“Hello!I just wanted to share with you how proud I am of the Outdoor Adventure kids. As many of you know we had our on-campus overnight on Friday night (May 16th). I have heard a number of students joking that OA had to sleepover on campus, but I want to make sure that people fully understand what they did.
Each student was provided three 8’ to 10’ staves, twine, and a blue tarp and was asked to work with a peer or by themselves to construct their own shelter for the overnight. They did not have tents with floors to separate them from the ground or specialized rain gear. These students utilized their knowledge of lashings, knots, and shelter construction they learned over the course of the term to build structures that would weather the eventual storm. You may recall that a steady rain began falling at about 4 pm and kept falling straight through until 8 am the following morning! The students started a fire without matches or lighter in the pouring rain, cooked their own supper, and then proceeded to stay out the entire night despite the fact that it was a cold and wet 45 degrees!
While this display of acquired skill makes Dan and me very proud… the upbeat attitudes and sunny dispositions that the students wore through the entire event was truly a credit to their individual and group spirit.
To quote the kids- “Huzzah OA!”
Thanks!
Mr. Mertz”
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a few pictures from a day on the low elements!
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click here to see a brief document with information from Silva on how to use a compass
Above are some maps of campus to help you practice your map and compass skills. Use the checkpoints on third map to design your own course. Remember that the declination for this area is about 16 degrees west of true north.
We went out to hike around Tippling Rock in Sudbury on Friday. The weather was clear and hot at about75 degrees! Accessing the area from Boston Post Road we traveled through the area taking note of the many new trails that have been added. In fact, we took a brief detour following one of these trails before quickly realizing that we were heading down the mountain instead of up! Once at Tippling Rock we were afforded great views… even seeing the skyscrapers of Boston to the East! It was a great hike and I think we all were happy to spend such a gorgeous afternoon in the woods!
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Click here for more information about hiking in this area.
Survival what? Yup, we made our own survival bracelets. Using 550 pound parachute cord, the students learned how to incorporate a side release buckle with a Portuguese Sinnet braid to create a totally functional and wearable bracelet. Though only 7 to 8 inches long (enough to fit around your wrist), each bracelet offers between eight and ten feet of rope when untied. This is a great way to make sure that you always have the cordage you need at hand for any situation!
Interested in making your own?
You will need about 10′ feet of parachute cord, scissors, lighter, ruler, and a side release buckle. You may also want to add a small compass or whistle to yours for increased functionality.
Check out some online instructions with pictures here!
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Welcome to Fay’s pilot of the Outdoor Adventure program! Stay tuned for our first posts!
