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Equipment, Lightweight
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by Bob Geier

There are advantages to "plop" camping. There are even uses for "plop" fixed-base camping for high adventure kids; we've done it for climbing (camp at one spot, go out on climbs), whitewater (base camp and day trip different rivers depending on water level and skill growth), skiing (base camp and work on telemark skills), etc.

While there are advantages to "plop" camping, there are no advantages to "plop" camping equipment. It is heavy. It is difficult to pack, so it requires large cars or dedicated trailers. It is expensive. Its use is limited to "plop" camping, which requires that you either duplicate gear for other types of outings, or never do other types of outings.

A Scout is Thrifty. By going with high-quality lightweight gear, you buy one set of things that has multiple uses, and is easier to pack and manage for trips. You get freedom to do trips of all sorts easily; your kids use the same familiar stove at the summer car campsite and in the ski-backpackers snow kitchen.

It took us time to change. Now I'm the only old fart who remembers the days of chuck boxes and large canvas dining flies. The kids don't even really believe me when I tell them about the "old days." "Yeah, right... hauling big wooden boxes into the field. Nobody'd be that silly."

Those same kids can set up camp and cook a meal in less than half the time as the old days, with less than half the effort... whether backpacking, canoeing, or "plopping."

In our outfitting, patrols have 2-man lightweight tents and a lightweight "Thelma" fly, and one stove, pot set, fry/bake pan, spice kit and bake kit for every 3-4 people. Boys bring their own personal "ditty bag" of eating-wear, consisting of a plastic bowl, insulated mug, and spork (along with whatever knife they generally use).

On a good day, I think we can have camp set up, dinner cooked and cleaned, and camp secured in less time than it took to set up camp in the old system.

One thing that you have to watch is that 4 people is a "max" per lightweight stove. We have 2 and occasionally 3 stoves per patrol, which may be used as separate "cook groups" within the patrol, or combined to work together on something. But you need never to violate the "no more than 4 people per burner & gear" rule.

There's no reason why backpack stoves should mean any reduction in meal quality, unless it's because you're going to more cool places and doing so much cool stuff you have less time for cooking. We never use those silly freeze-dried backpacker meals (very expensive and taste like latrine leftovers). We've had guys prepare gorgeous 4- and 5-course meals, and we adults do that on a regular basis! Crab cake appetizer, a light lobster bisque, beef wellington with mashed potatoes and green beans, topped off with a German chocolate cake (featuring Michigan cherries, of course) is quite straightforward. Homemade (in-the-field) yeast bread and yeast-dough pizzas are seen on occasion (even 30 miles away from the nearest car).

See Also:

Lightweight Cooking

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