Being a boy scout or girl scout entails a lot of camping trips. It’s one way scouts they can learn new things and also apply what they’ve learned in their scout meetings. As a boy scout’s parent, I’m sure you want him to have the everything he will need to have the best time. Your role in this is to encourage them and to supervise them, especially as they pack. You should prepare a boy scout camping list together and make sure they pack everything on it.
Here are some important things that need to be on your boy scout camping list:
#1 Camping Equipment
The first thing on the list that you should work on is the camping equipment. Your boy scout will be outdoors, so as you choose the equipment, make sure they are suitable to the environment. That’s why you need to assess their camp location so you can prepare for it better. You can also ask their camping marshalls or leaders about what’s appropriate to bring for the conditions.
There are different factors for consideration when buying equipment, but as much as possible get the ones that are versatile. You want them to have durable equipment that can withstand rugged outdoor conditions, especially if they will be camping frequently. The general features that you should look out for are water resistance/ waterproof, anti-scratch, anti-shock, and anti corrosion. Of course, you should also consider the comfort factor, portability, and ease of use. Think of these things when choosing equipment (if they are applicable to the object, of course).
Here are the essential camping equipment for your boy scout:
- Weather proof tent (Depending on the plans, the tent can be personal or can be shared with another boy scout.)
- Sleeping mat and sleeping bag
- Sheets and blankets if they’re sleeping on a mattress
- Pillow
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Water bottle
- Mess kit/Utensils
#2 Clothing
Just like your camping equipment, your choices of clothing are influenced by the environment. Make sure your boy scout brings comfortable clothing that is appropriate to the climate. It should also protect them from bites, scratches, and the sun.
A good tip that can help you when packing clothes is to think of layers. Layering will allow your camper to adjust to the different temperatures easily. For instance, if it gets too cold, put on an insulating layer and outer layer. For warm weather, a shirt and pants or shorts is enough.
How many items of clothing your boy brings depends on how long their camping trip will be. Make sure they have enough for each day, especially if they won’t be washing or doing laundry.
Here’s a list of essential clothing to pack:
- T-shirts (have at least two per day)
- Shorts
- Long pants
- Sleepwear
- Underwear (A good rule of thumb is to pack for 2 additional days. So if you’re camping for 3 days, bring 5 instead.)
- Socks
- Sweat shirt/Pullover/long sleeves
- Rain jacket
- Hat
- Sneakers or close-toed hiking shoes
- Swimming shorts/Board shorts
- Flip flops/Slippers for shower
- Hiking sandals
#3 Personal Care
Hygiene is still important, so make sure your boy scout brings the essentials. When you pack these, you should have them in a separate bag so they’re easy to find. Nowadays, there are bags especially designed for toiletries. These usually have hooks and convenient ways of opening so you can bring them easily in the shower.
Here’s a list of toiletries and personal care items your boy should bring:
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Shampoo and conditioner
- SoapTowelF
- Face Towel
- Personal maintenance medication (Such as allergy medicine or epi-pen if applicable)
- Sunscreen
- Bug Repellant
- Comb/Hair brush
You can add or omit items on this list to make it more personal to you.
#4 Outdoor cooking essentials
Camping usually calls for cooking over campfire or a camping stove and sometimes it’s provided while other times you will need to prepare them yourself. Either way, cookware is something you might need to prepare. When choosing these items, make sure they are portable, safe, rugged, and easy to use.
Since boy scouts usually camp in groups, cooking essentials can also be packed as a group. It just doesn’t make sense if each boy in the group will bring pots and pans. They can either be assigned an item to bring or the whole group can have their own set.
Here are the essentials for outdoor cooking:
- Firestarter (matches or lighter)
- Fire wood, burner, or charcoal
- Campfire grill
- A pot and a pan with lids
- Kettle
- Tongs (They should be long for fire safety reasons)
- Skewers
- Can opener and bottle opener
- Food containers
- Pot holders or oven mitts
- Aluminum foil
- Cutting board
- Mixing Bowl
- Mugs/Cups
- Water Bucket
- Water jug
- Cooler with ice
- Cooking oil
- Condiments
- Box oven
#5 Survival and Safety
The last, but definitely not the least thing you want your boy scout to prepare for is for their safety. The outdoors can be a rough place and no matter how careful or optimistic we are, accidents can still happen. The environment is not something we can control, but we can ensure that our child can respond to emergencies or mishaps.
First aid kit and Emergency/Survival kit
- Roll bandages
- Guaze pads
- Bandaids in different sizes
- Bee sting kit
- Snake bite kit
- Sterile compresses
- Sterile gloves
- Antibiotic cream
- Pain reliever (such as ibuprofen)
- Antibacterial soap
- First aid manual
- Tweezers
- Adhesive tapes
- Antiseptic wipes
- Scissors
- Sunburn lotion/gel
- Splinting material
- Nail clippers
Emergency/Survival kit
- Whistle
- Signaling object (such as a mirror)
- Compass and map
- Flashlight/Deadlamp
- Stormproof matches
Boy scouts should have a personal first aid kit and should know how to use everything in it. They will most likely learn skills in their meetings or special classes, but it’s still good if you give them a review before their camping trip. As parents, we always hope for the best, but it also gives us peace when we know that they are fully equipped.
#6 Skills
The last thing on your boy scout camping list are a set of skills. They’re not required, but they might come in handy. They might be learning these in their scout meetings or during their camping trip. Either way, I’m still putting them on the list in case you wonder.
- Knot tyingMaking a fire
- First Aid Skills (such as wound care, CPR, splinting, etc)
- Fire safety skills
- Car maintenance (such as changing tires)
Like I said, these skills are not required, but you might want to ask your boy’s scout leader about them. A boy scout’s motto is to “be prepared”, so to actually prepare them, you will need to instill skills (along with knowledge). We don’t expect a young boy scout to know how to fix a car, but maybe they can familiarize themselves with the tools so they can help. Bottom line is, you should consider letting your boy scout have these skills so the can be truly ready for anything
Conclusion
Camping trips are fun and a wonderful way to learn different things, so boy scouts often do them. As parents, we should encourage and support them in their journey. One way we can do so is by helping them with a boy scout camping list. It prepares them with what to bring so they can have the best experience possible.
We hope this helps you and your boy scout prepare for a camping trip. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to address them using the comment section. If you are a parent who has experience with raising a boy scout, we’d also love to hear from you! Share your tips and experiences that you think might be helpful for other parents.