Keith Bassett – Scoutmaster – Troop 498

Keith Bassett – Scoutmaster – Troop 498
12/10/2018 A Scout is Thrifty. Thrift and the Outdoors Learn, Be and Do more in the outdoors while spending less. …and have fun doing it! Keith Bassett – Scoutmaster – Troop 498 Chief Seattle Council 1

Thrift and the Outdoors
12/10/2018 What is Thrift? Isn’t being thrifty just looking for cheaper stuff? Thrift and the Outdoors 2

12/10/2018 Thrift is a mindset Thrift: critical thinking before spending time or money, to cut waste. Above all else, learn what is necessary to be prepared. Define and understand a problem before purchasing a “solution.” Thrifty solutions start with learned skills, not stuff. Avoid wasting any time or money on stuff that isn’t necessary. Spend time and money for stuff that does matter. Optimize for the value of a solution over its price. Don’t be cheap. Conserve resources so that they can be used to participate in things that might otherwise be out of reach. Spend less than you earn, don’t accumulate debt, and save your resources. Thrift and the Outdoors 3 3

12/10/2018 What is Necessary? Is this something I need, or something I want? Thrift and the Outdoors 4

12/10/2018 Is it Necessary? What does someone actually need to be prepared in the outdoors? Shelter: sufficient to staying safe in current conditions. Clothes: for moving around in the weather Tent or Tarp: to provide a place to get out of the weather Sleep system: to keep warm, and sleep Food: enough to fuel up throughout the trip, plus a safety buffer Water: enough to stay hydrated, and a way to clean more Tools: backpack to carry shelter, food and water + the 10 essentials. Required equipment for the activity. (Helmet, ice axe, harness, etc.) Does anyone really NEED anything else? Thrift and the Outdoors 5 5

12/10/2018 Need Vs Want? Practice your skills, to define and understand what you need. Consider destination and season and keep it simple. You need less than you think. What stuff is necessary for safety and fun? Cheap new gear vs awesome used gear? Tent vs nylon tarp vs blue tarp? Inflatable pad vs foam pad? Freeze dried vs supermarket food? Down vs thermo-fleece? Nalgene vs PowerAde bottle? On low risk trips, try going without borderline needs. Wants can become a burden. Thrift and the Outdoors 6 6

12/10/2018 Think before you spend Start with making a list of what you really need. What do you already own? Can learning new skills allow you to choose a cheaper option? Do you need a NEW item? REI Garage Sales are a good place to purchase actual needs, typically for 50% or greater discounts. Thrift stores, Walmart, Amazon, Aliexpress often have good products for reasonable prices. A single trip to an REI Garage Sale can often provide clothes, shelter and a good backpack. Thrift and the Outdoors 7 7

12/10/2018 Make Good Choices Choose stuff based on what you actually do. Do you really need a saw, crampons, ice axe, etc.? Buy nothing that you already own unless there is a quantifiable improvement that is required. Buy the best you can afford for core needs. Socks, shoes, sleep system, backpack. Gently used or repairable high quality items are usually better than cheap new items. $200 boots bought used for $50, almost always outperform new $50 boots. You can make repairs, or pay someone to make them. Often repairs are cheap. Brand ≠ quality, so do your research online. Can you make your own gear that will be superior for less $$? This guy over-prepared and bought too much . Thrift and the Outdoors 8 8

12/10/2018 Shelter needs How do you pick the right things, at the right price? Thrift and the Outdoors 9

12/10/2018 Clothes Base Layer – NO COTTON Wicking underwear – Buy new Socks – Buy new Warmth or Insulating Layer – NO COTTON Fleece, wool, or synthetic fill -Used fleece/wool are cheap and work well Shell Layer – NO COTTON Rain jacket – Buy new, used often delaminate Appropriate pants – Used are fine Hats and accessories – Used are fine. Footwear – Buy high quality, lightly used or repairable are fine. REI Garage Sales have nearly new shoes for low prices. See the handout for thrift tips for Clothes. Thrift and the Outdoors 10 10

12/10/2018 Tent or Tarp Tents Enclosed, heavier, good in snow, bug proof Good tents are expensive and often unnecessary in spring, fall, and summer. Buy quality used, or look for quality clearance priced new tents. Consider trying a Tarp, and learning tarp skills! Tarps Open, lighter, often bigger, good in rain Inexpensive, require poles or a rope ridgeline, cold in winter or high winds Blue tarps are cheap! Or make your own superlight silnylon tarp, and go lighter. See the handout for a couple of MYOG tarp patterns and setup directions. Thrift and the Outdoors 11 11

12/10/2018 Sleep System 20° sleeping bag is ideal for the PNW Synthetic fill or down, 3 lbs. or less Small & compact, down doesn’t insulate if wet Buy high quality used, or look for quality new on clearance. REI Garage Sales have good deals on repairable or gently used sleeping bags Recommended sleeping pads Blue Foam Pad – Humble, cheap, and functional – buy new anywhere Eggshell EVA foam pad – better padding and warmth than blue foam – buy new online Thermarest – good warranty & reasonably priced repairs – Buy used with confidence See the handout for thrift tips for sleep systems. Thrift and the Outdoors 12 12

12/10/2018 Food needs Are freeze dried meals a thrifty choice? Thrift and the Outdoors 13

12/10/2018 What is food for? To fuel your body to keep moving. Any nutritionally balanced meal with enough calories is acceptable. Pre-packaged meals are not required, simple food like fruit is OK. Hot meals are not necessary, cold food will do the job well. Food is also a social activity, and should taste good. Meals provide an excuse to sit and interact with others. Bring food that can be shared, and that tastes good. Bad food is demoralizing. Hot food might be a need for some seasons and activities. All food, even simple, tastes better when you are working hard. Understand and define your needs, then make a list before buying anything. Thrift and the Outdoors 14 14

12/10/2018 Thrifty Food choices Canned foods Buy at supermarkets, easy, often nutritive Heavy & creates problem trash Instant / Normal foods Buy at supermarkets, easy to prepare, often nutritive, hot or cold items, can be bulky Fruit, nuts, sandwiches, etc. Normal foods = $ - $$ A thrifty choice! Dehydrated / Freeze Dried Lightweight & compact, easy to prepare, nutritive Freeze Dried = $$$ Not thrifty… Home Dehydrated = $ Thrifty! See the handout for thrift tips about making good food choices. Thrift and the Outdoors 15 15

12/10/2018 Freezer Bag Cooking These are a thrifty alternative to Freeze Dried meals. Just repackage normal foods into a Freezer Bag and add boiling water to prepare. Eliminates excess weight, less to pack out, only need a spoon, virtually no cleanup, one meal per bag, one bag per person. Freezer bag meal = $-$$ The Thrifty pre-packaged choice! 3 days trash See the handout for links to freezer bag recipes. Thrift and the Outdoors 16 16

12/10/2018 Cooking Food What are the basics needed in a cook kit? Thrift and the Outdoors 17

12/10/2018 $35 Cook Kit This is all anyone needs for basic and solo cooking An award winning stove that fits inside the 1 liter pot which is big enough to boil water or cook, a lighter, a sponge, and a spork (because sporks are awesome!) Total cost = $$ but value is $$$ A thrifty choice. •Cook kit – 1 liter with cup & bowl – Aliexpress $15.62 •BRS 3000t Titanium Stove– Aliexpress $16.00 •Spork – REI $2.00 •Mini Bic Lighter – Supermarket $0.99 •Dish sponge – Supermarket $0.50 Total $35.11 See handout for links to purchase these online. Thrift and the Outdoors 18 18

12/10/2018 Specialty Cook items Thrifty Buy high quality items for your actual specialty needs, and prioritize good value not just price. Sometimes you need to save for a deluxe choice but reusable Starbucks cups are cheap! In the snow, stoves with preheat loops are a need Kettles are faster than pots if you only boil water. •Reusable Starbucks Cup – Cheap & indestructible $2 •GSI – Nesting Bowl & Mug (Fancy, Fits in Pot) – Campmor $7.95 •FMS-118 stove – preheat loop – Aliexpress $38 Alocs .8L Kettle – Good for freezer bag meals –Aliexpress $11.50 See handout for links to purchase these online. Thrift and the Outdoors 19 19

12/10/2018 Water You can only live 3 days with no water. Thrift and the Outdoors 20

12/10/2018 About Water Water is key to a positive experience outdoors. When you start to become dehydrated, your joints will hurt and movement becomes more difficult. This can ruin the value of an outing. Even when it is cold outside, you can rapidly become dehydrated. Some people use water flavoring to encourage them to drink before they become thirsty, to stay hydrated. Water flavor drops = $ Don’t be too cheap about water treatment. Filters and UV last for a long time and work very quickly, even though they are initially expensive. Don’t be tempted to save money by drinking untreated water. Being sick is a good way to completely destroy your experience in the outdoors. Understand and define your needs, then make a list before buying anything. Thrift and the Outdoors 21 21

12/10/2018 Carrying Water All you need is a sports drink bottle, light, fairly tough - $ Nalgene style bottles are great for hot liquids but heavy - $$ Water bladders are nice on the trail, but fragile - $$ Thrifty Nice, but not thrifty. Thrift and the Outdoors 22 22

12/10/2018 Water Treatment There are many thrifty ways to treat water, but the cheapest are chemicals. Boiling water – Slow, uses lots of fuel – $$$ long term - Not thrifty Filtering- Fast, heavy - $$ UV – Very fast, uses batteries - $$ Chlorine/Iodine – Slow, light - $ -Thrifty. Don’t be stupid, no more pouting, treat your water every outing. Thrift and the Outdoors 23 23

12/10/2018 Tools There is no misery quite like blisters from a poorly fitted backpack. Thrift and the Outdoors 24

12/10/2018 Backpack + 10 Essentials Backpack: liters in size, under 3 lbs. If it doesn’t fit well, no price is cheap enough. Buy high quality used. Non-zipper repairs OK. Quality new on clearance is still $$$ REI Garage Sales always have repairable backpacks. Remaining 10 Essentials Map: buy new - $$ / Print free topos online- $ Thrifty. Compass: buy quality to avoid inaccuracy. $ - $$ Sunglasses: buy UVA and UVB blocking - $ Pea-less whistles are cheap and work when frozen. LED Headlamps are excellent – buy new for $-$$ First Aid Kits – Make your own for $ - Thrifty. Mini Bic lighter and flint and steel – buy new $ Knife / Multi-tool – buy high quality new $-$$$ Handout has tips on backpacks, equipment, and links to free online topo maps. Thrift and the Outdoors 25 REI Garage Sales always have cheap used backpacks It is ok to start cheap, & buy a great pack after several hikes. 25

12/10/2018 Multi-Use Gear Multi-use gear is thriftier than single use gear. Trekking poles = tarp poles Poncho = emergency shelter/tarp Sweater or Jacket = pillow Sleeping bag = emergency jacket Hydration Bag = blow-up pillow TP & Hand sanitizer = fire starter Extra socks = mittens Bandana = almost anything Thrift and the Outdoors 26 26

12/10/2018 Go Deeper… What is it really all about? Thrift and the Outdoors 27

12/10/2018 Why? If someone has plenty of money to buy stuff, why be thrifty? Thrift is actually conservation of your resources, minimizing waste of what you worked hard to gain. Opportunity cost. Every dollar or minute not spent is one that you can use for something else that may be more important or higher value. Saving money gives you options. More value. Thrift isn’t about pinching every penny, though it can be that, but is about spending only what is necessary to get the greatest value. Value is subjective. Many people value their time more than their money, or use the savings on Wants. The thrifty mindset allows you to define value in your own terms. Minimizing your mental, financial and physical burden lets you move faster and do more in every one of these areas. Kicking butt feels good. Thrift and the Outdoors 28 28

12/10/2018 Concluding Thoughts Thrift and the Outdoors 29 29

12/10/2018 Concluding Thoughts It is expected that a Scout will save every penny he can, and put it in the bank, so that he may have money to keep himself when out of work, and thus not make himself a burden to others; or that he may have money to give away to others when they need it. Sir Robert Baden- Powell Thrift and the Outdoors 30 30

12/10/2018 Key Links Link to this Powerpoint : Link to the associated equipment list, tips, links, principles of thrift, etc.: Thrift and the Outdoors 31 31

Q&A Time That Concludes our Session
12/10/2018 That Concludes our Session Q&A Time Contact Keith with Questions Thrift and the Outdoors 32 32

Keith Bassett – Scoutmaster – Troop 498

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