Camping is an essential part of the Scouts BSA 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.
Scouts will need to know if their campouts were tent camping or cabin camping and if they pitched their own tent. Sometimes they get confused because they thought they had enough nights for Camping merit badge, but then I have to explain that they can’t count cabin camping. If they have a good list, I can go through it with them and we can see what counts and what doesn’t.
They will also need to know if they did any of these special activities while tent camping:
- Hike up a mountain, gaining at least 1,000 vertical feet.
- Backpack, snowshoe, or cross-country ski for at least 4 miles.
- Take a bike trip of at least 15 miles or at least four hours.
- Take a nonmotorized trip on the water of at least four hours or 5 miles.
- Plan and carry out an overnight snow camping experience.
- Rappel down a rappel route of 30 feet or more.
Many troops keep track of their Scouts camping records which is fine. But when they go see their Camping merit badge counselor, it helps to have a list of the campouts and some of the details so they can have a good discussion. In that case, the Scout can fill in the sheet from the troop camping records.
Printable copy of Camping Log
