Camping Checklist for Scouts
When preparing for a campout, one of the most common questions from less experienced campers is “What should I bring?” This article from Boy’s Life magazine is a good list of must haves for that campout.
Second Class Requirement 3 – Five Activities, Site Selection, Totin Chip, Cooking Fire, Fires and Stoves, and Camp Cooking
- Since joining, have participated in five separate troop/patrol activities (other than troop/patrol meetings), two of which included camping overnight.
- On one of these campouts, select your patrol site and sleep in a tent that you pitched. Explain what factors you should consider when choosing a patrol site and where to pitch a tent.
- Demonstrate proper care, sharpening, and use of the knife, saw, and ax, and describe when they should be used.
- Use the tools listed in requirement 3c to prepare tinder, kindling, and fuel for a cooking fire.
- Discuss when it is appropriate to use a cooking fire and a lightweight stove. Discuss the safety procedures for using both.
- In an approved place and at an approved time, demonstrate how to build a fire and set up a lightweight stove. Note: Lighting the fire is not required.
- On one campout, plan and cook one hot breakfast or lunch, selecting foods from the food pyramid. Explain the importance of good nutrition. Tell how to transport, store, and prepare the foods you selected.
Whittling Chip Card Corners
A reader asks about cutting the corners from a Whittling Chip card when the owner commits a safety infraction.
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.
How Many Count as a Patrol?
Karen asked this question: “How many boys from a Patrol does there need to be to qualify as doing “anything” as a Patrol?”
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.
Special Cooking Troop Program Feature for Boy Scouts
The Special Cooking Troop Program Feature offers the opportunity to explore cooking with special equipment and techniques, including Dutch oven cooking, foil packs, and camp stoves.
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.
How To Treat a Knife Cut
What is the best way to treat a knife cut? This article from Boy’s Life magazine explains how to stop the bleeding, clean the cut, and dress the wound.
Totin’ Chip
The Totin Chip certification grants a Scout the right to carry and use woods tools. Recently it also proved to be a great way to recruit new Scouts for our troop.
The Science of Fire – The Fire Triangle
Knowledge of fire safety and the fire triangle is an essential outdoor skill. Scouts should understand the science of fire when camping. Understanding the way fire works and what is required to start and sustain a fire not only helps them build fires. It also helps scouts know how to contain fires and put them […]
Woodgas Camp Stove Review
This is a self contained camp stove which burns twigs, charcoal, wood pellets, etc. It has a small battery powered fan to draw air.
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.
Second Class Rank Requirements for Boy Scouts
Second Class is the second rank a Boy Scout can earn. He earns it after Tenderfoot. The Second Class rank requirements for Boy Scouts continue to teach the youth to the skills he needs to advance in Boy Scouting.
How to Build a Fire Skit
Skits can be a great way to start an instruction program. They get everyone’s attention focused. This is a skit I saw at a camporee, but it would also work as an introduction to a session on fire building.
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.
Help for Boy Scout Early Rank Requirements
Boy Scouts working on their Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class ranks might want to check out the early rank requirements videos from the BSA. Troop Instructors will also find these videos helpful when preparing to teach younger scouts a skill. These videos give step by step instructions for all of the requirements for these […]
Camp Programs for First Year Boy Scouts
Summer camp is usually the highlight of the Scouting year. It can be particularly exciting for first year Boy Scouts. It can also be a little intimidating. A program designed specifically for new Scouts will help them adjust to camp life.
Firem’n Chit Certification
Boy Scouts are going to build fires. That is pretty much a given. So they should be trained to use fire safely. This BSA certification provides a set of rules which can be used for training with Scouts. A pocket card is also available at your local Scout shop, to indicate that the Scout has […]
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 […]