Scouts: Hurkey Creek Campout!

This was a unique campout for two reasons.  First, It was an all family campout rather than just a scout campout.  Second, It was a build-your-own shelter camp. Meaning that you had to lash(tie) a shelter out of poles and tarps.  More pics after the break.  WARNING: 97 pics.  Not for your Aunt's old Dell.  Nevermind.

Unfortunately,  we had no trees nearby, so I had to build a shelter rather than just tying my hammock to a tree.  The ride there was fine.  Little traffic, and not too bumpy.  I boiled some eggs for the ride as well. 

 

However, at a toll booth, we were shocked to find out it only accepted change.  Then, we were even more shocked to find out we were $0.75

 short!!  As we were backing out of the toll booth,  Luke, from the Ninja Cat patrol finally found his emergency money.  It had $1 in quarters. YEAAA!!!! HIGH FIVE. YAY.   A few road pics. 

Our patrol flag

Anyways, when we got there, we spent the next 5 hours building our shelters.  

5 Hours

+

3 scouts

+

50 ropes

+

56 poles

+

8 tarps

=

OUR SHELTER.

This isn;t complete.  Just a pic break.

Notice the wood cot I made. 

I used a sleeping pad to smooth it out.

Wubz also made a cot.  He wasn't very experienced with floor lashings so it took him a while.   Wubz made his cot while Daniel and I were building the shelter, so I was pretty upset for a few minutes when he moved into our finished shelter. >:(

Oh well.  Wub was on his cot most on the time, so I didn't get a picture of it.  It flashes through a vid later.

Crushed wheat. You're doing it wrong.

Anyways, our completed shelter.  Kinda messy, but it was great inside.  A vid of the inside.

 

A wonderful team from the Ninja Cats helped me get the roof up.  

BTW The Ninja Cats are another patrol.  The DOC (me) is in good relations with the NCs.

Ahhh.

A Ninja Cat filling a bucket for..... For.... breakfast.

Me and a bro cooking.

Us using guidelines and lashed poles to set up our flagpole.

Our awesome shelter. 

My dad is a big fan of biking, and so he borrow Amaranthine's camera.  Then, while he was gone, a bat conveniently landed on a wall outside the bathroom.

This could be my new blog template!

Later we went on a hike for the Geocaching merit badge.  5 miles.  4:00.  The intense heat could only be described by those who have experienced it.

1 out of 3 people crossing this treacherous bridge fell in.  Including Wubz. 

Unfortunately, as we were cooking delicious chiken burgers, disaster struck.  I was walking back from the dumpster after throwing away a dirtied chicken bag when, Ziiip!   A crazy biker scout cut one of our shelter guidelines.  Oh! Woe! What little it takes to bring ruin upon thyself!!

Clonk! WeeeEEeeeeEW  Crunch.  Spat.  Zipp.  

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I couldn't get a pic because my camera was buried under about 60 pounds of mangled rope, pole, and tarp.

~BEEEP~

And to top it off, it was exactly 2pm.  Tarps, as plastic,  after sitting in the sun for 3 hours, as you know, get hot.  I walked over the the rubble and started digging.  YEOOOWW!!! Wubz said

"Jro, it's no use. It's too hot to attempt to rebuild or repair."  

Unfortunately,  Wubz was right.  After we returned from our hike, I began to rebuild.  It was about 7pm, so Daniel make the tough choice that it was every man for himself.  

"Hellooo."

"Hm?"

It was Nathan.  A fresh squirrel.  Oh yea.  In scouts, a squirrel is a rookie, anyone below First Class.  

Due to my struggling reputation to be helpful, and my awesomeness. Ok maybe not.  Then "EM4HS" meant "I build a shelter for Nathan as well."

The big one is Nathan's.  Just kidding.  Call me a jerk, but he didn't help with my original shelter, so I can't be blamed.  So never ask me to build you something if you don'y provide the materials. :-D  a

Actually, the houses have the same 2 tripod design.  My house just had a bigger tarp.

And larger tripods.

 

Anyways, on the last day, we packed up, and you can see the amount of material needed for the shelter.  Lemme add that Nathan didn't help get any of the materials cause he came on he second day, so he kinda deserved the cheap shelter.

56 poles

About 50 ropes

8 tarps

The total.

A wonderful campout.  Summer camp and a backpacking trip is in September.  I'm taking the wilderness survival MB which involves sleeping in an improvised shelter so I'll see if I can't get any pics of that.  I must add that it's important to make the most of each opportunity.  I spent a good amount of time sulking on Saturday after my shelter collapsed.  Well, I guess that's all for now.

So much to do

So little done.