uniform tents

[Moggie]

In the UK we use Patrol tents, 8 man canvas tents that the whole patrol lives out of for standing camps, lightweight nylon tents for back packing or a quick weekend camp. In my scout group the lightweight tents still tend to be 4-5 man tents (we have been known to get six small scouts in them). We also own a number of Guerber 2 man expedition tents (again supposed to be lightweight, but the get heavy, real quick!). The tents are owned by the scout group and shared between the cub pack, scout troop and explorer unit.

Currently we tend to use Kyham Indian TC8 canvas tunnel tents for the cubs and standing camps, and various Vangos for lightweight camping.

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[SR540Beaver]

Hmmmm, when it comes to Scouting, you Brits obviously don't know what you are doing!

[Eamonn]

Hey Beav,

Dem's Fighting Words.

Just like the language we let you use, you guys took it and look what you did with it!

 

However.

I always liked the idea of a patrol living, cooking, eating and sleeping as one big happy family.

Ea.

[Eagle92]

I know the Germans use large tents that look like teepees and everyone in the patrol sleeps, cooks, and eats in them. Gotta be careful though. One patrol I saw burnt their tent while cooking, and everyone had to sleep under the stars.

[IM_Kathy]

"using the same (troop-supplied) tents"

 

troop supplied tents - all scouts use them. The boys do NOT get to bring their own. The boys all have the same rules with using troop tents: no cots, only water allowed inside for drinking, etc....

 

leaders are allowed to bring their own tent or use a troop tent, but if they use a troop tent they must follow the same rules as the boys do. A few of our leaders have tent-cots. I bring my own tent because I need a cot with my back and I hate water (gotta have my dt. coke) and those tent-cots are just too small for me.

 

as to if all our troop tents are alike... we have a couple that are a lot older that are different from back when the troop started, but as years have come along and we've had to buy new tents we buy tents that are alike. we have 2 different sizes available for different sized boys and number of boys sleeping in them, but they are the same brand, style, and color.

[sbemis1]

No troop tents here. No chuck boxes either. PLC has not raised the issue either way. Troop gear consists of utensils, pots, stoves, kitchen tarp, etc. Boys work out tentage on their own by patrol. A bit too haphazard I think, but I've not been asked for an opinion.

[Kudu]

OldGreyEagle writes:

 

Should it not have read: In a boy-run Troop the scouts arrange to haul along 60 individually owned tents because each boy wants to use his own :-/ ?

 

Yeah, I just cut and pasted SR540Beaver's worst-case scenario.

 

Gonzo1 writes:

 

I thought you said that troop owned tents are an example of adult led.

 

Providing Troop tents for those who want them is kind, but forcing Scouts to sleep in them is (of course) adult led.

 

Gonzo1 writes:

 

You would have the troop haul 60 tents if that's what the boys want.

 

Yeah, what's the big deal? Most Scouts want to share a tent.

 

Gonzo1 writes:

 

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.

 

What "lines"? There is nothing wrong with Ramen noodles as a beverage at a Klondike Derby. I'm sure the sodium it is better for them than the chemicals in Kathy's Diet Coke :-/

 

Otherwise, we would have the inmates running the prison.

 

That is the whole point, isn't it? An adult-run Troop is prison.

 

In Patrol-based Scouting, what you call the "inmates" do run the "prison," especially in matters as trivial as tents and Ramen noodles.

 

Yours in the Old School,

 

Kudu

[Moggie]

http://www.blacksofgreenock.co.uk/

 

This link will take you to the Blacks of Greenock site and shows the traditional UK scout patrol tents along with their costs (over 500 (about $700) just for the tent without fly or ground sheets).

 

We keep a couple of these for district camping competitions, they last decades we have one tent from 1980 in good serviceable condition.

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[T2Eagle]

Moggie,

 

I just went to that site. When you say "here in the UK" do you mean just your group or most of the scout groups? That type of tent is almost unheard of here.

 

Here is a link to a page from REI, most of the scout troops I've seen use tents of this type of design. http://www.rei.com/category/4500029

 

Our troop was recently given an old canvas "patrol" type tent, it came with its own pot belly stove. We are going to put it up on our next trip, but I think we're going to save the stove 'til next winter.

[Moggie]

T2Eagle,

 

Most UK groups use that type of tent, they are also for sale on The Scout Association web site:

http://scoutshops.com/acatalog/group-tents.html

This link is for the general tent index on the scout shop web page:

http://scoutshops.com/acatalog/tents.html

For a quick weekend camp we'll use lightweight equipment but for a standing camp then the big patrol tents come in to their own.

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

 

[Eagle92]

When KINGSDOWN INTERNATIONAL Scout Campsite in Kent was still owned by the SA, they would buy tents for 1 season, and sell them. Most of the tents were in great shape, and troop got them at a deal of a price.

 

I know Kingsdown is no longer owned by the SA, but the old warden remained with the new owners, and I bet they still sell 4-6 month old tents at great prices.

[WestCoastScouter]

... kinda funny how some threads get lots of responses...!! :-)

 

I agree that a sharp looking campsite with identical tents are sharp looking. Problem sometimes is also that after the purchase, that some designs are then discontinued. Our troop used a certain type of Kelty... then four years later they discontinued... so we had to go with a different Kelty...

[Gonzo1]

When families pick out their own tents, I have found that they tend to go to the cheapest place and get a $20 tent that leaks like cheese cloth.

 

I think troop owned tents make sense. Everyone in the troop kows how to set them up, take them down, to care for them and so on.