Camping Tips for Cub Scouts Visiting Our Troop

There’s no better way for a Cub Scout to learn more about our troop (or Scouts BSA in general) than attending a weekend camping trip with our troop. There are numerous opportunities! Our Council organizes a number of Scouts BSA events through the year that are also open to Arrow Of Light Dens. In addition to that, Cub Scout Packs are welcome to attend other troop activities, including weekend campouts.

When planning for their first campout with our troop, Cub Scouts (mostly the parents) have many questions. They also often have many concerns about what to pack and how, in general, the camping events work.

If that describes you, read on.

We created this page was created for the parents of Cub Scouts who will be attending their first weekend campout with our troop. Using the info below, we try to answer many of the questions you might have.

Keep In Simple

One of the biggest concerns parents often have is that their Scouts won’t have something they’ll need on the campout. The best advice for this… Stop worrying. In reality, the Scouts don’t need much. Our troop provides many of the things the Scouts will need, and we have extra “backup” items that the Scouts can use if necessary.

Aside from the basic personal items, they don’t need much more. In fact, most Scouts who are attending a troop event for the first time pack WAY more than what is needed. While it’s good to “Be Prepared”, keep it simple. It’s not fun for a Scout to lug around a bunch of stuff that he never uses.

The best advice… Use common sense and keep it simple.

What To Bring When Camping

We have a camping packing list page on our website. The intent is to help our Scouts and parents as they pack for camping events, to make sure they haven’t forgotten any essentials, AND to make sure they’re not overdoing it.

While this list is great for our troop’s Scouts, it lists more than what’s needed for visiting Cub Scouts. When we invite Cub Scouts to join us on a camping trip, we understand that it’s likely their first event with a troop, and therefore we will help them out if they need anything. In fact, it’s often easier for the Cub Scouts to under-pack rather than over-pack, because they have less stuff to worry about. They can instead put their focus on the experience.

The following is a list of the essentials the Cub Scouts should bring, based on the items listed on our packing list page. Again, they can bring more than what’s listed below. Just remember not to over-do it.

• Clothes – This is the obvious one. The Scouts should make sure they have enough clothes for the entire trip. Bring items according to the temperature. If there’s a chance for rain or we’re doing activities around water, it’s not a bad idea to pack some extras in case they get wet. Scouts are attracted to water!
  
• Personal Items – This includes a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, sunscreen, bug repellant, etc. Most of our weekend campout locations don’t have shower facilities. Even when they do, the Scouts are unlikely to take advantage of it. Parents, just prepare yourselves now… They’re gonna come home a bit stinky.
  
• Overnight Items – This includes sleeping gear, such as a sleeping bag, a cot, a sleeping pad, a pillow, and similar items. Many of our Scouts have their own cot, but it’s not required. We usually have at least one extra cot in the trailer as a backup, but Scouts should plan to bring their own if they want one.
  
  This also includes clothes for sleeping in. Be sure to pack for the weather. If it’s warm out, it’s not a big deal. However, if it’s going to be really cold (such as at our January Klondike event), they will want to have something clean and dry to sleep in.
  
• Health Forms – Troops work the same any BSA unit with regards to health forms. All Scouts need to have one. For weekend trips, you only need to complete parts A and B. It’s recommended that you fill out the PDF form electronically, and then print off a copy whenever needed.
  
• Class A Uniform – When traveling to and from our campouts, our Scouts always wear their Class A uniform. While at the campout, we may use the Class A shirts for special occasions, such as a flag-raising or a flag retirement ceremony. However, for the majority of the time while at the camping event, the Scouts will not need their Class A shirt.
  
• Mess Kit – The Scouts plan all of the meals for our camping trips, and the troop provides the food, the cooking equipment, and the equipment needed for clean-up afterward. The only things the Scouts need to bring for meals is a mess kit and a cup. If your Scout doesn’t have one yet, don’t sweat it. We have backup dishes. However, each Scout should plan to get one at some point, because they’ll use it at each campout.
  
• Water Bottle – We usually plan a lot of activities during our campouts. Each Scout should make sure they have a water bottle that they can carry with them to make sure they stay hydrated throughout the day.

The packing list is full of other items that may be beneficial. For example, having a flashlight or headlamp is super handy at night. That said, most other items should be considered as nice-to-have items. The Scouts are welcome to bring them, but they don’t HAVE to bring them.

What Not To Bring When Camping

The packing list also references items that the Scouts should not bring. There aren’t many on the list. The big one is electronic devices. The Scouts are welcome to bring their phones to use for emergencies and for the trip to/from camp. However, while we’re at camp, we ask our Scouts to “disconnect” from their phone and other electronics so that they can focus on participating in other activities with the Scouts.

As mentioned above, the troop provides all of the meals. Scouts are welcome to bring snacks to share with the group, but they don’t need (and shouldn’t bring) complete meals.

The only other items to avoid are things that the Scouts likely won’t need. Parents, resist the urge to send too much stuff with your Scout. It’s not fun for them to carry around items that they won’t need. They’ll be fine.

As a general rule… If the pack/bag is larger than the Scouts, they probably brought too much.

Relax And Enjoy!

If there’s one takeaway from this page, it should be to not stress too much about what to bring. Stick to the essentials, and the Scouts will be just fine.

Hopefully, this page is helpful to the Scouts who are planning to join us for a camping event.

Are you looking for a troop to visit? If you’re interested in joining us for a weekend camping trip in order to learn more about our troop, be sure to let us know!