Tips for families who are new to camping:

Please refer to the camping checklist.  Highlights:

Wear Class A uniform and pack Class B uniform for activities like hiking.

Tent:

• “Instant” tents are popular because they’re very easy to set up.
• Costco is a popular place to buy tents (but keep in mind that it’s a seasonal item.  i.e. summertime).
• Tents are measured by the number of people which can fit with no other gear.  For family car camping (which is the only kind we do in Cub Scouts), it is recommended to get a size that is double the number of people that will be sleeping in the tent.  For example, a family of 4 should get an 8 person tent.  The other type of camping is called backpacking.  This is done in Boy Scouts and requires a much smaller tent.
• Tarps are needed to protect the tent from rocks on the ground.

Sleeping

• For cushioning, most get an inflatable air mattress (like from Coleman).  Self-inflating mattresses (Therm-a-Rest) are very nice although very pricey.
• Most people get a battery powered air pump.  Some people get manual pumps.

Cooking

• Conserve! Always bring mess kits, water bottle, and cups for hot drinks.
• For one night campouts, dinner is usually provided by the pack.  To make things easy, cold, dry food can be used for lunch/breakfast so that no cooking is needed.  But cooking outdoors can be quite fun!
• For two night campouts, there may be a meal where individual families will have to cook.  Many times, families within a den will plan to cook together to share food and cooking supplies.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask other families in the pack.  They’ll be glad to help.