The Ultimate Walking Staff

Challenge the Cubs to build the Ultimate Walking Staff.  This is a wonderful Pack project, with a lot of tradition in Scouting.  The staff is something the Cubs will cherish for a long time and can take on Scouting and family hikes.  The walking staff can be made from strong straight wood, 1 to 1-1/2 inches (2.5 to 3.8 cm) in diameter, fairly light in weight and properly seasoned.  Suitable woods include hickory, willow, oak, ironwood, elm, sugar maple, cherry or mountain ash.  A broom handle or a broken hockey stick will also do.  

The first event of this activity is usually an expedition into the forest to select a suitable staff.  At the same time the Cubs can be shown the various differences between trees in the forest.

Plan a meeting where the wood is sanded and varnished.  Have the Cubs add on items they would like to attach to the staff.  Make sure they appreciate the weight and robustness of their construction.  Try to use recycled parts.  Have a show-and-tell meeting where each Cub has to explain the use of his or her chosen items. 

Please take a look at The Wilderness Walking Staff website for other great ideas to add to the Ultimate Walking Staff.

Have the Cubs brainstorm on how the staff itself could be used.  Ideas could include holding up tents, leaping streams, as a flag pole, for use as stretcher poles, ski poles, to fend off animals, or used as a pole on a river raft.

Set out some rules-of-the-road on how to handle staves responsibly on a hike.  Take the Cubs out on a shake-down trek.

One important feature of the Ultimate Walking Staff are pouches or containers used to hold various items onto the staff.  These pouches can be built in a number of ways.  Old film containers or unused camera cases screwed onto the staff is one way to hold small parts securely.  Another way is by using old bicycle inner tubes - 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) long.  Screw one end of the tube onto the staff.  Lift the tube up.  You now have a pouch.  The pouch can be held closed by elastic bands or a metal snap.  Fill the pouches with items needed on a trip. 

Add a small compass to the top of the staff.  Hollow out the top to hide away matches in a secret waterproof location.  Add a metal tip at the base of the staff so the wood will not wear away.  Etch the Cubs name, nickname and years of service on the staff. Attach a shoulder sling to make it comfortable to carry.  

Below are some of the items our Pack came up with:

The Scout stave is a distinctive feature about his equipment  and it has its moral, as well as its practical uses  
- Baden-Powell, 1917 -

This material can be used to fulfill partial requirements for the Green Star and the Trailcraft Badge.

February 25, 2001