100 days and nights of camping question

[CeeJayRocker]

I've received two different answers on this issue. To qualify for this award, is it 100 days and 100 nights (200 separate events) or is it 100 days and nights (a combination of days and nights totaling 100)?

[Oak Tree]

I interpret it as 100 nights of camping. I'd say it's 100 separate events, where each event is a day/night. In practice, it's not obvious to decide what a "day" of camping is. If you arrive at 7:00pm? 4:00pm? noon? If you depart at 8:00am? noon? 4:00pm? But it's generally pretty obvious what a night of camping is.

 

At least, that's how we interpret it in our troop. I'd think you'd have to be really stretching the interpretation to say that it meant that that 50 days and 50 nights = 100 days and nights.

[Beavah]

Yah, dat's a new one, eh?

 

I could never imagine that someone would find a way to grade-inflate that award. But interpreting days as different than nights so they'd only have to spend 50 typical camping "days" out is remarkable.

 

I reckon the award is supposed to be a challenge, not somethin' that every scout should hit by regular participation before he reaches high school. 100 days should mean 100 days in the field.

 

But here's a thought: why not ask your kids, CeeJay? I'm willin' to bet that once they get away from adults putterin' things up, 90% of 'em would say it means 100 full days out. The kids I know would be embarrassed to wear a 100 days patch for spendin' only 50 in the woods.

 

Beavah

 

[evmori]

100 days/night = 100 days/night. Makes no difference how many separate occasions. If could be 100 or 1! Don't over think it! It isn't that hard!

[GernBlansten]

Technically, its labeled incorrectly. It should be 100 nights camping, period. Not days and nights.

You don't camp during the day. That's a day hike. What makes it camping is spending the night. Ok, they do have day camps for kids, but is it really camping?

 

Lets take this to the logical extreme, shall we?

A typical single night camping would be two days camping wouldn't it? One before the night, one after. So 33.33333~ nights of the camping would be 66.333333~ days. We could round off the partial days camping by not counting those days where you arrive after sunset which would technically be night. I doubt you would see only night camping without days, unless you arrive in your car to a camp after dark, get up and break camp and get back in your car before sunrise. But what would be the point of that? That's just crazy talk.

[FScouter]

Think 24 hours.

[CNYScouter]

 

I am assuming you are taking about the National Camping Award.

 

The link below is for Individual Scouts and Scouters Application for National Camping Award

http://www.boyscouttrail.com/external_frame.asp?goto=/docs/formnatlcampingindividual.pdf

 

What Counts As Camping:

- Sleeping in tents.

- Staying in rustic cabins (no electricity).

- Under the open skies.

- You participated in setting up and breaking camp.

- You participated in camp chores.

- You participated in camping activities (hiking, swimming, nature exploration, conservation projects, etc)

- A full day of camping counts as a "day", late arrival and early departure days together count as a "day".

- Camping trips you can verify that they took place, (parents, Troop Leader, SPL, signs off)

 

What Doesn't Count As Camping

Luxury motor homes.

Campers with electricity.

Lodges, motels, cabins with electricity.

When you do not participate in setting up or breaking down camp.

When you do not participate in camping type activities.

 

For the unit award:

http://www.boyscouttrail.com/docs/formnatlcamping.pdf

 

The National Camping Award is designed to recognize troops who go camping during the year. Your troop may qualify in two categories as you begin to expand your camping program: yearly and cumulative.

 

Record-keeping procedures: At least 50 percent of your troop must attend resident camp. On other campouts, at least 33 percent of your Scouts must be in attendance for each twenty-four-hour period to count as a camper day to qualify for the troop ribbons. A record is kept by your troop of the number of days camped each year. Your unit commissioner or district camping chairman may approve the applications for recognition, which can be secured at your council service center.

 

I hope this helps.

 

[SSScout]

"...any combination of camping with Scout's family, patrol or unit."

 

Could camping with church group be counted, if the "rustic" quality is met? How about a school class 5 day AT camp trip?

 

But not Webelos Week at a Council camp...?(This message has been edited by SSScout)

[LongHaul]

This is from the linked site, second paragraph; >>Record-keeping procedures: At least 50 percent of your troop must attend resident camp. On other campouts, at least 33 percent of your Scouts must be in attendance for each twenty-four-hour period to count as a camper day to qualify for the troop ribbons.<< LongHaul

[CNYScouter]

This Award is meant for Boy Scouts.

http://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/award/national_camping-874.asp

 

From the Individual Scouts and Scouters Application:

 

You may qualify for the cumulative award and count your days since Jan. 1, 1991 (while you were a Boy Scout/Scouter, no Cub Scouts).

 

 

So camping with a Church or School group would count but not as a WEBELOS.

[Oak Tree]

Note that the boyscouttrail.com site is unofficial. They may put their own suggestions on this, but those guidelines are not found in any official document.

 

I will count nights camping since birth. The "no Cub Scouts" line does not appear in any official documentation that I've ever seen. I've seen different places that list different restrictions, and any or all of them might be reasonable, but the only criteria I've seen is that the Scoutmaster has to agree that it counts.

[FScouter]

The BSA form is #33690, available at the Scout Shop. It lists the requirements, and the patch and ribbon item numbers. It has a chart to list the qualifying campouts and the names of the participating boys and adults.

 

The form is a 17x22 sheet of paper printed both sides and folded. Someone made a PDF of part of the form. The PDF chopped off part of the form, it may be found here:

http://www.tac-bsa.org/national_camping_award.pdf

 

As OakTree noted, the other website reference is somebodys personal vision of the award which is not supported by the BSA requirements. The individual award may count days retroactive to 1-1-1991, including family camping and camping with groups other than Boy Scouts.

[Its Me]

 

I love these forms for the over the top analysis they provide.

 

FScouter last month we departed at 1:00 PM and returned at 10:00 AM the next day. Technically we did not make 24 hours. May we still consider this in our 100 "day" count? What if we return to our Charter and wait there until the exact time period we departed the day before.* Will this count?

 

*This assumes that time on the road to the campsite is recordable time. Is it?

 

What if....

 

 

 

[GernBlansten]

To further complicate the issue, the day/night camping formula fails to consider allowances for daylight savings times, camping on or near time zone demarcations, and leap years. b)

[gpronger]

We have had several scouts spend the summer as either councilors or CITs (at OSR); do these qualify towards the 100 nights of camping?