The staff or "stave" is an important part of a Buckskin Candidate's equipment, especially when hiking or camping. It is six feet  in length and it should be  straight wood, about 1 1/2"  in diameter. All marks are burned on the Stave with Electric Burning tool. Your Stave must have your name on it

Suitable woods are hickory, ash, oak, iron wood (or "muscle wood"), and good grades of elm, sugar maple, wild cherry, yellow birch, mountain ash, and Saskatoon.

The staff was adopted by the Founder, Lord Baden-Powell, because of its usefulness during one of his early military campaigns in the jungle country of West Africa.  He used it for testing the depths of swamp holes and dark streams; for guarding his face when pushing through heavy bush; for feeling his way in the dark; and for carrying bundles over his shoulder when wading a stream.

Stave can be especially useful when used with other staffs as poles for making an emergency shelter; for signaling; for improvising a flagpole; for building a light bridge; as handles for an improvised stretcher; for the forming a barrier to control crowds, and for jumping ditches.

The staff should be carried slung over and behind the right shoulder. The thong is passed through two small holes about 10" (or 26 cm's) apart in the upper third of the staff, so placed that the staff clears the ground by several centimeters. The thong is secured by small stop-knots.

Making Your Hiking Stave

Put your name on the Stave

All marks are burned on the Stave with Electric Burning tool

1. Select and cut straight, 6 foot sapling, approximately 1 1/2" diameter at thick end (Ash, Maple, and Birch, are good)

2.  Store in cool dry spot for 3-4 weeks if use use a fresh tree cut.

3.  Trim to 5' 6" length.

4.  Remove bark.  The second 12" may be left on with bark for a better grip.

5.  Trim knots and smooth.

6.  Mark at 12" intervals beginning at top (the thick end).

7.  Mark top 6" at 1" intervals (thin end)

8.  Decorate top with Troop, Patrol, or personal symbols.

9.  Treat with oil stain or preservative.

10.  Cover bottom end with metal or rubber chair glide or crutch tip.