Outdoors

Plan and run a Klondike derby

By Aaron Derr
From the November 2007 Boys' Life magazine

• Download our detailed Klondike derby guide (PDF format)
• Get plans for a great Klondike derby sled (PDF format)

Planning a Klondike derby is a great team-building exercise requiring leadership and decision-making skills. The best derbies incorporate traditional Scouting skills into fun competitions.

The Scouts of Troop 323, Fruita, Colo., (featured in the November 2007 issue of Boys’ Life magazine) chose to reward patrols with points for their abilities in shotgun shooting, emergency shelter building, fire starting, tug-of-war, sled racing, orienteering and first aid in their Klondike derby.

Here are some other ideas for your next derby:

The Injured Scout: Blindfolded team members must carry one of their teammates on a stretcher through an obstacle course, relying solely on instructions from the Scout on the stretcher.

The Injured Scout, Version 2: Scouts must figure out what condition has stricken a teammate and provide correct treatment, while the teammate can only give them hints on his fake condition, without actually naming it.

The Out-of-Reach First-Aid Kit: A first-aid kit lies just 10 feet away, but you can’t walk over to it. Instead, patrols must use pioneering skills to create a device to retrieve the kit.

The Don’t-Spill-the-Serum Race: Your basic sled race with one twist — there’s a cup of liquid “medicine” (use water) sitting on top of the sled that can’t be spilled during the race.

Click on the link at the top of the page for more ideas in our detailed Klondike derby guide.

BUILD A SLED

Click here for plans for a great Klondike derby sled. Even though our sled is fast and strong, you don’t have to be a master carpenter to build it. Cost of materials is about $100; the plans will set you back a suggested price of $10.

Read 4 comments about “Plan and run a Klondike derby”

1. 1 - 123456789 says:
   November 2nd, 2007 at 7:43 pm

   This sounds really cool.

2. 2 - LEFTY says:
   November 25th, 2007 at 8:29 pm

   I LIKE THE SLED IDEA!!!!!!!

3. 3 - No No says:
   November 27th, 2007 at 4:02 pm

   I think this is a great idea!My sister agrees with me so we’re hoping to build a sled of our own.(Don’t believe everything you hear about the South West.They do get snow.)

4. 4 - scoutdude says:
   December 31st, 2007 at 1:02 pm

   at our klondike this year we are going to have a cardboard sled race.

Write a comment about “Plan and run a Klondike derby”