Camping
How to pack a backpack for a backpacking trip:
http://www.bsatroop423.org/outdoors/backpack.pdf
Western District Fall Camporee
It’s my son’s first campout! What do I do??
These words have been echoed by every parent of a scout. Is my son prepared? Does he need a tent? What kind of food should he bring?
Camping is the essential Boy Scout experience. It is at camp that Scouts apply all the knowledge they have learned in their meetings.
For Troop 88 scouts, only personal items should be brought on a campout. The troop provides all of the tents, cooking equipment, dining fly, etc.
SUGGESTED CAMPING LIST-for a complete list, consult the Scout Handbook
Scout Handbook
Sleeping bag
Extra clothes
Extra pair of shoes (Boy Scout regulations forbid open-toed shoes like flip-flops. Crocs and water shoes are fine, but they must have closed toes for safety reasons.)
Rain gear (A cheap poncho from Wal-Mart works just fine.)
Insect repellent (Read the label. Very high concentrations of DEET are great for spraying on boots or shoes to prevent ticks from crawling up a boy’s leg, and Off is good for mosquitoes.)
Towel
Personal care items (soap, toothbrush, deodorant, etc.)
Flashlight with spare batteries (he doesn’t need to signal aircraft, so a small cheap flashlight is fine)
FOOD
The scouts cook as a patrol. Each patrol appoints a ‘grubmaster’ to purchase food. The patrol decides on a menu, and pays the $10 per person. The grubmaster goes to the store with his parent to purchase the food, and brings it to the campout. If there is any money left over from the grubmaster fee, it is paid back to the boys in the patrol. Patrol food covers every meal, snacks, and beverages. Your son may choose to bring extra snacks, but we discourage leaving food in the tents. Critters smell it and may try to come have a midnight snack while your son is asleep, and while waking up with a raccoon in the tent may be good in a Disney movie, it is not highly encouraged in real life. Skunks are even more highly disfavored.
Basic campout timeline:
Meeting before the campout: sign up for the campout, bring $10 for the grubmaster, plan a menu and duty roster
5:15 Friday, meet at the scout house to load the trailer
6:00 Friday, depart for the campsite
12:15 Sunday, return to the scout house
1:00 Sunday, finish unpacking the trailer, Scouts are released to their families
Electronic devices are prohibited on campouts. Boys may bring their games or i-pods in the van, but must leave them there. Because of the potential for damage or loss, we discourage bringing them at all. If your son needs to have a cell phone with him for emergencies, we will permit this, but remember that your son will be running through the woods all weekend, and if he really needs to make a call, an adult will be happy to loan him a phone.
For a complete list of what to bring and what not to bring on scout campouts, refer to the Scout Handbook.
HIGH-ADVENTURE
The Troop conducts several high-adventure programs a year, including backpacking treks, whitewater excursions, and other high adventure opportunities. These are generally for the older scouts, age 14 and First-Class or higher rank, and give the younger scouts something to look forward to while they build their camping and scouting skills.