BASIC EQUIPMENT FOR ALL OUTDOOR TRIPS

This includes day hikes, backpacking, and all camping trips

MANDATORY ITEMS                     No Scout may attend an event without the following:

1.                  Permission slip                    

2.                  Medical info form                 

3.                  Additional permission forms            Required for summer camp and some other events

I    SCOUT OUTDOOR ESSENTIALS

1.                Pocketknife                            with Totin’Chit ONLY

2.                Compass & Map                   Trail maps, Xeroxed map – doesn’t need to be fancy

3.                Matches/Fire Starters           With Firem’n Chit ONLY

4.                2 Water Bottles / Canteens (2) 1-Litre Bottles With at least One Belt Holder – it is important to carry two bottles – when traveling, two liters of water is a reasonable amount to carry between expected water sources – even when we are traveling in areas with lots of water, we usually will use water purification, which may require a twenty minute wait before drinking, thus the two separate containers – one two liter camelback is not the same as two 1 liter bottles – Nalgene or similar bottles are best

5.                Rain Poncho                          Nylon is best, plastic is acceptable

6.                Bandana                                This has many uses, mostly related to comfort but others to safety – always bring one – do not buy red or blue for obvious reasons

7.                Flashlight                                An AA or AAA maglite is good – the flashlight should be lightweight – check or change the batteries before each trip – take extra batteries for four or more day trips

8.                Trail Food                              Look at the calorie content of the food you send – 11 oz. of Gorp contains over one thousand calories – this is about half of the daily requirement for an adult male – no one needs to bring more than one-quarter of their daily required calories as trail snacks.  I promise, no Scout will ever starve on one of our trips, but scouts have had problems carrying too much extraneous food.

9.                Plastic Whistle                      

10.           $0.50                                      if it’s not obvious, it’s for the phone – yes, one can usually call 1 800 ATT something or other, if the scout remembers, and if ATT services that phone booth – just bring the two quarters.

11.           Personal First Aid Kit           The Scouts personal first aid kit is not intended to be the same as the troop first aid kit (the adult or senior Scout will carry that as group gear) – it is intended to address the problems that may occur, and to address the one major problem that could mean serious trouble – blisters that could prevent the scout from getting out of the back country.  The personal first aid kit can be carried in a plastic sandwich bag.

a.                  Moleskin

b.                  Band Aids

c.                  Barrier gloves                       

d.                  Sunscreen                              2 oz or so of sunscreen is adequate – “family size” bottles from the drugstore are definitely not appropriate – if you can’t buy a very small bottle of sunscreen, buy some small squeeze bottles – most sporting goods stores carry them – the squeeze bottles used for contact lenses solutions make good bottles, too.

e.                  Lip Balm/Chap Stick

f.                    Small scissors

g.                  Bug Juice                               Optional – depends on season and locale.  Frequently not necessary in Bay Area.

h.                  Pencil/1 or 2 sheets of folded paper

 

II CLOTHING

1. Wear

a.                  Pants                          Nylon hiking pants with zip-off legs to convert to shorts are wonderful

b.                  Belt                            

c.                  Scout Activity T-Shirt           

d.                  Underwear

e.                  Socks

f.                    Hiking Boots              Boots are very important – nylon canvas boots with good support are available – more expensive leather boots may be good for older scouts whose feet have stopped growing – fit is extremely important – Scouts tend to be able to walk into almost any situation with poorly fitting boots, but they seldom are able to walk back out with the blister, pinched toes, or sprained ankles that the bad boots cause

g.                  Baseball Cap

2.                  Bring                                       Remember – really warm clothing is not needed while the scout is active (hiking, skiing, playing) in any but really cold weather – but he needs warm, dry clothing when he stops being active

a.                  Underwear                 One pair, period – on longer trips, boys will wash underwear and socks and let them hang on their packs while walking

b.                  Socks                         1 Extra Always – 2 Extra For Longer Trips

c.                  T-Shirt                         1 Extra

d.                  Swim Trunks              if swimming is anticipated – nylon is best because it dries quickly

e.                  Bandanna                  Repeated from the ‘essentials’ category, because is an essential

f.                    Shorts                         See comment under ‘pants’ above.

g.                  Long Sleeved Shirt   Lightweight

h.                  Fleece Sweater         DO NOT bring a cotton sweatshirt – this can actually make a scout colder in damp weather – and when it’s cold, it’s frequently damp

i.                    Wind Proof Parka     Nylon, with a breathable water resistant treatment – Walmart sells a great one made by Stearns (sometimes available at Costco) in adult sizes

j.                     Warm Hat

3.                  Optional Clothing                  Optional clothing is listed in order of increased cold – by ‘cold’ I mean mid-forties down to ten degrees above zero nighttime low temperature

a.                  Wind Pants                Nylon

b.                  Polypropylene long johns

c.                  Polypro gloves

d.                  Polypro sock liners

e.                  Polypro long t-shirt

f.                    Wool Scarf

g.                  Ski mitts

4.                  Do Not Bring:

a.                  Sleeping clothing      Sweats, p.j., etc. add bulk and weight – use underwear and/or long pants and t-shirt

b.                  Avoid Cotton              Cotton holds dampness, which means in any kind of damp weather, but especially in rain, the clothing will have absolutely no insulating quality, and will actually cause cooling by evaporation - the old timers used to say ‘cotton kills’ – more on hazards later

c.                  Extraneous items      Any comfort provided by extra clothing in addition to the minimums listed above will be more than offset by the agony of carrying it

III PERSONAL TOILETRIES         The need for personal toiletries is probably over-rated – I think Scouts rarely brush their hair, teeth, use deodorant, or change their underwear on trips – I think it has to do with ‘a Scout is thrifty’

1.                  Toothbrush & Paste              In travel size containers

2.                  Soap                                       Biodegradable For Hiking – in a very small container

3.                  Comb

4.                  Toilet Paper                           a small pack, or the dregs of a household roll, for an overnight – larger quantity dependent on length of trip

5.                  Small Plastic Trowel             for burying human waste – available at sporting goods stores

6.                  Hiking Towel                          Optional – Get the polypropylene version – use cotton terry only for summer camp

7.                  DO NOT Bring                       any family or standard sized containers of anything – always use small containers or miniature sizes

IV PERSONAL ITEMS

1.                  Notebook & Pencil                Important for scout advancement, taking notes, leaving messages, etc.

2.                  Scout Manual                         For advancement, sign-offs, research.  Good to bring on car camping and short hiking trips.  Leave home for longer backpacking trips.  MAKE SURE IT HAS SCOUT’S NAME WRITTEN IN IT!!!

3.                  Sunglasses

4.                  Sewing needle/thread          Good for removing splinters, sewing on a button (if you save the button), or sewing up rips in clothing.  Could carry one of the small sewing kits given away by hotels – or not.

5.                  Head lamp                             Nice for reading, so-so for walking around, annoying to others when you look at someone at night – also expensive

6.                  Bug Juice

7.                  Fanny Pack

8.                  Teapot                                    This is more an adult extra

V CAM[P EQUIPMENT

For all overnight trips, including backpacking and car camping

1.                  Backpack                               Lightweight, internal or external frame, with adequate hip belt and shoulder straps. Must have a hip belt to distribute weight from the shoulders to the hips – fit is very important – if you have questions about fit, ask an ASM

2.                  Sleeping Bag W/ Stuff sack A water resistant stuff sack important – weight is an obvious concern – for hiking trips, the scout’s bag should not weigh more that 2 to 3 pounds – this can be met by purchasing a down bag (very expensive) or a Hollofil or Qualofil synthetic bag – a 20º rating is adequate, even when we go to the snow – a mummy-type bag is the only appropriate bag – more on weight later

3.                  Groundcloth                           One of the cheap reinforced poly tarps – home depot sells them, often in blue – REI has a stylish green one – obviously, the tarp should be Scout sized – about 5 x 7– should be very inexpensive and lightweight, but will preserve the life of expensive sleeping bags and tents, and help keep the Scout dry

4.                  Sleeping Pad                        Use the solid foam type – a three-quarter length waffle role is fine – include a nylon strap (preferably in a bright color) for cinching the role tight – some people prefer thermarest pads, which are good, but somewhat heavier than foam, take more time to set up and take down, and are very expensive – DO NOT bring an inflatable mattress – these are heavy, and if they develop a leak the Scout will be outdoors with a major thermal barrier missing from their sleep gear – more on hazards later

5.                  Eating Kit                               Underline plastic – lightweight is the issue – the dip bag is good for keeping all together, and at camp can be use to hang the dishes to dry

a.                  Plastic Spoon            Lexan is good

b.                  Plastic Fork              

c.                  Plastic Cup

d.                  Plastic Bowl

e.                  Plastic Plate

f.                    Net dip bag

6.                  Straps                                     Sufficient straps to keep tie-on gear on the bag without hanging awkwardly to one side or falling off – things like sleeping bags, tent (group gear), sleeping pad, and the kitchen sink that just might come along

7.                  Plastic Trash Bag                 Every Scout brings two – can be used for emergency pack cover, other rain cover, and for packing trash out – bring two or three if you want

8.                  Nylon Stuff sacks                   For clothing, sleeping bag and other stuffable items

9.                  Small plastic bags                To hold loose items, keep like items together, and keep things dry

10.             1/8” nylon cord                       Bring 25 or 50 feet – useful for rigging varmint resistant food storage, crossing creeks, and other uses

 

VII       CAMP GEAR                        This is intended for long-term camp or car camping – not for backpacking trips

1.                  Scout Book

2.                  Lightweight shoes    

3.                  DO NOT Bring

a.         Electronic devices    With few exceptions, cleared with the trip adult leaders beforehand, NO ELECTRONIC DEVICES of any kind – this means CD players, radios, games, etc.

 

 

GROUP GEAR                                 Carried by Scouts or Adult leaders – provided by Troop or Adult leaders

1.                  Cook Pots

2.                  Cooking Utensils

3.                  Cook Stoves and fuel

4.                  Tent                                         Use Scout’s personal ground cloth under

5.                  Group First Aid Kit

6.                  Water Purification gear

7.                  Emergency sewing kit

8.                  Electronic alarm clock

WEIGHT

Carrying any weight while walking in hilly or mountainous terrain is work – and the more extra weight a Scout carries, the more work it is.  As a general rule, a person should carry no more than 20 to 25 percent of their weight in a pack –very light scouts may end up carrying somewhat more percentage-wise, but not much more.  That means a great big strong man might “easily” carry 50 pounds, while a 70-pound Tenderfoot should carry about 20 to 25 pounds.  All the Scouts need to share the weight of food and group gear – so that means the basic personal equipment should be pretty light – not more than about twenty pounds, not counting water.  Perhaps not obviously, an overweight Scout or adult is already carrying extra weight – so consider the estimated lean weight of any individual in considering the load that they might reasonably carry.

HAZARDS

We make every effort to keep the Scout’s safe and to avoid hazards while on outdoor trips – but going outdoors into the weather, hours away from the nearest road, has some inherent hazards.  Our job as adult leaders is to manage those hazards by using our training and good sense, and requiring the Scouts and their parents to make adequate preparations for the expected hazards.

The single greatest life-threatening hazard in the outdoor environment is cold – and it doesn’t need to be snowing for an individual to suffer hypothermia.  Review the equipment list, and try to identify the items that have some relationship to preventing hypothermia – you might be surprised at how many there are.  The warnings noted in the equipment list about not bringing cotton sweatshirts are very serious.

Dehydration is caused by not drinking enough water – and it’s made worse by physical exertion in warm weather.  A single liter of water is usually not enough water to safely travel between water access points on most hikes.  Water from streams or other unknown sources requires purification before use, and at least twenty minutes for the treatment to work.  In order for Scouts to stay fully and safely hydrated, they need plenty of water – so bringing two liters of water on each and every trip is important.

Losing a Scout is any parent’s or adult leader’s worry.  That’s why we count heads at the beginning of each trip, and at every milestone of a trip.  We train the Scouts to use the Buddy system, and to make regular stops while hiking so that everyone can catch up and rest, and be counted.

A danger that many parents might fear is serious injury due to cuts, bleeding, or other injury.  All Scouts receive ongoing training in basic first aid techniques, and the adult leaders receive basic and additional first aid training.  Many of the items in the equipment list are selected so they can be used for emergency first aid treatment – can you make a splint from a foam pad?  How about stop bleeding with a bandana?

SUMMARY

Good equipment should be functional, reasonable in price, comfortable, and protect against the hazards that might be expected in an outdoor environment.  Above all the equipment should be not inherently dangerous itself.

By taking the right equipment, and not bringing the wrong equipment, we can have safe, comfortable and fun trips in the outdoors that the boys will cherish in their memories forever.