fairwell canvas camp tents?

[hadulzo]

Our camp is "considering" reducing the camp tent expense by giving a credit to units who use there own tents. It appears to be a shuffle of money but I guess its a sign of the times. Pretty sure none of the tents and the 2013 jamboree will be spec wall tents so it I guess they may fade into memory.

[desertrat77]

I hear my old summer camp has gone the same way...the wall tents are gone and troops are bring their own tents. Times must be tight when wooden platforms, surplus cots and canvas wall tents are too costly.

[Lisabob]

40-48 weeks per year of storage and upkeep may be costly. Mildew, critter damage, etc. (not to mention wear & tear during camp) Besides, most units already have their own tents, so what's the need for camp-supplied tents?

 

Still, I hear you on the nostalgia thing.

 

 

[moosetracker]

For the scouts, probably no big deal, as most are low to the ground anyway and wear the same clothes without ever removing them..

 

For some of us adults that are getting up there in years.. Trying to cram a weeks worth of gear into the pup tent, wiggling clothes on while sitting, kneeling or lieing on your back etc.. ick.. Some of the adults who will go during scout summer camp are not the same who will take the scouts backpacking, just falls into who has the time to take a weeks vacation, or is retired..

 

Myself I camp with the family, but rarely with the troop. I like my tents with enough ceiling space where I can stand up & change.. I guess I could bring the old family tent, on the rare occasions I do tent, but I hate being the odd person out.. I have yet to hear of our council camps discussing changing over though.

[Stosh]

Moose: Don't think harder, think smarter. I use my cramped little tent and at age 60 getting up and dressed in the morning is getting to be more and more of a challenge. I went out and bought a camp shower for $35 (no plumbing stuff, but has 4 walls and a roof), and now I have a dressing room where I can stand up. If it's raining, I suffer through the struggle, but otherwise it works out great.

 

Your mileage may vary,

 

Stosh

[shortridge]

There may be some interest in a previous discussion on this topic, including some pros and cons:

 

http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=293071

[moosetracker]

Reminds me of this parent (wont call her an adult leader).. Who went on some of the campouts, causing the adult leaders to grit their teeth.. During one Jamboree (wall to wall tent city).. She did not want to use the public port-a-potties.. So she decided she would have the shower curtain thing, with her personal port-a-potty inside.. OK.. bad enough everyone had images of her pooping right next to your tent, or the port-a-potty rolling out from under her and down a hill..

 

But.. the last staw and the "NO WAY" came from the SM when she expected the scouts to carry her port-a-potty in & out of the jamborie for her..

 

Sorry every time I see a camping shower curtain thing, I think of her..

[jtswestark]

Moose - that sounds like a female SM that summer camped with us once. Personal adult shower houses with flushing toilets weren't good enough.

 

Something to consider my past lodge would have a clan or two at the ordeal weekends repairing bunks and platforms. We also have a good turn camp requirement for our camp honors which many repairs are done as well. Significant repairs are typically done by volunteer Scouters or even camp staff as a last resort. Assembling and setting up the platforms, tents, and bunks in the spring and taking them all down in the fall is all done at two ordeal weekends plus camp staff & adult volunteers to wrap up any loose ends. I believe most materials are donated by friendly companies or Scouters. All the council is really out is the tents.

I guess if our camp decided the cost of purchasing tents is too high, then theyd have to find some other things for us all to do.

So just how bad do your volunteers want your camp to retain the wall tents?

(This message has been edited by jtswestark)

[Tampa Turtle]

I am rather fond of those awful canvas tents. Hot and leaky but certainly dark enough. Like the room. My little tent would get old after a few days.

[skeptic]

Personal tents for summer camp can easily be large enough for comfort, as you do not have the weight restrictions backpacking brings. It may take an extra trip or two, if they do not allow dropping off, like most camps do. Just take a family style tent, as someone noted; or use one of the larger domes that have pretty high ceilings, though maybe not high enough to stand completely.

 

I prefer the savings we have bringing our own; but it also allows for more boys to get practice setting tents up and arranging a longer term campsite. Too, you sometimes can choose a far better spot for your tent than those preset, often on ratty platforms with critters living under them.

 

Biggest con is simply getting set up and breaking down. Adds to the time considerations. We often have trouble getting really set up the first afternoon, as the schedules, with rechecks and swim checks are so tight. Would prefer to possibly not have the traditional opening campfire, as it really effects the establishment of camp for the rest of the week, and takes away from the first day's routines.

 

 

[Eagle92]

But.. the last staw and the "NO WAY" came from the SM when she expected the scouts to carry her port-a-potty in & out of the jamborie for her..

 

Alas, the ladies of my Ship made us set up a GP tent and carry the "head" from one of the boats for their use when we went camping. Skipper had to agree with it since his daughter, a mate, was one of the most vocal about it. Oh well.

[fred8033]

I don't really care one way or another ... and I definitely prefer almost any other tent over the BSA canvas wall tents

 

... BUT ... as long as our summer camp provides free tents and does not provide a significant discount if we don't use them, why would we use our own? It's basic economics.

 

Our troop uses troop owned tents (Eureka Timberline 4xt ... moving to the Timberline SQ 4xt model). They cost $250 to $270 each. 40 scouts. 20 tents. Seven nights at camp? We would have at least one damaged beyond repair; two or three significantly damanged and all experiencing signficant wear. Plus, then getting them dried out and collected once we got back home. Considering this, using camp tents is about $400 dollars cheaper for the troop .... probably more. And it's less headache and cheaper to use camp owned tents.

 

And yes ... every BSA canvas tent I've slept in leaks and is too hot. Scouts routinely bring large tarps to hang over them and to put under them. If these tents were gone, there is one thing I'd really miss. After a good storm, it's always fun to see the contents of several tents blown completely out of the tent.(This message has been edited by fred8033)

[desertrat77]

Lisa, most camps I've been to have a shed for tents and cots, right on site...kept dry in storage, those canvas tents will last several years.

 

A week-long static camp is a long time for me to drag myself out of a small tent each day.

 

I liked the canvas wall tents from day 1. Configure the door and side flaps right, and the heat is manageable. Add a mosquito and you are living.

 

Summer camp aside, I use a canvas BSA Miner's tent, circa '60s. Center pole is just tall enough for me to get dressed. Good for camporees and such.

 

[Papadaddy]

Sorry, I have to vote with the canvas. For six days in camp, my aging back will not tolerate sleeping on the ground. First thing I do upon arriving in camp is to roll up all the flaps and the sidewalls, so the evening breezes can blow through. Put a mosquito net over the cot, and I'm good to go. Flaps come down only for heavy rain. Have to laugh at the young first year campers who try to seal the tent up tight every night...

[eagle90]

"Our troop uses troop owned tents (Eureka Timberline 4xt ... moving to the Timberline SQ 4xt model). They cost $250 to $270 each. 40 scouts. 20 tents. Seven nights at camp? We would have at least one damaged beyond repair; two or three significantly damanged and all experiencing signficant wear."

 

I think your troop has bigger problems than economics if in one week of camping the above occurs. We have some Eurekas that are over 20 years old and are used twelve times a year PLUS a week at summer camp, and we only have a few zipper problems once in a while. How about some responsibility on the part of your scouts. That is just destructive behavior. I would send a bill to the scouts who damage a tent beyond repair or significantly damage it in one week.