Transitioning to a Camping Pack

[Daped01]

Our current pack, as it sits today is very weak at camping. The only camping we do is at our council cub scout resident camp in cabins, and even then its hard to get kids(and parents) to want to go. I would like to see us transition to a pack that does a few overnight campouts a year during the summer (northern minnesota, short season) Do you "experts" have any tips to start a transition to this type of pack. At first i envision us car camping at our local municipal campground. Many of our scout families are Avid Indoorsmen/women so I don't want to do anything too intimidating starting out.

 

If that works out well, and we start gaining a reputation as a camping pack, perhaps We can move to one of several state parks located in or near a state forest...................so on and so forth.

 

 

 

I guess i'm looking for a way to spin it to make it sound appealing to the parents and those not familiar or comfortable with the outdoors .

 

 

And yes, I understand we need someone BALOO trained, weather hazards, and all that stuff before we think about it. This i understand and have covered. That is not the type of info I am looking for.

[perdidochas]

Promise them s'mores.

 

I'm serious. S'mores is the gateway to camping for most indoor people.

[JasonG172]

That really is hard to believe that the boys wouldnt want to go outdoor. Parent I do understand

 

we campout at least 8 times a year as a pack.

 

Smores and Fires....Include Snipe hunting

[Daped01]

I guess I'm more concerned about getting the parents to come. I don't think I'll have a problem with the boys wanting to go, but if the parents don't want to come, the boys won't come

[Eagle94-A1]

Some things that I have found helps with getting folks camping.

 

1) Tell them they can attend just for the day. While that may seem counterintuitive, sometimes the first step is to get them just to attend the event. I've seen many families do that, and the next campout the are there the entire weekend.

 

2) Have an "Intro to Camping Class" that not only covers the "cool toys" i.e. stoves, backpacks, etc, but also the "back to basics", i.e. #10 can charcoal stoves, blanket sleeping bags, tarp tents, etc. For the past few years, I've been doing just that 2-3 weeks before our first camp out. In fact, I am doign it again next week.

 

3) This is one I know works IF done correctly: Pack Cooking. There are challenges that need to be overcome.

A. You need a dedicated cook crew. Depending upon folks to help day of the event is challenging.

B. You need the money up front to buy the food. I made the mistake of allowing folks to pay me at the event and they do not show. Had a

lot of left over food and had about $90 out of pocket.

 

4) MAKE IT FUN.

 

5) Make plans for foul weather. In fact plan to do TOO MUCH ( emphasis) in case of rain.

 

[Eagle94-A1]

Almost forgot, 6) Make sure you have some way to keep tabs on weather. I saw one major event lose 50%+ of its attendance due to rumors of flooding, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, etc. Slight chance of rain that night was the actual forecast, and the showers lasted about 30 minutes.

 

7)Tornadoes are not your friend. Plan accordingly.

[Sidney Porter]

Have a camping 101 with what is actually needed. There is different types of camping and if they do an internet search it could get confusing. The equipment I use for car camping is not the same as backpacking. Really you are limited to car camping with cubs (some webelos could probably backpack). It could be overwhelming to a parent who think they need to go out and buy everything. Explain what the pack will provide or only one or 2 people need (usually cooking gear). If they do a search at REI they could get really scared of the cost, explain the tradeoffs of REI stuff vs Wal Mart stuff. For most car camping less than 10 nights a year in the summer the wal mart stuff does fine. Also explain what they can use that they already have. What you don't necessarily want to do is make it a show and tell of things they will not needed because they will see it as needed. Really for car camping with a group the only real camping equipment they would need is a tent and a sleeping mat everything else the probably have.

 

I think age appropriate guidelines require potable water and bathrooms. Although the bathroom could be a pit toilet. I would look for sites that have flush toilets rather than pit toilets. A pit can turn the scouts and parents off of camping. If the trip is more than 1 night I would also want to get one that has showers.

 

I would have the pack supply the meals. That eliminates the needs for everyone to have their own stove. But publish the menu a head of time. That way the picky eaters can plan accordingly. For a small to medium size unit a pack really only needs 2 or 3 burners or 1 or 2 dutch ovens. foil pack cooking is easy and fun except when you have a large down pour and the fire is a struggle to keep lit. But keep the meals simple at the cub level where aduts are going to be doing most of the cooking you don't want to make it a long process with lots of clean up. As the unit gains experience you can introduce the concept of the dens cooking for themselves or even individual cooking for themselves. It is common for friday dinner to be on your own and the pack provides breakfast, lunch and dinner on sat and sunday breakfast. Most people pick up prepared foot friday but I use it as an opportunity for my son to cook for himself and me. We started that as a Bear.

 

Have the parents set realistic expectation of what the kids can and can't do. When the scouts get to the camp site they are going to want to play. Even when camp needs setup. My expectation of my son setting up the tent as a tiger and a wolf were much lower than as a bear and a webelos. I have seen parent get frustrated with the scout becausr they want the scout to help with the work but at the same time the scout is in the way and is distracted by what is going on.

 

Planning activities is interesting. kids will spend hours running and making up their own games when there is a group of boys and they are given the opportunity. Kids don't get much unstructured free play in this day and age so I would dedicate so time to that. But I would also plan some structured activity to keep with the purpose aspect.

 

If you can get a site with a picnic shelter that gives you some rain options. I would plan back up rain games.

[Daped01]

Excellent Responses guys! this is the stuff I was looking for! Thank you. The municipal campground I plan on going to has both indoor flushable toilets, and showers so that base is covered. As far as equipment and cooking goes, Our Troop has a trailer set up as one giant "patrol box" set up for 4 patrols to cook, all with their own stoves, pans and dutch ovens etc. It also stores all the troop tents. I don't see any reason we wouldn't be able to utilize that for cooking. However I would still like to do the foil meal type of cooking for one of the meals. This way the parents know there will be some sort of "normal" cooking capabilities.

 

 

Sidney, do you have any examples of back up rain games? Do you mean games that can be played in the rain? or are you talking about an indoor location to move to if it rains?

[Eagle94-A1]

In regards to using troop gear, don't be upset if they say "No" or place conditions on using the gear. Troop gear can get real costly, and can be a really sensitive issue. I know that the troop my son is in has a really good relationship with the pack, CM, WDL, TCDL and a MC are ASMs or MCs of the troop. BUT they do not share any gear UNLESS the Cubs are camping with the troop, and it's usually Webelos. And even then, the pack has its own tent, the troop have theirs.

 

Part of the reason I know is that the troop storage was broken into and a bunch of the stuff was stolen. So the troop is starting off from scratch with gear, and it's taking its time. Also Some tents were damaged by Cubs using the tents.

 

So getting to use the tents MAY be a sensitive matter.

 

You may have some "tailgaters" as parents who have a rig for groups.

[Daped01]

I have talked to our troop about this and their view is, if it gets the boys into camping earlier they are all for it. as opposed to having to "break them in" once they cross over. The troop is starting new and are willing to do anything that could promote more scouts sticking around and crossing over into the troop.

 

I will encourage anyone that has their own tents to bring them though,

[blw2]

We used to have a dad that liked to smoke meat

We have access to one of those pull behind grill/smoker trailer things

One through our church and another that our pack's bank has available.

We'd collect a nominal amount, say $20 per family for food for the weekend

cereal, or even those precooked eggs and biscuit things you can get from Costco or whatever, maybe sandwiches for lunch, then smoked meat + sides for dinner.

 

That way new campers can show up with a cheap tent from K-Mart, and air mattress, and a flash light and that's all they need. Cheap and easy. oh, and a chair

 

You could simplify further.... a grille and boxes of Bubba Burgers

 

We'd camp a state park, 1 or 2 families per site, + an extra site for the pack's cooking and gathering area.

 

It takes somebody to coordinate, collect money, etc... and make reservations, but otherwise pretty easy.

 

I like the idea of a state park close by, and allow non-campers to come for the day.

[Sidney Porter]

As far as troop tents. See what they have it may or may not be the right tent for the job. For cubs you are more than likely looking at car family camping where a 4 - 8 person tent is the right tent for the job. If the troop is more of a back packing troop they probably have backpacking tents. I can tell you that my wife has no interest in staying in our back packing tent 2 people fit but that is it, you can sit up in it but to change your clothes you are sort of laying down. On the other hand we have a 6 person tent that you can stand up in and has plenty of room for a family of 4. (the back packing tent is less than 5lbs while the 6 person is 12ish so 2 different tools for 2 different purposes)

 

As far as the rain question. What you want to plan against is an all day rain where everyone is stuck in their own tents. Get a camp site that has a picnic shelter so that if it is raining you can gather there and play games. The games can be board games, red light green light it doesn't really matter.

[Eagle94-A1]

Daped01,

 

Very glad to hear that! I hope that A) the communication and good relationship continues and B) if you douse their care it is taken care of very well. Damaged gear can cause hard feelings, and with one troop I was with, was the breaking point with the CO (long story short, they destroyed several thousands of dollars of gear that took us almost 20 years to accumulate, another story for another time).

 

May I offer a couple of extra suggestions?

 

1) if you cannot get Den Chiefs from the troop, see if a couple of scouts would like to camp out with the pack and help out. I know when I did my first Intro to Camping Class 101, I had a Scout help me out. But he was also my DC.

 

2) Make sure you keep your troop informed of activities and encourage them to invite Webelos. This may sound like common sense, but it is not. Long story short, I know of one troop that's only interaction with the pack is by way of parents who have sons in both units. The Webelos getting ready to Cross Over have already decided to join other troops because, "We've camped with Troop 123 and been invited to their meetings. We haven't heard anything from Troop 456."

[Daped01]

Great tips Eagle 94! we live in such a small community that both our troop and our pack are sometimes confused as one unit by the public in our town that isn't in tune with the scouting world. In fact we have pretty much the same committee members for the troop as we do the pack, that we run it as a "joint committee" so to speak.

 

 

I should also mention I have also registered with the troop as an Assistant Scoutmaster. so working with them shouldn't be too hard of a push.

[Hedgehog]

To steal a marketing slogan, just do it. Or better yet, set up the tents and they will come. Even if you only get a couple of scouts the first time, there will be more the next time. Plan two events a year and put them in the calendar. Remind people of the events well in advance. As others said, have people come for the picnic dinner even if they won't camp out. There is nothing more gratifying than seeing a kid plead with his parents to camp out and the parent promising that "we'll get a tent and do it next time. "