Cub Scouts (I must be crazy)

[Bwana]

The youngest boy gets his arrow of light award and is done with cub scouts effective mid-March but wants to get his Zero Hero award before doing so. The Zero Hero award is earned by sleeping outside overnight when the temp gets below zero degrees F.

Not sure how many more chances we will get so tonight is the night, as it is supposed to get down to -10 F. After supper we will dig ourselves a snow cave, equip it with some insulation, double up some sleeping bags, and when beddy bye time comes we will crawl in for the night.

We have invited the rest of the den but not sure if any of them are coming yet.

Anybody else ever done this?

 

[DRAFTSTUD]

UH................No, If you are doing this in the back yard, can you run an extension cord for an electric blanket? Don't freeze your tender vegetation! John

 

[Oak]

Wow, sounds like fun!

I've slept in the bed of my truck during hunting season and had it get down to -12. I've never done the snow cave thing, but I imagine that it would be a bit warmer. Have fun!

 

[Hntnhrd]

Slept out at -5 but had tw0 sleeping bags and the Woodstove jamming in the wall tent!!!!!! Good Luck!!!!

 

[pa mt man]

It was called the polar bear award when I was in the boy scouts 45 years ago. Our patrol did it but we did it in a tent and I don't remember all the details except that it was one of the coldest nights of my young life..

 

[Calif. Hunter]

As an older Scout, we slept at the base of San Gorgonio, and it was 8 degrees when we went to bed. I don't know how cold it got down to at night, but since all I had was a Sears sleeping bag and a plastic tube tent, I wore all my clothes to bed. We'd taken turns breaking trail through 2-3 feet of powder for 8 or 10 miles, so we were all pretty pooped and fell asleep despite the cold.

We got up the next morning as soon as the sun started to warm things up a bit, and went up the peak.

Let us know how the night went!

 

[choc dogs]

I've done both the snow cave thing and an igloo with scouts 30ish years ago (I was fortunate to be a member of a scout troop that believed in camping) I don't remember it as all that dang cold either time, with what was to me a good sleeping bag and a candle lantern and I do know the scoutmaster who spent the night in a tent was DAMN cold, cause he told our tender little 15 year old ears that. I hope it works out well for you, and since it's now tomorrow when I responded, hope you survived it ok.

 

[mtmiller]

Well how did it go?

It only got to 12F where I was last night, so no Hero for me. I also cheated by reaching up front and started the pick-up about 6:30 and listened to a little Stern before hitting the trail looking for sheep.

No sheep seen, but the scenery was nice.

 

[schmalts]

Miller.... always looking for sheep, what a slut

 

[1_pointer]

It only got to 12F where I was last night, so no Hero for me. I also cheated by reaching up front and started the pick-up about 6:30 and listened to a little Stern before hitting the trail looking for sheep.

Must be nice being able to lay flat in the back seat of a pickup and not hit either door...

 

[mtmiller]

Narrow suicide doors on the extended cab would be problamatic for you as well.

 

[oleefish2]

Bwana if more dads did what you are doing less kids would be in trouble, I salute you.

 

[Bwana]

Well, I survived and had fun doing it. Although a lot of sweat went into digging out the shelter (note to self - next time dig the cave out of a snowbank instead of a pile of snow pushed up and compacted with a loader tractor) to the tune of 3+ hours of digging, there wasn't much in the way of sweating during the night although we were plenty warm.

Here is the crew, plus the inspector, after finishing up digging our graves...I mean caves.

The temp when we went in for the night.

The entrance to the Ice House Hilton.

Inside looking out.

Thermometer when we finally crawled out 8 hours later.

A good time was had by all and my son can hardly wait to get his Zero Hero Patch in a couple of weeks.


Even though I don't have any cold weather bags we found that by properly using tarps, foam padding, and several sleeping bags we were actually quite toasty as long as we didn't leave anything hanging outside the bag. Matter of fact the worst part was digging the cave out and then trying to get dressed in the morning in order to make it back to the house but the kids have had fun playing in caves ever since.

If you get a chance to do something like this, go for it. It's a great adventure and something most sane people would never do, in other words, a great excuse to be a kid again without having to worry about mom telling you that you can't do it because you will freeze to death.

 

[noharleyyet]

Great story and pics....any claustrophobia?

 

[mtmiller]

Very cool. Did you notice the difference in the edges of the snow on the walls of the cave? When I was a pup, me and a buddy did this and it was pretty cool how the sharp edges of the snow from the digging had rounded off from the body heat during the night.

Congrats to your crew.

 

[choc dogs]

Miller I seem to remember from my experience that you gotta lose the sharp edges, or as stuff starts to soften it drips off of them, usually into your cup of hot cocoa, or ramen noodles, or back of neck....

 

[1_pointer]

Narrow suicide doors on the extended cab would be problamatic for you as well.

That's assuming I'd be getting in the back!