mdlscouting Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Has anyone seen a generic version of the Kids switchbacks in blue for the cubs? I'd be interested in getting some for my son, but not at the prices the scout shop charges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resqman Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 When your son joins the sports team, do you just buy a T-shirt that is close to what the rest of the team wears? Does the coach let your son play in the game if he is not in uniform? Sports teams typically only wear the team uniform at the 10 games per season. $100 for a sports uniform worn 10 times = $10 per wearing. When the season is over, you are left with nothing. You son will wear the scout uniform at least 3 times a month, 2 den meetings and 1 pack meeting for about 9 months a year for probably 2 maybe 3 years. 3 x 9 x 2 = 54 times. 3 x 9 x 3 = 81 times. Probably add 2 to 4 summer time events before he out grows the pants. Even at $100 for a complete uniform, that is only about $1.25 to $2.00 per wearing. Then you sell the uniform to the incoming Tigers or Wolfs for $10-15 to defray the costs of the new size for junior. Part of Scouting is wearing the uniform. The complete and correct uniform. Teach your son now that wearing of the complete and correct uniform is the proper way a scout behaves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Novice_Cubmaster Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 A scout is thrifty. So are his parents. Find something that looks close and go with it. Don't know about the zipoffs, but Walmart blue twill pants (and green for the Web's) matched the official overpriced BSA pants really well. And cost less than half as much. And lasted at least as long. PS - stop comparing Scouting to Sports - two different types of programs with two different goals. NC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdlscouting Posted May 31, 2009 Author Share Posted May 31, 2009 Thanks for the advice Novice. I'll check that out. We are looking for something like that for our Pack Closet. I'll have to recommend that to the person who is running it. And if my son was in a sports team at age 7 expecting $100 for a uniform... I'd seriously have to rethink him being in that sports league. Especially with 3 more coming behind him in a few years, that's seriously unaffordable. It doesn't make much sense for a Scout Uniform to be the most expensive outfit my son owns. Heck, my Den leader outfit is the most expensive outfit I own other than my 1 suit... And I even got it at the BOGO sale! Theres a reason why a large number of packs endorse the use of Shirt + Jeans. Cost IS a factor for many families. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisabob Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Hav you looked at buying used cub pants online (ebay, etc.)? Often you can get really good deals that way. For me, I'm ok with a cub family making alternate choices regarding the pants. But I would rather see a pack's uniform closet be stocked with the actual uniform. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle92 Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 One thing about Walmart's goods, they are made by the same "company" that makes the BSA unforms, and are cheap knockoffs. They may look VERY similar, the the goods are even poorer quality and fade faster. EBAY is your friend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scouter&mom Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 The local school district where mostof our cubs come from has a uniform policy, which includes navy pants. So we tell our boys where their blue school pants.. Parents are happy because they dont have to buy more.. and boys are used to those pants.. Every fall all the stores have sales on those pants, since so many elementary school kids have to have them. There are even companies that come in and do a big uniform sale at civic center late summer. This gives the boys a chance to get involved and be sure they stay involved before parents spend money on Scout pants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnaMaria Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 I tried to use the official cub zip-off pants for my sons, but eventually gave up. 4th grade Webelos went through two pairs of official pants last year. The fabric failed at the seams. The seams didn't rip, the fabric separated. After pair #2, I checked Wolf son's pants and they weren't in as bad of shape as Webelos son's, but they were starting to fail as well. Although my scout shop was great about replacing/exchanging the pants, I decided to give up at that point. Each failure required a trip to the scout shop as well as a hemming session. So I'm willing to spend the bucks on the official pants, but am going to pass for now. When/if I hear about a change, we'll give it another go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kraut-60 Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Buy the "looks close enoughs"? What other parts of the Cub program are being cherry picked for convenience of the parents? Ok, most cubbies could care less about pants (so long as they have a pair on)...but when leaders do the "close enough-good enough for scouts" bit, well...it just goes to show that mediocrity is alive and well in some cub packs. Sports and Scouts are different, yes...but scouts has not(yet) practiced anything like the inflexible mandates that come as a standard part of most youth sports programs. Buy the right stuff...are the seams only failing on BSA garments...or maybe, just maybe are kids being kids and tearing the snot out of the clothing as cub age boys are wont to do? Yeah, Wally-World stuff is kid proof...right! Its just cheap enough to not be too painful to have to buy again (and again, and again...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnaMaria Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Yes, it is only the fabric failing on the BSA garments. I haven't seen fabric do this before. And yes, my boys, the Webelos specially, are hard on clothes. This wasn't the kind of wear and tear I'd expect and accept. If my boys were on a sports team and the same thing happened, I would not continue to replace the uniform piece over and over again. If the team wanted a particular brand of something and it performed like that, I'd expect the team to accept my child wearing a reasonable substitute or take responsibility for the continued replacements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippyboro Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 frankly, I think it is ridiculous to require cubs to wear the pants... dark jeans work fine. To say that a 7-10 year old boy could get 2-3 years out of a pair of pants is highly optimistic to say the least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdlscouting Posted June 8, 2009 Author Share Posted June 8, 2009 I bet some of the people in this forum would have a stroke if they saw the kids in our pack. Non regulation pants, and even Socks! White socks even! The horror! I'm really surprised that nationals haven't sent the uniform police swat team to come and shut us down by now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeginnerScout Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Since AnaMaria brought it up, I'll throw in my 2 cents worth as well. When my son was a wolf - 2 years ago, I decided to go ahead and buy the new, blue switchbacks. I thought that they were cool and then he could have the complete uniform. Over September to April the rear seam ripped - actually the fabric. He only wore them to Pack meetings and about half of the den meetings. The Scout shop was happy to replace them. So, he wore them as shorts from June to October (didn't even have time to hem the cuff). He only wore them about a dozen times and they had ripped again. This time in the front. Again, this is over time, not one specific failure. Pair number three lasted from November to March. Splitting in same place as pair 2. This time, he only wore them to Pack meetings and a couple of events. We didn't get pair number 4 yet, because he is Webelos now and will outgrow the replacement size before fall anyway. I may get the replacement pair and donate them to another family for them to try. I was very dissapointed by the quality of these pants. I hope that someone will work on this issue for future uniforms. I also hope that everyone with issues is taking them back for replacments. If there are enough replacements, then maybe someone will fix the issue. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pack212Scouter Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 When my son was a Wolf, I also bought him a pair of the blue switchback 2's. He loved them, and so did I. The only issue that we had was that the cool little rubber Cub Scout pulls on the leg zippers came off the second or third time through the wash, but they were still usable. He wore them very heavily all the way through our Spring Camp this year. We have been very happy with them, they stood up to wear very well, but more than two years of growth is all you can expect at best at this age. Our Pack only requires blue school uniform pants, but personally while I think the Scout pants are a bit overpriced, but still worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle92 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Anytime anything offical BSA breaks, RETURN IT as their is a lifetime warranty (sp) on the stuff. Further, if it is a repeat case like BegginerScout, I would write a polite letter stating their opinion of the merchandise and submit it to the scout shop or mail directly to Supply in Charlotte. Yes they do listen to the customer. I remember when they did away with knee socks the first go around, a letter writting campaign brought them back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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