Nearly 1,000 scouts and troop leaders are braving the cold outside this weekend.
HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW) - While many are staying home this weekend to avoid the cold, nearly 1,000 scouts and troop leaders are braving the cold outside. It's the Trappers and Traders Weekend Camp at Harvey County West Park.
"We've got some eagle scouts, I've got some young scouts kind of all ages going out," said Adam Dunn, with the 494 troop from Valley Center. "We camp every month regardless of weather."
This month the camping has an extra layer of toughness built into the weekend.
"It's part of the ability to teach them to how to take care of themselves in all aspects of weather and all aspects of life," said Dunn. "They get to have a lot of fun while they're learning those skills."
Troop leaders say the campers are being monitored very closely. They have warming tents and regular check in time for the different troops.
One troop from Edmond, Oklahoma, brought an extra bit of warmth for the expected extreme weather and sub-zero wind chills.
"I've got an 8,000-kilowatt portable heater that we brought with us," said Mikel Flores, an attorney and troop leader. "We came last year, and we had a wood stove that worked perfectly, but knowing the temperatures were going to be, you know, I think minus six tomorrow morning, we thought we are going to hedge our bets and brought this diesel heater out. And I tried it at home, and it worked perfectly. But this will be the most extreme experiment we get to do."
Troop leaders say extremes are part of the learning process for scouts of all abilities.
They get to have a lot of fun while they're learning those skills. And so there's a lot of activities out there they can do this weekend," said Dunn. "We'll keep them busy and moving and active and staying warm and just enjoying the outdoors. Keeping them moving, dressed in layers, just paying attention to how they're feeling and everything. And if it's cold, come in and eat. Eating is a big part of this and keep the body generating heat."
Dunn says the tree line at Harvey County West Park is a bonus to keep some of the wind chill away.
To be safe, the campsites offer warming centers. And food. And life lessons along the way.
It's a traders and trappers event. So there will be trading between troops coming from all over the Midwest.
"There is a lot of trading. It's learning the word no," said Dunn. "And when you try to strike a deal with somebody and make a trade, they tell you no. They can either shut down and walk away and stop. Or get past that. And learn to understand what the word no means. It's not no, never. It's not for this particular trade. Let's do something different or go to somebody different."
