How many pups in a tent?

[Woodsmith]

Quick question --

Do any of you have any troop policies regarding the size of, or number of Scouts sleeping in one tent?

 

We've had a problem with one of the older boys bringing an 8-man tent -- and then packing it with at least that many boys. This becomes a big hangout for the "boy leaders" and they invariably spend most of the night hootin and hollerin...

 

My thought -- other than making sure the boy leaders have better things to do (like leading!), is to set a maximum tent size -- or at least limit the number of occupants.

 

Anybody else have any experience with this kind of situation?

 

Thanks!

[OldGreyEagle]

If you Senior Boy Leadership is up all night hoootin' and hollerin' then you don't have equipment issues, you have Senior Boy Leadership issues and legistratng tent size won't solve the problem, because the core issue isnt being addressed.

 

What is meant by hootin and hollerin? How long do they do this? Are they prepared for the next days activities? Are they disruptive?

[mich632]

Taking away the tent is like a earlier post. Boys were using aresol cans as flame throwers and the solution was to take away matches.

 

You solution should be to solve the problem. And the problem is not the tent.

[Bob White]

Our junior leaders are trained to do two to a tent regardless of the capacity (unless its a 0ne-person tent:) ). The reason is a scout is courteous and we understand the nature of youth. A two person tent is going to settle much faster than a party tent with three or more. The only exception is winter camp. On an exceptionally cold night more bodies in a tent is warmer.

 

I hope this helps.

 

BW

[EagleInKY]

We provide tents for the scouts (3 men - but we usually on put 2 in them). There seems to be solid logic around the idea of only two scouts per tent. Scouts will tend to be less disruptive and get a better night's sleep when they are grouped in twos.

 

I agree with the poster, however, that your bigger problem is in the example set by your junior leadership. They need to understand the impact they are causing on the troop and the example they are demonstrating for the younger scouts.

[Woodsmith]

I knew you guys were going to jump all over me about "the tent not being the main problem" -- but I already recognized that and alluded as much in my initial post. I am taking over as SM in a couple weeks and training the leaders is my primary goal (naturally) -- but I wondered if I was out of line in limiting the size of tents...

 

Thanks for all the feedback!

[SR540Beaver]

Two is the max! Last fall, four of our Webelos went to Webelos Woods with a Troop. One of the Cub leaders decided to bring a cabin tent for them all to sleep in. Never again! The experience almost soured my son on staying in scouting and crossing over to the same Troop with his Webelos buddies. They were rowdy and spent much of the weekend hanging out in the tent. They would wrestle inside the tent. They would stay up and get loud at night. Any time you have more than two, someone is going to be the odd man out. That weekend it was my son. While wrestling, they would grab stuff and throw it around the tent. Being boys, they lived like pigs. My son couldn't find half his gear until they packed up to go home. While he would be changing clothes, they would drop the windows on the tents and yell for everyone to look. My son waas thouroughly disgusted by the time the trip was over. It was your basic disaster. He did stay in scouting and he did cross over to a Troop with the boys. Time has deminished the problems of that one campout for him. But we all vowed that from now on, we will never ever allow more than two in a tent unless there is an emergency situation for sleeping quarters.

[OldGreyEagle]

Way back when I was a youth, a bit after Brownsea Island, but before the Ford Administration, our Troop provided the tents, One Army Surplus monster that was known as the 16by16 because it was, well, 16feet by 16feet in size. Most times the entire troop slept under it (since it had no floor and the walls were often rolled up, it wasnt like you were really in it, but I digress). If we needed more space, we used what were referred to as the Canadian Bells, Huge circular tents only slightly smaller that the 16by16.

 

We didnt have much of a noise issue, if we did there would be a discussion of respect lead by the SPL and then the scoutmaster. It wasnt generally a problem. I see no reason to restrict how many scouts share a tent as long as safety issues are not present. To make up rules about how many scouts can share a tent based on what is expected to happen tells the scouts the adults dont trust them.

 

 

[Eamonn]

Back home. not sure who was the US president, but Queen Elizabeth II, was still on the throne!!We used six man patrol tents.

OJ and I camped with an English troop a couple of summers back and they still are using the six man patrol tents.

OJ, along with some of the older Lads thought it would be fun to spend one night in a bivy-bag.

Man oh man did he stink the next morning.

Eamonn.

[eagle90]

We have Eureka Timberlines, which hold 23- comfortably. We normally limit it to 2 per tent except for winter camping when we have three per tent for body heat!

 

[boleta]

On a recent thread, many criticised trying to prevent scouts from having cell phones at summer camp. Now we are telling them which tent they can bring. I thought that if it wasn't dangerous or illegal, then we are supposed to let the boys run the program. If the kids are roudy all night, the SM should take the SPL aside and ask him to handle it.

[Bob White]

Train them, Trust them, Let them lead.

 

Boys do not run scouting, Boys Lead troops and patrols with adult training and coaching. This does not mean adult abandonment.

 

Where did someone say they control which tent a scout brings? I only see posts where the number of scouts in the tent is limited. They can bring one of Eagle90's 23-man tents they are still only going to put two people in it, and it is the trained patrol leaders and Senior Patrol Leader who will make sure of that.

 

Bob White

[boleta]

Yeah I got that. "Run" the program = adults. "Lead" the troop = scouts.

Sorry, but I still don't get the reason for limiting to 2 in a tent. Why should the adults dictate this to the troop? If there is a lights out and all quiet at 10 "rule", what's the difference between 2 staying up late and talking vs. 3 or 4 in a tent. If they stay up all night because the boy leaders don't enforce the rule- their problem.

The boys will learn soon enough if they are tired the next day. What bugs me is when they are suddenly sick and unable to go on that 5 mile hike because they were up late.

 

 

 

[Bob White]

I'm sorry did someone say dictate? I thought the the recommended action was "train" and "coach".

 

Oh well, different strokes for different folks.(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[hops_scout]

Our tent numbers vary on not only size of the tent, but on the type of outing it is. If it is a 2 night backpacking trip, for example, we're going to try getting at least 3 into each 4 man tent we have just to conserve weight. If it's just a regular weekend campout, we'll only put three into a tent if there is an odd number.

 

At summer camp, most people shared, but if you had a two person tent, you were by yourself. That is because of BSA policy about long-term camping and square footage, etc.