Thanks to my son who is in the Cub Scouts, we go camping once or twice with the local Cub Scouts troop. The camping experience is much better when we are adequately equipped. We are preparing to go on the Winter camp at Camp Sheppard near Mt. Rainier. It is going to be good. It will be great once we get our supplies prepared for the trip. Here is a quick list of items to bring along for the trip.
Personal Items
- Warm Clothes (pants, cargo pants, waterproof clothing, socks, gloves, hats); bring extras for change
- Coat/Rain gear: Fleece and a waterproof shell are good for layering
- Sweatshirt/Sweater: Fleece!
- Thermals
- Toiletries
- Towels
- Thermals
- Water bottles with carabiner hook
- Medical Record (Parts A & B)
- Bicycle helmets (REQUIRED for tubing)
- Waterproof Boots / extra shoes / sandals
- Cash ($50 for trading post and advancement offerings)
- Phones / Chargers (no need for laptop or iPads)
Comfort Items
- First Aid kit
- Camp Chairs (for sitting) – so you can sit comfortably
- Sleeping Bag, Pillow, blankets, and Pad: A comfortable, full size pillow and good pad are worth their weight in gold. Sleep well and you’ll have a much better time.
- Padded backpack
- Pocket Knife or Multi-tool for emergency use
- Flashlights / headlamps
- Day Pack is mostly for hikes and stuff. A little padding in the back goes a long way when you are hauling around 32oz bottles of water
- Pencil/Paper/Pen for notes
- Snacks: shelf stable, jerky and trail mix with mm’s are big hits with kiddos.
- Bug Spray: They didn’t mention this but it is important. Get the kind with DEET in it. It smells bad but it is pretty much the only scientifically proven bug spray chemical that works. You can get military grade stuff that is near 100% deet that you can drip a few drops on your clothing and that can sometimes be enough.
- Sun Screen: Another thing I don’t see on this list. Camping, like biking, is a lot of outside time in the sun.
- Kids backpack with water bottle holder – “Teton sports pack” or “high Sierra” or “camel back” (for hikes)
Camping Luxuries
- Fire starter kit – with flint and knife
- Egg Carton+ lint + wax – for lighting up the camp fire
- Knife sharpening kit – diamond sharpener; with electricity
- Camping box – “husky” rolling box with locks
- Paracord – 100 ft – $5 for 50 ft
With each trip we learn about more things to carry with us. It is a lifelong learning for us.
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