Going Ga-Ga!

The roaring opening campfire that greeted us to Camp Oest.

Our last Cub Scout Resident Summer Camp. As I type these words the realization is just starting to settle in. My son has completed his last summer camp as a Cub Scout. He is now preparing to enter 5^th grade. This time next year he will have completed his first Boy Scout summer camp experience and will be preparing for Middle School. Just yesterday he was a cute little Tiger and now he is a handsome young scout working on his Arrow of Light Award. It all goes by so quickly.

Ryley earning beginner swimmer at the pool.

Luckily for us though, our week didn’t go by that quickly. We had just enough activities to keep us busy with enough free time sprinkled in to keep Ryley happy. This year we decided to attend a week long camp, just for Webelos Scouts, at Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation which is located outside of our National Capital Area Council. This would not only be our first year at Camp Oest, but also our first year attending any camp at Broad Creek. But this wasn’t the first time I had heard about Broad Creek. No, Broad Creek is actually the Scout Camp for the Baltimore Area Council, which I attended in my youth. Even though I stopped going to scouts before I could attend summer camp it was kind of a home coming of sorts.

Ryley and Kane catching catfish

But before we checked into camp Ryley and I decided to head up to my sister’s house to make good on a promise we made earlier this summer. My sister lives about 20 minutes from Broad Creek versus a 2 hour drive from our house. So we headed up on Saturday and spent some time with our favorite 7 yr old, Kane. As I previously wrote about, we had a less than stellar experience fishing in the Outer Banks this year while on vacation. So Ryley and I promised to take Kane fishing before summer camp. We grabbed our rods and headed to Bynum Run Park, located near Bel Air, MD to do a little pond fishing. The skies were growing dark and we didn’t have time to stop for bait, so I decided to use the only thing we had on hand; slim jims. I was expecting to hook a few sunfish on the Slim Jims but to my surprise the only fish the kids caught all afternoon were catfish. Now these were not your average sized catfish, they were all on the small side, less than a pound. But what they lacked in size was made up by the sheer number of fish nibbling at the end of the line. We spent about 30 minutes there and managed to pull in 5 fish and loosing so many others as we were reeling them in. Then the storm rolled in so we headed back to my sister’s house for some pizza. The funny thing about summer thunderstorms is as quickly as they roll in, they roll out. So after pizza the kids still wanted to go fishing. We hopped in the truck and headed back to the pond where we fished until it got dark and they caught way too many catfish for me to count.

Our home away from home for the week.

Once we completed the tour and our swim check we headed back to camp to set up our tent and unpack. This was going to be my big chance to test out a bunch of gear we had purchased specifically for summer camp as well as some other things we would be able to use year round. I quickly pulled out our Outdoor Research Bug Bivies and Ryley and I set them up on our cots. Next we got out our sleeping pads and sleeping bags and made our bivies as comfortable as we could. This year I thought I was going to be ahead of the game by having these bivies on hand to keep the bugs out once and for all. Things didn’t go as planned but you can read the full write up on the bug bivy here. After unpacking we set off for Ryley get meet some of his fellow campers for what would prove to be the activity of the week; Ga-Ga ball.

Ryley playing Ga-Ga ball.

Now if you don’t know what Ga-Ga ball is, you aren’t alone. I had no clue what it was until we got to camp and I saw all the kids playing it, as often as they could, in between activities, in place of activities, in the heat, in the rain; it didn’t matter when, they just wanted to play Ga-Ga ball. For an in depth explanation of what Ga-Ga ball is you can visit Wikipedia here. But essentially it is a variant of dodgeball which some believe is kinder and gentler. They must not have watched 9 and 10 year old scouts play Ga-Ga ball because there is nothing kind and gentle about it. It is quite vicious. But it is a load of fun and keeps the kids exercising without even knowing it. You basically try and hit the ball with your hands into other peoples legs (below the knee) to get them out. It is a pretty fast paces game and it done within 5 minutes or so, then the kids jump back in and play again. Ryley loved it so much he never even made it to the BB or Archery range all week. He cannot wait to get back to school so that he can suggest that they construct a Ga-Ga ball pit on his playground!

Ryley completed several activities towards his advancement during the week but I think he learned the most on his overnight camp out under the stars.... without Dad. This was his big chance to start acting like a Boy Scout. We packed up the minimal equipment he would be taking with him which was basically a sleeping bag, pillow and water bottle (More on how his water bottle performed all week here). Ryley spent that evening bonding with newly made friends around a campfire roasting apples, marshmallows and making memories. 

Ryley and Matt returning from the M.O.O.S.E. Overnighter
(Moving Onward and Outward Scouting Experience)

When I saw him the next morning I swear he had grown an inch overnight. Suddenly my little boy wasn't so little anymore.; he now walked taller and seemed more mature. He also sported somewhat of a "scar" from his overnight experience. He had been branded. Yes the hot-iron-in-the-fire kind of branding. Luckily for me, as my wife would have killed me, it was his hat that was purposefully branded with the Camp Oest brand, OTM (Oest the Most). 

The OTM Brand.

Hopefully he will follow in his older brother's footsteps and find himself receiving another brands in the not-so-distant future; the coveted PS (Philmont Scout Ranch). Although I do not know all of the details of that night, those are memories for him to cherish. I only hope that his first night alone in the woods was a formative experience in his life. One which he will hopefully repeat in the years to come on his trail to Eagle. 

Songfest!

As the week began to wrap up the weather started to take a slight turn for the better. While the week started off sunny and humid it was ending with some cloud cover and rain which made the humidity drop. So too did the scouts start to wrap up their activities, whether it be Ga-Ga ball or earning a STEM award. But the camp staff at Oest had one last trick up their sleeve. Instead of doing the traditional "closing campfire" program on the last night at camp, they opted to hold a "Songfest" celebration the night before we were about to leave. Staff dressed up in costumes and pretended to play fake instruments in front of the kids, all while signing and dancing to music that spanned classic rock (YMCA) to modern pop (Shut up and Dance with Me) and a few songs in between. They staff ended the night by singing the always emotional Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) by Green Day. I could definitely tell Ryley grew over that week at Scout Camp when he commented to me that hearing that song made him feel happy and sad all at the same time. Happy because he was going to be going home to see his Mom and brother and sad because he was going to miss the new friends he had just made and probably would never see them again. He said that's how it must feel when you graduate from High School. What a wise young man he has become indeed. On that note what better way to end my blog by sharing that song one more time. Until then keep taking your kids outdoors...

Some other pictures and videos of us from camp...

Pool party was where it was at!

Ryley with the special necklace he earned at Project M.O.O.S.E.

Ryley with our Den Chief Nealan.

A little sing-along fun.

A STEM project; Egg drop.

Mail Call!

Slip & Slide Fun!

Closing Skit

Pucker Up!

Dad's turn!

 

Two for One Special

Ryley with his Columbia Hydroflask waterbottle.

Summer camp sure presented an opportunity to test out some new gear. Unfortunately I didn't get to fully test out the bug bivy, but as luck would have it we did get a chance to test out several Columbia Sportswear items. Thanks to a quick trip to the Columbia outlet Ryley and I scored ourselves some Omnifreezel bandannas and Watertight rain jackets. While at the store Ryley also grabbed a Columbia branded 21 ounce Hydroflask water bottle .

Ryley with the Omnifreeze banadanna.

Ryley used his bandanna the first two days in camp but as the week rolled along the heat and humidity were less of a factor. Towards the end of the week we got to test out the rain jackets a few times. They kept us dry. In both cases there isn't much to say about how the items performed. They did their job of either keeping us cool or keeping us dry.

Ryley and his Hydroflask made it through the night unharmed.

What I would like to concentrate on though is the 21 ounce Columbia Branded Hydroflask water bottle. Because of sports Ryley has gone through several types and brands of water bottles. Some have fared better than others. We have used insulated and uninsulated water bottles and prefer the type that are insulated to keep his water cold.

A dented Columbia Hydroflask didn't stop Ryley.

The Skinny: Ryley is pretty hard on his water bottles. One of the insulated ones we have at home it missing a few pieces. The other has been beaten to death because of baseball practice where teammates literally beat it with baseballs. Ryley's week of testing was no different. I wouldn't expect anything less from a 9 yr old scout. He was constantly filling his bottle up with fresh cold water. When he wasn't filling the water bottle up, he was dropping in the dirt on the concrete and down the hill or leaving it sit out in the sun for hours on end.



Hits: As an insulated water bottle I already have expectations of what this product was going to be capable of. I must say it did not disappoint me in the least. It did a great job in keeping cold icy water cold and icy for long periods of time. It was left out in 100 degree weather, in full sun, and still managed to have ice sloshing around inside. But most days, honestly, were spent going from water cooler to water cooler filling it up with cold water. During the intervening moments the bottle was dropped on concrete, rolled through the dirt and mud, kicked across the field and generally abused every chance we got. It's dented, for sure, but I wasn't expecting it to be bomb proof. Despite being dented though it did hold up. The inner vacuum chamber was not compromised in any way. The paint chipped off a bit but not too much. I think we spent less that $25 all together (got it at a Columbia Outlet store) and it was the best $25 I have spent on a water bottle for my son. It is going to hold up for a while longer and we will definitely get out money's worth out of it.

Misses: There was only one major issue we had with the water bottle. We purchased the sport cap to make it easier for Ryley to drink his water, What I did find was that if the spout was open and you dropped the bottle in the dirt (happened more than I care to admit) it was difficult to remove the dirt from inside the nozzle. And when I say difficult it is keeping in mind we were camping with limited access to a place to wash his bottle out thoroughly. A very minor issue, but honestly that was the only negative thing I could come up with.

I honestly can say I have overlooked Columbia Sportswear all these years for more "high end" name brand equipment. I will not be making that mistake again. Not only do they provide quality gear it is at an affordable price, especially for a growing young scout. I plan on having Ryley test out some Columbia PFG gear in the near future. I'll definitely report back on how that went. Until then keep taking your kids outdoors...

Gearing up for Adventure

One of my favorite shots of Ryley from summer camp last year.

The summer is in full swing and it's starting to get REALLY hot outside. Luckily for me I still find myself combing through all the old videos and posting them on the Ryley Outdoors YouTube channel. Which means I have been staying inside out of the heat. That is quickly coming to a close.

The OR Bug Bivy will be put tot he scout test at summer camp.

This coming Saturday Ryley and I will be heading to Webelos (Arrow of Light is the new correct term) resident camp in sunny, hot, humid Whiteford, Maryland. We will be checking into Camp Oest, part of the Broad Creek Scout Reservation, for a fun filled 6 days of adventure. While at camp I will continue to document all the fun things Ryley will get to do and we will also be testing out some gear while we are there.

Shooting Sports is always one of our favorite areas to visit.

Speaking of adventure I came across some old videos from my GoPro and thought this was a fitting tribute for our upcoming trip to scout camp. Most of these boys are now in Boy Scouts, having just successfully returned from their first Boy Scout resident summer camp. I know Ryley is eager to bridge over to the Troop so he can be back with his friends. But that's a few months away and summer camp is literally knocking at my door. With that in mind, enjoy this "non-scouting adventure". Until then keep taking your kids outdoors...

Outdoor Research Bug Bivy: Test Drive

My Outdoor Research Buy Bivy sure came in handy!

So this past weekend saw me fishing on the banks of the Potomac River with the Boy Scouts. As I mentioned I had the pleasure of staying at Lions Camp Merrick. The camp was not the traditional “summer camp” experience I was used to. The camp actually has cabins with bathrooms, electricity, bunk beds and air-conditioning. I wouldn’t need any of my camping gear at all!

One of the many cabins at Camp Merrick.

About five minutes after I unpacked the minimal equipment I would be using, sleeping bag and pillow, I came to the realization that I was WRONG. Although the camp had cabins with all the amenities I could wish for (like an electrical outlet to charge my phone) I forgot I was camping with a bunch of kids. Before I had even arrived someone must have left the door and windows wide open in my cabin because the interior was infested with mosquitoes!

Honestly mosquitoes hadn’t really crossed my mind as something I would need to worry about while at Lions Camp Merrick. I hadn’t even realized, because of all the rain and cold temperatures we had been having, that mosquitoes were even out. Luckily for me I had planning our upcoming trip for summer camp and ordered Ryley and me some pretty awesome bug nets. I ended up putting mine to the test a little earlier than expected!

A picture of the bivy laid out on the ground.

Now to be fair my review of this product is limited to just one night’s use, in a cabin. I plan on doing a more in depth review once I get back from summer camp. A good 7 days being abused by scouts should give me enough time to form an educated opinion.

A close up on the pole as well as the bathtub floor.

Specifications: Features No-see-um mesh and Hydroseal bathtub floor. It weighs in at 16 ounces and comes with Outdoor Research's "Infinite Guarantee."

Hits: To say the bivy is light weight is an understatement. Since the top part is made up of mesh it’s understandable as to why this is so light. The mesh also makes it airy and lets all the light in. Another positive is the bathtub floor. Not only does it keep the water and wetness out, as a sealed system, it also keeps the bugs out! That was always my one complaint about regular bug nets at summer camp. The insects would inevitably find their way up under the net and into my sleeping area. With this bivy that issue is completely eliminated.

Misses: Unless you are able to use guy-lines it has a tendency to not stay off of your skin. This poses a problem because the insects can then bite through the netting. However with two pieces of rope, tied to the existing loops on the bivy, this issue is eliminated. The only other thing that was an issue for me was getting in and out of the bivy. The zipper it located at the top, or head, of the bivy. You literally have to slide your way into it. To be fair I was not using it how it was designed. I was using it on top of a mattress in a bunk bed. So getting into the bivy was very difficult. I can see this also being an issue once we get to summer camp because we sleep on Army cots.

Ideal for: Minimalist hikers/campers as well as scouts. Works well in dry hot conditions but I can see how this would also work very well while using a tarp.

Summertime fun

Summer is fast approaching. The kids haven’t gotten out of school yet, but before long it will be in full swing and the start of a new academic year will be looming. For me summer has become synonymous with two things; the beach and scout camp!

Relaxing in the OBX.

My wife and I were lucky enough to tie the knot at the Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo, NC while vacationing in the Outer Banks. Since then we have been vacationing at the same place, during the same week, going on 12 years. It has become somewhat of a tradition for us and I hope it lasts well into our twilight years.

Troop 270 on their way to summer camp in Maine 2010.

For almost as long though, going on 8 years, I have been spending one week (or a little more) each summer attending Boy Scout (or Cub Scout) summer camp with one or more of my boys. It has become a special bonding time with them, away from electronics and distractions, having fun in the outdoors.

Patrick, Ben and Jacob about to eat lobsta in Maine.

Our summers of scout camp have taken us from Maine to North Carolina and many points in between. Along the way we have visited National Parks, eaten lobsta(er), zip lined, waterskied, canoed, fished and even climbed rock walls just to name a few.

Ben on top of Mt Baldy in Cimarron, NM.

As my kids have gotten older it has also become a time to watch them mature and blossom into young men. A few years ago my oldest son, Ben, took the trip of a lifetime (without me) out West on a month’s long journey that culminated in a 10 day backpacking trek at Philmont Scout Ranch.

But over the last few years I have been sticking to Cub Scout summer camp with Ryley. We have been a few different places but last year stands out as one of the best times I’ve had going to summer camp.

We decided to head back up to Heritage Scout Reservation in Farmington, PA. Cub Scout camp is usually shorter than Boy Scout camp (Boy Scouts stay for a week and Cub Scouts stay between two to four days). So we decided as a group to stay at Ohiopyle State Park for the beginning of the week and attend summer camp for the last part of the week. It was the best decision we made.

Pack 270. I think the sign says it all.

Staying at Ohiopyle allowed us the ability to just camp and explore the surrounding area. We took the kids fishing at Laurel Hill Trout Farm, visited Fort Necessity National Battlefield, explored Laurel Caverns, and zip-lined and rode the natural water slide at Ohiopyle. Out of everything we did before summer camp I think the kids had the most fun fishing, zip-lining and riding the water slide.

Ryley's friend Tanner with his big brown trout.

It’s funny the things you take for granted in life. For me it’s doing things like hunting and fishing. When we arrived at Laurel Hill Trout Farm I hadn’t even expected that some of these kids had never caught a fish before. Well they were in for a surprise! I generally don’t like going to trout farms, trout ponds or any place that doesn’t offer some kind of skillful challenge. But this wasn’t about me, it was about our scouts and making sure they had a great time. And boy did they ever.

Ryley with his 16 trout and me without my $80.

It was pouring down rain and thus the necessity to find something fun for the kids to do. The tiny pond was stocked with hundreds of trout and at times you could cast in an empty hook and have a hit or two. We didn’t fish for long before the kids had their fill of catching fish. Well, let me be honest, most kids had their fill, others ran out of money and still others (my son) could have fished all day if I would have paid for it. It’s at this point that I must confess that I have created a monster. Ever since Ryley was in Field & Stream he has become super competitive when it comes to fishing. Add to that competitiveness that he has landed trophy sized striped bass and muskie at the age of nine and you can begin to understand why I have my hands full. One of his best friends ended up catching the biggest fish of the day, a nice brown trout. But instead of getting mad Ryley just decided that it was cool for his friend to have the biggest fish of the day, it just meant he had to catch the most. So sixteen fish later, and $80 less in my wallet, I had a happy son. The owners there are very nice and they let us take a tour of their small hatchery. I was impressed with their set up and the size of the fish we caught. Not wildies, but they had lots of fight in them! Success!

Yeah, that's a water slide. I promise.

Ryley getting ready to brave the water with the GoPro.

With the added rain we had all week long it was a bit difficult to let the kids go down the water slide. The stream that supplies the water slide was elevated and had a swift current. But the kids wouldn’t relent so we packed them up for the short trip to the bottom of the hill and let them play in the water. It is at this juncture I need to explain that up until we went to summer camp we weren’t technically on a scouting adventure. We were more or less just a bunch of friends camping and having a good time because some of the things we did while camping were definitely “non-scouting” type activities. Which leads me back to the waterslide. So we had a few adults do down the run and stage themselves at the lower half to catch the kids before they flushed out into the river (Yeah real safe isn’t it? Like I said we weren’t technically scouting at this point). The kids had a blast, turned into prunes and had to be drug away kicking and screaming. I considered that success number two!

Ryley, Matt and George about to test their boundaries.

On our last day in Ohiopyle we had a treat for the kids. We took them to the zip-line adventure park which had a zip-line and ropes course. When we arrived it was gorgeous; sunny and warm. We purchased our tickets but had to wait for our turn and let the kids walk around and explore town. Next thing we knew it was time for some zip-line fun and the kids got suited up in their helmets and harnesses and got on the course. Within minutes it started to drizzle. A few minutes after that it started to pour. Nothing fazed those kids. In fact I think they had more fun because of the rain. By the time they were done the rain had lessened and we had lunch in the local park. Looking back I think the rain was the best thing that could have happened to us. Not only did the kids seem to thrive in it, it soaked them to the bone and cleaned them up a whole lot! I don’t know about you but it’s definitely a difficult task to get nine and ten year olds to take a shower while camping. Success number three and we were only half way through the week!

Ryley doing what boys do at camp. Playing with knives and sticks to make then sharp.

Now, my love for scouting runs deep. I have been to some awesome summer camps, and Heritage has one of them, but while we were plagued with chilly rainy weather while at Ohiopyle we were not as lucky at scout camp. Oh it rained but it was the hot, sticky humid kind of rain. Nevertheless the kids still had an outstanding time at camp. I’m not much on going to summer camp to complete requirements for scout advancement.  I’m much of the opinion that summer camp is time for the boys to be, well, boys and to have fun and make memories and keep them wanting to come back every year (thus keeping them in scouts). If they can learn a thing of two at the same time, great, if not that's okay too.

Ryley pushing himself to new heights.

While at camp most of the kids cut “class” in order to run around and have fun or to head down to the lake to go fishing or swimming. The only “class” they went to on a regular basis was rock climbing. Heritage has a pretty cool rock wall for the kids to climb up. And it was with great pride that I saw out scouts push themselves past their comfort zone and go hired then they had ever gone before. Some didn’t make it to the top, but that’s okay. They gave it their all, overcame their fears, and made it as far as they could. Others struggled but pushed themselves past the point of exhaustion and managed to finally make it to the top. Ryley was in that category and I must say I was extremely impressed. Not only was I impressed with the physical achievement but with the mental achievement as well. He isn’t afraid of heights but is on the small side, stature wise, so his legs aren’t that long. The spaces on the rock wall, at times, were just too far apart. But he had the desire, drive and determination to get to the top and by the second day that’s exactly where he ended up.  Success number four.

Ryley showing off his archery skills.

A little sling shot never hurt anyone.

Granted that wasn’t all the fun they had. Like many other scouts they love to shoot things, from BB guns, to bows to sling shots. Heritage Scout Reservation had all three and in the evenings we couldn’t keep the kids away from shooting at something. But shooting sports aren’t really a “class” in my book. That’s just considered good old fun!

Ryley with Cubmaster Seiss and his 15 inch largemouth.

This year we will not be returning back to Heritage scout reservation. As much as I am looking forward to our week long camp, at Broad Creek Scout Reservation in Whiteford, MD, I am somewhat concerned that we just won’t be able to top last year. For one thing, we will be staying all week in camp, so we won’t get to do all those fun, non-scouting activities.  But also because this year it will just be Ryley and Matt since the older boys have moved on to Boy Scouts. I am sure we will have fun and make the most of the time we have there but there’s nothing like watching your son, literally, grow up right before your eyes. Until then keep taking your kids outdoors…