winter camping award?

[marcpaige]

I have been led to believe that there is such an award. However, I cannot find any information. Can anyone here please elighten me?

[riverwalk]

I think there is/was a Polar Bear Camper patch. But that may be a local Council thing, like some knots are just local issues? This always makes me think it stands for the Polar Bear award, but that's a patch for the cold water swim at some Camps. Bbrrrr...perhaps there is something else out there?

[OldGreyBear]

This topic comes up from time to time and the best I have been able to figure is that its a local District/Council function. SOmetimes its done by the OA, sometimes through the Camping Committee, but always at a local level. Guess the definition of WInter Camping, or Cold Weather Camping might be different for scouts in International Falls Mn versus San Diego, Ca

[wagionvigil]

We have a winter camporee/ scout ski day at a local Ski area. Troops camp at the Local Issac Walton Park and walk across the Road to the Ski Area. LAst year we had close to 400 participants. We have postponed it this year until next monath as there is no Snow.

[Rick Tyler]

I know some troops will award a patch for winter camping, too. The Scout products catalog has patches that you can order for this.

[Scouting179]

There is no national winter camper award of any kind that I know of. This is all done by local councils, districts, OA Lodges, and even troops. I believe creation of square knots require national approval. So, these winter awards are usually patches that say things like Freezeoree, Polar Bear, Winter Camper, etc. for events such as winter time camporees and unit camp outs.

[T305TG]

IT WOULD MAKE SENSE THAT THERE IS SINCE THERE IS A POLAR SWIMMING BADGE... SEEMS RELATED...

I WILL KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR YOU

[commish3]

Winter camp patches and Polar Bear Camp patches are controlled by the local council camping or activities committee. In most cases to earn the Winter camp patch you must simply camp during the winter (Dec 20 to March 21). Polar Bear usually requires overnight in a tent or non-permanent shelter for 24 hours and the temperature must drop below 32 degrees at some point. Agian these requirements may vary with council.

Check with your local council office.

*Likewise Polar Bear swim is a local council award not a national award.

As with any temporary activity patch, these are displayed on the right hand shirt pocket, brag vest, or backside of the MB sash.

[RWSmith]

There is no national award for winter or snow camping.

However, that is not to say, there aren't opportunities available, particularly to thosse who attend a winter camp or high adventure base somewhere in the Northern tier.

A simple Goggle search will net good results.

[riverwalk]

This means several blocks north of where I'm at, haha. Anyway, I just found some info from the Viking Council. They're apparently phasing out their Wind Chill Thriller award......for the newer Zero Hero award. Check it out.

[West]

In the UP finding opertunities to winter camp was never a problem. I went up there and helped out as an adult with a fair bit of winter camping experiance. But I had nothing on the 12 year olds who'd been in scouts a year. They had to do it right or be really really cold. You learn fast that way, and with 3-6 'polar bears' a year there is plenty of oppertunity to learn.

[RWSmith]

UP = ‘Upper Peninsula’ -- The northern part (land mass) of Michigan, which is separated from the primary (southern) land mass of the state by lakes Superior and Huron. (Michigan's UP borders Wisconsin.)

People who are born and raised there are to be affectionately referred to as UPers (pronounced, ewe-perz).

[riverwalk]

I'm happy to learn what UP meant. Gee, I shouldn't have said DFW when I should have said Dallas-Fort Worth, woo-hoo.

[cballman]

ok ok about the UPERS they are only a bunch of yankees all we are to them are trolls because we live under the bridge just in case yall are wondering about how I know about this being from Kentucky and all is I have friends that are a Uper and a troll we have been in scouting together for about 10 years now HOLY COW i am getting old.

[West]

yeah, I'm a troll. Wish I was a Uper though.

You forget though, it's under 'da' bridge. Not the bridge.

[RWSmith]

Yeah, I'm a troll.

Hoss,

If you were really a Troll, you'd a heard about it by now. Much as I respect the term, U-per, they can no longer refer to us as Trolls; least ways, not on the Net, where it has acquired a far more significant meaning.

[Lynda J]

When we camp at one of the BS camps in the winter. If the temp falls below 32 for more that one hour the ranger will come around and tell you you qualify for the Polar Bear Patch. Camped 30 years ago with my high school Girl Scout Troop, (yes here in Texas). At 2 a.m. it started sleeting. By 7 there was almost 4" of ice on the ground and it was 14 degrees. We had 17 kids at a GS camp. We were stranded for 4 extra days. Because we couldn't get out and no one could get in to us. We moved all the kids into the lodge and cranked a fire up in the fire place. Did fine just had to stretch the food a little. Luckily we always took much more food than we ever ate. We also earned a Emergency Preparedness patch. Was fun. Ran into one of the girls and she still remembered that camping trip.

[ilduncans]

There is no formalized national "polar bear" award or anything else like this for sleeping/surviving in ridiculously cold temperatures overnight. (nevermind the many various stock patches, even available from National on occasion)

However ...

There is a national training program for cold wheather camping, called OKPIK (pronounced ook'-pik -- translates as "snowy owl"). You can learn more about it from http://www.ntier.org/okpik.html

The program started from the National Cold-Weather Camping Development Center located at the Northern Tier High Adventure Base at Ely, Minnesota. The program is now being rolled out in other councils. (Northeast Illinois Council has conducted a few courses now).

If you take the program at Northern Tier, there is a large Snowy Owl emblem for your red jacket (in the fashion of the Philmont Bull or the Florida Sea Base pink conch shell or the Northern Tier loon from their summer program). Other councils have developed their own recognition (our council uses clear plastic cubic beads on a white rope ... "ice cubes" worn in the fashion of woodbadge beads)

[pipestone1991]

I have the polar bear....it's a five-year award, council makes the rules........every year in my council you must camp out four night from Nov. to Mar.

[Hubert]

Ihave mine as well. You muist camp out ofr I believe 20 hours w/o going into a bulding. You must also cook a meal, I think maybe three, I am unsure. I did it a few years back and ofrgot about it...

Its really cold though. I am a "troll" yes, but I camped in a city called Harrison, a city up north in the lower part of Michigan. A group of four of us was going to do it, however the other three chickened out. We would have been warmer all together, from body heat, but noooo...lol. So my scoutmaster slep in his trailer next to my tent so I could do my Polar Bear, I was determend!