Every spring we have an annual survival weekend at Nobscot Scout Reservation. Survival Weekend is an all troop outing where scouts need to build their own shelter. My friends and I made a great hammock stack shelter. In the late afternoon, we found out that a branch above us was a widow-maker. We had to move to a new location, everybody in the troop came and helped us make the shelter. In addition, most scouts compete in a “best meal honor” while others eat cup noodles (ramen) or eat some delicious Pop-Tarts.
When I went, I signed up late because I had a soccer conflict. I didn’t realize that my friends worked things out so they could do both. I came to the setting, for the first time, with no proper hiking backpack, but other than that I was super-prepared. I brought sausages for my friends and me for breakfast. I also brought extra stuff like SOCKS for my friends.
Survival weekend is also an outing to welcome our newest members of the troop. When you are done unloading everything you go on a beautiful hike around Nobscot. For me, the hike was fine because we were doing a five-mile hike, but still, at the end my feet were tired. I heard that the older scouts who are the scouts above First Class had to do a ten-mile walk and I felt so bad for them. Then I also realized they had to carry all their stuff.
The new scouts also do not build their own shelters, they stay in a tent instead. Troop 63 shared really good ideas to new scouts on how to make a good shelter for future survival outings. The younger scouts do not go on any hike, instead, they have the opportunity to earn their firem'n chit (to properly use an axe, light and maintain campfires) and their tot’n chip (proper use of knives at outings).
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