Patrol boxes

[LauraT7]

We have antiquated patrol boxes and are looking to build new ones.

 

Most troops around us either use big plastic tubs, or the typical 2 shelf / 1 door -work area long box on legs.

 

I have pulled some interesting 2 door and taller patrol box designs. We're thinking of building one for the "adult" patrol to give the boys ideas - they may choose a different one, but we gotta get them motivated- anybody have any good designs to share?

 

What do your troops use? do you keep just cooking stuff in them? or hatchets and stuff, too? do your troops have plates ans silverware, or do the boys use their mess kits always? When you built your patrol boxes, what was the approx cost of each? (w/out dishes & equipment - we have that)

[beaux]

IN OUR DENS AND PATROLS WE USE 55 GALLON RUBBERMAID CONTAINERS FOR EVERYTHING. KITCHEN, TENTS, COOKING POTS AND PANS. WE ALSO HAVE A TRAILER THAT WE STORE THESE IN.

 

[evmori]

We use the Rubbermaid tubs. They are lighter & waterproof. We used our old patrol bixes for firewood.

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[bugle344]

We use the Rubbermaid Action Packer (24"W x 18"L x 18"H, I don't remember the gallon size). They are tough, waterproof, and have latches to keep out the critters and hold the lids tight as we breeze down the highway. One small Scout can carry each Packer.

 

Each patrol gets 2 packers - one for hardware (stove, pans, spatulas, wash tubs...) and the other for "software" (food, syrup, soap, rainfly...stuff)

 

They also get a cooler. They can use any of these "boxes" as a cooking table or bench.

 

This makes for quick loading - each patrol quartermaster grabs 2 packers and a cooler, slides them onto the open trailer, and we're off!

 

This also helps control those strange things that appear and fill up the stroage shelves. The PL's know that everything they own has to fit in the packer. Keeps life MUCH simpler!

 

We recently started a new Troop, so we just did this... The Troop bought packers for $27 each at Kmart, 2 2-burner stoves were donated, the boys did a fundraiser and earned $125 per patrol - spent it on $49 stainless steel MSR backpacker pot set, $59 whiperlite backpacker stove, $7 square blue water jug, and $5 tarp/rainfly. The fry pan, and utensils were scrounged by the guys. Have you ever seen boys get excited when one Scout walks in and says "Look at the great spatula my Grandma gave us!!

 

The coolers were donated.

 

The boys carry their own mess kits or they can buy paper plates with their grub budget. (they'd rather have more goodies than paper plates!)

 

We do all cooking by patrol. Adult patrol cooks separately.

 

When we return from an outing, the Troop Quartermaster checks that the packers and utensils are clean (by the Patrol QM) before they go back on the storage shelf.

 

If the Patrol loses or breaks an item, they must chip in and buy a new one. It is AMAZING how creative they will get to save a buck - fry pan with pliers for a handle, spatula with a corner broken off...The boys are proud of their ingenuity and we haven't spent a penny of Troop money on Patrol equipment since that first shopping spree.

 

EVERYTHING is marked or engraved with the patrol name. If an item is laying on the ground, we all know who owns it. Also, no more pilfering the other patrol when your spatula melts.

 

We have 2 other Troop packers for lashing ropes and one longer packer as an ax box. It also carries general Troop equipment - first aid box, flags.

 

All this explanation refers to car or council camping. Backpacking is SOOOO much simpler. The Scouts pull the items they need from the packers and replace them upon our return.

[scomman]

We have patrol boxes and the rubbermaid tubs. I am really starting to prefer the tubs over the patrol boxes for several reasons easier to carry from trailer to camp site than patrol boxes. No stinkong legs to put on them and third point you dont have to worry about tipping them over.

[anarchist]

Hope this is not too late to be of help, First let me explain that we pull a nice size trailer along to most of our truck camps (as opposed to canoe or hiking camps)! All patrols have a wood kitchen (box)with stove, cook kit & utinsils (some plates for "company" but scouts use mess kits to eat from), griddle, oil, cocoa, propane hose, soap, scrub pads etc. two drop "doors" for working/cooking surfaces. On many of these boxes we added the back "door" (hinge, screws, latch,some paint... easy). Most patrols also carry a small plastic box,(2 - 4 gal. tote) for excess food items, we call these pantries. Now for the killer; each patrol has a real nice 2'x4' plastic top folding table (lifetime brand ?) for the kitchen to set on, (NO STINKING LEGS to mess with) and this results in a third working surface (roughly 2'x2')which can be easily sanitized. Each patrol has a Gas distribution 'tree', a propane lantern and a dining tarp to go over the whole kit and kaboddle. With this rig watching a camp 'set up' can be awe inspiring.

[denver4und@aol.com]

hi. we changed from tubs to boxes. we had the tubs, but the guys missed a work surface and you still have to have a table for the stove (we use propane w/ a tree for a latern as well). So last year we went looking for designs, found some on the web and one of our leaders with actual skill made some adjustments, and we built 6 new boxes. They are much heavier than plastic tubs, but since they are only used on the trailer/car camps it seems to work well. The guys keep all their cooking stuff in the box, along with cups and plates so they don't have to use mess kits. Each patrol also has one propane bottle (20 gal), a latern, tree and cooler. We also have a good size trailer. We changed over to propane as the BSA seems to want that result, and when we needed new stoves a couple years ago, it seemed best to convert some old coleman's to propane and buy a couple new propane stoves. I've got to admit that not messing with white gas is great, but the coleman conversions are not as good as getting stove designed for propane. Finally, we bought two large stoves and found that the tree system wont work as they don't get enuf pressure.

 

yis,