Richard Rudolph

Knapsack on My Back Richard Rudolph

When I joined Boy Scouts, I began my life as a wanderer. All I needed was a knapsack on my back to carry the essentials for the adventure: a can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew, some flour in a plastic bag, a change of socks, an extra shirt, a Vittle Kit, a can opener, and a bottle of bug repellent. Over my shoulder I slung a canteen of water or bug juice and a cook kit. Clipped to my belt was a flashlight (batteries of uncertain charge), a match safe (unknown quantity of strike-anywhere matches), and a first aid kit. In my pocket was a jackknife and a compass. What else could anyone need for a nice day hike? As a middle-aged adult, I continued my wandering, usually following Scouts who were learning the first steps of being successful wanderers. As an older adult, I continue wandering, preferring to take the small red and blue roads on a map instead of the Interstates and major federal and state routes. It is amazing what you can really see at 45 m.p.h. as you travel through the country. You can stop virtually anywhere to get out of the car, stretch your legs, and occasionally wander on foot. The stories reflect the adventures and misadventures of two Scouts and their Scoutmaster in the late 1950s and early 1960s, a time when life and Scouting were simpler. It was a time when I was beginning to learn to wander, and in some of these stories, taken mostly from real-life adventures, we wandered well off the path. It was fun.