Location - Camp McKee, Levee Rd, Jeffersonville, KY
Lake Vough Sunday morning approximately 7 AM.
Mileage - I guess the mileage didn't count this time. I drove my truck to our charter organization, and then drove the church van to McKee.
Weather - NO Rain. Chilly Friday afternoon and evening. Cold Saturday and Sat night.
Ice on my tent - Sunday morning approximately 7 AM
Clothing - Shorts on Friday and Saturday during the day. Long sleeve fleece jacket and rain coat.
Shoes - Hiking Boots, tennis shoes, and Keen sandals. I wore the sandals mostly all the time I was inside the dining hall. I didn't know if there would be a Brotherhood ceremony, so I took my boots just in case I had to walk around the camp. I did some shooting at the shotgun range, so I wore my boots on Saturday morning.
Camping Style - slept in my Slumberjack 4 tent. I had put up my tent and my cot when I realized that I had forgotten my Zero Bag at home. I didn't drive home to get it. I slept on my cot with two camp pads underneath me and I used my extra tarp both nights above me.
Sleeping bag & Sleeping - I have a really good system of sleeping in cold weather. Before I left the house on Friday afternoon, I took out my 0 bag to take with me to the event, and because of getting my zero bag, I didn't take my REI Co-Op Jacket. I took my fleece coat and my rain coat because I didn't think that I would spend very much time outside if it got cold. The week before the event, it was in the 70s. I knew it was supposed to be in the 30s on Saturday night, so luckily I also took my sock cap and winter gloves. I also had my "cheater-heater", but I was planning on not using it even after I discovered that I had forgotten my bag.
When I realized that I had forgotten my sleeping bag, I put my tarp over my bed. It really wasn't very cold when I went to bed around 11 PM Friday night. Around 1 AM, I woke up cold. I decided to go in the dining hall (right beside where I set up my tent) to use the restroom. While I was in there, I was thinking about how I was going to stay warm. I decided to get a cardboard box to see how it would work between my body and my tarp. Afterall, I am the director of a homeless shelter, and a common stereotype is that homeless people sleep in cardboard boxes. It worked for a few hours, but I still was cold after a while. I ended up turning on my "cheater heater" with a few hours left until it was time to wake up.
Saturday got VERY cold. I knew I wouldn't survive the night unless I bought some kind of sleeping bag. I found an Army Surplus store on the internet (phone) that I thought was in the town next to the camp, but it ended up being too far to drive. I went to a big box store in the town next to camp and bought a Coleman 20 bag. The bag said it was long enough for my height, but when I got back to the camp with it, I discovered it was too short, but only after I went to bed at midnight. I pulled it up to cover my body, and it only came up to mid chest. I was disappointed. I was still cold, so I turned on my cheater heater. The cheater heater fluttered off after only 20 seconds of use. My fuel tank was empty. I had to make due with what I had. I already knew that I would not take the option of taking my cot inside the dining hall. There were other people in there, but I didn't want to lose a night of camping outside even though it was cold. I had to make it work. I unzipped my sleeping bag. I had on thick socks, long pants, my fleece, my gloves, and my sock cap. I took out my rain coat, and put the hood over my head. I zipped it up to my chin. I then took out my tarp, and put it over the sleeping bag that I had zipped up to the top. It was quite comfortable. I went to sleep, and in the morning, I discovered that I had some how gotten my body inside the sleeping bag enough to keep warm. The rain coat worked. I had condensation inside the tarp since it had been over my head, but it didn't make my bag wet. It was almost as comfortable as the 0 bag. BTW, the Coleman 20 bag is still crap. It doesn't have a cord to tighten around your shoulders and head. Without the cord, you lose a lot of heat that is inside your bag. Spend a few extra dollars and get a good bag if you are planning on camping in the cold, or especially if you are going to send your son out to sleep with a Boy Scout troop...in the cold.
Main Activities - The event was Spring Fellowship. It was a good weekend. There was a Vigil Honor ceremony on Friday night. Thomas and I are both Brotherhood Members of Kawida Lodge. On Saturday there were inflatables that were put up inside the dining hall. It was perfect. The scouts loved it!
On Saturday evening I was asked to lead the Scouts Own Service the next morning. The lodge chief asked me to speak about Fellowship. I spent 45 minutes on Saturday night putting together what I was going to say. I used Proverbs 27:17. As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. I talked about the importance of fellowship, and how it makes everyone a better person. I didn't cry. :-)
Here is the reason why I forgot my bag. This was the first camping event with the OA that there were more people from my troop than just me and Thomas. There were two other scouts from my troop, and one other adult. The fact that we were able to use the church van to drive to the event also was very exciting. In the excitement of all of the changes and what it would mean in the future for my scout troop at OA events, I went off and left my bag. I didn't even think about it until after I had set up my tent and cot. The reason why I wanted to camp without my bag at first was because I was sure it would be a good Scoutmaster Minute at the end of a scout meeting. I have to say that by figuring out how to make it work and not giving in was the outcome that I wanted. I think I'm better because I figured it out.
One of the scouts from my troop who went to Spring Fellowship with us was not planning on going until I asked him the Tuesday before the event. I didn't think anyone else had signed up. I didn't know that he had been elected to the OA and went through Ordeal 4 years before, but hadn't been back to an event since. He also had stopped going to campouts with our troop. He went to Philmont the summer before, and that is what made Thomas excited about him going to Spring Ordeal when he finally agreed to go. He had a good time. Thomas and the other scout who was with us talked him into going through the Brotherhood Conversion as soon as it is possible for him to go through it. In other words, we rescued a "Sash and Dash" OA Member. He was paying his dues, but had no intent of returning to an event. All it took was an invitation. I also registered the scout so his dad wouldn't have to figure out how to do it. It isn't hard, but I didn't want that to be a stumbling block to his registration.
Extra Gear - I had my "cheater heater" just in case the weather was horrible. I only used it for a while on Friday night/Saturday morning. The fuel ran out after 20 seconds of use on Saturday night.
Nights Camping - 2
Total nights camping so far this year - This was my second campout of 2016. This was my 3rd and 4th night camping this year.
Next Campout - Orbital Ordeal, Somerset. Tyler will be going through his Ordeal since he was recently elected and called out. Thomas and I will both be Elangomats, which means we will go through the same thing that the Ordeal candidates will go through. I don't think you will find many OA members who are willing to tell you what it is you go through during Ordeal, so I'm not going to say anything, but to those who have been through it, that is not all that there is to OA.
The following pictures are from a hike I did on Friday morning...the same day as the Spring Fellowship. Weather had been much better. I hiked to the top of Cove Spring in Frankfort to test my gear and to have breakfast. This was also part of why I forgot my sleeping bag.
