Camping is an important part of the Scouting experience. Scouts learn skills that allow them to be stronger and more confident in their abilities, and they also learn leadership skills along the way. The best part is that camping is FUN!!!
Camping is also scout-led, so the adult’s role is to ensure safety, but not tell the scouts what to do. This is the way they learn! We are a scout-led troop so that means all of the Scouts are expected to be fairly self-sufficient. There are always at least two trained adults present and one of them will be an adult female whenever any of our female scouts are present. The adults are always engaged with the Scouts, but the Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) – the elected scout – is in charge of the Troop. If adult Scouters are asked a question, we will ask that it’s directed to their Patrol Leader first and then the SPL. The Scouts set up camp, run the program, cook the meals, and do everything else that happens at camp. Also, please note that adults will tent separately from the Scouts in their own, personal tents. We always have a very well-stocked first-aid kit on site at our meeting location and take it with us on outings.
We typically car camp (utilizing patrol gear boxes and pre-arranged scout-derived menus where scouts cook their meals on a Coleman stove or over an open fire pit) 4-5 times per year and try to backpack (all gear, food and sometimes water is carried by each scouter and adult in their own pack and meals consist of trail-appropriate food like Mountain House-style dehydrated selections) 2-3 times per year. We also attend some sort of week-long summer camp (usually in July based on the Peninsula School District calendar) and try our best to attend a winter camp (usually Camp Sheppard) each season.
Before the first camping trip, fill out the BSA Annual Medical Form. Parts A & B are required to be turned in immediately upon joining the unit and include a copy of your insurance card. Before summer camp or a high-adventure camp, Part C will need to be completed with the physical and signed by a medical professional. The medical forms are required to be completed and updated annually.
Prior to camp, an email will be sent out confirming who is going and who the adults are that are attending as well as any camp-specific reminders.
For weekend camping, we typically meet at 4:30 at in the Church main parking lot. That time is always annotated on the TWH calendar event and may occasionally be updated via email. At the end of the camping trip, the Scoutmaster in Charge (SMiC) or SPL will notify families via text message of our planned arrival back at the church. It can fluctuate based on how quickly the troop packs up the campsite in the morning and how long the driving trip takes to return. It’s usually sometime between noon and 2pm.
Packing for Camp
When packing for camp, we have prepared some helpful checklists to help your scout “Be Prepared” and some packing tips listed below. Feel free to download and keep a personal copy of the packing lists.
Packing Tips
- Bring a sack dinner to eat in the car on the way to camp on Friday nights
- Packing in a duffel bag or hiking backpack is ideal. Suitcases are not appropriate.
- Make sure that you are not packing for your scout, because they will not know where their stuff is in the bags, and what do they learn if you do it for them?
- For all of our campouts, Scouts need a non-disposable water bottle (like a Nalgene), silverware, and a mess-kit or reusable plate, bowl, and cup.
- They should have a sleeping bag, and a sleeping pad and pillow, if desired.
- The troop supplies tents for car camping events. Scouts will tent 2 or 3 per tent and assigned either by the Patrol Leader or SPL based on age, gender and patrol.
- *** For backpacking events, ALL scouts and adults will need their own 1-2 person light-weight tent and footprint. This tent does not have to be super expensive but should be light enough for a scout to carry on their pack, not excessively large, and include a rain-fly to prevent weather from getting in.
- If possible, we suggest a small folding camp chair for campfires and sitting around the campsite.
- If the camping is water-related, they should bring a modest swimsuit or dry-fit clothes, a towel and real water-shoes, not flip-flops.
- Pocket knives are allowed, but only if the scout has earned the “Tot’N Chip” and the blades must be less than 3′ long.
- No personal food is allowed in camp. The scouts eat what the troop eats. No sodas are allowed either. No food is allowed in tents.
- Electronic devices are allowed in cars while travelling, but their use should be limited or avoided in camp.
Go to Amazon, Walmart, REI or event used sporting locations to buy your camping gear if you do not have it already. When camping, the troop provides tents and food for the weekend, so it’s really just personal gear (sleeping bags, clothes, water bottle, toiletries, etc.) that your scout will need to bring. Scouts should always bring their Scout Handbook and a pen as they will sometimes be working on items in their handbook while they are at camp and store it in a gallon ziplock to avoid damage!
