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i cant think of a more formulative few years in my life. having the choice of reading sports illustrated or a biography about some expedition to outer mongolia..........id choose the later.
learned how to snow ski,x-country ski,snowshoe,mtn climb,first aid, knots,cooking,guns,knives,swimming, chain saws,on and on, just open the merit badge book.
i have not one regret of those years. i still do alot of camping to this day. my doolie at home is like an f-15 on luke AFB's tarmac............ready to go. stuffed with food water hunt fish supplies tents cots sleeping pads pots pans MRE's, freeze dried food anything and everything i need to survive when the BIG JUAN goes off!
it taught me how to survive anywhere. how to eat bugs/lizards/birds/fish and purify water out of a cattle stock tank. how to track game .......man or beast. everything you need to survive.
ive dropped big bucks on tents over the years. we have (1) of 42 made by the north face antarctic hotels built for the will steiger expedition tents. based on himilayan hotel design. sleeps 6(crammed) weighs 19# and will withstand 125 knot winds. goretex floor, it is impervious to rain. sat in that damn thing (3) days while torrential rains nailed us one summer. sat in it one hunt on mt graham for (2) days while arctic cold front snowed us in.
also have north face mtn.-25 tent. sleeps 2 and its also a 4-season tent. weighs about 5.5 #'s. this is the classic backpacker hotel. weighs nothing and simple to put up after long day humping the bush.
i use north face ibex -20 degree down bag and a north face dark star polarguard -40 degree bag which unlike down will dry out when its a wet snow. love hunting or camping in the snow.
i cant get enough outdoors and i do owe it all to my boy scout experience. nothing better than going to rei for latest gadget or surfing backcountry.com for new gear.
going (2) weeks with out a shower or toilet, you learn real quick what lifes priorities are all about .
all i know it beat the hell out of shoveling horse sh!! or mowing lawns on the weekends!
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