By Tim Kachinske

Why a pack rod?

If you plan to fish on your unit’s next high adventure, consider outfitting your Scouts with pack rods. Perhaps you’re trekking off to camp, hike or canoe near your unit’s home turf. Or perhaps you’re heading up to Northern Tier’s boundary waters. Wherever your high adventure leads you, your most important fishing equipment selection will be a pack rod.

From the latest blends, laminates, micro fibers and synthetics, to silk, cotton, and wool, every fabric needs proper care to deliver maximum performance. The enemy of every fabric is contamination. Air pollution, dirt of all kinds, chemicals, hard water, and especially the surfactant residue from soaps, detergents, fabric softeners, and dry cleaning all compromise the life of the fabric and the features you paid for. Residue stops water repellency, breathability, wicking, and moisture transfer.

Proper care of Footwear begins with choosing the right product. You can’t cross streams in athletic shoes and expect to have dry feet. If you have the appropriate boot for the job, regular maintenance and a few simple routines will maximize performance and greatly increase life. "Be Prepared" is the key to success. You’ll get lots of help and advice about choosing a boot, fitting a boot, breaking in a boot, but when it comes to making them last you’re on your own.