Boy Scout camping gear checklist
Here is a camping gear checklist for Boy Scout camping trips:
Click on the links below for more information and what and where to get each item at the best price!
Essentials
- Tent and Groundcover - It is a requirement for scouts to share a tent with another scout who is within 2 years of age, so your child must decide who brings the tent. Many troops have spare tents to check out.
- Sleeping Bag
- Sleeping Pad, inflatable mattress or self-inflating mattress.
- Backpack
- Hiking Boots (no open toe shoes)
- Mess Kit, consisting of a bowl or plate, cup, knife, fork and spoon, Best to mark your child's name on them with a permanent marker.
- Rain Gear (a simple disposable poncho may be enough for an overnight trip. But also see :"trash bag" belo under toiletries)
- Water Bottle - always required
- Flash Light and/or Headlamp
- Personal First Aid Kit
- Towel - lightweight polyester instant dry camp towels are best
- Clothing including Class A & B unforms, spare shirts, underwear, socks, swim suit if there will be swimming.
- Toiletries - see below
Backpacking/hiking overnight trips
In most scout outungs, the campsites are either drive in, or within 1000 ft. But there are those occssions when you park the car and then hike miles into the wods and then camp. This requires a different packing list and , if you have it, or can afford it, some different gear.
Specifically, you want a lightweight tent. 3 man or smaller. Many people like the single person tents saying they are better in the rain and wind.
Water: you're coming to need it and at 8.45lbs per gallon, you can't bring much. So, get a good water filter, like these shown at right.
Everything else should be lightweight, dried meals, for example. Moiuntain House are actually pretty tasty, especially the Teriyaki chicken.
Lightweight stove. Mountain House jet boils will boil water for the dehydrated meals. There are also less expensive brands, see this page on camp stoves.
Toilet paper and a ziploc bag for it after you use it. Seiously, you can't leave that in the woods!
Toiletries
- Wet wipes - yes, for your butt (camp toilet paper is so thiun you can see through it, but this also great for cleaning up hands and face when there is no running water)
- Toilet paper
- Soap - best in a tube
- Deodorant
- Ear plugs and eye shades - really help to sleep if your tentmate snores or other kids are loud and up late.
- Trash Bag - bring at least 3 or 4. You put your sleeping bag and clothes in then, so if it rains hard while you are away from your tent, they stay dry! And they double as a rain ponch if you punch a hole for head and arms in them!
- Spare Batteries
Optional camping items
- Camp Chair (lightweight )
- Pillow, inflatable pillows are good
- Camera (cell phones must usually be left in the cars, so a waterproof camers like this Fuji waterproof camera can actually be useful)
- Sun glasses
- Watch
- Hat
- LifeStraw - filters water to make it safe to drink.
- Watch
Boy Scout Summer Camp Checklist
- Complete Boy Scout Uniform
- Boy Scout Handbook
- Short sleeve shirts
- Shorts
- Underwear
- Socks
- Long pants for cool nights (get the scout pants that have the zip-on lower half.
- Sweatshirt, sweater, or jacket
- Hiking boots or sturdy shoes (no open toe footware, except for flipflops for show and beach)
- Shower shoes (flipflops)
- Hat
- Rain gear
- Small, personal first aid kit (always required of each scout)
- Water bottle - disposable or reusable
- Flashlight or headlamp (bring extra batteries)
- Sunscreen
- Lip balm
- Insect repellant (No Aerosol Cans!)
- Sleeping bag (lite) or 2-3 blankets
- Sleeping pad
- Drinking cup
- Toiletries, see below
- Towels (at least 2 or one instant dry towel )
- Watch
- Notebook / Steno Pad
- Pen and/or pencil
- Sunglasses
- Swimsuit
- Pocketknife & Totin’ Chip
- Completed Annual Health & Medical Record
- Daypack/Backpack
- Camera
- Money for kits, souvenirs & snacks (Some say the average Scout brings $60, but since I want my sons to be there for the activities, noit the shopping, I give the $20)