Tents come in many shapes and sizes. Follow these guidelines to find the one that's right for you.

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1 In this Issue: Choosing a Tent Proper Waste Disposal Outdoor Essentials (Part 2) Vol. 1, No. 4 Summer is coming, and with it endless opportunities for Scout adventures. So tune up the tent, review the best ways to deal with backcountry hygiene, and check the Scout Basic Essentials. Then hit the trail for magnificent times in the great outdoors. Choosing a Tent Tents come in many shapes and sizes. Follow these guidelines to find the one that's right for you. The Seasons of Tents Lots of tents are designed for three-season use -- spring, summer, and autumn. A four-season tent is built for any weather including the cold and snow of winter. Tents for One, Two, Four and More A two-person tent is often the best choice for backpacking and for patrol and troop campouts. You and a buddy can divide up the poles and pieces of the tent to share the weight in your packs. Want privacy? One-person tents shed weight by being tailored to accommodate a single sleeping bag. Tents large enough for four, six, or even eight Scouts might be perfect for district camporees and council camps. Too heavy to carry on your back, big tents are best for campgrounds that can be reached by vehicle. Eureka! Timberline 2 Tent Kelty Trail Dome 6 Tent

2 Tents for the Times Long-distance backpackers on the Pacific Crest, Appalachian, and Continental Divide Trails use ultralight tents that shave ounces off pack weight. Winter camping at Northern Tier High Adventure Base? The added weight of a four-season tent can make your nights cozy and calm. Sometimes a lightweight tarp is all you need to keep the dew off your sleeping bag during a warmweather campout. Choosing and Using the Perfect Tent 1.Try It On Set up a tent at your local Scout Shop and crawl inside. Is it wide enough? Long enough? Can you sit up? Does it feel like a place where you'd want to spend nights in camp and a few stormy afternoons? 2.Test It Out Practice pitching your tent in your back yard or during troop meetings. That way you'll know just what to do when you reach a campsite. 3.Treat It Right Tents are tough but not indestructible. Put a ground cloth underneath to shield the floor from moisture and abrasion. Leave your boots outside. Shake any debris from your tent as you break camp. If it is damp, set up the tent as soon as you get home and store it only when it is completely clean and dry. Why the Fly? Most modern tents are made of nylon and most have a fly -- a tailored tarp -- fitted over it. The fly is waterproof while the tent body is not. Moisture from your breath passes through the fabric of the tent body, keeping the interior of your shelter dry. Raindrops will roll off the fly, keeping outside moisture away from you, too. The Spitfire Tent Spitfire 2 Tent For more information on choosing the right tent, consult Be Prepared Hiking & Backpacking, DK Publishing Inc

3 Proper Waste Disposal "Does a bear poop in the woods?" asks the Boy Scout Fieldbook. "Yes, it does," the manual answers, "and so do we." If There's a Facility, Use It Does your campground have restrooms with running water? Great. Where there is no plumbing, there might be an outhouse -- a small shelter with a seat featuring one or two holes over a deep pit. Don't put anything into a latrine other than human waste and toilet paper. Trash needlessly fills latrines much too quickly. Food scraps and dishwater can attract animals, and that can be unhealthy for them. No Facilities? Bury It When you're on the trail or in a camp with no outhouse or latrine, find a secluded spot at least 200 feet from streams, lakes, and other water sources and use a trowel or the heel of your shoe to dig a cat hole about six inches into the soil -- the organic layer with microorganisms that can break down waste. Refill the hole with soil after you're done, and replace pine needles, twigs, or other ground cover. Can't Bury It? Pack It Out If the agency managing the area you're visiting says you need to carry out everything you bring in, look on it as an engineering challenge, a fine adventure, and a Good Turn for the environment. Boaters running wild rivers often carry rocket boxes -- ammunition boxes lined with plastic bags for containing human waste. After putting a toilet seat atop the box for comfortable use, the box can be sealed and taken by raft to the next night's campsite. The filled plastic bags must be properly discarded at the end of the trip. Mountain rock and snow can make waste disposal complicated, especially on crowded routes. Climbers reaching some high camps on Mt. Rainier in the Washington Cascades find outhouses with seats opening over big plastic barrels. When the barrels are full, National Park Service helicopters lift them off the mountain. No helicopter? You can use a Pack-It-Out Kit that includes a sheet of paper with a target drawn on it. After depositing waste on the paper, carefully stow it in a small paper bag containing a handful of cat litter. The bag can then be placed in a length of lightweight plastic pipe that, with a lid at each end, will be easy to pack out of the backcountry. (Check the BSA Fieldbook for full instructions.) What About Toilet Paper? Ask local land-managers how to dispose of paper when there is no latrine. Some will instruct you to bury it well enough so that animals won't dig it up. Others will suggest putting it into a self-sealing plastic bag and packing it to the trailhead. That can be especially important on

4 winter campouts when the ground is frozen and covered with snow. Three Rules for Staying Healthy The Fieldbook gives three rules for staying healthy, especially after relieving yourself outdoors: 1. Wash Your Hands. 2. Wash Your Hands. 3. Wash Your Hands. Soap and water will do the trick. So can waterless hand sanitizers. For more information on proper waste disposal, consult Chapter 9, "Hygiene and Waste Disposal," of the BSA Fieldbook, Fourth Edition. Outdoor Essentials (Part 2) The April Be Prepared newsletter explored the first five of the BSA's Outdoor Essentials -- items to carry on every Scout adventure -- Pocketknife, First Aid Kit, Extra Clothing, Rain Gear, and Water Bottle. This month's newsletter reviews the final five -- Flashlight, Trail Food, Matches and Fire Starters, Sun Protection, and Map and Compass. Flashlight A flashlight can show you the way home if you're caught on the trail after dark. The Mag Lite Flashlight doesn't weigh much and casts a strong beam. Headlamps will leave your hands free as you set up camp, read a book, or respond to late-night emergencies. Trail Food The energy boost of a trail snack can power you through any outdoor activity. Easily-packed possibilities include trail mix, nuts, energy bars, dried fruit, and hard candy.

5 Matches and Fire Starters Lighting a fire can liven an evening in camp, especially if the weather turns bad. A butane lighter stowed in a plastic bag is an ideal flame source. So are wooden kitchen matches in a waterproof container. Practice kindling campfires where they are permitted, and you'll be ready to build a blaze in an emergency. Sun Protection Enjoy the outdoors, but guard against harmful effects of solar radiation. Sunscreen can shield your skin from burning. Lip balm containing sunscreen will help guard against damage. A broad-brimmed hat, long-sleeved shirt, and long pants will deflect the sun's rays. Protect your eyes with sunglasses, especially when travelling on snow. Map and Compass Knowing where you are going is important. Knowing how to get back home again is vital. In unfamiliar country, you'll always want to have a map and a compass to show you the way. As you travel in areas you know well, a compass in your pocket means you can have fun taking bearings, orienting your map, pinpointing your location, and becoming a master at charting routes. For more information on proper waste disposal, consult Chapter 11, "Gearing Up," of the BSA Fieldbook, Fourth Edition.