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Day Hike Essentials Overnight Hike/Campout
Patrol Gear Summer Camp NO! NOs! Do Not Bring!
It is important when hiking, on a short day hike or longer, to have the right equipment for the occasion. For a day hike, Scouting recommends some outdoor essentials. These are listed in the BSA Scout Handbook, and are somewhat added to by Troop 55 for your convenience. These essentials should be included in the Scout’s kit on any hiking, camping, floating, or outing activity.
It is suggested that equipment and clothing items be packed in zip-lock bags to keep things dry and catagorized by purpose. They are easy to see and find, and they are protected from the weather.
Before a boy is dropped off for a hike, his parent is asked that they are certain he is properly dressed and equipped. This is a big problem, especially for a new Scout. A boy in this matter should not be guided by his peers, but by good common sense and parental guidance.
The essentials for a day hike or one day float trip are:
- Pocket Knife, (Boy must have totin’ chip to carry and use.)
- Small First Aid kit (antiseptic, band aids, gauze pads, moleskin, snake kit, 2” roll adhesive tape, tweezers, safety pins, medication(s), sunburn lotion, chapstick, water purification tablets, handie wipes, and vitamins)
- Clothing repair kit: thread, needles, safety pins.
- Clothing (Scouts should not wear denim on any outing. Cotton will not keep a body warm, especially when wet. A Scout should be clearly prepared and dressed for the weather he will confront. Wool is the clothing of choice in cold and damp weather, because it will keep a Scout warm whether he is wet or dry. Also, add long underwear, heavy wool socks, wool gloves and hat.
- Extra Clothing (Two pair of socks, underwear, bandana)
- Rain gear or poncho
- Two one quart water bottles
- Small flashlight and extra batteries
- Trail Food and lunch
- Matches and firestarter, (Boy must have firem’n chit to carry & use.)
- Sun protection and sun glasses
- Bug spray and head net, particularly in spring, summer and fall.
- Map of hiking area and compass
- Toilet paper (tail end of roll, handie wipes)
- Small privey shovel
- Extra eye glasses
- One BSA handbook per patrol (patrol leader)
- Appropriate uniform as informed by the Scoutmaster
- Hiking shoes or boots (Good footwear, well broken in, is important to successful hiking and camping. A Scout should wear an inner thinsolate light-weight sock under his heavier outer sock. If their is chaffing, it will occur between the sock layers and not between the outer sock and the skin. In so doing, the potential for blisters and hot spots is much reduced. See article in Scouting magazine Nov./ Dec. 2001, page 38, “Outdoor Smarts” A Scout should know not to cut his toe nails too short, and that they should be cut square, and not rounded on the ends.)
- Spending money ($5. in ones and change)
- Walking stick
- Special float trip water gear (float necklace for eye glasses, long sleve shirt, long pants, water shoes plus two trash bags to seal the backpack, if canoe should tump.)
A school backpack should be sufficient for a day hike.
For an overnight hike and campout, a larger backpack and more equipment is required. The pack selected should be fitted to the size of the boy. The total weight of the pack should not be more than 25% of the boy’s body weight. A boy must not be overloaded. The object of a hike is to have “fun” and to learn from the out-of-doors. Hiking is not ment to be torturous. If a boy overloads, for him, the hike will be torturous and discouraging. It leads to embarrassment for the boy and inconvienience for the patrol, troop, and parent. It is an overpowering reason for a boy to drop out of Scouting.
To the above essentials, add these personal items for overnight hiking or camping:
- Back pack selected to the size and weight of the boy
- Sleeping bag, or two or three blankets (Wool will keep a boy warm, wet or dry. Choice should be based on weather conditions. In winter it will always be somewhat colder on an outing than at home. In summer light bedding and mesquito neeting is a better choice).
- Sleeping pad
- Groundcloth
- Backpack rain cover (It can be state of art or a large yard trash bag.)
- Eating kit (spoon, plate, bowl, cup, and handie wipes)
- Boy’s share of patrol food.
- Condiments, salt & pepper, sugar, cocoa. (small quantities)
- Toilet kit (Soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, dental floss, comb, wash cloth, small towel, and handie wipes.)
- Personal extras (optional): watch, camera & film, notebook & pen, sunglasses, small musical instrument--harmonica, jews harp, etc., swimsuit and gloves.
Backpack room must be reserved in a boys pack to carry his share of patrol gear. It assures no boy will be overloaded.
Patrol gear to be shared includes:
- Tents with poles, stakes, ground cloths and lines.
- Dining fly (It is the first piece of equipment to be erected.)
- 50 feet of nylon cord
- Backpacking stove and fuel
- Water purification appliance kit
- Group first aid kit
- Cook kit (pots and pans, spatual, large spoon and or ladle depending on menu, plastic sheets 4’ x 4’, matches or butain lighters in water proof containers. Boy must have firem’m chit to carry matches and lighters.
- Food cleanup kit (spong or dish cloth, small bottle of biodegradable soap, sanitized rinse agent (bleach), Scouring pads (non-soap type), plastic trash bags, and toilet paper in a plastic bag.
- Troop extras (optional): hot pot tongs, camp shovel, water container (one 1-gallon or two 1/2-gallon collapsible, plastic, washbasin, grill, potrods, patrol flag, small U.S. flag, and ax/camp saw (Must have tot-em chip to use).
It becomes evident why a boy must load his backpack lean. Experienced hikers and campers worry over their backpacks, what to carry or not? For a novice camper it is even more difficult.
Summer camp Troop and Patrol equipment is unnecessary.
For summer camp add these items to the hike essentials listed above:
- Clothing (scout uniforms, troop 55 hat, two troop 55 T-shirts, extra shirts, summer jacket or sweatshirt, six pair of socks, extra pants (long & short), six pair of underwear, swim trunks, pajamas, tennis shoes, and handkerchiefs.)
- Special water equipment (long sleve shirt, long pants, water shoes)
- Toilet kit
- Personal extras: BSA handbook, stamps & envelopes, notebook, pen and pencil, canteen, sleeping bag, small pillow, day pack or small gym bag.
- Light sleeping bag or cot sheets & pad
- Optionals: Merit badge pamphlets, cloths line, bed roll if going on out post, personal fishing gear.
- A collapsible chair. (If you don’t have it, you don’t sit in someone elses.)
To any outing, do not bring:
Electronic games, skateboards, sheith knives, valuables of any kind, fireworks, guns or archery items, candles, pets, radios, ATV’s of ORV’s or expensive cameras.
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