Food – especially with young men – is a core part of a successful campout. Let’s face it – youth like to eat. Planning what to eat and preparing that food is also one of the most important things we can ensure the scouts are doing. Planning their own meals makes sure they don’t complain about it (of if they do, they can only blame themselves), help learn responsibility, gain critical life skills and confidence (they won’t always be at home and have someone cooking for them) and connect with one another.

We hold at least one backpacking cooking session at the beginning of each camping session, but the most common backpacking question I receive from Scouts (and their parents, as they provide support and ideas) is “What should I do for food?”. I often refer them to sites like TrailCooking.com or loan them some of my backpacking cookbooks (my favorites are LipSmacking Backpackin for freezer bag cooking and A Fork in the Trail for everything else). In some cases, I also like to share with them some of my common meals to act as suggestions or examples for them.

The following were the last two sets of meals I ate at Summer Camp and my 2012 Guys Backpacking Trip, along with general planning tips. These are good representations as I tend to either go all light/simple (like in the Summer Camp section) or fairly Gourmet (like the 2012 Guys Backpacking Trip). Both provide their own benefits. I’ll often cycle between them during the summer to provide some variety – and to match them with the trip style.

Principles to Follow

Backpacking meals can take many forms. I’ve seen spam, sardines, mountain house meals in every variety, dried mashed potatoes, ramen and much, much more on the trail. Regardless of what’s chosen, though, the following are important considerations when planning:

Light and Compact

Everything is carried. Find foods that pack as small as possible and that provide lots of calories per ounce. Snickers bars, dehydrated/freeze dried stuff. Ramen, instant potatoes, cous-cous, nuts, trail mix, power bars, etc. are all good choices. PLEASE repackage food when appropriate. Take out of bulky/heavy packages and place them into lighter options, like ziplock bags. They are great because they act like self-contained trash cans. All packed in trash must also be packed out. No cans, etc. Note that taking some foods out of their packaging can speed up spoilage, so approach this thoughtfully.

Variety

Some can live without variety. If so, great! It’s important to consider this, though. I’ve known some that need something different at each meal, while others ate oatmeal for breakfast and snacked on Power Bars and Ramen for everything else.

Spoil-factor

Bring foods that won’t spoil. Go down the self-safe aisles at your grocery store and you’ll be surprised. Self-safe chicken, tuna (in lighter, foil packaging that keeps them safe until opened), quick noodles like Ramen and more are all right there. Consider powdered milk, butter and eggs if needed. Cheeses and salty meats (salami, etc.) will stay good for several days if packed right. Buy/keep cheeses that come in their own small packaging, like individually-packaged string cheese, laughing cow cheese, etc.

Ease of cooking/cleanup

Package and plan with as little prep and cleanup as possible. Cooking gourmet doesn’t mean making a big mess! Getting hands and gear overly dirty in the backcountry can be difficult to clean and can attract unwanted animals (big and small). When in doubt, choose things that require almost no cleanup. For example, for breakfast I always bring oatmeal. While others cook oatmeal in their mugs/bowls that require cleanup, I always dump my oatmeal packets in the ziplock bag, add water and eat straight from the bag. Cleanup then consists of zipping up the empty bag, adding it to my small trash bag and licking my spoon clean. See the picture in the 2012 Guys Backpacking section, which shows several bags with oatmeal and hot chocolate – my morning breakfast bags! Having said that, note that when properly planned, a bit of cleanup is okay – just keep it simple and easy.

Also, try and keep lunches simple. Too many bring mountain house meals for lunch and have to boil water, add to bag, wait to rehydrate, etc. While this might be appropriate in some cases, it adds complexity. While I honor a scout’s choices, if they ask while planning, I recommend items that don’t need to be cooked. It’s okay to eat trail mix, dried fruit and candy the whole day! Dried, broken up ramen can also be very tasty…

Equipment

Plan for proper equipment. Just boiling water? Sharing a small stove and pot with 2-3 other scouts doing the same thing will work just fine. Saves lots of weight as one can carry the stove, one the pot and another the fuel. Going with something a bit more gourmet? Make sure to bring a pan with a non-stick coating. I’ve seen way more than my fair share of cheap aluminum mess kits with pancakes, meat or other items cooked on. That stuff is TOUGH, if not impossible, to get off in the backcountry. Either stay away from those meals or bring the right skillet. While sometimes pricey ($25 or so), they are very worth it.

Summer Camp Meals

I went light and simple at Summer Camp. Sorry – no pictures on this one.

Breakfast:

• Instant oatmeal packets, placed in freezer-quality ziplock bag. To eat, place the oatmeal in the bags and add water. Eat directly from the bags to save on cleanup.
• Hot chocolate, if desired.

Lunch:

• Bagel with salami and laughing cow cheese (these are individually packaged and can last several days in a cooler environment). Spread cheese on bagel, add salami. Eat. Bagels, tortillas and similar items are good because they won’t get as smashed as standard bread.

Dinner:

• Mountain House Meals (I like Spaghetti and Chili Mac with Beef the most, although all are decent).
• Eat all or half a Snickers bar right before bed (getting a mix of nuts and sugar keeps the internal engine working into the night, helping keep warmer). I’ll often have half a bar and share the other half with a scout that’s done something really kind that day – or just looks a little cold and can use some energyright before bed.

Snacks: Snickers bars, trail mix (I make my own out of nuts, M&Ms, dried fruit, yogurt covered raisins and craisins), drink mix like Crystal Light, other candy if desired (gummi bears, etc.), beef jerky.

Equipment Needed:

• Stove to boil water (a light stove/pot, a Jetboil, an MSR Reactor, which is what I often use, etc.).
• Spoon to eat with. I LOVE my long-handled spoon.
• If I’m doing hot chocolate, my favorite mug.

Pros: Easy, little or no cleanup (usually just licking my spoon clean), lighter pack weight (fewer cooking supplies, etc. I need to bring)

Cons: Less variety (I know that you can provide some variety with freezer bag cooking – but not nearly as much as with other approaches) – everything starts tasting the same after a while.

When I’ll Use this Approach: When I don’t have time to spend cooking due to long trail days, when I want a lighter pack or I’m just feeling lazy!

2012 Guys Backpacking Trip Meals

As this trip was meant to be more relaxing, I planned a menu that would take more time and produce better results. I brought all of the food shown below for a three day, two night backpacking trip that was 3.7 miles up and back. I ended up eating the Sour Cream and Onion Toasted Chips on the way to the trailhead in the car, so I didn’t care those with me.

Breakfast:

• Instant oatmeal packets, placed in freezer-quality ziplock bag. To eat, place the oatmeal in the bags and add water. Eat directly from the bags to save on cleanup.
• Hot chocolate, if desired.

Lunch:

Kept it simple here as the Salami sandwiches from Scout Camp upset my stomach a little. I really just upped the quantities on the trail mix a bit, added some chex mix and extra candy/candy bars and ate those between breakfast and dinner. It kept it simple, fast and tasty.

Dinner: This is where I went all out.

First night was fish tacos. Packet of fish (lemon-pepper tuna in this case), cabbage (if eaten the first night, no need to dehydrate the cabbage), mayo and hot sauce packets, seasoning and three small wheat tortillas. Mixed seasoning and tuna and heated in skillet with a small amount of olive oil. Added cabbage, mayo, hot sauce on tortillas. Added fish mixture on top of that. x3 tortillas. Very tasty and fresh!

Night two was pizza. 8″ Boboli crust. Boboli sauce (it would be easy to dehydrate/rehydrate sauce, if needed), cheese stick and pepperoni (if desired). Pepperoni is shelf stable before opening and cheese – especially when individually packaged as cheese sticks – can last 3 or more days if kept cool and sealed. Add small amount of olive oil, place crust in skillet. Spread sauce on top – tear up string cheese into small pieces and spread around on top of pizza. Place lid on top of skillet, which traps the heat and melts the cheese. Place over stove on very low heat until cheese is melted. It’s key to move the skillet around on the stove so hot spots don’t form and cause burned crust.

Dessert was the biggest splurge of all – fresh custard crepes! I used a crepe recipe from A Fork in the Trail that only needs water added. Brought in large freezer bag. Added water and mixed inside bag. Opened bag and poured small amounts into pre-heated skillet with a bit of olive oil. Cooked, flipped and cooked some more. Brought 2 pudding cups (1 chocolate, 1 vanilla). Added pudding and wrapped. This provided six 8″ crepes, with a good amount of pudding on each. This was a bit heavy and bulky (especially the pudding cups), but worth it!

A note on cleanup for dinner/desert. By using the very AWESOME MSR Quick Skillet, my cleanup only consisted of boiling a small amount of water to rinse through the skillet and a utensil or two. The skillet had nothing sticking to it – it was really just rinsing out the left-over olive oil, etc. It was very nice.

Ate all or half a Snickers bar right before bed (getting a mix of nuts and sugar keeps the internal engine working into the night, helping keep warmer).

Snacks: Snickers bars, trail mix (I make my own out of nuts, M&Ms, dried fruit, yogurt covered raisins and craisins), drink mix like Crystal Light, other candy if desired (gummi bears, etc.), beef jerky.

Equipment Needed: Equipment is the name of the game with this style.

• Olive Oil in small squirt bottle.
• Stove that can simmer. My stove of choice is the MSR Windpro.
• Light pot for boiling water.
• Good skillet with solid non-stick coating. The skillet may be the most important part. A titanium skillet or aluminum skillet without non-stick coating makes clean-up SO much harder. It also makes cooking things like crepes a pain. I love the MSR Quick Skillet. Cheap, light, small and with about the best non-stick coating I’ve seen.
• Tiny spatula. Helped with crepe flipping, pizza removal and doesn’t scratch the non-stick coating on the skillet.
• Spoon to eat with. Titanium spork in the event I need something with pointy ends (to tear up the fish in the packet, for example). I LOVE my long-handled spoon.
• If I’m doing hot chocolate, my favorite mug.
• Small bottle of outdoor-friendly soap.

Pros: Tasty, fun to do around camp on more relaxing trips.

Cons: Heavier equipment needed, more time consuming. Requires some clean-up.

When I’ll Use this Approach: On shorter trips where weight and space is less of an issue. When I have time around camp – it’s nice to use some of that time to cook up fun meals!

Anyone who is involved in scouting does (or should!) love camping and being in the outdoors. I’m no exception. Being outside – especially with my family and the scouts – are very special times. But, over the last few years, I’ve taken a backpacking trip with a group of guys I know. No scouts, no families. While I miss them in some ways, I really enjoy the opportunity to have very few responsibilities to others.

So far we’ve mixed up the locations and approaches. Last year was a more remote, long trip. This year the destination was Fern Lake at Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). I had day hiked in both the summer and winter in RMNP many times before, but had not yet taken an overnight trip there.

About the Route

Our hike to Fern Lake from the Fern Lake trailhead was 3.7 miles, half of which was a tough uphill climb. We passed some great waterfalls and scenery along the way. We ended at Fern Lake and stayed at its group campsite (permit needed – available in advance). RMNP provides amazing scenery and an unreal number of alpine lakes in a small area. The only downsides? A bit busier than other routes outside the park, bear canisters are required (instead of hanging a bear bag) and no fires (which doesn’t bother me much – if it’s warm enough and the kids aren’t around, I don’t much need a fire). We spent two nights at the lake and hiked out on the third day.

What We Did

Relaxing: Lots of hanging out and enjoying our time in the outdoors. Two guys brought hammocks and ended up sleeping in them overnight. One did so for the first time and said it was the best sleep he’s ever had in the outdoors. It persuaded me to give it a try! I have a hammock on order and will report back after giving it a try.

Fishing: RMNP has some of the best trout fly fishing in the state. The particular lakes we were at were catch and release – but the Greenback Cutthroats were plentiful and hungry! I hooked 8-10 in the few hours I spent down at the lake.

One of the Greenback Cutthroats Caught on the Trip

Day Hikes: Spruce and Odessa Lakes were both 1.5 miles away, in separate directions. We hiked to one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Both were amazing, but we all agreed that Odessa was a bit prettier.

Odessa Lake

Spruce Lake

In the End

I was hoping for a relaxing, beautiful trip and wasn’t disappointed! The weather was beautiful, the company lively, the food tasty and the fish plentiful. RMNP lived up to all it was reported to be and much more! There are dozen of backcountry campsites and hundreds of miles of trail. If you’re visiting Colorado, it’s definitely worth considering.

Our Troop teamed up with the local Team and Crew and did a combined week-long summer camp this year for the first time ever. The three groups all know each other well as all are sponsored by the same chartered organization and attend church together. It was very successful and something we may do again in the future.

We had a great time, so I thought I’d share a few of the details and reasoning for combining together.

Why Combine Together?

To increase unity, primarily. The scouts that are members of each of the units also attend church together, school together, etc. As a result, we encouraged them to combine to help increase unity among each other.

Pictures from the backpacking portion of the week. As a note, this was one of the best (if not the best) locations I’ve ever backpacked. It was amazing!

The Trip

With adult support, the youth leaders for the three units planned the following.

Monday – Wednesday: Backpack into a base camp (appx. 3 miles). Older scouts hike a local 14,000 feet peak the next day while younger scouts hang around camp playing games, etc. Return to trailhead and drive to next portion.

Thursday: Split group in half. Half do fly fishing while other half does rock climbing. Switch mid-way through day.

Friday – Saturday: Canoe down the Gunnison river. Camp along-side the river Friday night.

Keys to Success

Not surprisingly, this trip was successful because it combined fun, challenging situations and youth leadership opportunities. The variety in activities seemed to provide lots of opportunities, too, which suited about everyone in attendance.

In addition, it helped to allow some of the older scouts (Team and Crew members) to hike the 14er on Tuesday by themselves. In addition, they were able to set up backcountry camps separately, allowing the group to enjoy some time together as a larger whole, but still allow each smaller group to bond.

A Few Lessons Learned

Lightning is real. And scary. Funny – we didn’t even have to remind the scouts to retreat back under treeline when the lightning started. Luckily they were only a few hundred yards up the trail to where it had started to thin out.

Wet is cold – even in summer. We received more rain than expected one of the days while up around 11,000 feet. A few of the boys had underperforming tents for the kind of constant soaking we received. They and their bags got wet. They survived but learned an important lesson about staying dry no matter what. Both said they felt colder than on the winter campout from earlier this year when it dropped below zero.

Pizza is one of the finest foods in the world – especially when you’ve subsisted on freeze-dried meals for several days.

Being outdoors provides opportunities for increase bonding and spiritual experiences.

I first saw A River Runs Through It when I was about 16. As an older brother and fan of the outdoors, the movie resonated. The fly fishing scenes were especially beautiful and acted as my only ongoing understanding of what fly fishing looked like.

Ever since I’ve wanted to learn but never took the chance. At the beginning of the year, I finally set a personal outdoor goal to learn how to fly fish. Fortunately, the PLC group set Fishing as one of our monthly troop program items. As a result, the group invited an avid Fly Fisherman associated with our Troop to come and teach the group. They also worked it into several of the summer outings, including the Troop’s week-long camp.

I’ve had the chance to go a few times and am enjoying it as much as I thought I would! The peace on the river and the thrill of the catch are very appealing to me. I’ve always tolerated spinner fishing from a lake shore but it often didn’t interest me. Fly fishing, on the other hand, requires constant thinking, evaluation and an almost hunting-like minsdset. It’s just plain fun!

Another great part of fly fishing is learning to tie your own flies. While I’ve heard it compared it to creating close for gnats (which isn’t too far off) it’s also a lot of fun and I expect it to be very rewarding to catch a fish on something I created. The picture at the top of the post were one of the first I tied – a small midge called a Brassie.

As always, one of the things I enjoy the most about Scouting is the personal blessings it brings into my life. It’s not just the scouts that are exposed to new and varied activities and skills. Try fly fishing – if you’re willing to get hooked,

Been offline for a bit as we ramp up for the camping season. I’m back now – and recently finished my ticket!

Wood Badge – what a great experience. It’s the best training – scouting related or not – I’ve ever taken. Every Scouter should take the opportunity to go through it. I hope to have the time to staff in the future!

[Note on the picture - my wife is amazingly creative! Her and a friend helped create Beaver (my Wood Badge patrol) cupcakes for refreshments after my beading ceremony.]

Tickets are scouting-related goals attendees set as part of attending Wood Badge, the BSA’s advanced training opportunity. Most are set to complete 4-18 months after completing the 6 day in-person course. The topics vary widely and are intended to impact the quality of scouting back in the participant’s circle of influence.

This is perhaps one of the best tickets I’ve seen; Janet Riley provides a video with a tremendous amount of insight and inspiration into scouting with those with disabilities. It’s the best 5 minutes you’ll spend today.

via Bob Moneymaker on the LDS-Scouts yahoo list.

Several weeks ago I volunteered as a counselor for a monthly merit badge college my local Stake* helps organize. This was  the third year in a row I’ve volunteered to be a counselor at one.

They’re incredibly valuable to scouts and the unit programs in the area – so I wanted to share how they’re run. If anyone has something similar in their Stake/area, please post in the comments how they’re operated and how effective they are.

How they Work

On one Saturday morning a month (except during July – due to summer camp – and the 1-2 months a year that the District holds an all-day college), a Ward* volunteers to host a mini-college consisting of one required merit badge and an elective of their choice. They’re responsible for finding registered counselors for the classes and for communicating any requirements the scouts should/could do in advance.

The colleges are held in the same building/classroom each time, allowing the scouts and families to easily know where they should go. Each Ward signs up with the Stake at the beginning of the year for the month and merit badges they’ll teach. Each month scouts can then attend one of the two available classes. Having a different elective each time allows scouts to attend that may have already earned the required badge being offered that month. There are no costs for attendance.

I imagine this routine took a while to establish, but now that it’s running it provides a large value without much effort. A few folks in the Stake help support by coordinating the sign-ups of who is teaching each month at the beginning of the year, opening up the building each Saturday and helping email out reminders and details. Then, each Ward is responsible for things one month – but scouts from their units can attend every single month.

Results

70 scouts attended the January 2012 college – 53 for Chess and 17 for Camping. Over the course of a year, over 500 complete or partial merit badges are earned through this series of colleges.

Because they aren’t mandatory and aren’t on standard troop nights, those attending are showing initiative and are going outside their normal circles of scouting. They also have chances to meet and interact with other scouts in the area. Last of all, they provide a major benefit to the Wards/specific units. We no longer have to worry about providing any specific times to work on merit badges – they have those opportunities every month – apart from troop meetings, as it should be. We support 1 college a year and reap the benefits from 9 other free colleges.

To top it off, during this most recent college, 14 adults from the Ward (parents, committee members, etc.) volunteered to come and help support the college. They helped monitor stations, play chess and answer questions. Doing so ensured things ran smoothly. It also created additional exposure to 14 adults in our program to the scouting program.

*Stakes and Wards: A Ward is a term the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) – our Chartered Organization – uses to distinguish a congregation. It’s based on a geographic area. A Stake is a larger area encompassing multiple Wards (usually around 10). It’s similar to Units belonging to a District. Most Wards charter local BSA units, so Stakes will sometimes consolidate and provide local economies of scale – like the merit badge colleges mentioned above.

After making my first quinzhee last month, I realized two things. One, I really like snow shelters (they’re warm, quiet and just plain fun to be in). Two, I really didn’t like quinzhees. Making them was tough and an imprecise science. Getting the shape right was tough. Digging it out was wet, claustrophobic work.

So, when I saw the IceBox by Grand Shelters I knew I wanted to try it (the only tough part was the cost – $170 for the tool; it made me feel better knowing I was supporting a Colorado-based business, though). The IceBox is a tool that makes building an igloo with any quality of snow (powder, sugar snow, etc.) an easy to follow process. It does so by using a pole staked into the ground and a form at the other end of the pole that you can pack snow into to make each bring. The form and pole move in such a way that allow the construction with precise angles to create a solid, structurally correct shape.

In continued preparation for winter campouts with the troop, I purchased and went to use the IceBox with my brother recently. I wanted to make sure I fully understood how to make an entire igloo with it so that I could coach the scouts how to make it on their next campout (the troop is also bringing tents in the event that igloos don’t get completed – and for those that don’t want to sleep in the igloo).

Making the Igloo

Time: 5 hours total (including stomping down the platform, making the igloo, taking a few breaks and digging out the tunnel). I expect this would go down by a few hours with better snow conditions (we had a lot of very dry powder) and having gained experience using the tool in just the right way.

Location: We built it in Rocky Mountain National Park (about here) – on the side of a hill. The area had approximately 3 feet of base powder.

Effort: Small to Moderate – definitely some muscle fatigue from 5 hours of shoveling and packing the form, but we weren’t overly exerted. This was by FAR less work than the quinzhee.

Learning How to Use It: Using the IceBox requires two things – watching the DVD that comes with it (it’s about 30 minutes and extremely helpful) and some pratice.

How it Worked:

We decided to build the igloo about 30 yards off the trail, up a small hill. Building it on a hill requires leveling out a platform (shoveling snow from the uphill side down the hill a bit) to create a level place to build it on. Doing so, however, allowed us to more easily dig the door. The door is actually dug under the floor, popping up under a side of the igloo. Doing so allows cold air to flow out – but not back in. The result is warmth – these things get 35-40 degrees F when sleeping in them.

We proceeded to level the platform, assemble the tool and begin building. To build the igloo, a pole is staked in the center and a large plastic form attached to the pole at the other end. Snow is then packed into the form. Once packed, the form can be released in a way to move the form down while leaving the last block in tact. Angling the form just right (there are lines on the side to help) and changing the length of the pole allow the igloo walls to angle in at the appropriate times. We had a few small hiccups along the way, but were otherwise successful. The hardest part, by far, were the last few blocks. When nearing the top, the form is too big and has to be taken apart a bit and used in a way that allows snow to be packed on top. The video does a good job explaining it, but it took some extra time in practice. I almost gave up at the end but my brother kept us going and we were able to finish it. The next time I build one, it’ll go MUCH faster at the end stage.

Some pictures and a short time lapse of the igloo. Note that the time lapse only covers the first half – the camera batteries died early in the cold.

Final Impressions

This thing really works. It’s fun and a bit amazing to watch as the walls move up and slowly inward while building it. I wasn’t sure it would hold together as the walls were hanging precariously toward the center, but it did. With the final keystone block in place, the structure was strong enough to lay on. The IceBox and the igloos it makes are FANTASTIC. I would highly recommend this tool to anyone that wants to try making their own snow shelter. It’s easier, less strenuous, fun and very effective – especially with a little practice.

Every troop that goes winter camping should have at least one IceBox!

I learned about Quinzhees about a year ago and have wanted to make one ever since. We have several winter campouts planned for the troop this season, but none have taken place yet. I really wanted to test one out to see how it would go. Then, recently, I looked out the window and watched as it began to snow. And snow. And snow. Over a foot in 24 hours – we received 14 inches. Combine that with a few days off around Christmas and voila! An opportunity to try my first Quinzhee in the backyard.

What is a Quinzhee

A Quinzhee is a large pile of snow (6 feet or so high and 7-10 fit in diameter), hollowed out to make a snow cave/igloo-like shelter. A quinzhee has several advantages over a tent:

• Quieter – the thick walls block out almost all wind/other noise.
• Warmer – Most well-built snow shelters are sit between 30 and 35 degres Farenheit, regardless of the temperature outside. Tents are quite a bit colder.
• The primary downside is the time/energy needed for construction. If traveling to a new location each night, a tent may be a better choice – it’s much easier/faster to set up.
• Quinzhees are most useful in climates where snow is lighter (more powder) or when snow isn’t deep enough to dig a snow cave or make blocks for an igloo.
• I learned about quinzhees and their basic construction in several books, including AMC Guide to Winter Camping and NOLS Winter Camping. I also watch a few YouTube videos.
• The standard quinzhee sleeps 2-3 people, although the design can be modified to sleep as many as needed (instead of making a dome, stretch it in one direction, making it long and narrow).

Making It

Total time: Approximately 6 hours.

Number of people constructing: 1.5 (me full time and my wife about half the time). While doable by one, this is definitely a job best done by 2 or more folks.

Conditions: 12-14 inches of snow – somewhere between powder and wet.

Area: Average back yard – I ended up using about 80% of the available snow in the yard.

Tools needed: Snow shovels, 12-20 sticks, waterproof clothing.

Step 1: Stomp the platform: I started by putting on snowshoes and stomping out a circular, level area about 10 feet in diameter.

Step 2: Pile the snow: After creating the base, I began piling snow. I alternated between piling several scoops of snow (10-20 at a time) and then compacting it down. I did so by taking the back of the shovel and pounding it on the snow. Doing so makes it more compact, solid and removes air pockets. This step took about 2.5 hours, with my wife helping for about an hour. The pile ended up just under 6 feet. Next time, I’ll make it a little more narrow (maybe 9 feet in diameter) and a bit taller. Toward the end it became difficult to compact down the top because it was difficult to reach.

Step 3: Let the snow sit: Once piled, the snow needs to sit and sinter, a process where the snow crystals reform with each other and create a structure solid enough to dig out. In most cases, it should sit for at least an hour. I piled it later in the afternoon and let it sit overnight.

Step 4: Dig it out. The next morning I woke up bright and early and began the next step. First, I took about a dozen sticks, broken to 18-24 inches long and stuck them in at various points. Doing so would alert me to when I got close enough to the outside (18-24 inch wall thickness is best).

In an ideal situation, I would dig down a foot or two into a trench and then up into the quinzhee. Doing so allows the top of the door to sit below the floor inside, funneling away all the cold area. Because I had no snow base, however, I simply had to dig straight in. The hole was about 24 inches in diameter – just wide enough for me to crawl in, army style.

The first 30 minutes of digging was the hardest – and most claustrophobic. It involved digging in and slightly up (to reduce the chance of a large amount of snow caving in from the top) crawling in to loosen a bit of snow, crawling out, scooping it and repeating. There wasn’t much room to maneuver, so things went slowly. After clearing enough to pull most of my body into the quinzhee I was able to really get rolling. I would dig and toss/push snow toward the door where my wife would then scope it out of the doorway. Having a second person doing this is critical to dig out the inside with any speed.

I spent the next hour or so digging and smoothing out the insides into a dome-like structure. I stopped when I began hitting sticks and when I saw a light-blue light shining through the walls, another sign that the walls were 18-24 inches thick.

Having a dome inside helps any melting snow run down the sides to the floor instead of dripping directly on top you during the night.

The completed quinzhee.

Safe to Sleep In?

When built properly and under the right conditions, quinzhees are very safe to sleep in. Unfortunately for me, the day I dug out the quinzhee turned out to be very warm – and it was constructed in my backyard which has direct southerly exposure. It didn’t collapse, but did settle and ended up a full foot or more shorter than when it started. As a result, it wasn’t tall enough to easily sleep in.

Conclusion and Where to Go from Here

Building my first quinzhee was a fun and interesting experience. On the plus side, it didn’t require a ton of skill or tools. On the downside, it was fairly time consuming work. Also, digging out the inside was wet, a bit cold and semi-claustrophobic – at least at first.

When reflecting on the situation, I remembered a tool I’d run across in the past that claims to help make perfect igloos out of almost any kind of snow conditions. With my shoulder hurting from shoveling so much snow and the memories of digging out the initial tomb-like structure, I went and ordered one. It arrived and I built the first layer of an igloo with success. I’m thinking this will be the perfect replacement for the quinzhee. An igloo provides many of the same advantages (warmth, quiet, etc.) but without the downsides (effort, wet, etc.). Traditionally, the downsides of igloos was their difficulty in achieving the proper blocks and overall structural shape. The IceBox tool solves both of those problems. Look for an in-depth review in the near future.

[Update: Check out the post on making my first Igloo here.]

A patrol box is a portable camp kitchen used by scouts to easily store and access items such as pots/pans, cooking utensils and other items needed while cooking and eating. Many troops have their own for use on campouts – you pack your items once and can easily retrieve/use them on car-camping trips. All the ones I’ve used with troops or at scout camp facilities look something like this:

I do a lot of camping with my family – some car camping and some backpacking. A few years ago I decided to make our own family patrol box to make the car camping experience a bit easier. I modeled after the scout patrol boxes I’d seen, but with some important modifications.

Modifications Needed

Make it Lighter: The tradition boxes are HEAVY. They’re most often made from 3/4″ plywood, which makes them durable but also so heavy that it takes 2 scouts to carry it and another 2 to help set it up (if you’re lucky).

Change the Size: Most I’ve seen were tall and relatively shallow. I wanted one that would be a little shorter, but also deeper, making it easier to transport and also to store things of varying sizes.

Make it More Reliable on Varied Terrain: Whenever possible I’ll simply set the patrol box on a picnic table. When that isn’t an option, though, they’re made with legs to stand alone. Traditional boxes, however, have fixed length legs which necessitates finding a very flat piece of ground – not always the easiest thing when camping.

The Process

While searching for plans that might meet my criteria, I started off with plans for lots and lots of the traditional boxes. Big, super strong – but also super heavy. Some of the plans even called for carts to help move the behemoth boxes. Those work under some circumstances, but we don’t have a family trailer to haul this thing around in. We needed something that changed the thinking.

After nearly giving up hope, I came across the BlueSkyKitchen.com site, which takes a “skin and bones” approach. Essentially, instead of constructing the entire box out of heavy, thick plywood they build a box structure out of 2×1′s (the bones) and then cover it with a lighter-weight 1/4 or 1/8 inch plywood (the skin). The result is a box that is nearly as strong, but at a fraction of the weight.

I purchased a set of the plans on the site, modified them for my needs and with the help of my dad’s shop and expertise built our family patrol box.

The Results

The end result matched all the goals. Lighter? Check – I can carry a fully-loaded box by myself (or easily with two). Different size? Check – it easily fits everything I needed, being several inches deeper than most. Good on varied terrain? Check out the legs! My dad had the brilliant idea of using large aluminum tent poles (the kind you’d use on large canvas tents) as the legs. They’re lighter and can be independently adjusted, standing the box at different heights and compensating for uneven ground!

The following are pictures of the box. As you can see, it’s made of a basic box shell of pine 2×1′s, covered in a thin plywood. We even added a paper-towel holder that lays flat against the box when the front door is up, but hangs down nicely when the box front is down and in use.

The patrol box in use at Golden Gate Canyon State Park here in Colorado. As you can see, it’s kept fairly level even though it’s on less than perfect ground (it was actually a steeper incline down the hill than it looks in the picture).

The only downside is that the skin/bones approach (at least when using the lighter/cheaper pine) is not quite as bomb-proof as the traditional box. Still plenty strong though – this box has been on several family and scout campouts and looks as good as new. With just a little respect, our family patrol will last for many years to come!