Go take a hike!
A major part of Scouting is experiencing the outdoors and learning outdoor skills. To better encourage and enable this focus, the leadership of Pack 44 has put together a unique and fun program to encourage outdoor activities and adventure.
Pack 44 Hiking Staff
 The centerpiece of this program is the Pack 44 Hiking Staff. This is a bamboo hiking staff which is presented to each boy in Pack 44 when they earn their Bobcat badge. The Hiking Staff is intended to serve as a companion and tool on the boys' trek along the Scouting Trail. It displays the rank achieved by the scout, and it features a built in compass, a ruler, emergency supply storage, a carabiner and removable cord for knots and lashings. In addition, the Pack 44 Hiking Staff is used to display beads that have been awarded to the scout for hiking or camping.
For more details on the hiking staff and how it is to be put together, see the Pack 44 Hiking Staff Building Instructions document in the Pack Library. It should be noted that scouts are expected to use the Hiking Staff responsibly - it is not a light saber or quarterstaff (as tempting as that might be); the rubber end of the staff should never be raised above a boys' waist.
For the specific details about Hiking Beads and Camping Beads see below. Each color of bead goes on its own lanyard, which is attached to the staff lanyard using two half-hitches or a buntline hitch. This is what it each lanyard should look like when attached:
 "Be Prepared" Supplies
The Boy Scout Motto is "Be Prepared!" and the Pack 44 Hiking Staff is a great way to help boys be prepared when they are out and about. The standard features of the staff include:
In addition, boys can choose to add things to the outside of the staff - e.g. hang a whistle from the carabiner. Lastly (and probably most importantly from the boys' perspective) the advantage of using bamboo is that it's sections are hollow and therefore can be used to store supplies. Here is an example of what one hiking staff was able to fit in its bottom compartment:
Other ideas include:
Use your imagination! It can be helpful to wrap all of the supplies in a piece of clear wrap to keep it dry and make it easier to take everything out. In addition, the handle of the Pack 44 Hiking Staff is about 20 feet of removable paracord and there are *lots* of things you can do with paracord! Check out this fascinating article listing 15 ways you can use paracord. Here are some fun YouTube videos with other ideas for hiking staffs that you may be interested in watching: Hiking Beads
As boys participate in hikes with their Pack, Den or family, their mileage is recorded and they receive recognition for those hiked miles in the form of beads which are displayed on lanyards attached to the Hiking Staff. Each bead represents 1 mile hiked, and they are color coded as follows:
Miles 1-10: Black Beads
Miles 11-20: Brown Beads
Miles 21-30: Red Beads
Miles 31-40: Orange Beads
Miles 41-50: Yellow Beads
Miles 51-60: Green Beads
Miles 61-70: Blue Beads
Miles 71-80: Violet Beads
Miles 81-90: Grey Beads
Miles 91-100: White Beads
Miles should be hiked in 'natural' settings (parades in which the Pack participates is an exception to this rule). Leaders will take care of recording miles hikes with the Pack or individual Dens. If scouts hike with their families, they can receive credit for those miles as well if their parent fills out the Pack 44 Hiking Staff Mileage Report. Please note that the rules listed on the form must be adhered to for the scout to receive credit.
Camping Beads
Beads are also awarded in recognition of nights that the scout has spent camping out at a Cub Scout event (family camping trips are not counted). Like the Hiking Beads, Camping Beads go onto their own lanyard (based on color) displayed on the Hiking Staff. Each bead represents 1 night spent camping with the Cub Scouts. Color coding is as follows:
Nights 1-10: Bronze Beads
Nights 11-20: Gold Beads
Nights 21-30: Silver Beads
Like hiking, camping needs to take place in a "natural" setting to count towards Camping Beads. To earn Pack 44 Camping Beads, you must meet the following requirements. One bead is awarded for one day and night of camping with the scout's den or pack.
What Counts for Camping Beads:
What Doesn't Count for Camping Beads:
Please make sure that your son understands the need to help set up and break camp, as well as participating in camp chores and camping activities in order to earn a camping bead. For more fun resources related to camping, check our our Hammock Camping resource page!
Suggested Hikes around Lititz
There are many great parks and game-lands around Lititz which make great hiking destinations. Below are some suggestions which may prove to be helpful to families looking for a great place to "Go take a hike!":
If you have completed other hikes that you think should be listed, please send the details to hiking@Pack44Lititz.org.
Other Local Hiking Resources
Besides the hikes listed above, here are additional resources related to hiking in Lancaster County. If you have other resources to share, please send them to hiking@Pack44Lititz.org so they can be added to this page.
Camp Mack has a very large Hiking Trail network. Just sign in at the maintenance shed (on the left as soon as you enter camp) and you can go hiking there whenever you want! Any of these parks (Speedwell
Forge is in Lititz):
Lancaster Conservancy Preserves: Middle Creek Wildlife
Area: State Gamelands Area 156 just north on 501 & 322: http://pgcmaps.pa.gov/pgcpublicviewer/ Rails to Trails in Lititz (http://www.traillink.com/trail/lititz-warwick-trailway.aspx) or Lebanon Valley (http://www.lvrailtrail.com/) Don't forget you can hike at Camp Mack any time you would like to - just sign in! |
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