2016 Klondike Derby - Frankfort KY January 29 to 31, 2016

Location - Frankfort KY

Mileage - I had to drive to Georgetown to pick up the Scout trailer and scouts, and then back to Frankfort to the campout.  I had to repeat this process after the campout was over.  The camping site is only about 6 miles from my house, but I drove more than 40 miles.
Weather - NO Rain.  Cold at night, windy during the day.
Clothing - Long scout pants,  t-shirt, flannel shirt, fleece jacket with no sleeves, and my Marmot rain coat.  I also used my REI Co-op at night.   I slept in wool socks, thermal underwear top and bottom. and a sock cap.  I was smart to have ear plugs in my tent since we camped with a bunch other scouts around us.  I was able to block them out.
Shoes - Hiking Boots - they kept my feet warm.
Camping Style - slept in my Slumberjack 4 tent.  It held up well to the wind.  I also had a cot in my tent, and slept on two different camping pads.  I used my accordion thermarest camping pad, and I used my air filled thermarest camping pad.  The first night I put my accordion camping pad under my air filled camping pad.  I move around a lot while I sleep.  With the slick surface of the air camping pad, this is possible.  The second night I put the air filled camping pad under the accordion camping pad. The accordion pad has a rough surface, and made it harder for me to move around on top of it while in my sleeping bag.  From now on, I'll need to make sure I have my air pad under my sleeping bag all the time.
Sleeping bag - I used my Teton 0 bag.  I had my "cheater heater" with me, but I only used it for a few minutes right before I got in my bag, and a few minutes in the morning.  This way I could change into and from my sleeping clothes depending on which side of the sleeping bag I wanted to go.
Sleeping - I slept on my cot.  I also used my ear plugs.  I slept well.  I woke up early in the morning on Saturday, and I was a little bit cold, but it was only from the air coming in the top of my sleeping bag.  It was below 30 degrees that night.  The second night I was almost too hot  In fact, while I was putting up my sleeping gear, I noticed some sweat on my camping pad.
Main Activities - The Scouts were at the event for a Klondike Derby.  It was my first.  The scouts had to take a sled around to different stations at the event where they had to do different projects or scout skills. The station that we ran was starting a fire and boiling a cup of water.  A lot of troops did some interesting things.  Troop 124 had Fatwood as their fuel source.  I was impressed with it partly because I was a member of Troop 124 when I was in Scouts.  It burned hot, and made the water boil fast.  From the time they put the fuel on the ground to boiling point was 6 minutes and 45 seconds.  I thought for sure they were going to win.  Then Troop 382 pulled out a Solo Stove.  I had heard about the solo stove before, but I had never seen it in action.  I was very impressed.  The patrol used a cotton ball and vaseline to get a fire started.  They used flint and steel to light the cotton ball.  Then they put wood on top of the cotton ball.  With in a minute they had a roaring fire.  When the cup was placed on top of the stove, within a minute or two, the water was boiling.  I have to get a Solo Stove!  In fact, right after the troop left my station, I called my wife to ask her to see how much something like that cost.  It is not very expensive, and I will get one soon.

The problem with using Fatwood or a Rocket Stove (using butane fuel) is that at some point if you use it, you will run out of the fuel source.  It is often heavy to carry around these fuel sources.  With a Solo Stove, you collect limbs and pine cones from the ground.  These get broken up and put in the stove for fuel.  If you hike in an area with trees, you will always have fuel.

Extra Gear - I had my "cheater heater" just in case the weather was horrible.   
Nights Camping - 2
Total nights camping so far this year - This was my first campout of 2016.  Two nights so far.

Next Campout - Our troop has a lock in at our charter organization in March.  It looks like the next time I get to stay in a tent is March 18 through 20, which is Kawida Lodge Spring Fellowship that will take place at Camp McKee.  I hope I can get 25 nights in a tent in 2016.  If I went to every campout that is on my calendar with Troop and Order of the Arrow, I would have more than 30 nights camping this year.  I'm not sure I want to do that much.  I'm not sure my wife will let me be away more than 25 nights.

I didn't take any pictures during the event.  The picture below was from the father of one of our Scouts.  Soon Troop 215 may be lucky enough to have this adult be part of our troop, but until then, he is working with a Cub Scout Pack.