This is a suggested gear list for boy scout outings with Troop 290. Conditions change, different campers prefer different gear and who knows what the weather brings? The boy scout motto is "Be Prepared", so a little extra gear is better than not enough.

Part of the process of becoming a boy scout comfortable with camping and backpacking is the acquiring of a certain amount of camping gear. The hope is that the scout ends up with a quantity of good gear that will allow him to continue to venture into the outdoors when he leaves the boy scouts. Expensive gear is not necessary and it is not necessary to buy a lot of gear immediately. When a boy first comes into scouting, he can probably camp with the troop without buying any gear at all. However, over time, a scout needs to accumulate a certain amount of gear to make camping more comfortable and better able to deal with adverse weather.

The troop has a number of tents available for scouts to borrow and use. These are not high quality tents although they are fine for fair weather use. Like all inexpensive tents with small rain flys, these tents can leak in a vigorous rain storm. Although a scout might not have a bad experience with one of the cheaper tents from one year to the next, we encourage scouts to obtain their own tents and to get a good quality tent with a full rain fly.

A foam pad works fine for a ground pad. They are light and do not spring leaks. A more advanced pad is a Thermarest self inflating pad, better insulation and more comfortable. A pad is necessary to insulate the body from the cold ground in addition to providing some comfort.

Back packs may only be used occasionally since we usually have only two or three backpacking outing per year. Young scouts do not fit into a full size backpack and will outgrow a small size backpack. There are backpacks that are designed to adjust with growth and will carry the scout to the end of his scout career although probably not into full adult size. Often, you can borrow a backpack within the troop for the first backpack outing or two to see what works. Top quality backpacks are expensive and are not necessary for the young scout.

The best kinds of outdoor clothing are technical and can be very expensive and are not necessary for most scout outings. The general rule is to avoid cotton. In good weather, cotton is fine but it is very poor fabric in wet weather. It soaks up a huge amount of moisture, accelerates heat loss and will not dry quickly. A better fabric is wool which will still insulate when wet. The best insulating fabrics are Polartec or similar polyester fabrics, sometimes called "fleece". They are very light and soak up very little water. If wet, they will still provide insulation and they will dry quickly when given the chance.

In warm weather, cotton fabrics work fine. As the weather gets colder or if rain threatens, better gear is necessary. In cold weather or for serious outings, layering works best. The ideal would be an underlayer of polyester or polypropylene longs johns, a middle insulating layer of wool or fleece, and an outer layer consisting of a jacket. The best outer layer fabrics are waterproof but breathable such as GoreTex. A non-breathable outer layer, such as coated nylon, will protect against rain but will retain body moisture. If the scout is sedentary, that is fine. In a long hike up a hill, he will soon be as wet inside the rain gear as he is outside.

Generally a scout only needs a mess kit for cooking and eating. The best kind are folding types with a plate, cover, fork, spoon, knife, and cup all together in a kit. It is easier to carry and has all the gear in one place. The troop generally carries patrol boxes on car camp outings. These boxes have stoves, pots, cooking utensils, butane lanterns and other gear necessary for preparing meals. Except for backpacking, the scout will not need a stove or food preparation gear.

Food is usually planned by patrol for scout outings. If the scout is expected to bring his own food, that will be made clear before the outing. The cost of the food is generally factored into the cost of the outing and one of the boys in the patrol purchases the food and brings it. On occasion, an adult will buy food for the entire troop.

Troop 290 has a tradition of having each scout carry a fanny pack with survival gear whenever a scout leaves camp on an outing. This policy was started after a scout became lost on an outing in 1993. The fanny pack should include some first aid gear such as Band-Aids, a knife, a whistle, a compass, matches in a water proof container, a foil emergency blanket and a flashlight. Other gear which may be included are a signal mirror, moleskin for blisters, fire starter, tube tent, and 50 feet of light nylon cord. If the fanny pack has a place for a water bottle, then water may also be carried. All scouts should bring the fanny pack on outings.

Scouts should not bring electronic gear on outings. We find that electronic games are very distracting and the scout has the same experience playing these games as if he had stayed home. Knives should be folding knives, the boy scouts discourage sheath knives.

The following is a list of places to buy good quality camping gear. Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) is very large and comprehensive. Mel Cotton’s is more of a general sporting goods store but they also have a large inventory. Both of these stores have large rental departments and will rent tents, sleeping bags, and just about any other kind of outdoor gear.. Western Mountaineering has more technical and upscale gear for serious backpackers and mountain climbers. CAMPMOR is a mail order store and is very good for low cost thermal (fleece) clothing and raingear and other gear if you know what you want. Both REI and CAMPMOR have comprehensive web sites where gear can also be purchased. Use Sportmart or a general sporting goods store as a last resort if you can't get to any of the other places.

Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI)
400 El Paseo de Saratoga Shopping Center (at Saratoga and Campbell Ave.)
871-8765 Catalog and ordering on the Web at www.rei.com

Mel Cotton's Sporting Goods
1266 West San Carlos, San Jose 408 287 5994

Western Mountaineering
2344 El Camino Real, Santa Clara 408 984 7611

CAMPMOR (catalog sales only- very fast delivery)
PO Box 700-D, Saddle River, NJ 07458-0700
800 226 7667 (orders), 800 230 2151 (free catalog)
or order from the Web at www.campmor.com

Shelter: __Tent, rain fly, tent stakes __Ground cloth or tarp   Sleeping Gear: __Sleeping bag __Ground pad __Pillow or stuff sack for clothes that can be used as a pillow   Footwear: __Hiking boots for backpacking or long hikes,just about any shoes for car camping. Waterproof boots are the best for all conditions.   Clothing: __Buzzard shirt ( our class B uniform, a bright orange shirt for use in camp, generally we don’t take uniforms on outings unless specifically requested)

__Socks and underwear (one change per day) __Long sleeve shirt __Long pants __Shorts __Extra T-shirt __Warm jacket __Rain jacket or poncho (a good jacket is better than a poncho) __Rain pants when rain is expected   Gear __Boy Scout handbook __Mess kit (plate, bowl, cup, fork, spoon) __Flashlight __Canteen or water bottle __Toothbrush/paste/towel __Garbage bag (two large plastic bags to protect gear from rain)

__Emergency kit in a fanny pack: __pocket knife __matches __whistle __first aid kit __compass __emergency blanket   Optional: __Camera __Medicine __Watch __Sunglasses __Hat __Sunscreen __Hiking stick __Chapstick __Rope or cord __Swimsuit (if swimming is available __Insect repellant __Merit badges books