Our Scout Troop has grown both in size and in capability, and our youth are looking for more real adventure – moving away from ‘car camping’ and getting into multi-day, self-contained trips.  Our current gear, like our 4-season Eureka tents are both in good repair and very usable, however they have one feature that is not desirable – weight.  The aluminum poles make for a heavy and bulky load when hiking into a wilderness.  

As a result, we have invested in a significant number of kits for our Scouting Patrols.  Our Scouters in the Troop section are experienced in outdoor adventure and in some cases have military training and background, and were confident in their choices of equipment.  

The first consideration when moving into wilderness camping is a reliable water source.  The Platypus GravityWorks filtration system enables filtering up to 1.75 litres of water a minute without pumping – the youth just hang the bags at different heights and let gravity do the work, filtering out bacteria and protozoa and enabling water on the go.  

Following water, food is a necessity and carrying Coleman stoves and large pot sets is again both bulky and heavy.  Our new pot sets and single-burner stoves from MSR will give each patrol what they need for a safe, hot meal after a long hike. 

Finally, we have invested in some lightweight Big Agnes Copper Spur 3-man tents with footprints (ground sheet custom fit to the tent).  Coming in at just 1.5 Kg (about 3lbs 8oz), compared to the 4.9 Kg (10lbs 11oz) for our Eureka El Capitan tents.  Made of rugged, lightweight materials with storage pockets and head room to sit up inside, as well as being freestanding and easy to setup and take down, the Copper Spur makes for a great high adventure addition to the 3rd Ottawa camping arsenal. 

Whether camping at Camp Opemikon or in the middle of Algonquin Park, the 3rd Ottawa is ready for adventure! 

Yours in Scouting 
Tim Welch
Group Commissioner