Theodore Boone: The Scandal Read Online Free PDF Page B

carefully arrange his hiking and camping supplies. Mrs. Boone had a six o’clock appointment and would be working late, so Theo convinced his dad to go see the Dragon Lady again and pick up some carry-out.
    After dinner, Theo hurried upstairs to his bedroom and began laying out his equipment and supplies. For Christmas and birthdays he always asked for scouting and camping gear. As an only child, he realized he was lucky to have more stuff than most kids, though he was careful to never show it. He found his “Ultralight Backpacking Checklist” and started an inventory. The Major was a fanatic about lightweight and efficient packing and believed that no backpack should weigh over thirty pounds. He would weigh each one at the VFW tomorrow before they boarded the bus.
    Theo’s backpack was a superlight, nylon contoured pack with padded straps, a hip belt, and eleven external pockets. It weighed three-and-a-half pounds. His tent was a quarter-dome one-person tent, also made of nylon and ultralight. It weighed three pounds and when erected would provide twenty square feet of floor area, more than enough room. His sleeping bag was an insulated, three-season bag that weighed two-and-a-half pounds and was fine for weather above thirty degrees. The weekend forecast was mild. The sleeping pad was a roll of foam that weighed ten ounces. The rain fly was nothing more than a sheet of plastic that weighed one pound, including hubbed poles.
    The Major frowned on meals that had to be cooked because too many supplies were needed, so there was too much to carry. Instead, he favored ready-to-eat foods and energy bars. Theo had planned six meals: one for Friday dinner, three on Saturday, and breakfast and lunch on Sunday. With his allowance, he had purchased three packs of freeze-dried chicken and noodles, two packs of chili mac and cheese, two packs of breakfast waffles, and two packs of beef stroganoff with noodles. Just add hot water and the meals were ready to eat. He also had a dozen energy bars. It was probably a little too much, but it was also wise to have extra food. Out of the fifteen Scouts headed for the weekend, Theo knew that at least two would run out of food. His groceries weighed two-and-a-half pounds. His plastic cookset included a two-liter pot, two bowls, two mugs, a knife, fork, and spoon, all together weighing only one-and-a-half pounds.
    Since they would be hiking a fixed trail, the Major said they would not have to worry about navigation. Theo looked at his checklist and crossed off the map, compass, and GPS. He also knew that the Major would carry a small GPS and a cell phone.
    Back to the checklist: flashlight, batteries, lip balm, sunscreen, extra asthma inhaler, knife, first aid kit, water bottle, matches, fire starter, and toilet paper in a small waterproof container. His clothing consisted of what he would wear into the woods Friday afternoon, plus two shirts and one pair of pants, socks, underwear, a poncho for rain, a vest, and gloves. He had no plans to pack a toothbrush and toothpaste—what a waste of space! His hiking boots were waterproof, and since he was wearing them their weight didn’t count. Only the gear that went into his backpack was included in the Major’s thirty-pound limit.
    With great care, Theo placed the gear and supplies into the backpack. As always, there wasn’t a square inch to spare, but it zipped up without too much trouble. He hauled it downstairs, showed it proudly to his parents, who were reading in the library, then asked them if he could use their bathroom scale. The backpack weighed thirty-two pounds, and Theo hauled it back upstairs, unpacked it, laid everything out on his bed, read the checklist again, and argued with himself about what to delete. He was deep in thought and mumbling a lot, and Judge looked at him curiously. He removed a shirt, a pair of socks, and two packs of food. He removed the rain fly because the forecast was for clear skies, plus he figured he could