You could go directly to your local LDS church and ask them. I was just trying to give you a less direct route.

BTW, most of our district roundtable meetings are pretty informative, most of the time they are worth going to. We even have a local UL expert do a presentation every year. We are working on getting the scouting program in this area to go lightweight.

LDS troops aren't always split up three ways. My first troop included 11-18 year olds. The way the troop is formed is based on how each church unit is split, and this is based on how many adults in a certain area, not how many boys. Because of this, sometimes you get troops with 30-40 boys between 11-18, and sometimes you get 5. This is usually determined by where you live (lots of young families=lots of boys, lots of old people= not so much boys), or the church member population in the area.

The biggest difference between LDS troops and others is how the leadership is formed, and how the troop acquires members. The church is all volunteer, so every position in the church is done voluntarily. However, you don't volunteer for a certain position, you just say you want to volunteer, then they ask you if you want to do a certain one. I was just asked to be the Scout Master. This also means that you get a lot of one time volunteer helpers that won't be scout leaders. They usually have another job in the church that they are doing, but they also have a boy in scouts, and want to go camping. My dad went on every camp out with my troop until I was maybe 14, but he was not a scout leader at that time. The way the troop acquires scouts is also different, generally. Our boys are generally church members with the occasional friend. They also have to live within the boundaries of your church group. If a church group gets too large, they split into smaller groups. This normally lowers the number of boys in an LDS troop. It is rare to see an LDS troop with patrols. A normal troop is the size of what a patrol should be. We do occasionally get together with other LDS troops. Anyways, hope this helps.

This thread is a little old, but there is currently a series of youtube videos on making a tarp-tent that may be of interest at

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=minibulldesign&view=videos

There is also a review of the same at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fXDcFfNwLs&feature=channel_page

I have a ~ 1MB Powerpoint presentation on Packing Light we've done for our troop and a few others. If BPL or someone else has a server to put it on, I'd be happy to provide it. I can try to put it on my site but that will take a little while.
Let me know if there is any interest.


Regards,
Mike
BPL (at) mikebarney (dot) net

Edited by eaglemb on 06/20/2009 21:23:03 MDT.

I'd like to see that............

I have a ~ 1MB Powerpoint presentation on Packing Light we've done for our troop and a few others. ...
Let me know if there is any interest.

Color me very interested!

> Color me very interested!

Ditto.

I'd recommend you just use sharebee.com to "store" it and let people download the file.

I hope this helps. You can find it at:

http://www.mikebarney.net/Pack%20Light%20rev2.ppt
Then hit save or open.

The goal is to find ways to share, and lightweight and inexpensive substitue gear.

I'm working on a more detailed PPT that goes into what it takes / means to have a 60 ,50 ,40, 30, 20 and 10 lb pack for Philmont, but this will take a little longer.


Regards,
Mike
Troop 40
Scottsdale, AZ

I really like this presentation. It states specifically what is needed and what is not, and how to get everything for incredibly low prices. Examples are always fun too and help people out. I will definetly show this at my next scout meeting and help my group keep up with me and not angry with me. (The original purpose of this thread finally solved).

I agree with a lot thats already been said many times over here. I think commitment to a mandatory meeting and a willingness to work collaboratively to develop light kits is paramount.
Though I wonder how new they are to backpacking? Do they need to know that there's a difference: traditional, lightweight, ultralight, and so on? Or could they just jump in to what we call "lightweight" even "ultralight" and that's what they know as backpacking? Why establish lightweight vs. traditional if they don't observe that comparison?
Just questions. Pleas help sort me out. Great thread.

Great Powerpoint. You need to add a page with your authorship detailed (unless I just missed that), and give us permission to use it!

Our troop also got a lot out of the "Lighten Up" DVD they sell at Gossamer Gear.

Tad - (and others)
At what point do you guys quit packing their bags for them?!? Pack inspections on every outing are no different then Mama packing their bags for them! (and yes I'm a mom!) I totally understand weighing the packs - we also do that, but whatever is in the pack is up to the scout. They have a list or know what they need to have and if they want to haul anything extra that's up to them - they just need to make the weight limit!
Regarding the new adults - let the scouts teach them. You'll really impress the parents if you allow the scouts to do the instructions. Don't have the child of the parent do the teaching, have another scout assist the parent with the set up. Regarding gear - it's either use what the troop has or bring your own. (better know how to set up your own!)
Something that struck me though is your TOTAL involvment. Is this the SCOUT'S program, or your personal backpacking group? (Don't shoot me! But....) Make sure the program that YOU ARE GUIDING is the SCOUT's OWN program!!! Also, if you have a child in this unit, your child deserves the opportunity to go on outings WITHOUT YOU!! I love camping & backpacking with my son's troop, but I also realize he needs the opportunity to do these things without me there, as do the other scouts who have parents involved. Pick a couple of outings and let everyone know ahead of time that you WILL NOT be attending and allow the other adults to guide the program. They will have a new found respect for all that you do!!
~ Sarah

Edited by SCKuhn on 06/22/2009 07:57:04 MDT.

Sorry - just realized there was a page 2 & how old this thread was!! Ugh! OK, its Monday!

I've found the best way to get the lightweight concept across is to lead by example. If you do it and show that you're still safe and warm and having an easier time (which means having more fun), there's no reason why they won't follow.

I now have 3 dads hanging like me in hammocks. I'm known as the Gearhead Scoutmaster and people ask my advise when they are ready to buy new, lighter gear.

I remember reading somewhere or hearing on a BPL podcast a conversation with Glen Van Pesky when he was on a scout backpack. He commented to a dad with a brand new, huge, full blown, 50 lb pack how cool it was. Then he asked if he could trade packs with him to check out the suspension. Of course he was trading off his 10 lb SUL pack. I kinda think that would get anyone's attention!

Edited by montclair on 08/03/2009 16:04:55 MDT.

Tad, Boy Scouts is about developing leaders...have the boys teach their fathers how to pitch the tarps. The humbling experience could motivate them to lear some on their own!

I email a gear list to those scouts signed up for the trip, and any adults signed up. If they are totally new to the troop, I check with them to see what gear they need. I have some loaners of packs, and rain coats, but rarely use the rain coats. Each parent assembles and carries their own gear, and sleeps solo. We often have as many adults as scouts.

I plan an easy backpack in the fall, usually 3 miles one way to an point of interest, like a waterfall or a hot springs. Ater the 3 mile hike, kids say "that was easy, so now I think I could do a 5 miler."

The troop has backpacking tents. Our scouts have shown zero interest in cooking anything but freeze dried food, or UL gear. Many of the parents have revived their earlier backpacking interest, and often get new UL gear. I don't know if the parents or the scouts buy the upgraded equipment, but in our troop its likely the parents. The scouts see my and some leaders lightweight gear, so they are exposed to the idea of light weight, but they don't feel the need.

After 3 years of this program, we fielded a 9 scout group of scouts to go to Philmont, and every pack was under 25 pounds, for the 14-15 year olds. This group was basically the first graduating class of the backpacking program, starting them backpacking at 11 years as they entered the troop. Our older scouts from 3 years ago, had no interest, no skill, and no experience with backpacking, except they knew they hated it.