uniform tents

[Eagle92]

Kudu,

You are correct if they adults won't let the youth use their own tents, per the OP. But there are troops that do provide tents. I know my old troop provided tents to the patrols. If memory serves no one bought their own b/c the patrol had it as part of the patrol gear, which is listed in the group gear section of my old field book. And trust me we were youth run. We weren't the best troop, we weren't the worst troop, but we were the troop that did have an active program that had a good number of 15-17 YOs still involved and TEACHING the younger guys how its done.

 

I agree with you on the thrift stores for boots. Found a nice pair for about $5 bucks, and after a year or two of wear will be getting new soles ion them soon. My old troop didn't keep the boots in the uniform closet, we usually just sold them to the new guys. that's an idea I got to keep in mind.

 

Agree with hooking them into Outdoor Adventure as OUTING is 3/4s of ScOUTING. Guess that's why my troop had a good number of older scouts still active, and not under the current definition of the word either, at 15, 16, and 17 yos. heck we had 18-21yos as ASMs who were active during college breaks.

[artjrk]

At one time our troop got the opportunity to purchase tents for $12 a piece and bought 25 of 'em. These tents are available to new scouts to use until the time they have decided what tent they want to buy personally. Having everyone bring their own, it is a great opportunity to see a wide variety of tents (and other equipment). The scouts get to see and experience what works best and when. We usually have a couple spare troop tents for use in emergencies.

 

At one time I thought it would be cool to have all the boys in matching tents and set up parade ground style. But over the years I have come to appreciate the rag tag look that our troop displays.

[SR540Beaver]

Question with uniformity aside. You have a troop with 60 boys in it. Do you use 20 troop provided patrol tents the boys raised money for with 3 boys per tent or do you haul along 60 individually owned tents because each boy wants to use his own?

[Kudu]

In a boy-run Troop you haul along 60 individually owned tents because each boy wants to use his own :-/

 

[mmhardy]

Those Scouts who use their own gear tend to learn the responsibility to care for it.

[gcnphkr]

We don't provide tents. But not every scout has a tent and not all that have one bring theirs. Patrols somehow manage to figure out to just bring enough.

 

I'd make it:

 

Hiking boots

Sleeping Bag

Backpack

 

Gunny: How do you use hammocks and maintain a LNT ethic? Hammocks are tough on trees.

[OldGreyEagle]

Easy answer Jet, you take off the bubble wrap the helicopter mom's sent their boy into the woods wrapped around them and wrap it around the tree, and the hammock goes on that

 

See, knowing and utilizing your resources

[artjrk]

SR540

 

We don't force it, but generally most scout buddy up and share tents. Not all scouts have their own yet. Also they like to buddy up to save on the work load. Easier for 2 to set up one tent. Also Buddy system is a good policy, so I hear.

[SR540Beaver]

Kudu,

 

What if your boy run troop sees the folly in hauling 60 tents instead of 20, sees the value in raising the money to purchase patrol gear to ease the cost on new scouts and buddy up for safety's sake?

[BrentAllen]

We would take 30 (personally-owned) 2-man tents - our Scouts pair up for trips. It's hard enough finding tent sites for 30 tents, I couldn't imagine trying to find them for twice that number.

 

Some of our Scouts that cross over in Feb./March won't get their own personal tent until December, and that's fine. For the parents that don't want to give (more) electronic games and devices to their son for Christmas, tents make a great gift.

 

Now that our bank account is growing a little, we will probably purchase a tent or two as a loner. We have a couple of backpacks that can be borrowed by Scouts who don't own one.

[Gonzo1]

Kudu,

Loaning out tents hardly teaches the boy to be responsible for his own gear, it's no worse thanusing troop gear.

 

I hardly think that a troop using troop (patrol) gear is adult led.

 

I like the idea of troop owned tents, but I'm OK with it if a scout wants to bring his own.

 

When I was a scout, we had troop owned canvas tents, but once you earned Eagle, or became and ASM you could use your own tents.

 

 

[Kudu]

SR540Beaver writes:

 

What if your boy run troop sees the folly in hauling 60 tents instead of 20,

 

You appear to be the only one who thinks that given the freedom to decide for themselves, every Scout will sleep in his own tent.

 

SR540Beaver writes:

 

sees the value in raising the money to purchase patrol gear to ease the cost on new scouts

 

We had Eureka Timberlines for the socialists.

 

and buddy up for safety's sake?

 

Younger Scouts tend to be afraid of the dark and want to buddy up. Some older Scouts preferred not to.

 

Gonzo1 writes:

 

Loaning out tents hardly teaches the boy to be responsible for his own gear, it's no worse than using troop gear.

 

I don't understand that sentence. Scouts seek Adventure, not lessons on how to be "responsible." I loan out backpacks I find at yard sales, not my own tents.

 

Gonzo1 writes:

 

I hardly think that a troop using troop (patrol) gear is adult led.

 

If adults forbid Scouts to use their own tents, the Troop (Patrol) is adult led.

 

Kudu

 

[Gonzo1]

Kudu,

I thought you said that troop owned tents are an example of adult led. You would have the troop haul 60 tents if that's what the boys want. I like patrol method, in fact, I love it! however, at a recent district event, a Klondike Derby, I saw Ramen noodles for lunch, I think we have to draw lines for boys to operate within. Otherwise, we would have the inmates running the prison. In other words, troop tents are fine, real meals are better than cheap, salty ramen noodles..... but I digress.

[OldGreyEagle]

Kudu,its truly rare when I would try to amend one of your statements, but when you said:

 

"In a boy-run Troop you haul along 60 individually owned tents because each boy wants to use his own :-/"

 

Should it not have read:

 

In a boy-run Troop the scouts arange to haul along 60 individually owned tents because each boy wants to use his own :-/ ?

 

 

[Eamonn]

Kudu,

Welcome back.

I have always thought that when it comes to Patrols, UK Scouting did a far better job than is done here in the USA. (I might of course be wrong.)

Back when I was a Scout, a Scout Leader and even at Wood Badge back in England, we used 8 man tents,(Normally with only six Scouts in a tent.)The tents were very expensive, even 25 years back they cost several hundred pounds.)These tents were of course Patrol tents.

For hikes and that sort of thing we had smaller light weight tents.

I never ever remember a Scout asking if he could bring his own tent.

Maybe if Pint is looking in? He can tell us what they are using over there now?

 

Ea.