Boy Scout Archives: Camping Merit Badge

Camping is one of the best-known methods of the Scouting movement. When he founded the Scouting movement in the early 1900s, Robert Baden-Powell encouraged every Scout to learn the art of living out-of-doors. He believed a young person able to take care of himself while camping would have the confidence to meet life’s other challenges, too.

The Camping merit badge is required for the rank of Eagle Scout

Requirements for the Camping Merit Badge

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Environment Troop Program Feature for Boy Scouts  The focus of the Environmental troop program feature for Boy Scouts is on the interdependence of living things.

Merit Badge Check Off List  I've had several requests lately for a newer version of the merit badge check off list, updated with the newest badges. So I've redone the list as a Google spreadsheet. This will make it easier to keep updated.

Backpacking Troop Program Feature  This backpacking program feature offers the opportunity to learn more about hiking and low impact camping. A Boy Scout troop PLC can plan a whole month of activities incorporating a backpacking theme.

Age Requirements for Merit Badges  A reader asks about how old a Scout should be to work on a merit badge. The Guide to Advancement provides some answers.

Wilderness Survival Troop Program Feature for Boy Scouts  This wilderness survival program feature offers the opportunity to plan a month's worth of troop activities with a focus on outdoor skills and survival techniques.

Cooking Troop Program Feature for Boy Scouts  This cooking program feature for Boy Scouts offers the opportunity to plan a month's worth of troop activities with food and cooking theme. The featured activity for this month is a patrol feast.

Science Troop Program Feature for Boy Scouts  This science program feature offers the opportunity to plan a month's worth of troop activities with a weather and energy theme.

Backpacking Troop Program Feature for Boy Scouts  A backpacking programs feature offers the opportunity to learn the skills to successfully plan and carry out a backpacking trip.

Forestry Troop Program Feature for Boy Scouts  The forestry program feature offers the opportunity to introduce natural resource management and conservation in a Boy Scout troop setting.

The Outdoor Knots Book (Mountaineers Outdoor Basics)   Many outdoor activities require extensive knowledge of knots: camping, climbing, rappelling, spelunking, and more.

Bear Grylls Survival Series Ultimate Kit  Nylon pouch, multi-tool, miniature light, hand saw, signaling mirror, survival blanket, fire starter, waterproof matches, cotton ball fire tinder, snare wire, emergency cord, waxed thread, fishing kit, sewing kit, pocket survival guide, and rescue instructions.

BSA Methods - The Outdoors  One of the methods for Boy Scouts is “the outdoors”. Being outdoors presents Boy Scouts with challenges and adventures. Boys enjoy the independence of getting away from home and taking care of themselves.

Camping Troop Program Feature for Boy Scouts  The Boy Scout Roundtable Planning Guide suggests a Camping troop program feature for Boy Scouts. The focus of this program feature is on outdoor skills.

Wildlife Management Troop Program Feature for Boy Scouts  A major concern in this country is vanishing wildlife and wildlife habitat. Some of this loss comes from a lack of knowledge about the creatures of nature.

Toasted Chit Pressurized Fuel Training  Our council has a "Toasted Chit" training for pressurized fuel use. I believe this is a local requirement, but I thought the organization of the material might be helpful to anyone doing pressurized fuel instruction.

Tent Pitching Contest (Standard or Blindfolded)  Tent pitching contests are an inter-patrol activity staple. To make it a blindfolded tent pitching contest, just add blindfolds. If you want, let one team member keep his vision, but he can only participate by giving verbal instructions to the others. This makes a good communications exercise also.

Camping Information Sheet for Camping Merit Badge  I recently spent a week at Swift Base at S bar F Scout Ranch with our Boy Scout troop. Swift is normally a Venturing camp, so when they do a week for Boy Scouts, the only merit badges offered by the staff are Canoeing, Swimming, Lifesaving, Rowing, Water Sports, Small Boat Sailing, Climbing, Horsemanship, Rifle Shooting, and Shotgun Shooting. So the Scouters attending camp with their units were asked to offer additional outdoor oriented merit badges.

Camping Merit Badge for Boy Scouts  Our scouts frequently do this badge at summer camp. But they often come home from camp with an incomplete because they haven't complete requirement 9. They often think they have 20 days and nights of camping when they sign up for the badge, but they don't realize that those must all be tent camping and they can only count one summer camp. Or they haven't done the part where two of the campouts must include climbing to an elevation, rappelling, etc. So as a registered counselor, I can sign off on this badge when they finally get enough nights and days of tent camping.

National Outdoor Badges - Camping   If you have some enthusiastic campers in your troop, they might have completed the requirements already.

Camping Log for Boy Scouts  Camping is an essential part of the Boy Scout program and Scouts need to keep track of how much camping they have done. There is a space for this in the back of their handbook, but as a Camping merit badge counselor, I know that there are some other aspects of their campouts they need to record.

Boy Scout Leave No Trace Award  Boy Scouts will complete a couple of the requirements for the Boy Scout Leave No Trace award while working their way toward Eagle Scout.

Requirements and Helps for Boy Scout Merit Badges  You can learn about sports, crafts, science, trades, business, and future careers as you earn merit badges. There are more than 100 merit badges.

Camping Packing List  One thing new scouts (and new leaders) often ask the first few times they go camping is "What do I need to bring?" Download a suggested list of personal camping gear.

Weekend Campout Planning Guide  A weekend campout planning guide will let your Boy Scout troop share the planning responsibilities for monthly camping trips, but will still provide consistency from one campout to the next.