Patrol Leaders,

With your theme being wilderness survival, your equipment will be kept to a minimum for this month's campout. So you will need to use your skills, knowledge, as well as your ingenuity. Most important to each patrol will be team work!!! The following is acceptable for use at the campout:

• Personal gear - Every scout should have all the normal equipment listed in the troop handout as well as the troop webpage for cold weather camping, including 50 feet of rope. (this will help in shelter construction.). In addition each scout needs a minimum of 3 liters of water.

• Shelter - Each patrol will construct their shelter from materials found at the site, with the exception of rope and poly tarps. I suggest building a patrol shelter as opposed to individual ones as it will take less material and be completed much faster. But the choice is up to you and your patrol.

• Food and water - Remember this is a planned survival campout so you will not have to forage or fish for your food but there are restrictions. As stated, each scout needs a minimum of 3 liters of water, (we will have a supply of potable water if you run out).

• Each patrol will need a box of Bisquick, there will be a competition for the best ash biscuits and orange muffins. Recipes and cooking instructions will be available at the meeting. As far as the rest of the menus, NO CANNED GOODS, NO BOXED MEALS, NO JAR GOODS, NO STORE BOUGHT BREAD (that's what the Bisquick is for), AND NO HOT DOGS.

• Stay away from rapidly perishable foods- your best bets are tubers, potatoes, carrots, squash, and onions. Fruits, apples and oranges, juice, and powdered milk are allowed. Meats are your choice (except hot dogs) since we are only going for 2 days.

But remember the only standard cooking equipment you will have beside your personal mess kits will be hot gloves and aluminum foil. So think about foil meals for dinner, muffins and fruit for breakfast. Lunch; surprise me!!!

Sanitation - Each patrol must requisition a large pot to boil water in, and a heavy duty large plastic bag to build a three pot sink. We will provide soap and bleach.

Did you know:

• You can cook hamburgers on fresh split wood.

• You can make a grill from greenwood.

• You can cook bacon and eggs in a paper bag.

• You can make a fish hook from a small twig or bird bones.

• You can dry fresh meats for travel in six hours of strong sunlight.

• You can get fresh drinking water from dirt.