21 October 2008
Taking Care of Yourself
Posted by admin under: Equipment .
Another great post at thescoutmasterminute.com. This time it’s about your gear. It’s a simple reminder, but I’ve seen more than a couple of outings where the boys allowed themselves to get grumpy because they had to suffer the consequences of not taking care of their gear. This advice is always timely.
Tonight as we stored the Troop gear from this weekends camp out, I noticed that some of our gear was starting to show signs of neglect. Now I know that it was not intentional, but at the same time it served as a great illustration of why we need to take care of our gear. Some of the gear we found tonight would need some serious attention and if we needed it tomorrow, it would not be available.. it would not take care of us.
Tonight, the young men of Troop 664 heard what my Dad and my Squad leader told me 22 and 12 years ago. And it’s still a fact… IF YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR GEAR… IT WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU.
So here are some tips.
When you come home from a camp out.
1. Hang your tent up.. get it dry. Even if it was only a little damp.. hang it up. A little moisture can destroy your tent.
2. Hang your sleeping bag. Let it air out and let the fibers decompress. Then store it in a big bag..loosely.
3. Wash your mess kit. Even if it got cleaned at the camp out… throw it in the dish washer for a good cleaning.
4. Wash and air out your water bottle. A great way to get sick is not to clean out your water bottle.
5. Empty your pack. Get all the dirty clothing out and into the laundry.
6. Inventory your gear and make sure you have everything. Check the batteries in your flashlight or head lamp.
7. Check your First Aid kit. Do you need to replace anything, band aids, tape, mole skin?
8. Check your stove. Is it in good shape? Do you have enough fuel for the next trip?
9. Make sure your rain gear is dry and in good shape.
10. Pack it all back up in a few days. Note anything that may be missing or needs to be replaced.
Take care of your gear. Know what you have, how you use it, and keep it in good shape. If you take care of your gear…it will take care of you. I promise.
Have a Great Scouting Day!
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- CampingBlogger Breaks Down Buying Gear
- REI’s January Clearance Sale is On
