Understanding the environment where you are headed, rather than where you are, is a key to planning. Being prepared is looking forward to the possibilities and ensuring you have gear, skills, and confidence to be successful. The more skills and confidence you have, the less gear you need - as long as you don't get over-confident and take risky chances.

When we talk about being prepared, it's sometimes challenging to convince people to prepare for fringe possibilities.

It has never snowed from June 4 to August 31 in Minnesota. But, backpacking last week in Wyoming, we had 28 degrees and some people saw snow. A few of us were not ready for such cold temperatures because it was in the 80s while packing to go. This was a lack of gear due to underestimating the possibilities.

At summer camp last month, we had 2 days of very cold wet weather. After the first day, many scouts were out of dry clothes - not because they did not pack enough but because they did not keep them dry. This was a lack of skills and underestimating how long the weather would last.

You never know what the weather can do but by considering the time of year, location, and elevation, it's possible to prepare for any weather that might come along. Snow in July is certainly a surprise, but not something that should cause concern with a little planning.

Scout On



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