Cub Scouts love to get their pocketknives out and strip bark from fallen sticks. Why not make it into a hiking stick project? They can strip the bark from a large sturdy stick and then sand it to make a hiking stick.
Make sure they have their Whttlin’ Chip cards handy and are following the rules when they do that.
You will have to do some work ahead of time to find some sticks which are appropriate for this project.
When the den JD was a Den Chief for crossed over to Scouts BSA, they presented him with a hiking stick they had all burned their names on. It is still one of his favorite Scouting mementos.
Hiking Stick Project
Make your own hiking stick. Add an optional leather grip.
Equipment
- Pocketknife
- Wood burning tool (optional)
- Drill (optional)
Materials
- Sturdy stick, about 4 feet in length – oak works well
- Sandpaper
- Leather (optional)
Instructions
- Use your pocketknife to strip the bark from the stick.
- Sand the stick until smooth.
- At this point, your stick is ready, but you might want to add some additional details:
- If you have a woodburning tool, you can burn your name on to the stick.
- Make a leather handgrip by cutting a piece of leather so it just barely wraps around the stick. Punch some holes into the ends of the leather piece with a leather punch. Then use leather lacing to lace the ends together while it is wrapped around the stick.
- Drill a hole into the end and thread a shoelace through it and knot it. Now you have a way to hang it up when you are not using it.
