Health & Fitness
The Economic Impact of Scouting - Backpacking
It's no secret that boy scouts are encouraged to learn and do. Last week I had cause to think about this...
Boy Scouts are encouraged to learn new skills. It is part of preparing for life. Twenty one merit badges are required for Eagle Scout. Cub Scouts (Elementary School level) earn pins and belt loops.
I suspect that Boy Scouts go camping and backpacking at a greater frequency than most. The boys acquire an appreciation for nature and the outdoors through these activities. With that comes many discussions on being prepared.
Last week, we went to R.E.I. for backpacking equipment and had a reason to think about the economic impact of scouting.
When backpacking, you can certainly choose to carry your regular camping equipment, but you may want to pick up a few items each time you go, to make your pack lighter. Here are some things you'll need and some notes on what we purchased.
Note: I took a backpacking class in college and had several items I'd purchased at that time. They were good quality equipment them, and they are still very relevant. Our purchases are noted in parentheses.
-A backpack
-A backpacking tent
-A lightweight sleeping bag
-Lightweight and small profile sleeping pads (we purchased Therm-A-Rest)
-A backpacking stove (we purchased the Jetboil Zip)
-Water purification system (we purchased water purifying straws at A-16)
-Constant hydration system (We had a Camelback and purchased another - less expensive - one for Dad)
Decent hiking boots (We got a pair of Merrell hiking shoes)
Hiking socks (We got new socks)
There are, of course, the usual flint and steel, compass, first aid kit and other parts of the "Boy Scout ten essentials". Mess kits, a decent hiking hat... there's more.
Our tally? over $500 after discounts. Why so little? Well, we already had some of the higher priced items (backpacks, tent, a sleeping bag). We made decisions to carry a few items that were regular-camping-size and luckily, we were able to take advantage of the R.E.I. 75th Anniversary sales and our 20% off membership coupon.
It's just one example from one family. Every family is different. We buy mid-level offerings of quality brands. Kelty, The North Face, Merrell - no one wants broken zippers when camping.