Worst things you seen taken to summer camp

[Double Eagle]

With all the talk about the best gear, tips, and hacks to take to summer camp, I got to thinking what is the worst or most outrageous things you have seen taken to camp?  We all know about the usual stuff of Rambo knives, flame throwers, fireworks, but I've seen some that made me say what the heck?  From giant stuffed animals, family pets, TVs, to a week's worth of food because they didn't like the camp food, what have you seen.

[PinkPajamas]

Most of my wtf moments have to do with girls' clothing choices for activities outdoors. First one was partially my fault, I told the girls to wear closed toed shoes or boots...I did not explain what type of boots.... had an 8 year old show up in heeled thigh high plastic boots that can best be described as suited for the movie Pretty Woman. Also had a girl wear opened toe high heeled sandals to our fire skills day at camp....after a very detailed explanation of proper footwear. 

[SSScout]

Scout brought NO Scout uniform to Scout camp. He brought a junior Marine BDU suit, thinking he would wear this all week.  He was slated to be the SPL for the week!  His dad was ex-Marine nd obviously the kid adored his dad. We had a long sitdown with him, was he a Scout or a Marine?  We managed to borrow enough Scout uniform parts for him and he came to understand the difference between between being a Scout and being a Marine....  He came to be a very able SPL.  When his dad found out he was very surprised, disappointed and proud, all at the same time. 

[qwazse]

Some first-years brought their own tent. Which they set up okay except for in a bit of a dip and with some tarp sticking out of one edge. Rained the first night, and SM got a call from a scout's mom saying her son called home because he was wet and chilled but too embarrassed to wake his PL or and adult up to ask for help.

[Jameson76]

Adults not ready to make the transition from parent to leader

[Double Eagle]

Keep them coming.  I had a scout bring iron leg traps as he said there was a lot of muskrats around the canoe pond and no one was trapping them.  We had a talk about trapping seasons, scout camp, and impact of processing animals in camp.  Such is scouting in the great north woods of the Adirondacks.

[fred8033]

Dry ice.  Don't pack Friday's COH ice cream in dry ice.  You will have concrete and not be able to eat it.

Bicycle.  Scout disassembled and had each of his friends pack a piece of it in their gear.  Then it was reassembled at camp.  Hard to hide.

Edited May 3, 2019 by fred8033

[Double Eagle]

I must have had all the "different minded" scouts as a youth and adult.  Without listing every wild thing they did, another one was bringing a huge fantasy axe like from lord of the rings.  The thing was novelty and could never get an edge.  The axe was almost as big as the scout and I don't think he could have swung it 10 times.  Now that scout had confidence.

[mrkstvns]

 

2 hours ago, qwazse said:

Some first-years brought their own tent. Which they set up okay except for in a bit of a dip and with some tarp sticking out of one edge. Rained the first night, and SM got a call from a scout's mom saying her son called home because he was wet and chilled but too embarrassed to wake his PL or and adult up to ask for help.

Yes, I would be quite upset if I found that a scout violated a standing troop rule, ignored his SPL's specific pre-camp instructions, and brought a cell phone to camp. I think our SPL would be quite within his rights to assign that scout to a couple days of latrine cleaning duty.

[mrkstvns]

17 minutes ago, fred8033 said:

Bicycle.  Scout disassembled and had each of his friends pack a piece of it in their gear.  Then it was reassembled at camp.  Hard to hide.

Ingenious!

I might have to let the SPL chastise that scout, but deep in my heart,  he'd be my new favorite scout....the kind who can think outside the box.

[Rock Doc]

Vuvuzelas...dozens of them. They're now specifically banned in the Leaders Handbook!

[Eagle94-A1]

Golf carts.

[eagle90]

Back in 2010 our scouts,  avid Black Hawk Fans, brought a life size replica of the Stanley Cup for display in our campsite, complete with lights.  They carried it to all the camp wide events, much to the chagrin of our Wisconsin hosts.

[MikeS72]

34 minutes ago, eagle90 said:

Back in 2010 our scouts,  avid Black Hawk Fans, brought a life size replica of the Stanley Cup for display in our campsite, complete with lights.  They carried it to all the camp wide events, much to the chagrin of our Wisconsin hosts.

Love it!  Maybe I can do the same with a six pack of Lombardi Trophies!

[qwazse]

4 hours ago, mrkstvns said:

Yes, I would be quite upset if I found that a scout violated a standing troop rule, ignored his SPL's specific pre-camp instructions, and brought a cell phone to camp. I think our SPL would be quite within his rights to assign that scout to a couple days of latrine cleaning duty.

We have no such rule against cell phones. Does it cause problems? Yes. Does it solve others? Yes.

I'm not going to abandon an SM if he's not going to make it a hill to die on. (Although this year I'm ditching him at camp because of Wold Jambo, and wedding cakes of Mrs. Q's baking that we have to shuttle across the state. Did I say there are things more troublesome than cell phones at summer camp?)