Camping Do's and Don'ts

 

• Practice setting up your tent before you get on the camping trip. Make sure it is complete and you know how to put it up. Of course we will help you but you don’t want to get out there to realize you don’t have stakes or poles!
• Plan on it getting colder than you think – you can always take off a layer or remove a blanket. Put a sheet inside your sleeping bag it keeps it clean inside and will give you a layer of warmth or a layer of cool.
• Bring rain gear – you never know what the weather will be
• Change clothes to sleep in. (will keep you from getting cold due to moisture in the fabric from the day and you never know what you have on your clothes that you are bringing into your tent…poison ivy)
• Always have a tarp under your tent. Make sure none of it sticks-out from the bottom of the tent or it will collect rain and make the inside of your tent wet.
• Allow your Scout to do as much of the work while camping as possible (help putting up the tent, carrying stuff, etc). THEY CAN DO IT!! And will be proud that they did it.
• Store food, candy, toothpaste in your car or animal proof container but NOT your tent. They can smell it!
• Maintain the buddy system & Youth Protection Training (YPT) at all times!

• Never sleep in a tent with a child who is not your own. – BSA rule
• No alcohol anywhere, anyhow, anytime. – BSA rule
• No smoking or tobacco products in sight of Cub Scouts. – BSA rule
• Never leave candy/chips or candy/chip wrappers or food of any kind in your tent or in your clothes in your tent. Animals can smell it. This includes toothpaste, open Gatorade and other soda cans, etc. If in doubt leave it in your car.
• Cub Scouts should not have/use knives in Tiger and Wolf ranks. Bears and higher ranks may only bring pocket knives if they have completed the “Whittling Chip” pocket knife achievement and have their Whittlin’ Chip card or badge on their person. No knives with a blade longer than the width of a child’s palm. – BSA rule.
• Avoid 100% cotton clothing…think wool or synthetics. Cotton stays damp and makes you feel cold.
• Leave behind the Nintendo DS, iPod, or other electronics/game systems. This is the opportunity to get away from all that. Besides, they could get damaged or lost. BSA insurance doesn't cover that!
• No precious toys/ jewelry – could get damaged or lost.