Winter 1993 — #74

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The Chairman's Corner

Planning for Summer

1993 is now upon us and I imagine that many of you are deeply involved in trek planning. Your San Francisco Bay Area Council High Adventure Team has under way plans for this year's leadership training schedule including additional seminars and a one-day risk management "re-certification" course.

Before launching into details of new ventures, I want to thank and commend Pat Magee (Golden Gate Troop 14 and Vice Chairman of H.A.T.) for conducting the first H.A.T. Adult Winter Camp Awareness Training. His effort in organizing, orchestrating, securing qualified and enthusiastic instructors and keeping the course "tempo" lively, was outstanding. I'm sure that the 75 plus Scouters in attendance found the information presented quite useful. At least I did not see any "bobbing" heads through the four hour Saturday morning sessions. And how about that quiz? I'll bet you will all remember the course pointers!

My colleagues, the High Adventure Team Chairmen from several Northern California Scout Councils have been seriously discussing the concept of re-certification for the past two years. At last month's San Francisco Bay Area Council coordinating meeting, the Camping Committee approved a re-certification proposal. This proposal authorizes a full day refresher course, focusing on Leadership, Health and Safety, and an updating of current National B.S.A. policies regarding High Adventure.

This year's one day re-certification course is scheduled for May 8th. The details will be found in the next edition of the Bay Area Scouter.

Anyone who took the H.A.T. training prior to and including the calendar year 1987 should plan to attend. (Editor's note: Boots & Blisters does not go to certified Scouters after 5 years. Please pass on this information to anyone you know whose card is dated 1987 and beyond.)

The 1993 Basic Backpack Awareness Course is scheduled for October 23-24 and November 13-14, two full weekends.

Finally, depending upon the level of interest and availability of competent instructors, we are planning seminars, similar to the Winter Awareness Seminar, on canoeing and cycling. Anyone who has an interest in those topics should contact me at (510) 530-3205 as soon as possible if we are to set in motion any new programs for this year.

Summer Trek 1992

Last Summer Troop 186 of Newark went on a 50 miler. The group consisted of 10 boys and 5 adults. The trek began at Leavitt Meadow Campground and took us to Dorothy Lake some 17-18 miles to the south. At Dorothy Lake you are within the boundary of Yosemite National Park.

Forsythe Peak above the lake is a magnificent sight and some of the adults and Scouts, 15 years and older, hiked to the top of the peak which put them at approximately 11,400 feet. A tremendous view! Other members of the group hiked to Tower Lake and Emigrant Lake before leaving the area.

On the way to Dorothy Lake, we camped at Fremont Lake and Cinko Lake. On the return leg we camped at Piute Meadow where the trail crosses the Walker River which flows from Tower Lake.

We also camped at Roosevelt Lake, east side, and were able to observe otters crunching on crayfish. Guard your fish well at this lake! The fishing was marvelous at most of these lakes. Do expect to dodge pack animals due to the pack station on the edge of the meadow. The fewest miles traveled came in at 47 and the most miles traveled came in at 58.

(This report was submitted by Kenneth Ott, Scribe of Troop 186, Mission Peak District, located in Newark. Boots and Blisters thanks him for his effort. We encourage Troops to submit reports on their treks so that others can profit from their experience.)

Tire Chains Tip

A tip that seems to have merit where a spare tire is available was offered by Scouter James E. Lemison, Troop 254 at the H.A.T. Winter Camping Awareness course; "Put chains on your spare tire at home and store inside your car. When necessary to install chains, jack up the car and remove one wheel and install the spare with chains. Put chains on the wheel removed and jack up and remove the opposite wheel and install wheel with chains." It's easier to remove lug nuts than to put on chains in the wet and snow.

"There is No Graduation Day
in The School Of The Woods"

A significant amount of the news that appears in the media is there because it is unusual. Stories of misadventure in the wilderness become news because they are scarce and stories of Scouts in difficulty make headlines because they are so rare. "Be prepared" is perhaps the finest motto Scouting could have adopted. Its application has served us well and it is the rare exception when Scout troops suffer misadventure.

The vast amount of help available to Scout leaders and the growth of experience prior to major wilderness undertakings is a prime factor in success. Perhaps there is an element of luck also, for many of us, on occasion, have come across Scout units totally unprepared for the activity in which they were engaged.

The training courses available for Scouters and Scouts allows those with limited experience an opportunity to share the accumulated experiences of many « there is no need to "re-invent the wheel." The availability of organized Scout camps for initial experience allows for the development and growth in skills at a safe and controlled environment where mistakes can serve as "training" rather than disaster.

Difficulties in the summer are less abrasive and consequences less severe than those that occur in the winter. As we approach the cold weather season we are made aware of the unforgiving nature of the elements. Supposedly knowledgeable people forget "be prepared" and pay the consequences, often, as we read, the ultimate.

The knowledge gained from training, coupled with training hikes to apply the skills to which trainees were exposed, will help maintain the high quality of Scout camping and backpacking. Utilize that training —it is a huge benefit to you and your Scouts.

Comfort on The Trail — A Warm Night's Sleep

If we recall the five ways the body loses the heat it generates, CONDUCTION (from the warm body to the cold ground or object), convection (from the warm body to the cold air, made worse by wind), radiation (the heat the body sends out), respiration (warm air breathed out, cold air breathed in), evaporation (cooling of body by vaporization of perspiration, both insensible and from exercise), we can take actions to make our night's sleep a lot warmer.

Conductivity can be overcome by insulating our body from the cold ground. A Thermorest sleeping pad or a closed cell foam pad will do this. Avoid air mattresses, as the unrestricted cold air will be in contact with your bag. Store any articles of metal before you are sacked out. Touching cold metal is a sure way of losing body heat.

Your greatest loss could be convection. Start with the selection of a site that will provide a warmer atmosphere around you. The colder it is outside, the colder it will be inside. Cold air settles and there can be a significant difference between daylight and night-time temperatures. Winds tend to blow into a valley at night, bringing cold air that seeks lakes, meadows, streams and hugs the low ground. By seeking a safe site fifteen feet higher, you may gain fifteen degrees of warmth. Trees and rocks on the South and West sides soak up heat during the day and radiate that heat at night. Snuggle close to those radiators but not if they are at the base of a cliff where dislodged boulders could bombard you like missiles. The winds could infiltrate your sleeping bag (value of a hood) if it is facing the wind, so check this. There is a lot of pleasure in sleeping in the open and viewing the wilderness sky with its uncountable stars. If it is windy however, the covering of a tent could add many degrees to your warmth.

The insulation around you and over your body is vital. That insulation is trapped, inert air. After a day of hiking the material in your sleeping bag will be compacted and hence will hold less air. So, with your buddy, fluff it up vigorously so it will attain maximum loft.

Remove all of the clothing worn during the day. It will be damp with perspiration and act as a remover of body heat. You will also perspire during your sleep (insensible perspiration). Ever wake up to find the outside of your sleeping bag covered with frost? Set your sleeping bag out in the sun every morning before stuffing it or rolling it and give it a good dose of old Sol on lay-over days. Keep your head out of your sleeping bag or you will load it with moisture that will cool you off dramatically in the early morning hours.

The thermal conductivity of water is 40 times as great as air. Wet clothing or a damp bag can extract heat at an alarming rate, far faster than dry clothing or a dry sleeping bag. Evaporation of your breath produces a cooling effect, but as breathing is slowed down during sleep this will not be a major factor. As mentioned, you will perspire so do not cover your sleeping bag with plastic or any other non-breathing material that will not allow this moisture to reach the outside surface of your sleeping bag « otherwise, you might wake up in a pool of perspiration.

Radiation of heat from your uncovered head and neck can rob you of up to 50% of the heat your body produces. If your sleeping bag does not have a hood, wear a wool knit cap or a balaclava. You can breath through the latter if need be. As you read this it may seem like a multitude of things for which to avoid or to be aware of. Surprisingly, once learned, most experienced outdoorsmen do them automatically.

One more admonition, take care of your bodily needs before retiring. It may be good judgment, on real cold nights, not to drink liquids after dinner. But then, a cup of delicious hot Jello may be worth one teeth-chattering dash latter on.

Body Warmth — Where Does It Come From?

The advent of cold weather means that we start to take steps to keep our bodies warm. We do this by increasing the type and amount of clothes we wear. But, does this clothing generate heat? From where does our body heat originate?

There are several external sources of warmth « the sun, fires, electric blankets, hot water bottles. Some feel that another kind of bottle supplies warmth, but this is misleading and perilous. Alcohol causes blood vessels to dilate, to become larger « this means a rush of warm blood to the surface of the cold skin that does warm the skin surface momentarily. This undoes the normal reaction of the body to keep the warm blood away from the cold skin surface. The cold blood, is forced unnaturally back to the inner core and that vital area is compromised. The same is true of nicotine. In real cold weather, alcohol and nicotine should be used judiciously if at all. When there is no sun, no electricity, no fires, where does that comforting warmth originate?

Make sure that your Scouts know that the only source of heat, where there are no external sources, is their own body!

The function of the clothes they wear and the sleeping bag they use is to store and utilize the heat they generate. Neither clothing nor sleeping bags can add a scant degree of heat to their body — these material things can only prevent body heat loss. This body heat is created by metabolism —the breakdown of the food they consume into the multitude of building blocks needed to keep the human bodily functions operational —heat is a by-product of that chemical action. The optimum body temperature is set at 98.6 degrees F. The heat generated by metabolism and the movement of muscles, is greater than that, and must be dissipated. When exercise and metabolism produce more warmth than is needed, the body will perspire and cool as this evaporates, which is desired in the summer. In the winter or cold weather this perspiration will dampen your clothing and with wind increase the drain of needed body warmth.

The body must function in balance — it cannot lose heat faster than it can produce heat.

There are schools of thought that think men were once covered with hair « when we get cold, we do develop "goose bumps." This causes what hair we have to rise and develop a small area of dormant air against our skin that does act as an insulator. Unfortunately it is no longer sufficient to do a satisfactory job. That is why we wear clothing to control heat loss. If we use too much clothing it causes excess sweating which is bad. So, clothing is worn in layers which can be removed and replaced as needed to control perspiration.

The expected impact of this article is that your Scouts will know that they alone are the source of their body heat « that garments and sleeping bags conserve the heat they generate. Food eaten and muscles moved (shivering is a method of producing heat) are what produce warmth and energy.

Your body provides the internal, and preparedness in your choice of garments, the external sources.

Protect yourself in cold weather « grasping cold objects, sitting on cold ground, leaning back on cold rocks or wearing wet clothing in the wind all result in the loss of valuable body heat. Prevent these and you can stay warm in cold weather.

Put Your Hat On...

Several years ago the expression "If you want to keep your feet warm, put your hat on" was popularized. The physiological basis for that statement is that the blood vessels in the head are not equipped to shrink the big word is vasoconstriction « when cold. That function is reserved for the feet, the hands, the arms and legs. When the body temperature plummets down, the blood flow that warms these extremities is restricted to insure that the brain and body core are kept at the required 98.6 F. degree temperature.

Keeping your head warm can substantially reduce radation heat loss from your body.

Most of us are aware that the brain cannot live without oxygen. Stoppage of blood for 3 to 5 minutes can result in irreversible damage. Because of that, the brain is programmed to give itself priority for the blood supply that carries the needed oxygen « and warmth. That is why there is no constriction of the blood flow to the brain « other body parts are expendable. Have you noticed how a cut finger tends to stop bleeding quickly, while a head wound seems to be hemorrhaging?

Warn your Scouts that "putting on the hat" is a before the fact action. Once that constriction takes effect, it requires a lot of warm blood to reverse it. Put your hat on, before your feet get cold « not after! By keeping the head warm by wearing a hat or a wool cap, and if real cold, a wool scarf around the neck (another part that gives off lots of heat) you will cause the body to get the message that it should not start pulling back needed blood and hence warmth from the extremities. This advice presupposes that good judgment has been exercised in the wearing of proper garments « a naked man with a hat on is not going to fare very well.

Equipment Report

Hand Warmers

"After a time he was aware of the first faraway signals of sensation in his beaten fingers. The faint tingling grew stronger till it evolved into a stinging ache that was excruciating, but which the man hailed with satisfaction. He stripped the mitten from his right hand and fetched forth the birch bark. The exposed fingers were quickly numb again. Next he brought out his bunch of sulfur matches. But the tremendous cold had already driven the life out of his fingers. In his effort to separate one match from the others, the whole bunch fell into the snow."

It is difficult for those of us who have never been "cold" to relate to that short excerpt from Jack London's tragic story of a "tenderfoot" lost in the Yukon in To Build a Fire. That excerpt reminds us of the need to keep the hands warm and functional for they are vital to survival in many situations.

Hand warmers come in a variety of devices.

When the body cannot maintain the warmth required, it may be time to think of artificial means and that brings up the subject of "hand warmers." For those not used to biting cold, it may not be out of order to think hard about having hand warmers available for emergency survival.

There are several types of hand warmers available. They can be classified as the combustion type or the contained chemical type.

The combustion type have been around longest. On uses a flammable fuel that provides heat from a small enclosed flame. The other is similar in size and shape, but uses a compressed charcoal stick. These give heat for the longest period. The liquid fueled type give heat for about 10 hours per filling and can be refilled. The charcoal stick version is good for about 8 hours and it can be refueled with a new stick. Both of these must be lighted with a match or a cigarette lighter.

There are cautions about the use of these two. One uses a volatile liquid fuel that if spilled on real cold skin can result in frostbite. The fuel sticks when ignited are hot and if not handled carefully, can spill out and burn the surface upon which they fall. Also, both "burn" and in doing so, consume oxygen and give off carbon monoxide. They should therefore never be used in tents, closed cars or any other enclosed habitat.

The chemical types are expanding in types and brands. They do seem to have some good points going for them « they are chemically harmless, no outside mixing, no matches to ignite, no filling and they require a minimum of finger dexterity, a factor in the cold.

They are available in a range of sizes and capacities. Some are disposable, a bad feature, in that they could end up as wilderness litter. Some are reusable by boiling, which tends to make them a "one time" use on winter trips where fires and fuel may be limited.

The B.S.A. catalog illustrates the "Grabber Mini Hand Warmer." It activates when the package is opened and the heat lasts for up to 7 hours. Small and inexpensive, it can be carried in your pocket. Also listed is the "Heat Solution", a larger unit. It converts instantly from liquid to 130 degree F. crystal when the metal disc is activated. Ron Wayne of Wilderness Supply in Castro Valley gave me a sample of this unit. His term is "tweaks" for activating the disc. His firm also has a larger version which uses a microwave oven to re-activate. When the liquid turns to crystals it will give about one hour of heat. This is the unit that can be re-used, over and over by boiling.

To repeat, the benefit of the chemical warmers is that they are clean, smokeless, odorless, not-toxic, dry and require no flame to activate.

As I have reviewed these words, there have been some doubts created about dependence upon their use. They are valuable for emergencies and should be a part of a survival kit for sure, maybe for short jaunts away from shelter. They have a finite life and if need is prolonged my be a bad item in which to put ones faith. The old dependable, a pair of thin finger-type gloves under a high quality pair of woolen mittens, good dependable socks of the types now available for warmth, will tend to assure warmth and comfort without dependency upon artificial help.

Still, if I were using the wilderness in winter, I think I would be sure to invest in these aids, just in case. As mentioned, these are available from the Scout Shop, Wilderness Supply in Castro Valley and most outdoor supply shops.

A Game Way of Teaching Backpacking Basics

A game most Scouts learn quickly is "Snatch the Bacon." Unfortunately it is a game that is sometimes overused. A few years ago I was introduced to a version of this game that suggests it can be a method of inculcating ideas about backpacking in a fun way. In this version, there are two "bacons", a red neckerchief for TRUE and a dark blue for FALSE.

Scouts are lined up and numbered as usual but in addition to the call of numbers the leader also makes a statement that is true or false. The players have an additional responsibility, they must still snatch and get back safely to their side, but they must also know the correct answer to the question asked. If they snatch the wrong bacon they also lose the point regardless of their success in getting back safely. Also, they leave the right bacon for the other player to secure without a contest.

This seems to have possibilities in emphasizing many of the tenants of backpacking basics in an enjoyable fashion. Creating suitable questions should not be difficult. Here are a few suggestions:

• The cleared circle around a wilderness campfire should be 20 feet in diameter. (FALSE)
• Switchbacks are helpful in going up, but are too slow going down. (FALSE)
• Fixing "hot spots" immediately can prevent blisters. (TRUE)
• All water in the Sierra is uncontaminated and need not be sterilized. (FALSE)
• Small caves and rock overhangs are super safe shelters in a lightning storm. (FALSE)

Scouting created the "playway of learning." This is another way that may be used to stress a number of
backpacking rules of the road in an enjoyable way \

Ed Davis' Cookout Corner

So you are planning to venture out into the "Winter Wonderland"? All that cold, wet, and nasty stuff call snow and have the time of your life???

Let's see what the "Old Fairweather Camper" can do to make it easier for you to fuel the body well enough to generate body warmth and the energy to have all that fun.

If you did some camping or backpacking last summer, I would assume that your menu totaled at least 3500 calories « well all you have to do is boost that to at least 4000 calories, and maybe, depending upon how cold the weather is and how strenuous your activities are, to 5000 calories.

For creature comfort you will probably be wearing heavy parkas, mittens, gloves, or both. You need to adjust your menus and eauipment lists to cut down on the needed pots and pans used at each meal. When you are dressed for cold weather, you will not be as handy with your cooking skills « in other words "clumsy." First, set up your winter kitchen. Get your group together and with skis, show shoes or boots, pack down your kitchen area, leaving a platform in the middle upon which to set your stove and the other equipment needed for assembling and cooking a meal. Put squares of Ensolite or some other insulation under your stoves. Use at least two stoves per group for ease of cooking and it will be quicker. Mittens and gloves limit the dexterity of hands trying to light stoves, manage spoons, pots, pans, food packages — but bare hands will invite frostbite.

I am assuming that in selecting your campsite you did this early while you were fesh and happy, in a protected area, not under a potential avalanche, dead trees or trees laden with snow that could fall on you. If possible this camp should be near a source of running water, otherwise you will have to melt show for water.

Melting snow is a time consuming, fuel consuming job. You must start that job with starter water from your water bottle, about 1" in the bottom of the pot. Do not feed snow into the pot too fast —pick the wettest snow you can find — icy, crusty or icicles.

Tip: If it is early in the day and the sun is shining, pick a level spot in the sun, make a depression in the center, place a large dark colored plactic bag over it, csatter some loose snow into the bag and let the sun do the work. It will help alot if you put some insulation under the bag. Now you have taken care of the water problem. Save and protect some of the water from freezing « wrap the container and put it deep in your pack, or better still, take it to bed with you in your sleeping bag!!

Now for the stoves...Don't plan on cooking on an open fire. It can be done, but it is easier to use stoves. An open fire is nice to keep your group warm and out of the ketchen area while the cooking is going on. Keep your cooking groups small and use two stoves per group. White gas stoves with a pump are recommended for winter camping. Butane stoves do not work well in cold weather, if at all. Propane stoves are heavy and bulky. Place your stoves in as stable an area as possible, keeping them close to each other so that their warmth will benefit both. Try to refill your stoves after each use and especially before going to bed. Take your stoves to bed with you.

Tip: Buy a few pairs of plastic gloves from the drug store. Wear them over your gloves when cooking and filling the stoves. Carry a few butane lighters. They are very handy in a windy condition. Protect stoves by using a windscreen.

Now for some cooking techniques « have all ingredients for a meal ready before lighting the stoves. The fewer motions around the stoves means less food spillage. Even the request that someone get something from a pack can be a problem when all are wearing parkas, ear muffs and there is plenty of sound absorbing snow. Try to keep from spilling, especially on mittens or gloves or anything that will be hard to clean and dry. Wipe the bottoms of pots before putting them on the stoves; water or moisture on the bottom will drip on the flame and can put it out.

Clean up right after all have eaten. Use snow to scour out your pots. Do not leave until it is frozen. dispose of all left-overs right away. The practice of saving the applesauce for breakfast just will not work. Carry margarine or butter in a chunk form or containers with a screw top rather than in the plastic "Jerry" tubes which do not work when frozen.

Tip: Fill a plastic jug with warm water and wrap it in some item of clothing and stuff it in the bottom of your sleeping bag. Have plenty of snacks. Ten to twelve hours is a long time to be inactive. Isometrics can generate only so much heat.

Now for some menu planning or menu adjustments. If you have recently taken a summer trip or have some menus left over from week-end campouts, you already have the basics for a winter campout. I am not going to plan a winter menu for you, only give you some ideas and hints so you can plan your own. What foods go well in the snow? Go through your summer menus. Make a list of the foods that are the simplest to fix, that are full of energy and a lift to the spirit. Pick the ones that are highest in calories for the weight. Remember we are talking about 1000 to 1500 calories over the total for summer. Don't overlook the perishables you could not carry in the summer time.

Add extra carbohydrates and fats to your menu. Carry extra margarine and cheese in your larder and add margarine or cheese to as many dishes as possible. If weight is no problem, if you are hauling a sled or driving to your campsite location, consider carrying cans of beef stew, tuna packed in oil and canned meat in gravy.

Carry lots of soups to replace liquids and salt lost due to activities during the day. At lease 3-4 quarts of liquids are lost by excretion through the kidneys, perspiration, and evaporation from the lungs. Eating clean snow is O.K. in small amounts. Large amounts will lower the body's core temperature dangerously due to the amount of energy and heat needed to convert snow to water.

Due to the need for more fuel (food) to warm the body, you will need to fit more fats in your menu. You may even find yourself craving that "greasy sausage and bacon" that you didn't want during the summer. Fats have 4000 calories to the pound, almost twice that of proteins and carbohydrates, so plan your menu on a basis of 50% carbos, the balance being fats and proteins, with the emphasis on fats. Keep plenty of hot drink mixes, soups, Tang and Jello on hand for "blizzard type" meals, something that does not have to be cooked, to be used if you are snowed in.

You can see that with a few important additions to your summer menu you will do very nicely. Also, your cooking skills are about the same, with a few added precautions. Go do it and have fun!

I will stay home until the white stuff turns brown and the sun comes out to warm these ancient bones. But remember, you are playing by a different set of rules, obey them wisely.

"The old fair weather camper"

Addendum: Cold Weather Tips

1. They say that below freezing the Peak 1 will be hard to start, so before pumping up spread some firelighting paste on the generator and light it off. When the flame goes out use the standard lighting procedure for the stove.
2. Warm feet ... 1/2 tsp. of Chili powder in each sock, shake well and put the socks on. I heard this hint on the Home Show last week and have not tried it. Use your own judgment on this.
3. Here is a silly fact from ABC's World News, 5:15 AM Friday 1/8/93 and I quote, "Hot water will freeze faster than cold water." Use this information as you see fit.

P.S. A parting thought«almost a requirement! For winter cooking plan one-pot meals. They are faster, plus they will stay warm while eating them.

The Pressure Cooker

Consider this useful utensil when weight is not a problem. It's a real handy tool for winter camping « fast cooking, fuel saving and easy to use. There are a few things to be careful about when using the cooker. For instance, when the steam escapes from the vent you must be able to turn your stove to simmer and then put the weight on the vent. This will rule out the use of most backpacking stoves which do not have simmer capabilities.

Increase cooking times at various altitudes, 5% for every 1000' above the first 2000'. (3000' - 5%; 4000 - 10%; 5000 - 15%; etc.) The pressure cooker would be very handy around the winter camp, especially where you will ski in towing a sled, or just drive in. The instruction book that comes with the pot when you bought it has a lot of recipes that will work well at a winter camp, plus some hints about the use of this pot. Try beef stew for high energy and flavorful eating. Ed Davis

First Aid Kits

Not long ago I determined to do a study on first aid kits. My objective was to go through all of the outdoor and backpacking books and compile what each recommended and from that determine a consensus and then a recommended list of needs. After a pile of books that was almost 15" high, I was disabused of that chore. There were some conclusions drawn.

1. There is no "one" first aid kit. Of the few that were checked in the books, there were none alike.
2. Your kit should be assembled based on what you can anticipate as needs, based on experience, age group for which the kit is being assembled, and trip difficulty.
3. Know how to use everything you select. Do not take anything you could not employ if needed.
4. I intended to write: "Make up your own kit. Commercial kits usually will not fit your needs." I have had second thoughts on the validity of that idea. In the August issue of Backpacker, Buck Tilton has an interesting article in which he suggests that some of the modern day commercial kits are "not all that bad." If you have access to Backpacker, that article is recommended. Dave Ellis, MD Ph.D. and Scouter outstanding from the Stanford Area Council and a member of the Area III Task Force, has compiled a comprehensive multi-page study on first aid kits and it is possible that it will be available at the planned re-certification course.

If it was not noted, please refer to Ernest Doclar's article in the May/June issue of Scouting Magazine.

The article recommends a first aid kit for Scouting treks.

Look Up! There's Beauty There

Winter brings overhead what is considered the most brilliant of the constellations, and one that delights the eyes of all beholders, the finest in the heavens. Orion, the Great Hunter, rises in the early evening about December 1st and sets in the western sky the middle of April.

Orion appears as a huge parallelogram with the first magnitude red star Betelgeuse at the upper left and another first magnitude blue star Rigel at the lower right. At the opposite corners are Bellatrix and Saiph, both second magnitude stars.

Almost midway in the parallelogram are the three second magnitude stars, Mintaka, Alnilam and Anitak which form the belt of Orion. Mintaka, the uppermost star is exactly on the celestial equator. This means that no matter where you are on Earth, this star will rise due East of you and set due West.

The three stars in the belt point down to the brightest star in the sky, Sirius with a magnitude of -1.58, and upwards towards Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus, the bull. To the ancients, Orion was pictured as having a raised club in his right arm and an extended lion skin in the left. He is warning off Taurus the bull and is followed by his hunting dog, Sirius.

Flammarion called this region the "California of the sky." No other constellation contains so many bright stars.

This constellation will not be visible during the months when your unit will be camping or backpacking, but one of the rewards of hiking in the wilderness areas is the panoply of stars visible at night, undimmed by city lights and pollution. Many enchanting hours can be spent lying on your back in your sleeping bag searching for the constellations of summer. This was the ancient shepherd's TV and their fantasy helped create the names and tales of the constellations that make the sky an engrossing storybook. At all three sessions I spent at Wente it was gratifying to see the interest of both Scouts and Scouters in the Astronomy Merit Badge, one that required late This illustration is from the first Handbook For Boys, 1911. night viewing. Knowledge of the circumpolar constellations was at one time a requirement for First Class. As these are visible all year long in the Northern Hemisphere, you might want to revive this interest in your Scouts on all of your campouts, year around.

It was Carlyle whose plaintive query lives on, "Why did no one teach me the constellations when I was a child?" "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt tried « he put stars back in the Scout Handbook he wrote.