Sunday Camping

[Beavah]

We try to get things cleaned up as much as possible on Saturday night so Sunday morning is pack & go. Sunday breakfast is oatmeal out of paper bowls so we don't create any big cleaning jobs.

 

Yah, just curious about what different units do.

 

Does your troop usually do things this way, and do a pack-and-go early morning Sunday, or does your troop usually use a full Sunday as a camping day and not return until the afternoon/evening?

 

How do yeh think the different approaches work out?

 

Beavah

 

[Basementdweller]

Our troop traditionally is back and the boys are picked up at noon at the CO.

 

 

Makes for more work with wet tents and such. It might be better if we plan for sunday lunch then get home at three or so after the tents are dried and put away.

[skeptic]

If at all possible, we get the boys to strike tents and lay out to dry while breakfast prep is going on. Of course, it is always a challenge to get them to do it, especially if you are trying to leave it in the junior leaders' hands.

 

With the common use of domes, or similar tents, you can empty them and just turn them upside down without taking the poles out. This works pretty well if you have sun. And, leaving too early really defeats the intent of the weekend anyway. We usually plan on afternoon arrival home, time dependent on how far we are out.

[Eagle69]

Most of the time it's pack and go and maybe a stop for lunch on the way back so that we arrive after church and the parking lot has cleared out.

 

When I was SM I preferred a shortly after lunch arrival back so that I had time to take care of some of my chores that I had had to put off by going camping.

[SMT224]

Our Troop is sponsored by a Catholic Church, and about 1/2 the Scouts are members of the parish. We either go to Mass near where we are camping or be back to our home church in time for Mass. Either way, we have no other option than get up and go.

 

However, if possible, we try to schedule our camping over a three day weekend (like upcoming MLK), and then head home after lunch on Monday. In such cases, we go to church on Sunday morning near where we are camping, go food shopping after church, and then head back to camp. The Scouts appreciate the extra night out, and it makes it seem like a much longer camping trip.

 

[fred8033]

On Sunday everyone is thinking about getting home. It's a huge distraction ... for scouts AND adults. Plus, adults are trying to make it to church and parents are hoping their kids get home to make it to church too.

 

So the answer is DEPENDS...

 

If a short drive (less than 50 miles), we pack, clean and eat usually a cold breakfast. Scouts are dropped off at their houses. Our drivers prefer it as it's less waiting and significantly less standing around saying goodbye. Plus the families appreciate not having to wait in a parking lot. And it removes the stress timing the departure perfectly to arrive at a certain time. I remember being in a troop that dropped everyone at church at a certain time. It was incredibly annoying to wait at camp until a specific time so that we could hit church at just the right time. Or waiting at church for the late parent. There's always two or three of them.

 

If a long drive (over 150 miles), we try to make Sunday meaningful. Good breakfast. An activity, a unique/special tour or other excursion. Stop for lunch on the road.

 

 

[Tampa Turtle]

Our Troop typically leaves Friday after work and returns early afternoon on Sunday. Some SM's push for earlier arrival on Sunday which messes stuff up--parents expect you back about the announced time +/- 1 hour. If we have to travel far we may push back the arrival time to 4ish Sunday. That still leaves a good 1/2 hour of unloading and cleaning to be done on arrival.

 

To be honest I think arrival times has been dictated largely by whoever is the current SM's need to do some stuff on Sunday to keep his wife happy.

 

Sometimes we have cut out the Scouts Own to save the 15/20 minutes which I have a problem with. Now we don't. I think that and a closing Roses/Thorns and a SM minute is important for event closure. I would not rush that.

 

As for doing the work it is all hands on deck. Yes the adults are helping but the boys must do as much work as possible. We usually help the younger scouts lift the heavy gear so they don't hurt themselves; while they are the weakest they usually are the most helpful. And the adults do most of the work (but not all) like hitching the trailer and boats to avoid crush injuries. Of course the adults will walk the line during a "final sweep" to police the area; mostly to show that no one is above the work.

 

 

[fred8033]

Tampa Turtle wrote: "mostly to show that no one is above the work."

 

Fully agree. Scouts lead and run the clean up. But there's no worse example than adults just sitting around while work needs to be done. Doesn't mean we do the scouts job. But it's not adults versus scout jobs. It's not we got our stuff done, so we can sit.

 

Weight: Our troop only has a few things that are too heavy for one scout to carry. Such as a car port tent. Nothing is heavy enough to require an adult to help. And almost everything can be carried by one scout including the cook kits. Or two if it's bulky (not heavy) and a small scout.

[resqman]

Sunday morning is expected the scouts will cook breakfast, pack personal gear, and hang out rain flys to dry. They clean the patrol boxes, breakdown the dining flys and load the trailer. At least one police line is done through the campsite. Roses and Thorns and Scouts own service. Usually a brief strole through camp by the adults prompts a second police line. Vehicles are loaded and drive back to the church. Trailer is unloaded and gear stored in the shed. Any wet tents or dirty patrol boxes are distributed amoung the patrol members to be returned at next troop meeting. Scout are dismissed.

 

The normal plan is to return to the church between 1-2 to allow the church to clear out. Sometimes this means we may have a morning activity at camp before we leave to consume time to arrive back at the church at the appointed time. Driver cellphones are often used while driving back by the individual scouts to remind parents of a more specific time.

 

Adults don't participate in the police line. They make a strole through camp and encourage a second pass if too much stuff is found.

[packsaddle]

Similar to Tampa Turtle but it really depends on the season and the weather for that trip. If we got drenched all weekend, we'll still cook all the meals and return Sunday afternoon. But because we know the tents are going to be wet, we send them home with the boys who know what to do dry and repack them properly. Then, next meeting when the tents are returned, each is inspected for dryness and completeness. Plus, the rest of the trip equipment is inventoried for cleanliness.

If we have a dry weekend all this is done Sunday afternoon unless, like SMT224 noted, we can stay out an extra night. In that case we do it on Monday afternoon, perhaps a little earlier.

 

Really, we have such an abundance of outdoor opportunities here we are ready to go at the drop of a hat and the tough part is choosing which place to go. This long weekend we'll be in the mountains to take advantage of a little more available driving time and that extra night.

[Buffalo Skipper]

After reading the above posts, I feel our troop is sort of on the minority. We try to shoot for a return between 2-4 pm at our scout hut, depending upon how far away we camped.

 

Sunday, scouts wake, prepare breakfast, and then have a morning program (scout skills, continuing of whatever we were doing on Saturday, it varies). Patrols then prepare a no-cook lunch, and break down camp (many scouts have already packed personal gear, only tents and patrol gear remain. After patrol camps are broken down, scouts and Quartermasters (scout QMs) load the trailer, after which scouts don uniform shirts (which are usually kept in leader's cars to remain clean). Then we have a scouts own service, sometimes a Roses and Thorns (if necessary) and we drive home.

 

Usually we camp within 1-2 hours of home, but this routine may vary if we are traveling further afield, or if inclement weather offers different opportunites to keep gear dry (only the most severe weather leads us to change our departure schedule).

 

For the record, making Sunday more than just a pack up day has been met by objections on behalf of some parents and even leaders. Now that we have been doing this regularly for 2 years, it has become more accepted and scouts even work to plan good activities for Sunday to make it more fun so they want to stay out. It has become a good troop practice.

 

We have an extra bonus this weekend, as not only do we have MLK off, but Tuesday is a day off as well (teacher planning day). We are going to Crystal River, FL to swim with the manatees, a 7 hour drive each way. We will leave on Saturday morning and return on Tuesday. Tuesday's schedule is to eat breakfast, pack up, and go home. In instances like this, lunch is at a restaruant (often buffet).(This message has been edited by Buffalo Skipper)

[SR540Beaver]

In the three troops I've been associated with as well as many of the other troops I'm familar with, they do an easy breakfast and pack up sunday morning. Most try to be back home between noon to 2:00 at the very latest.

[Eagledad]

Our troop is very much like Buffalo Skipper. Time depends on the distance, but usually the earliest is 1:00. The patrols can work and leave independently if they want. Its rare, but it happens sometimes.

 

Barry

[Engineer61]

Our troop always breaks camp on Sunday morning.

 

None of the campsites they use (except for the Webelos campout) are closer than 100 miles.

[eagle90]

Our patrols will cook a complete breakfast on Sundays, break camp,police the area, and QM's will pack the trailer. We normally will leave the campsite around 10 AM, and getting home around noon time. This gives families (and tired SM's) a chance to still enjoy part of the weekend.