Helicopter BS Camping

by Jody Worsham
All rights reserved for Under Armor, Outer armor, and helmets

Having recovered from BB gun shooting and lunch, it was now time to check out the activities closer to the covered pavilion and the parking lot.  Rain was eminent.  The first stop was at the rope ladder climb.  After the "I am a certified rope ladder" speech I noticed the rope was tied to a fairly strong branch about ten feet off the ground.  Good.  My little scout  would have bo trouble reaching the top.  However, he was only allowed to climb four feet off the ground and he had to wear a helmet!  The leader explained this was for safety purposes in case anyone fell.  Four feet?  I was more worried about the other 553 scouts who had worn that same helmet.  If a helmet was required for a four foot climb, I couldn't wait to see what protective devices would be required next.  Flak jackets?  Shin guards?  Pocket protectors?

Surprisingly, no protective gear was required for the rope bridge, but it was only three feet eleven inches from the ground.  Nor was protective gear required for the boys to fire the two liter compressed air water bottle rockets.  However, 553 moms would have gladly worn a helmet as we dodged empty two liter bottles that were raining down randomly all over the area.

After we launched the second bottle rocket, "the bottom fell out" as we say in the South and the promised downpour began.  We ran for the covered pavilion.  There was no Safety Scout person to tell the boys to refrain from standing under the tall pines or sitting on the metal picnic tables during a lightning storm.  I guess they assumed we had some common sense although the helmet for the four foot climb till rankled in my brain.

I was not looking forward to sleeping in a wet sleeping bag in a tent beneath some pine trees that may or may not have a secure root system.  After my little scout was totally soaked fom spalshing inthe puddles   and the rain had eased up, he said "You know, we've done all the activities.  We could be sleeping in our own bed with dry clothes.  If we left..."  Before he could finish the sentence, I was racing for the campsite to dismantel our tent with a genuine smile spread across my face.

As we were loading the car he said "You know, next year when we come...."

"I'm sorry, would you repeat that last part.  I blacked out for a moment."

"I said next year when we come, I think we should leave our tent in the car until the end of the day.
Then, if it is not raining and the mosquitos aren't as big as bats, we could decide if we wanted to stay or not."

"Sounds like a plan to me."  And with that he climbed in the back seat an fell asleep as I headed out of the parking lot.

On the drive home, I thought about the Boy Scouts and our near camping experience and came to some surprising realizations.

Next blog  "What I learned about BS Camping."