Webelos Advenure Camp in South LA - Tent?

[joeleaux]

Hi guys,

 

i'm a den leader who is moving to Webelos with my son. In a month's time we'll be heading to our first Webelos Adventure Camp.

 

i need some advice on picking out a tent for hot, sticky, rainy Louisiana camping. Plenty of ventilation and a good rain fly are musts.

 

Any Scouts from the Southern U.S. that can offer some advice?

 

i'm also looking for any good books on camping.

 

Thanks guys,

Joel

[Eagle92]

Joe,

Can't really give recommendations on which tent to use b/c my 2 man tent is realy old and they no longer make it. Eureka si the brand and I love it.

 

A few things to look for in a tent.

 

#1 make sure it has a tarp to go with it, that is what keeps the bulk of the rain out.

 

#2 Depending upon what type of tent you get, i.e. family camping tent, weekend camping, or backpacking, you may want to invest in a "bathtub bottom" which is a heavier,more waterproof bottom.

 

#3 Always, stress ALWAYS, use a some type of ground sheet, sometimes called a foot print, underneath the tent with the extras tucked under the tent. It adds an extra layer of waterproofing, needed in SE LA and environs, and by tuckign it all under the tent, prevents rainwater from going under the tent and over the ground sheet.

 

As for books, BSHB and Field Book have some good info. Also take Intro to Outdoor Leader Skills training. If you are in SELAC, I know Bill just passed away, but his devotion and work on providing quality training did make an impact and some of the best trainers I encountered were in SELAC.

 

Finally if you are in Metairie, stop by the Scout Shop and ask for Justin. He's been there, done that, and can offer you a world of advice.

[pinkflame]

I'm in south Texas. Maybe we're not quite as humid as Louisiana, but I feel your pain. Webelos camping is car camping, so you can go with a bigger family camping kind of tent. Look for something advertised as 4 person. That determination is mabe from how many sleeping bags will fit on the floor. If you want to be cooloer (and maybe a little more comfortable), use a cot. (Preferably one of the fold-up nylon cots, maybe with a little air mattress on top of it. You don't need much of a sleeping bag, sheets and a summer blanket are fine. )That will get you up into the air so maybe you'll have some ventilation. With cots, a 4 person tent becomes a 2 person tent. (If the rest of your family might sometimes come along for family camping, then you might even want to get a 6 person tent.)

 

In our part of the country, cross-ventilation is key. You want BIG netted windows on all of the sides and some kind of netted vent on the top. The dome type tents are the easiest to put up. Your son will figure it out with you and then be proud of his new ability.

 

Your windows will have zippers on the inside if it rains and your rainfly (tarp) should extend to just the level of your windows and hopefully be a little bit of an awning to them so that you still have good ventilation when the rainfly is up. If you end up buying a dome type tent is should have a rain fly with it. I'm always tempted not to put the rainfly on when it is a seriously dry Texas night without any rain in the forcast and usually I get away with it. In Louisiana I think the mornings are a bit dewier so you will probably have to put it on from the start.

 

This will probably not be the tent your son ends up taking on his Boy Scout camp-outs when he gets older. it might end up being your tent when you are at summer camp for a week and want/need a space to chill, read, relax, etc. I have had several summer camp weeks as one of the adults to meet the numbers (a really fun way to get to know the guys, just be there to listen as they come abck through the campsite or have a new adventure or observation to share) and as camp doctor and I like having a tent for my personal space. I bring my cot, a folding chair and table, footlcker (also double as a game table, and MOST IMPORTANT, my Coleman battery powered ceiling fan.

 

Nothing makes 90 degrees and 90% humidity at 9 PM feel good, but the cieling fan makes it a little better. You can tie it to the gear hook in the cented of the tent and get more than a hint of breeze. I'm sure some of the trditionalists in the cold frozen north (anywhere norht of Texas and Louisiana) are howling heresy right now, but those of us form God's country know it to be true. It uses 4 D-cell batteries and they will last about 3 night, but I highly recommend it.

.

[pinkflame]

BTW, I wouldn't buy a super expensive tent. Webelos are learning about things like zippers and tent flys. The ipeers and doors have a limited life around 10 year olds. This tent will not be your last, so don't make a big investment. You can re-sew zippers, but several of our earlier tents went on to happy lives with the homeless. those guys have lots of time to fix zippers.

[Twocubdad]

LOUISIANA!

 

I thought you meant south Los Angeles. A whole different set of problems.