth, and neck.
These also work well. A well-insulated hood on a jacket also helps keep the wind
out and the heat in.
Torso
I think just about everybody knows about layering. Many people don’t bring a
"winter" coat with them at all when winter camping. A simple "system" consists of
a medium-weight polypropylene long-sleeved undershirt, a wool sweater, and an
insulated flannel shirt all topped with a wind-breaking, water resistant, shell. Total
cost is about $60. Layering makes it easier to control your body temperature.
Unzipping or removing a layer at a time permits just the right amount of cooling.
It also allows you to control moisture by drying out when you sweat heavily. One
big winter jacket makes this harder. You end up too hot, or too cold.
The most important to remember is the saying - "Cotton kills". Cotton has
this annoying habit of holding onto moisture, keeping it close to the skin, and
thereby losing all insulation value. Worse yet, by holding it in, perspiration, which
would normally drip off the body, is now kept close by further cooling the body.
This could easily mean the difference between comfort and hypothermia.
Those waffle-weave, "thermal" undershirts found at dept. stores are almost
always 100% or 50% cotton. Don’t use them! Go to the sports dept. and look for
the polypropylene fabric, or a wool-poly blend. Most man-made fibers and wool
will wick moisture away from the skin. Even when wet, they will still provide good
insulation.
A good replacement for the wool sweater might be a Polartech or similar
fleece top. This is my preference because is unzips and I can vent easily. It has
the added advantage of being lighter weight, something to consider when
backpacking. It’s more costly, but a nice convenience.
Hands
I prefer mittens with long cuffs. These keep hands much warmer than
gloves. You can tell them that the fingers help keep each other warm or the Mr.
Wizard explanation that there is much less surface area to radiate heat. Either
way, mittens are the way to go. The cuffs should extend past the wrist.
Snowmobile mittens work very well.
My favorite system I made myself many years ago. Get a simple wool glove
and clip the ends of the fingers off. Then put a wool mitten over this. Over that
you can put a waterproof mitten shell. This you can make or buy. Normally the
mitten is over my fingers, but when it comes time to fiddle with the stove, or even
light a match, the mitten can be removed. When I need my fingers to manipulate
something, I like to keep as much hand covered as possible.
Mitten Shell $4.95
Wool Glove $3.95
Wool Mitten $4.95
At http://www.fatiguesarmynavy.com/ (11/04)
Check out your army surplus stores you can pick up some simple but
effective gear.
A nice improvement it to add a thin poly glove under the wool glove. Wool
isn’t that comfortable on the skin. You can either buy glove liners at some
outdoor store or do as I do; go to the women’s section of some discount dept.
store like Walmart. They have one-size fits all mini-gloves really cheap. You can
buy layered glove systems like this, but they do get expensive. Again, layering is
warmer and easier to dry when wet. In case the boys don’t stay dry, wool socks
are a nice backup for a mitten. A couple of socks and a waterproof outer layer
will keep the hands warm. Bring two sets of inner mittens and gloves. Keep one
as a play set and one as a dry set.
Legs
The layering and no cotton rules work here as well. I start with my poly long
johns; put on some wool pants over that and then thin, wind-breaking, snowpants over that. Please keep the boys from bringing sweatpants. These are
almost always cotton and are only warm when inside that nice, cozy cabin. Wool
pants are hard to find cheaply in kid’s sizes; mine are army surplus, so I
substitute poly layers topped with the heavier snow pants. Just make sure they’re
not cotton-filled.
We prefer the boys to wear cotton briefs or boxers. This is a personal choice.
You can find poly underwear, which is best in really cold climates. The boys are
usually very active and legs generate a lot of heat so it’s not hard to keep the
legs warm during the day.
It’s a good idea to waterproof ski pants before each trip. I recommend a
minimum of 3 pairs of poly thermals. The last set for use only in the evenings. If
the first two sets get wet, the boys take a break from play so as not to soak the
last set! Plus, I’ve had nights that get below zero and sitting around, you get
cold. It’s nice to double or triple layer at night. Otherwise, you’re off to the
sleeping bag very early!
Feet
Remember the saying, “If you feet are cold, you are cold”. It’s true. Nothing
can make a snow trip more miserable than having cold feet. Since they are in
the snow all day, they are also the most difficult to keep warm and dry.
Do I really need to repeat "no cotton" here? For comfort, I wear poly sock
liners. Over that, I wear vapor barrier. I’ve used zip-lock bags (a bit constricting in
the toes), bread bags, and plastic shopping bags. The best I've found are those
bags that my newspapers come in. They’re thin and just the right size.
The reason for the bag is to keep sweat from being absorbed by your socks
and the boot’s insulation. Overnight, moisture in the boot will freeze if the boot is
not kept warm (more on that later). I’ve camped with too many folks who woke up
to find his/her boots frozen solid. They couldn’t even get their feet into them. We
had to thaw them by the before this person could leave their tent. On top of the
bag, I put a couple of thick wool socks. Don’t worry, when you sweat the inner
poly sock will wick moisture up and out of the boot. An alternative to using a
vapor barrier is never letting your boots get cold! In this case, when you remove
them they are put in a plastic trash back and put between your feet in your
sleeping bag. I’d also bring 3 changes of sock in this case.
As for boots, your basic dept. store or army
surplus snow boot should do fine, as long as
they are bought at least one size too big, in
order to fit the socks and bag. Fit is very
important. Try them on while wearing the 3layer sock system you plan to use. Even then, I
like them a little big so they don’t constrict
blood flow to the toes. It allows the socks to
fluff up a bit! For younger boys you might allow
an extra size so they can be used next year.
They grow fast. Anything too tight will cut off
circulation to the toes and be a potential
frostbite problem. I like having removable wool
felt liners, but any decent, thick insulation
should work. I recently saw some nice Baffin boots at REI for $65 and an army
brand for $19 at the army surplus. (11/04)
I’ve used gaiters on top of my boots and like them very much in deep snow.
Gaiters are basically a cordura or maybe leather sleeve which bridges the gap
between boots and pants. They do a great job keeping snow out of the boots.
A nice alternative is a good tall boot and long ski pant than can be cinched
over the boot to prevent snow entering the boot.
Gear
Sleeping bag
No skimping here. For the novice, I recommend Polarguard, Hollofil, or
Quallofil. For experienced, responsible, older, scouts down works great, but if it
gets wet it will lose all insulation value. Just keep it dry. Down is the most
compressible material around. But boys will be boys, so I usually recommend
some man-made fiber. A good bag will be expensive, but many gear stores will
rent them. It is something you will use for many years. Just get an adult size for
the younger boys and you’ll have it for 15-20 years.
Choosing a Sleeping Bag
Crawling into a sleeping bag that you know is going to be warm and comfortable
is one of the singular pleasures of backcountry adventure. Just as a good
sleeping bag can make for a good night's sleep, an ill-suited one can spell
discomfort or worse.
Temperature Ratings
Decide where and when you're likely to use a bag. This will help determine if you
need a winter, 3-season, or summer bag. Compare each bag's individual
temperature rating. Ratings give a general idea of insulating performance and
are a useful point of comparison. Most temperature ratings are realistic for most
people in most conditions. Choose a warmer bag if you tend to sleep cold. We
also have some tips on sleeping warm in our Staying Warm article.
Fill Type Comparison
Fill
Weight Compactability
Hyperl
oft
PrimaL
oft®
Hyperl
oft Lite
Down
**
**
**
***
***
***
***
*
****
Warmth
Dura
When Loft
bility
Wet
*
***
***
**
*
**
****
*
*
**
***
*
*
****
***
Loft is a key factor in determining a bag's warmth. It refers to
the thickness or puffiness of a bag. If two bags have the same
fill type, features, and shape, the one with the higher loft will be warmer.
A sleeping bag's shape can dramatically affect its performance. It will also impact
how comfortable it is to sleep in and how small its packed size will be.



Mummy bags are designed to save weight and maximize heat retention.
They narrow at the feet, flare out at the shoulders, then taper to a fitted
hood. With less space for your body to heat, a close-fitting bag has
superior warmth to weight than a roomier bag. However, some people find
them too constricting.
Barrel bags trade thermal efficiency for extra room. They have no hood,
are slightly tapered, and incorporate a patterned oval foot section. They
are slightly heavier and bulkier than mummy bags.
Rectangular bags are suitable for warm weather, and are not the best
choice for most backcountry travelers. Although inexpensive and roomy,
they let a lot of body heat escape and are heavy and bulky for the
insulation they provide.
Features and Construction
Hood and Neck Yoke
You lose 30 to 50 percent of your heat through your head and neck. A wellpatterned hood is roomy yet contoured, and significantly increases a bag's
warmth without adding much weight. The neck yoke is an insulated collar that
covers your throat and shoulders. It reduces heat loss whether the bag is
snugged down or loosely zipped. Some bags have a neck and muff combination
that completely encircles the neck for additional warmth.
Foot box and Foot Oval
Feet and toes crush insulation. To compensate, mummy bags
have square-shaped foot boxes that allow for natural foot
positions. The less-tailored equivalent in a barrel bag is called a
foot oval. Extra insulation at the peak of the footboy or foot oval
helps warm your toes.
Zipper and Draft Tube
Lefties generally prefer right-hand opening bags
and vice versa. If you are planning to zip two
bags together, ensure one has a right zip and
one has a left zip. An insulated tube that runs
behind the zipper to prevent heat loss is called
a draft tube. Ideally, it is sewn only to the lining
material, since sewing through the bag creates
a cold spot.
Construction Methods
Sleeping bag construction methods vary in cost and the benefits each provide.
Sewn-through is used in lightweight or warm-weather
synthetic or down bags, it is inexpensive to construct, but
can have cold spots at quilt lines.
Offset Quilt is used for synthetic bags only. It has no
cold spots at quilt lines and is less expensive than shingled
construction.
Shingles are used for synthetic bags only. It is the
most warmth-to-weight efficient construction, but is more
expensive than offset quilt.
Baffles are used in down bags only. They feature
mesh partitions at quilt lines to prevent cold spots and
keep down from migrating through the bag. Expensive, but
very warm.
Another thing that helps out is to get a longer bag than necessary. That way
you could stuff things that you’d like to keep warm during the night.
I personally use a layered technique, mostly because I’m cheap. I like to use
one bag all the time. My inside layer is my poly thermals. Not the ones I wore that
day, but the dry ones. I add generously thick socks (I get cold feet at night),
Then I slip into an fleece sleeping bag liner. This adds another 10 deg to a
sleeping bags rating. For example, a 20F degree bag becomes a 10F degree
bag. I wear a wool hat and my bag is a 0F-rated poly bag. For longer trips I’ll
bring a Mylar bag insert as well to use as a vapor barrier. Try to regulate
temperature in you sleeping bag by opening or closing the mummy hood or
shoulder baffles or add/removing layers of clothing; the goal it to be warm, but
not to sweat. A vapor barrier keeps you sleeping bag from getting damp from the
inside out. You will perspire. Better to confine the moisture to clothes you can
change and dry.
Mattress pad
This is almost as important as the bag. A 1in closed-cell foam type works
well for younger boys. They don’t compress the foam as much. I recommend two
pads for adults when sleeping on the snow. To save weight I use a 1in. full-length
closed-cell foam pad and a Mylar coated water heater insulating blanket you can
pick up cheap at Home Depot. Mylar reflects heat back toward your body. My
Mylar blanket has a R19 insulation factor and I have two layers doubled-up.
That’s pretty good for its lightweight. Stay away from any of those inflatable
types, more suitable as floats in the pool. These allow cold air to move around
under you and could actually help cool you off. Remember, the underside of
your sleeping bag is compressed and doesn’t provide any insulation! More layers
are warmer. Bring a couple your first time and experiment. If one works, leave
the other at home next time out!
Tents
Rent or buy a “4-Season” tent. A 3-Season tent will work if it doesn’t snow,
but if it does, a 3-Season tent will collapse under the weight of the snow! Be
Prepared!! A 4-Season tent has extra poles that are often metal to strengthen
the tent. A two-man tent is nice to have so you can bring all your gear inside
during a storm. To save weight, you might get a one-man tent that has a good
size vestibule under which you can put your gear. Worst case, bring some thick
trash bags and put your gear in them and mark their location with a pole so you
can find them after a snowstorm.
Bring a good thick waterproof tarp to put under your tents. Top quality tents
are seam sealed and are watertight. Why risk it! Bring a tarp and you have
double coverage. Snow is wet, especially when you are warming it by sleeping
on it. Some other nice to haves are glow in the dark pulls on zippers and clips on
equipment. Don’t need to buy an expensive tent to get these. You can pick up a
package of these at your camping store.
Mess kit
I use a plastic cereal bowl from the local “Name-Your-Favorite-Mart”. Get
something thick, as extreme cold could cause it to crack. I don’t like the metal
mess kits in winter because they allow the food to cool too quickly. Also, keep it
light colored. Chances are, you’ll be eating at least one meal, probably supper, in
the dark, and a dark plate/bowl makes food disappear. You can even find glow
in the dark plastic cups and bowls! Neon is nice.
An insulated coffee mug, with lid, works great. Avoid those metal cups. They
transfer too much heat from the hot chocolate and cool too quickly.
Stoves
Propane and butane have problems in the cold. They start losing pressure at
high altitude and below freezing, and it’s pretty much gone by the time you get to
0F. Stick with the white gas stoves during wintertime, if you can. There are many
models to choose from. A nice addition is a small 1ft square piece of plywood to
use as a steady platform to cook on. A nice modification is gluing a layer of tin
foil on top. It helps reflect heat back to your cooking pot and he is easy to wipe
clean after a spill. A hot stove sinks quickly into the snow!
Lights
Lanterns should also be white gas or simple candle lanterns. Batteries die
out fast at low temps. Flashlights should be kept inside you jacket or sleeping
bag at all times because of the cold battery problem. I sleep with mine at night in
case nature calls. If it’s not windy, a few tea candles on a tin pie plate work well,
especially inside an igloo. Never use an open candle in a tent. Tents are very
flammable!
Sled
A simple child’s plastic sled can be turned into a nice gear sled to carry those
heavy items! Add a few PVC poles, ropes, carabineer clips and voila!
Food
You need extra calories to keep your body warm, so leave your low-fat diet at
home. Make sure you have lots of carbs, sugar, and protein. Fat burns slow all
night. Eat fatty foods before going to bed. Protein also is slow to break down.
Oatmeal for breakfast and meat and cheese for supper works well. Eggs and
pancakes lose heat quickly and IMHO taste pretty bad cold, but bacon can be
eaten cold. If you don’t cook it too crispy then any leftovers can be snacked on
during the day. Lunches could be pepperoni and cheese on crackers. Peanut
butter on Syrian bread is another option. Have plenty of snacks available.
Granola bars, chocolate, and trail mix are great. Apples and oranges will turn into
rocks, no matter what you keep them in. I like melting butter in a pan and toasting
bagels or English muffins in the butter. There’s a lot of energy there. Have plenty
of hot chocolate. This will be drunk any time someone is in camp. If you’ve got to
have coffee, use decaf. Caffeine is a diuretic and you’ll need all the water you
can get. Dehydration leads to hypothermia. Make sure everyone brings plenty of
water. But leave your pump/filters at home. They are pretty much useless when
frozen and you could crack the filter element. You can melt snow or boil water
when you need to refill the bottles. Just remember to bring extra fuel because
you need 12quarts of snow to make 1 quart of water.
Cooking meat doesn’t seem to work very well. It’s hard to keep a big frying
pan hot enough to effectively brown any hamburger. If you’ve got to have meat in
the spaghetti sauce, bring pepperoni and throw it in the sauce when heating that
up. Instant soups will go like crazy. Use your insulated mug to eat this, and you
won’t need the hot chocolate for this meal/snack.
(See Appendix D for meal suggestions).
Tips and Tricks for Winter Camping
To keep boots from freezing up overnight, lay them on their sides beneath
your sleeping bag under your butt with the soles sticking out. Put one on each
side of you and tie the laces together with a simple square knot. There should be
enough heat escaping there to keep the frost out, plus the placement will help
keep you from rolling of your mat. Another option is to put them in a trash bag
and place them at your feet. It’s nice to wake up with warm boots.
Keep gloves, socks, and any of tomorrow’s clothes as will comfortably fit
inside the sleeping bag. Any other clothes, jacket, sweater, whatever doesn’t fit,
should be put under the bag. It’s much more comfortable to dress in pre-heated
clothes and the added insulation doesn’t hurt. Extra bulky jackets make nice
pillows when put in you sleeping bag stuff sack.
Keep at least one water bottle in the sleeping bag, if it will fit and not leak. If
you can’t, put it under your bag at the knees. All other water bottles that don’t fit
under your knees could be put in some of your extra wool socks. Also, heat the
water up at night before you go to bed and put the filled bottles in your sleeping
bag as you fulfill your nightly duties. Don’t toss out that extra boiling water after
dinner; put it back in the bottle to warm it up. Then when you get to bed, your bag
will actually be warm.
Don’t forget the nightly duties. A full bladder requires more heat than an
empty one, plus getting up at 2:00 AM in sub-zero weather is absolutely no fun.
Some like to carry an extra empty water bottle so they don’t have to go outside!
It’s a good idea to label this kind of bottle clearly!
In winter, carry and store water bottles upside down. Ice forms on the tops of
bodies of water first, so this helps keep ice from forming around the mouth. If
you’re not carrying a water bottle, stick it in a spare sock or shove it in a snow
bank, upside down, of course. Snow will insulate better than nothing.
If you’ve got a self-inflating mattress don’t roll it up with the valves closed. A
frozen mattress valve is real hard to open.
When standing around eating, cooking, or whatever, stand on your mattress
pad. When sitting, sit on your pad. Bring along an old piece of mattress pad to
use as a seat. Dig a foot well in the snow and sit on the edge. It’s more
comfortable than sitting knees crossed! Build a snow chair if you have time.
Keep active as much as possible. If you feel your feet freezing up, start
getting the shakes, or if you see anybody else showing initial signs of
hypothermia - go for a long, brisk walk/jog. Take the whole troop with you,
because they may be feeling the same way, but are too "cool" to show it. Keep
going until the signs go away.
Go for a night hike or play an active game just before you crawl in the bag.
After you get in the bag, take a mouthful of water and eat something fatty. This
gets the furnace started and helps keep it going throughout the night.
The standard 3-tub method of doing the dishes just doesn’t work in the
extreme cold. Heat up some water and pour this in individual bowls to melt the
leftover bits and pieces of food. Soak your utensils in this. Then use a paper
towel or even a snowball to scrub. Any cloth dishrag will freeze.
Bring extra everything. Stoves and lanterns will fail. Water bottles will freeze
and crack. Things, like boys, just behave differently in the cold.
Everyone on the trip should know the signs and treatment of
hypothermia!!!
Appendix A - Clothing materials
Our body basically acts as a furnace, producing heat through chemical
reactions and activity. As physical activity increases so does heat production and
conversely as activity decreases so does heat production. The key to keeping
warm is to add insulation to the body and the best way to achieve this is by
having a number of layers of clothing. Each layer provides a certain amount of
dead air space. This allows you to add or shed layers to increase or decrease
your accumulated dead air space as the temperature changes and/or as your
activity level changes. As mentioned, your body is the heat source, the clothing
layers only serve to trap the heat and slow down your heat loss to the cold
environment. If you have too much clothing on, you will overheat and start to
sweat. You need to find the proper heat balance between the number and types
of layers and your activity level. If you sweat and get soaked, you will lose heat
much more quickly through evaporation of the water. Also you are loosing an
incredible amount of water through sweating since the air is so dry. Too much
water loss leads to dehydration which significantly increases the risk of
hypothermia. So you want to control your layers so as to be warm at the activity
level you are in but not sweating profusely.
As a general rule, the efficiency of clothing is proportional to the diameter of
the body part it covers. Thus a given thickness of insulation added to your trunk
will be more thermally efficient than the same thickness added to your arm or leg.
It will also help maintain that body core temperature. This is why vests work well
to maintain body heat. There is an optimal thickness of insulation for each body
part. Beyond that the added bulk tends to be more of a hindrance in movement
than the added insulation is worth.
Some of the different types of materials for winter clothing and insulation are
discussed below.
Wool - Wool can absorb a fair amount of moisture without imparting a damp
feeling because the water "disappears" into the fiber spaces. Even with water in
the fabric wool still retains dead air space and will still insulate you. The
disadvantage to wool is that it can absorb so much water (maximum absorption
can be as much as 1/3 third the garment weight) making wet wool clothing very
heavy. Wool releases moisture slowly, with minimum chilling effect. An
advantage to wool is that it is relatively inexpensive (if purchased at surplus
stores). However, it can be itchy against the skin and some people are allergic to
it.
Pile or Fleece fabrics - is a synthetic material often made of a plastic
(polyester, polyolefin, polypropylene, etc.). This material has a similar isolative
capacity as wool. Its advantages are that it holds less water (than wool) and dries
more quickly. The disadvantage of pile is that it has very poor wind resistance
and hence a wind shell on top is almost always required.
Polarguard, Hollofil, Quallofil ,Lite Loft, Primaloft 2, Polarguard HV,
Polarguard 3D - these are synthetic fibers, which are primarily used in sleeping
bags and heavy outer garments like parkas. The fibers are fairly efficient at
providing dead air space (though not nearly as efficient as down). Their
advantages are that they do not absorb water and dry fairly quickly. Polarguard is
made in large sheets. Hollofil is a fiber similar to Polarguard but hollow. This
increases the dead air space and makes the fiber more thermally efficient.
Quallofil took Hollofil one step further by creating four "holes" running through the
fiber.
"Superthin" fibers (Primaloft, Microloft, Thinsulate and others) - Under
laboratory conditions a given thickness of Thinsulate is almost twice as warm as
the same thickness of down, however, the Thinsulate is 40% heavier. Thinsulate
is made in sheets and therefore tends to be used primarily for outer layers,
parkas and pants. New materials such as Primaloft and Microloft are superthin
fibers that are close to the weight of down for an equivalent fiber volume. They
are now being used in parkas and sleeping bags as an alternative to down. They
stuff down to a small size and have similar warmth to weight ratios as down
without the worries about getting wet.
Down - feathers are a very efficient insulator. They provide excellent dead air
space for very little weight. The major problem with down in the winter is that
down absorbs water. Once the feathers get wet they tend to clump, and lose
dead air space. Using down items in the winter takes special care to prevent
them from getting wet. For example, a vapor barrier sleeping bag liner in a down
bag will help the bag stay dry. Down is useful in sleeping bags since it tends to
conform to the shape of the occupant and prevents convection areas. Some
people are allergic to down. The effectiveness of a down bag is directly related to
the quality of the feathers used. Since down is made of individual feathers,
sleeping bags are garments must have baffles sewn in to prevent the down from
shifting in the bag which would create cold spots.
Appendix B - The Ten+ Essentials
The 10 essentials are things you bring on every trip. I’ve even put them all
in a special bag so that I never forget them.

Map (in a watertight case)

Compass

Extra clothing

Extra food and water

First-aid kit

Headlamp or flashlight (with extra batteries)

Matches (waterproof, or stored in a watertight container)

Fire starter.

Knife /Leatherman (or multi-use camp tool)

Sunglasses

Sunscreen

Whistle (calls long distance. SOS 3-short, 3-long, 3short blasts)

Water purifier (or other method of water treatment)
The Ten Essentials began appearing in mountaineering literature in the
1950s and '60s, but current environmental factors have prompted a few additions
as well.
Map
Carry a topographic map any time you go beyond a short, impossible-to-miss
footpath or well-populated nature trail. Don't rely on maps handed out at visitor
centers or entrance stations. These "maps" usually show roads and a few major
trails but very few (if any) topographic features. A line on a piece of paper may
look easy to follow, but a flat line may be a climb of 1,500 feet in the first mile.
Can you trust this map to identify water sources along the way? Will it help you if
you somehow wander off the trail?
Compass
It's easy to get disoriented in the backcountry. A compass, along with mapreading skills, can help you stay on course. Will GPS receivers make compasses
obsolete? Not likely. Standard GPS units don't indicate north. Often you’ll be in
the trees an have no GPS reception. Although some high-end GPS receivers
now have electronic compasses, a traditional compass weighs next to nothing
and doesn't rely on batteries. Bring it and learn how to use it. I’ve used a GPS
for 8 years and more than half the time it’s useless. I use it as a backup to get a
fix when I’m in a clearing or on exposed peak.
First-Aid Kit
Pre-assembled first-aid kits take the guesswork out of building a kit on your
own, but most people "personalize" their kits to suit individual needs. Every kit
should have moleskin, adhesive bandages of various sizes, several gauze pads,
adhesive tape, antibiotic ointment, over-the-counter pain medication, pen and
paper, heat packs and Latex gloves.
Headlamp or Flashlight
A reliable light source is critical in the bush. Ever try to set up camp as the
last blue drains from the sky? It's smart to carry extra bulbs and batteries.
Batteries should be kept on your person in a pocket to stay warm. Headlamps let
you keep your hands free during any activity. Keep your light in an accessible
part of your pack and reverse the batteries so it won't turn on by accident.
Consider a candle lantern in winter.
Matches
Should be waterproof, and should be stored in a waterproof container. Take
plenty and make an extra effort to keep them dry. Matchbooks are too flimsy and
poorly constructed to be trusted in the bush. Save frustration and bring reliable
matches on every trip. Don't rely only on mechanical lighters, which can fail.
Fire Starter
The ideal fire starter lights quickly and sustains heat for more than a few
seconds. Some choices: dry tinder tucked away in a plastic bag; candles;
trappings found in the lint screen of a laundry drier. Priming paste and chemical
heat tablets are convenient and reliable fire-starting products.
Knife or Multi-Tool
Knives or multi-tools are for gear repair, cooking, first aid, making kindling or
other emergency needs. A folding knife should have at least 1 sharp foldout
blade, Flathead and Phillips screwdrivers, a can-opener and maybe a pair of
foldout scissors. The more complex your needs (like when you're leading an less
experienced group), the more options you may want in your knife or tool.
Sunglasses
Medical studies suggest that sunlight and ultraviolet (UV) rays may play a
role in cataract development. Protection is simple: Put on a pair of sunglasses if
staying outside a long time, particularly above the tree line, to reduce your
exposure to UV light. Select lenses that absorb 97-100% of both UVA and UVB
radiation. In snow much of the sun’s rays are reflected back up at you and can
sunburn your retina’s, a condition know as snow blindness. It is not permanent,
but excruciatingly painful. Think about hiking many miles with your eyes closed
while holding on to someone’s arm.
Sunscreen
The Mayo Clinic recommends applying sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15
or higher 15 minutes before you go into the sun. They also advise using
sunscreen-fortified lip balm. If you sweat a lot, use water-resistant sunscreens
and reapply every 2 to 3 hours. In snow remember the sun is shining back up at
you off the snow. Be sure to cover the underside of the chin, nose, eye sockets,
and ears. They are tender and will burn easily.
Appendix C - Winter Camping Equipment List
Scout Outdoor Essentials











Pocket knife
First aid kit
Flashlight
Compass and map
Matches
Water
Rain gear (water-proof outer shell)
space blanket
Extra clothing
Sun screen and lip protection
Sunglasses or ski goggles (UV blocking) - Essential on sunny snow!
Special Equipment for Winter Backpacking





Insulated winter boots (mandatory - Cross-country ski boots aren't
insulated)
Snowshoes and/or Cross-Country skis
Inexpensive, light-weight sled for carrying pack (optional)
Harness for towing the sled (optional)
snow shovel (optional)
Clothing







long underwear (silk or polypropylene)
long-sleeve synthetic pile or wool shirts and sweaters
Powder pants or ski bibs (mandatory)
extra socks (wool)
parka
wool stocking cap
gloves or mittens (bring a backup pair)
Tentage






tent (best: a four-season tent that will hold up to wind and snow)
(A three-season tent is OK but might collapse under snow.)
ground cloth
full-length foam pad (mandatory)
ThermaRest (optional - ThermaRest by itself is not sufficient)
sleeping bag (0° bag - rented if necessary)
assorted pieces of closed cell foam or foil-backed bubble pad
for sitting on, standing on, or for the floor of your tent.

You can add warmth to your bag by adding an insulating liner
or by bringing a second light sleeping bag.
Cooking











stove (pressurized gas stoves don't work well at high altitude
and extreme cold. Liquid gas stoves work well in these conditions.)
fuel - extra tank if low
small square of wood to support stove on snow
matches
cook kit (nesting pots)
utensils (fork, spoon, knife)
spatula if planning frying
lantern (optional)
paper towels
dish soap (try to easy clean-up foods)
trash bags (pack out ALL waste)
Food







sufficient food for meals
trail mix or snacks
water: 2 Qts per day or extra fuel to melt snow
drink powder (e.g. Tang, Crystal Light, tea, coffee, cocoa)
lightweight foods requiring refrigeration can be considered
limited canned foods
mostly dehydrated foods and fruits
Hygiene





toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss
biodegradable dish soap and hand/face soap
wash cloth
small towel
toilet paper
Personal (optional)





notebook and pencil
camera
binoculars
games
1/8" nylon cord - 50'
Share items with patrol:




tentage: tents, ground cloths
patrol cooking (shared planning, food, prep, clean-up, cook set, stoves)
snow shovel
lantern or candle
Appendix D - Backpacking Recipes
Backpack Cooking Hints and Tips
1- Powdered milk seems to taste too "chalky"? Add a couple of
tablespoons of "Coffee-Mate" or "Cremora" and reconstitute as usual.
It makes a difference in taste.
2- The "Old Time Standby" in the kitchen "Baking Soda" has many
camping uses, as follows: for itchy bug bites and stings smear a small
amount on the bite or sting. Use for tooth paste - no smell to attract
bears and other critters. Upset stomach, Use as directed on the box.
Use in the water while rinsing those smelly socks you wore on the
trail. Try soaking your feet in a pan of warm water into which 2
teaspoons of soda have been dissolved. A wet solution of Baking
Soda applied to the skin can help relieve the pain of minor burns. A
stale smelling canteen can be freshened by adding a teaspoon of
Baking Soda in a little water and let set over night. Sweaty hiking
boots can be freshened by sprinkling a little Baking Soda in them for
the night. Carry in a 35mm film container in your pack. Take it fresh
on each trip. It’s cheap and light.
3- Make your Bug Repellent go farther, simply wet your skin before
applying, makes it easier to apply evenly.
4- Carry a couple of large plastic garbage bags in your pack. You will
find lots of uses for them. A bag over your pack will keep the pack dry
overnight. With a little cutting, you will have an emergency poncho or
pack cover to keep you and your pack a little dryer while hiking to the
next camp. Crossing a stream, slip one over each boot, pull up and
tie at ankles and above your knees.
5- Other uses for 35mm film containers: Carry needles, thread and
buttons; matches, cut to size; spices, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic
powder; hand and foot lotions. Also useful for fish hooks, and line
sinkers; extra clevis pin and rings for pack repair. Drill small holes to
make a set of salt and pepper shakers.
6- We are all "experts" in the use of our compasses, right? Yet with all of
the bits and pieces of knowledge we cram into our memory bank, we
sometimes come up with a "Double Zero" when we need that
expertise. What do do? Remember that sheet of instructions that was
in the bottom of the box the compass came in? Reach down in the
waste basket and rescue it. It can be a simple remedy to most of your
troubles. It is light in weight and heavy in knowledge - place it in your
map case and carry at all times.
Recipes
California 3-Bean Chili
 2 - Tbsps. olive oil
 1 - Cup chopped olives
 1 - Green pepper coarsely chopped
 1/2 Cup Red wine vinegar
 1 - Can(14.5 oz) tomatoes -- broken up.
 1 - Can - 15 oz. each -- Black beans, red kidney beans, and white
Northern or pinto beans, drained and rinsed.
California Spice Blend, made up of:
 4 - Tsp. Chili power
 1 - Tsp. each of Garlic powder, ground cumin, oregano and basil
leaves.
 2 - Tsp. sugar
 1/2 - Tsp. salt
 1/2 - Tsp. seasoned pepper.
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium to high heat. Add onion and green
pepper, cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in spice blend and remaining
ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally.
Garnish with shredded cheese and chopped onion if desired. Makes 6 cups.
“The trouble with being an expert, is that you can’t turn to anybody else for
advise.” - Lions Magazine
Southwest White Bean Chili
 1 - Tbsp. Olive oil
 1-1/2 lb. Boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small cubes.
 1/4 - cup chopped onions
 1 - cup chicken broth
 1 - can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
 1-can Kidney beans
 (Canneloni) undrained.
 2 - green onions sliced.
 Southwest Spice Blend, made up of:
 1 - Tsp. Garlic Powder
 1 - Tsp. ground Cumin
 1/2 - Tsp. Oregano leaves
 1/2 - Tsp. Cilantro leaves
 1/2 - Tsp. Ground red pepper
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onions.
Cook 4-5 minutes. Stir in broth, green chilies, add spice blend. Simmer 15
minutes. Stir in beans, Simmer 5 minutes. Top with onions, Garnish with
Monterey Jack cheese if desired. Makes four cups.
Quote: “Watching T.V. means fighting, violence and foul language...and
that’s deciding who gets to hold the remote control.” — Lions Magazine
Easy One-pot Goulash
 12 oz. package freeze dried beef or home dried hamburger.
 1 - Cup dried potatoes slices from a boxed potatoes au gratin.
 1/4 cup of lentils
 4 - Sun dried tomato halves, cut into 1/2" pieces.
 1/2 Package dried spring vegetable soup mix ( I use Knoor brand)
 1 - Tbsp. dehydrated onion or garlic.
At camp, bring 3/4 cups of water to a boil in medium pot. Stir in dry mix,
cover and remove from heat, and allow to stand for 15 minutes (will save fuel) till
rehydrated. Return to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally,
until potatoes are soft and tender -- about 15 minutes. Serves 2-3.
The above was submitted by Paul Nakao, member of the H.A.T.
Beef and Salsa Burritos
 1-1/4 Pounds of lean ground beef.
 1-1/2 Tbsps. of chili powder.
 1/2 Tsp. ground cumin.
 1 - Pkg. 10 oz. Frozen chopped spinach, thawed and chopped and
well drained.
 1-1/2 - cups chunky salsa
 1 - cup shredded cheddar cheese
 8 - Medium flour tortillas.
In a large skillet, brown ground beef over med. heat, 10-12 minutes or until
no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Pour off drippings. Season with chili powder,
cumin, 1/2 tsp.salt, 1/4 tsp.pepper. Stir in spinach and salsa. Heat through and
remove from heat. Stir in cheese. Heat tortillas. Spoon about 1/2 of beef mixture
into center of tortilla, fold bottom half and fold the sides to the center. Serves 8.
To dry, spread in foil lined cookie sheet, sprayed lightly with any light oil.
Place in a 140 degree oven and prop open the door 2-4 inches; Let dry for about
6 hours. Let cool and pack in a Ziplock bag. Store in a cool place. (I keep mine in
the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.)
Note: I added cheese fresh last time.
To reconstitute, put dry Burritos mix in medium pot and cover with water.
Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until cheese is melted. Serve on a warm
tortilla. Serves 8.
Quote:”If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door."
Milton Berle
Protein-power Cereal
Bag together:
 1 - Cup Quick oatmeal
 1/3 - Cup Toasted Wheat Germ
 1/3 - Cup Chopped Roasted Peanuts
 1/4 - Cup each; raisins, dried apples or apricots,
 sun flower seed kernels chopped
 1/2 - Cup instant dry milk
 1 - Tbsp. date sugar
In camp:
Either add 1-1/2 cup cold water mix and eat OR add mix to 2 cups boiling
water, stir and simmer gently for 2 minutes. Serves 3.
Peppy Margarine
Blend at home and pack into a “Gerry tube”.
Soften margarine and blend in chopped fresh or dried parsley, basil, and
celery seed to taste. Spread on crackers or bread. Any leftovers can go into
soups, main dish or breakfast eggs.
Koosah(sky) Mountain Stew
At home, pack into a 1 quart zip-lock bag:
 1 - Packet sour cream mix.
 1/4 - cup instant dry milk.
 1/4 - cup grated Parmesan cheese.
 1/4 - tsp paprika.
 Also pack:
 large clean but unpeeled potato.
 1 - 6-1/4 ounce can boned turkey.
 1-Two serving package of freeze dried green beans OR two handfuls
fresh green beans.
In Camp:
Cut the clean, unpeeled potato into small discs and cook it and the green
beans for about 6 minutes in 2-1/2 cups of boiling water. While this simmers, add
1/2 cup of cold water to sour cream sauce bag, seal and knead bag until well
mixed. In the can, cut the turkey into bite sized pieces. When the “veggies”
tender, add the sauce mix and turkey. Stir well and heat through. Makes 2 big
servings.
Chili Cranberry Chicken
Ingredients
 1/2 cup Chili sauce.
 1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce.
 2 -T orange marmalade
 1/8 – tsp. ground allspice
 4-6 skinless boneless, chicken breast halves.
 2-tsp. vegetable oil
Instructions
Combine first four ingredients; set aside. In a large skillet slowly brown the
chicken on both sides in oil. Pour reserved chili sauce over the chicken. Simmer,
uncovered, 8 -10 minutes or until chicken is cooked and sauce is desired
consistency. Turn and baste occasionally. Makes 4-8 servings.
Special Curried Chicken & Rice
Ingredients
 3-Boned,skinless chicken breasts.
 4-Garlic cloves, crushed
 1/2-Medium onion diced
 1/2 Green pepper, diced
 1/4-cup or one small box raisins (2 oz.)
 1-Tbsp olive or vegitable oil
 1-Tbsp curry powder
 1-1/2 Tbsps sugar
 1/4-Tsp mustard powder
 1/2 Tbsp vinegar
 1/4-Tsp salt
 1/4 Tsp Cayenne pepper
 1-8 oz. Can garbanzo beans
 1-8 oz. Can green peas
 1/4-Tsp Gumbo file' or 1/2 Tbsp flour
 1 Cup rice
 1 Cup water
Procedure
At home: Mix the ingredients in a small bowl, except beans, peas and rice.
Cut chicken into 1/2" strips. Mix all ingredients and place into a plastic Zip Lock
bag and the double bag it. (It may be desirable to freeze chicken strips).
At camp: Stir all ingredients in a bag until well mixed. Pour into pot and cook
until chicken is well cooked. Add drained peas and Garbanzo beans. Meanwhile
cook rice until to your taste. Pour chicken and all other ingredients over rice and
serve. (Serves 3) 3 medium spuds, diced, add to the chicken while cooking.
A thick, crusty French bread and a small green salad will go nicely with this.
Oatmeal Trail Mix
Ingredients
 1-1/4 Cups of Oats (or combination of Oats, Bran, Wheat Germ.)
 3/4 Cup of powdered milk
 1 T Plain gelatin
 1 Cup of dates, apricots, or other dried fruit chopped.
 1/2 Cup of raisins
 3/4 Cup of chopped nuts and sunflower seeds.
 6 T Honey
 1/4 t Grated orange or lemon peel.
 4 T Water.
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix the honey, water and
citrus peel. Combine second mixture with the first. Knead with hands until
thoroughly mixed. Press into a baking pan to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Bake at 150
degrees for about 6 hours. Don't let it brown! It burns easily. Cut into bars 1" x 2"
or larger, wrap in wax paper. Store in a cool place until needed. May be eaten in
bar form or crumbled in water or milk as a breakfast cereal.
Quote: "Be thankful for problems. If they were less difficult someone with less
ability might have your job.
Polish Delight
Ingredients
 1 - 8 oz. pkg. Mahtma Red Beans and Rice
 1 - 6 inch piece of Keilbasa (Polish sausage)
 3-1/4 cups of water
 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
Procedure
Slice Kielbasa into 1/2" slices, pit into pan and add 3-1/2 cups of water. Bring
to a boil; add beans and rice mixture and 1 tbsp. butter or margarine. Lower heat,
stir and simmer for 20 minutes, stir, and remove from heat, cover and let stand
for 5 minutes before serving.
"Tip" - we browned the sausage before adding water ad the beans and rice mix,
cook as directed, either way is good. If you are concerned about the "fat" content,
use turkey sausage and skip the butter or margarine. We used this on the last
two treks and everyone like it. All ingredients bought at the local Safeway store.
Country Rice and Beans with Chicken and Sausage
Ingredients
 8 oz. Boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in strips
 8 oz. Smoked sausage, sliced
 1/3 cup coarsely chopped onion
 1 - Tbsp butter or margarine
 3-1/4 cups water
 1 - 8 oz. pkg Farmhouse Red Beans and Rice
 1/3 cup coarsely chopped green pepper
 1/3 cup coarsely chopped celery
Procedure
In large sauce pan, sauté chicken, sausage and onion in butter or margarine,
5 to 7 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add water, beans and rice,
contents of seasoning packet, green pepper and celery. Bring to a boil; cover;
reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Makes 6-8
servings
Note: If you cannot find the Farmhouse brand at your store, you can
substitute the Mahatma brand Red Beans and Rice. Same size package.
One-Pan Tomoto Basic Chicken
Ingredients
 1 - pkg of Rice-A-Roni chicken flavor
 1 - Pound boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 4 halves)
 2 cups Broccoli flowers
 1 - Medium tomato, chopped
 1 - tsp. dried basil
 1 - cup shredded mozzarella cheese ( optional)
Procedure
In a large skillet, sauté rice-vermicelli mix as the package directs. Stir in 2
cups of water, chopped chicken and contents seasoning packet. Bring to a boil
over high heat. Cover. Reduce heat to low, simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in
broccoli, tomato, and basil, cover and simmer 5-10 minutes or until most of the
liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.
Note: This takes about 30 minutes counting prep time and cooking time. I
suggest it be used on a week-end campout where fuel supplies are not critical.
A Farmer's Breakfast
Ingredients
 6-Slices of bacon, diced
 1-Tbsp of butter or margarine
 1/2-Tbsp medium sized green pepper, finely chopped
 1-Small onion, chopped
 2-Medium potatoes cooked and chopped.
 4-Eggs
 1-cup of milk
 1/2-tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
Preparation
Fry bacon slowly in frying pan. Pour off some of the rendered fat and replace
with butter. Add green pepper, parsley and onion. Cook until just starting to
brown. Then add potatoes (or brown them with onion if you prefer). Stir
frequently to prevent burning. Beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper.
Pour egg mixture into frying pan, stir just enough to incorporate evenly, and then
cook over low heat to simmer until set. Cut into wedges and serve hot. Serves 4.
Home Dried Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
 1-Pound lean ground beef
 Medium yellow onion - chopped finely
 Garlic cloves - minced finely
 Tsp salt
 1/8 tsp Black Pepper
 5 oz. cans tomato paste
Procedure
Brown the meat and onion together. Set the pan on a slant until the fat
collects in the bottom of the skillet, then spoon off as much of the fat as possible.
(I use a turkey baster) Add the garlic, salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste and
cook for 5 minutes. It won‘t seem like sauce since you haven‘t added any water.
Divide the mixture, if necessary, into two parts. Spread it as thin as possible on a
greased cookie sheets. Dry the sauce in the oven set at 140 degrees for about 6
hours with the oven door propped open about 4-5 inches. The dried sauce will be
crumbly, but be sure not to over dry.
To reconstitute, add and equal amount of water, bring to a boil, lower heat
and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
This is the original recipe as printed in Boots and Blisters a few years back. I
have been using this on treks since, but I have been making variations on it since
the original was printed. I have now reached what will be our standard from now
on.
Variations
1 Medium green pepper chopped.
3-4 Small mushrooms chopped.
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 More large clove garlic minced.
I have always recommended that when you try a new recipe to do it exactly
as printed and then you can go wild with the variations to suit your taste. Have
fun.
— Ed Davis, "The fair weather camper."
Special Curried Chicken & Rice
Ingredients
 3-Boned,skinless chicken breasts.
 4-Garlic cloves, crushed
 1/2-Medium onion diced
 1/2 Green pepper, diced
 1/4-cup or one small box raisins (2 oz.)
 1-T olive or vegitable oil
 1-T curry powder
 1-1/2 T sugar
 1/4-Tsp mustard powder
 1/2 T vinegar
 1/4-Tsp salt
 1/4 Tsp Cayenne pepper
 1-8 oz. Can garbanzo beans
 1-8 oz. Can green peas
 1/4-Tsp Gumbo file' or 1/2 Tbsp flour
 1 Cup rice
 1 Cup water
Procedure
At home: Mix the ingredients in a small bowl, except beans, peas and rice.
Cut chicken into 1/2" strips. Mix all ingredients and place into a plastic Zip Lock
bag and the double bag it. (It may be desirable to freeze chicken strips).
At camp: Stir all ingredients in a bag until well mixed. Pour into pot and cook
until chicken is well cooked. Add drained peas and Garbanzo beans. Meanwhile
cook rice until to your taste. Pour chicken and all other ingredients over rice and
serve. (Serves 3)
SOURCE: A creation of Gary Bailey SA. Troop 137 and tested in the field.
Variation
3 medium spuds, diced, add to the chicken while cooking.
A thick, crusty French bread and a small green salad will go nicely with this.
Pepperoni Egg Pizza
This isn’t a traditional Italian dish. Serve over pita bread or tortillas. Serves
four people.
Ingredients
 2 T olive oil
 8 eggs (Fresh or powdered equivalent)
 4 oz pepperoni or other hard sausage or dehydrated mushrooms
 4 oz green peppers, fresh or dehydrated
 1 small onion, or equivalent in dehydrated product
 2 T olives or garlic
 Parmesan cheese (Buy in a chunk, cut up as needed. It keeps better
that way.)
 1 cup pizza sauce (Tomato paste in a tube + dry pizza seasoning =
pizza sauce)
 Pita or tortillas (Both are for the most part indestructible.)
Instructions
Sauté onion and green pepper in the olive oil. Drain, add pepperoni or
mushrooms, and cook for about 2 minutes. Scramble or otherwise prepare the
eggs and add to skillet. Add sliced olives. Stir constantly until done. (Make sure
that mushrooms and pepper, pepperoni, olives, and onion are well mixed).
Once the eggs are cooked, add pizza sauce and Parmesan cheese on top.
Ember Cooking w/RecipesHow To
A cook who wants to foil toil in their outdoor kitchen could use the same
product that's popular in home kitchens - aluminum foil - but they had better get
the heavy weight that's usually designated for freezer use. The thinner type
works fine for wrapping sandwiches or leftovers but doesn't provide enough
protection against punctures or extreme heat.
When foil is wrapped as an airtight package around food, finishing off with a
drugstore or sandwich fold, it becomes a small-scale pressure cooker. When
placed in a bed of hot coals with some heat on top, diced vegetables and meat
cook in 10 to 15 minutes in this package, and whole potatoes in 40 to 50
minutes. Be sure to allow some space for expansion in the package by not
wrapping the raw food too tightly. If you want food to brown or to broil as in a
skillet, leave the package open at the top (or fashion like a folded drinking cup
with a flat bottem). This allows the steam to escape and makes it possible for you
to watch the progress too.
Drug Store Fold
Place foil on flat surface. Place food in center.
Fold sides up to make a "tent". Hold top edges together and fold together.
On each open end, bring together and fold
Recipes
All Recipes Serve 12 People Unless Otherwise Noted (NOTE: I have not
tried any of the shrimp or fish recipes, I don't like fish!)
BANANA BOATS
For One Boat
1 Banana
12 Small Marshmallows
Chocolate Chips (small handful)
Peel back a long strip of banana peel on the inside of the curve, leaving one
end attached to the banana scoop out some of the banana and fill with
marshmallow, chocolate (and raisins if you like) Replace the strip of peeling and
wrap in foil
Bake in the embers (about 15 to 20 minutes) until banana, chocolate and
marshmallows are melted and blended.
SHRIMP BARBECUE
 4 lbs Large Green Shrimp
 1 Cup Butter or Margarine
 1 Large Clove Garlic, Minced
 1/2 tsp black pepper
 1 tsp salt
 1 cup parsley, minced
Peel and clean shrimp. Cream butter; add remaining ingredients to the butter
and mix well. Cut 6 9-in strips of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Then cut each strip in
half. Divide shrimp equally on each piece of foil. Top each with 1/12 of the butter
mixture, bring foil up around shrimp; twist tightly to seal Place shrimp packet on
embers. Cook 5 minutes.
STUFFED TROUT
 12 Medium Trout
 3 Medium Onions, chopped fine
 1/4 lb butter or margarine
Clean the fish thoroughly; salt and pepper the insides
Fill each fish about 3/4 full with onion and put a pat of butter on the top of the
onion. Wrap each fish separately in aluminum foil. Bury in hot embers. Bake 20
to 25 minutes.
HAMBURGER DINNER
 12 Potatoes
 12 Carrots
 1 Large Onion
 3 lbs Hamburger
 salt, pepper
Cut up potato in small pieces. Cut carrot into sticks. Dice onion. Make a pat
of 1/4 lb hamburger, 3/4 of an inch thick. Place the ingredients side by side on a
piece of aluminum foil. Season; wrap in foil and put packet in the embers
Cook 10 to 20 minutes
Other combinations can be used, such as: Ham, pineapple, and sweetpotatoes, Chicken, onions, and potatoes, Hot Dogs and onions, Hot Dogs with
cheese and bacon, Hot Dogs with apples and cheese.
BEEF STEW
 3 lbs beef cut in 1-in. chunks
 12 bacon slices (about 3/4 lb.)
 12 tomatoes
 6 onions
Place 1/4 lb. Of beef, 1 slice of bacon cut in pieces, slices of onion and
quarters of 1 tomato in aluminum foil packet. Cook in embers 30 to 40 minutes.
PIGS IN BLANKETS
 4 Cups Flour
 2 Tbsp baking powder
 1 tsp salt
 3 Tbsp sugar
 6 Tbsp shortening


Water or milk for desired consistency.
24 link pork sausages (or, canned Vienna sausages, little polskies,
etc)
Mix dough as for biscuits. Pinch off small pieces of dough and flatten into
strips or elongated patties. Wrap each sausage link (which has been seared in a
hot skillet) in a strip of dough. Knead the sides of the dough together so that the
sausage is completely covered. Wrap in foil and cook for 15 minutes
POTATO-ONIONS
12 Medium Potatoes
 12 Medium Onion, sliced in rounds
 Salt, pepper
 1/4 cup Butter or Margarine
Cut potato into 4 crosswise slices. Spread butter on each side of the slices.
Cut ½ onion in rounds and place between potato slices; salt and pepper them.
Secure slices with toothpicks or skewers. Wrap these potato-onions tightly in foil
Bake in embers 30 to 40 minutes.
APPLE DELIGHT
 12 Large Apples
 4 Tbsp Sugar
 3/4 Cup Biscuit Mix
 Raisins
 3 Tbsp cinnamon (or to taste)
Core and chop 1 apple in fairly large pieces. Peeling if desired. Mix 1 tsp.
Sugar, a few raisins and cinnamon to taste with 1 Tbsp. Biscuit mix; stir into
chopped apple. Wrap in a piece of greased aluminum foil, leaving sufficient
space for steam. Cook in the embers approximately 30 to 45 minutes (The juice
of the apple moistens the dough sufficiently.)
BAKED APPLES
 12 Large Ripe Apples
 1 Cup Nuts
 1 Cup Coconut, shredded
 12 dates
 1 Cup brown sugar
 12 Marshmallows
Remove the core from the apples. Be sure not to cut through the skin at one
end. Fill the hole with nuts, dates, and coconut. Sprinkle well with brown sugar.
Wrap with foil and place in coals. When tender, toast a marshmallow and put it
on top of the apple.
APPLE COBBLER
 4 Cups apples, sliced
 1 1/3 Cup sugar
 1 tsp cinnamon
 2 Cups biscuit mix (or pie crust mix)
 2 8-in pie pans
Mix sugar and cinnamon with sliced apples and cook in saucepan until
apples are tender. (Canned apple slices can be used instead) Put cooked apples
in shallow pie pans. Prepare dough from biscuit or piecrust mix and roll it with a
round jar or small log between two pieces of wax paper. Place a circle of dough
on the pie filling. Set on a sheet of foil, leaving half of foil exposed. Fold exposed
portion on three edges up and over the pie pan to form a small oven
Set either on the ground or on rocks before a hot blazing fire. The portion of
the pie under the foil will brown first from reflected heat
Turn pie within the foil oven to brown evenly
Bake 15 to 20 minutes
Simple Recipes
Twists / Green Stick Cooking / Kebabs
The simplest form of this is to simply 'twist' some doe around a green sapling
branch. And roast the doe over the fire.
You could try some variations on a twist mixture ... e.g. sugar and cinnamon
in the dough should be quite tasty. I've never tried it myself (just thought of the
idea) but I will next camp.
Kebabs are good - I buy the bamboo skewers. You can put all sorts of stuff
on them. Steak, onions, peach, potato and kiwi fruit is not bad and it will get the
kids' attention.
Cooking on open fires is one of those things that really get a youngster into
Scouting. One favorite Kebab is (Sausage, mushrooms, pineapple etc), on long
metal skewers. Wrap the ends of the skewers in damp cloth so the lad’s hands
didn't get too hot). Using a hot-dog bun to put their cooked kebab in stopped any
hot skewers causing any problems. Chose metal skewers so that the heat cooks
the food on the inside as well as the blackened, charred outside
Tin Can Cooking
Another technique is to get a large tin can, cut air holes in the bottom and put
it in the embers. Then you can fry eggs on the " hot plate " using slices of
grapefruit skins as egg rings.
An Egg in an Orange
Cooking an egg in an orange. This one is easy. Give everyone an egg and
an orange. Cut of the top of the orange. Empty the orange with a spoon so that
the egg can be placed in the empty shell. Put back the part of the orange you cut
off and place it in a (small) fire. The egg will be boiled in the juice off the orange!
Silver Turtles / Foil Cooking / Hobo Dinners
We have found that making "silver turtles" does a great job of keeping
interest and it is also a very easy, assembly line type preparation that works well
with a larger group of young scouts.
Take a double piece of aluminum foil, put a hamburger patty on it, a little bit
of butter or margarine, and any or all of the following ingredients which the scouts
all make and cut up together: carrots, potatoes (thinly sliced so they will cook
fast), onions, and anything else you can think of. The boys all cut up the
vegetables and we line everything up on foil and they go down the line and put
anything on that they want. When they are done, the foils are wrapped and
sealed and then placed on the fire. The boys need to watch just where theirs was
placed. The fire should not be a high flaming fire, but more like coals - in fact
barbeque coals work nicely too. Within 10-15 minutes, you can start pulling them
off the fire (don't forget something to pull them off with) and the scouts can eat it
right out of the foil.
Smores (aka chocolate biscuit sandwiches)
Roast a marshmallow on a green stick (or long clothes hanger). When done,
make a sandwich of the marshmallow, two graham crackers and a piece of a
chocolate bar.
Bananas in Foil
Split the banana down the middle and pack the middle with chocolate buttons
before wrapping in foil and putting into the embers. Everything goes nice and
chocolaty and gooey.
How about some spiders?
Cut hot dogs in quarters, length wise 1/3 of the way from each end. This
leaves a solid center to put on a stick or hot dog fork. Cook over open fire (the
spider's legs will curl), serve on a _hamburger bun_! Cubs love 'em.
Ants on a log
Celery covered with peanut butter and topped with raisins.... Great appetizer.