Camping information 

Camping trips occur in Troop 140 almost every month.  We have prepared some information for campers that should help them understand what goes on, and prepare them for their outing. 
Any adult attending a camping trip will need to complete Youth Protection Training and be registered with BSA. 

BSA youth protection training link

Permission slips

All persons attending a troop event held outside of our regular meeting place that is overnight or near water, requires a signed Activity Consent form AKA permission slip.  The form must be returned at the mandatory meeting (normally the Monday before the camping trip).  An adult volunteer will collect the Activity forms and give them to the trip leader.  The permission slip also has information about the trip; when it begins/ends, departure/return locations, etc.  Parents who will be attending/driving should fill in the driving information. 

Meal cost

Scouts and Scouters who attend an outing must pay for their meals.  The meal cost for each trip is on the permission slip.  Meals are normally $3 each.  Generally a Scout will eat dinner before attending a Friday camping trip, camp meals begin on Saturday morning.  A normal weekend trip (Friday evening departure, Sunday noonish return), will cost $12 for meals.  Saturday & Sunday breakfasts, Saturday lunch and dinner, 4 meals X $3ea.  Meal money must be in cash and preferably exact change. 
Two Scouts from the patrol will take the cash and shop for the Patrol.  Items purchased are brought to the camping trip in the Patrols dry boxes or cooler.  Scouts should stay within their budget.  Prior experience says that a ‘Thrifty’ Scout can purchase food and necessary items with a Patrols meal money.  Any left over money could be returned to the Patrol members, invested in Patrol supplies or saved in the Patrol binder for future meals like the cooking competition. 
Meal money is not used to purchase grub box items such as kitchen tools, pots etc.  Replacement items are funded by the Troop fundraising.  Missing/broken items should be called to the attention of the Troop Quartermaster.  On occasion, pre-cooked, restaurant meals, or a sack lunch is planned.  A personal snack may be brought along.  Some include; jerky, trail mix, granola bars, etc.  Scouts who bring personal snacks should be aware of the veracity of trail animals, and their abilities to eat through backpacks.  There are times when a vehicle will stop enroute to or from an outing for a snack or treat (a good example is the obligatory visit to the Tillamook Cheese factory for samples and an ice cream cone during visits to the nearby Scout camps).  Adults will join the other adults, paying for meals, shopping, and preparing meals as a patrol, just as the youth do.

Mandatory meeting

The meeting before a camping trip is a mandatory meeting for all campers. The regular meeting night has time set aside for collecting permission slips, meal money, determining tent buddies, who is shopping, cooking, KP, etc. Campers/Patrols will also have time to formulate more detailed plans about their activities. On occasion a person may not be able to attend a mandatory meeting but still wants to attend the camping trip. This is possible with the Patrols permission, the Scout provides meal money and must be willing to accept the Patrols decisions about meals, KP tent buddies and activities. The person who misses the mandatory meeting must still provide an permission slip.

Transportation costs

Due to the high price of fuel, Scouts attending camping trips contribute $6 toward the cost of transportation fuel. Each driver receives $6 X #paid passengers to help offset the cost of fuel for the trip. 

Admission costs

Some trips may have an admission fee or cost in addition to the meal cost. Depending on the Troop budget, cost of admission and other factors, the Troop may be able to pay for or offset the cost of admission/fee’s. The final cost will vary by the trip and will be provided in the Permission Slip. 

Equipment

There are many existing publications for campers listing the equipment that campers should have on a camping trip. Time and experience is the best guide, but we do recommend campers check out the Troop 140 ‘One Sheet’ and the ‘Ten Essentials’ flyers. The Troop has several two person tents, with new Scouts getting priority use. If the Troop trailer is brought on an outing (normally about 70% of camping trips), it contains many patrol items such as a grub box full of cooking gear, canopies, lanterns, as well as common items, such as fire bowl equipment, spare stoves, spare tarps, rope, Dutch ovens, etc. Back packing trips require additional or different items that Scouts will pool together and share. All campers are reminded to keep their ten essentials in their backpacks or day packs for every outing. Important items include a small personal size portion of toilet paper, wool hat & gloves, personal first aid kit and extra socks. 

What to expect:

• • Departure:  Meet at the departure location about 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time.  Call if you expect to be late.  Scouts will stow their gear in an available vehicle.  The senior Scout will check the roster to assure everyone is present.  Sometimes they will assign seating.  All passengers must always be in a seatbelt when the vehicle is moving. The Troop will NOT wait for late arrivals. Parents please DO NOT LEAVE until after the event briefing.

  • Camp arrival:  After arrival at camp, the senior Scout determines what sleeping locations are available.  Scouts/Scouters set up their tents (if needed), sleeping bags/pads, kitchen grub box, etc.  

  • Meals:  Scouts should have agreed prior on who will cook and handle KP, prepare their meals, and cleanup gear.  Patrols are responsible for their own trash removal (most Scout facilities do not provide trash removal).

  • Activities:   Most camping trips have theme’s (ie, pioneering, cooking, Mafeking, etc).  These operate mostly during Saturday’s.  After hours, Scouts will play field games, cards, board games, Frisbee’s, sponge balls, pioneering construction, read, advancement activities, etc.  Electronic items (ie, cell phones, video games, etc) are not allowed on outings.  Historian is given the Troop camera to document the outing.  Scout may bring cameras, however cell phone cameras are NOT allowed. A scout should wear a watch if concerned with time, a cell phone for an alarm is NOT allowed.

  • Return:   On the departure morning, Scouts prepare breakfast, cleanup & stow gear, police the camp site, and hold a ‘Scouts Own’ chapel service.  The departure time from camp is set to match the scheduled return time at the pickup location.  If the Scouts/Scouters expect to arrive earlier or later then the scheduled time, every attempt to call, will be made.  Upon return, Scouts take their gear and each Patrol is responsible to dispose of their trash and any perishable food supplies left over.

The Monday after camping

The Monday after a camping trip is a Patrol Leaders Council (PLC).  No regular meeting is held.  The PLC, made up of the SPL, ASPL, Patrol Leaders, Assistant Patrol Leader, Troop Guides and Scribe, meet (uniforms are optional) to evaluate the camping trip, plan the next regular meeting, discuss pending business, etc.   A PLC meeting is open to all Scouts who may participate and comment.  Only elected PLC members (SPL, ASPL, PL, APL, TG) are voting members.