When to call off a camping trip due to weather....

[Scouter Dad]

Every summer as part of our summer activity pin our Cub Scout Pack goes on a family camping trip. We usually get about 20-30 families. This year it is this weekend and the weather calls for showers all weekend with potential thunder storms. Obviously in keeping with the hazardous weather guidelines and training we had to take we will not put the scouts in any danger and we do have a lightning plan as well. This is especially important in light of what happened just north of us in New Hampshire this past weekend where a few dozen scouts were treated because they were in the vicinity of a lightning strike.

 

It’s hard to predict the weather but many of us have a hunch it won’t be constant storms and we jointly agree that scouts will not melt in the rain. We certainly wouldn’t do anything to put them in harm’s way and will watch the weather at all times.

 

That being said, we have had 2 families cancel out already and we are wondering at what point we try to make this happen or call it off completely. There is a facility on the ground that will allow us to take cover indoors and use classrooms to hold activities. There is also n indoor pool. It’s great to have these options but at what point is camping no longer camping? Side note: It’s not supposed to stop ringing in Massachusetts until next week sometime. That could be a problem for airing out wet gear.

 

Any advice you could give would be great.

 

Thanks,

 

[Khaliela]

You're right that rain will not melt the Scouts. Here is a question: Do you really want to cater to families who are fair weather only Scouters?

 

We camp in the rain. We camp in the snow. (We prefer camping in the snow!) If you have a good attitude, the boys will be fine; attitude is contagious. The big problem here is that you have to camp with parents since you've got cubs and their attitudes can be less than stellar. I say go ahead and camp and let the families weed themselves out.

 

Re: Canceling

Make sure the people in charge of the camp out know if it's candled. Once upon a time our pack canceled a camp out because of sever thunder and lightening. Three of us had already left to start setting up the group camping facility and put up signs, etc. It wasn't until about 8 PM when absolutely no one else was their that we drove to the nearest town to get cell service and found out it was canceled. Apparently they had someone at the Church sending everyone home, but never bothered to drive up to the campsite to tell the leaders it was off.

[Stosh]

I'm heading to Gettysburg's 150 Anniversary this weekend and next. The 10 day forecast calls for rain every day except maybe Saturday. I'm planning on using that day to dry out. I'm hoping to beat my old record 9 days in BWCA with 8 days of rain.

[packsaddle]

When I was CM, I took the approach in which I notified all the families that I was going to the family campout. Period. If anyone else wanted to join me that would really be nice. I have the attitude that if I am the only one there, so much the better. Alone in the woods. Nice.

 

But there was never such an occasion, sadly. Most of the time families showed up and we always had a great time. It WAS kind of interesting to try to predict who would show and who wouldn't.

[jc2008]

Err you have shelter to take? dang, we are out under our Easy-ups or inside our tents yelling back and forth when it rains lol.

 

Some people don't want to camp in rain. If its a 20% chance of rain do you cancel ? Not usually, but you could still be in that 20% chance and have rain.

 

If its going to be tornado weather or severe thunderstorms 90% chance, well that is another story.

 

We went camping a few weekends back with a bunch of cub scout families (not an official campout) and we got rained on during the day for about 30minutes and then it started raining again about 9pm at night and made us all have to go to bed early :/ Woke up in the morning and the bottom of our tent was dry but it felt and acted like a water bed lol. Tent was in a pool of water. Just make sure where you put your tent isn't going to be a pond lol. But we had fun during the rain with our flashlights and watching the racoons make off with the bags of chips we hastily threw on the table under the easy-up. The chips were not opened at all but the racoons fixed that..

[dedkad]

So what did you decide to do?

[Sidney Porter]

My son just got back from 5 days of Webelos residence camp. It rained at some portion everyday. 2 of the nights it rained all night. At one point everyone had to go inside due to lightning that delay lasted about and 1.5 hour. The last night they had to move the closing event indoors. All the scouts I talked to had a great time and the rain did not bother them. Everything came back muddy but it is camping gear is is intended to get muddy.