Suggested Pack List
(winter/ early spring)

1. Medications
2. Watch
3. Toilet Paper
4. Pocketknife
5. Canteen/Water Bottle
6. Flashlight
7. Food
8. Fire Starters
9. Whistle
10. Compass
11. Rain Gear
12. Personal Hygiene
13. Space Blanket
14. Clothing

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1. Tent
2. Tarp
3. Hammock

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Suggested Medications

In a Good First Aid Kit you should have:

1. Bandages
2. Tylenol/Aspirin*
3. Moleskin
4. Adhesive Bandages
5. Adhesive Tape
6. Sterile Gauze Pads
7. Soap
8. Antiseptic
9. Scissors
10. Latex Gloves
11. Pencil/Paper
12. Elastic bands
13. Some emergency backup money

It is important to have your First Aid kit in an easy to get to location so that it could be gotten easily in an emergency. *Tylenol is recommended for children under the age of 13. aspirin is an anti-inflammatory drug that can reduce swelling, so it is better to take if you are older than 13. Moleskin is used for the protection of places on the feet that are prone to blistering when hiking in boots. It can also protect places that have already blistered. Carry only as much soap as needed. Bar soap like that given out by motels is of the correct size for a few days of camping. The weight of a full bar of soap is normally not justified. Scissors are better for cutting bandages than knives, however a knife will do if you want to forego carrying scissors.Latex gloves can protect you from becoming exposed to diseases carried in the bodily fluids of the victims that you are assisting. They can also be used to make containers water-tight in an emergency. Carrying emergency backup money is advised; not for trivial purchases such as snacks, but to pay for emergency transportation, communication, or medical help. If you have medical identification or insurance cards, these should be carried as well.

Watch

You need a waterproof watch that can either glow-in-the-dark or that has Indiglo so that you can tell the time in the dark. A cheap watch will do fine.

Toilet Paper

Toilet Paper is very important on a campout. You don't need to bring an entire roll. Put your Toilet Paper in a watertight Ziploc bag. Using wet toilet paper is no fun.

Pocket Knife

The Pocket Knife is perhaps the Scouts most useful item. It can be used for everything from cooking to whittling. Not just any scout can carry a pocket knife. For a scout to legally use a knife, he must have his Totin' Chit.

Different kinds of blades, such as the serrated blade, can be useful in cutting tougher or smoother materials. Many Knives have multiple blades, such as many Swiss Army Knives, the Gerber Tool, and the Leatherman Multi-Tool. These knives are a little more expensive, but you get a lot more. Many pocketknives have saws and can openers on them which cuts down on the amount of extra supplies you need to bring. You should also keep your knife sharp. The Risk of injury decreases with a sharp knife (see knife section in Handbook).

The Leatherman Tool is very useful due to it's needlenose pliers. These allow you to untie knots, pick up hot pots, and many other useful things. The Gerber is similar, just it does not have needlenose pliers, which makes working on smaller things harder. You will need a knife with the minimum following specs: A knife with a folding blade (preferably locking) No longer than a 3" blade Stainless Steel to reduce risk of rust

Useful	Maybe Useful	Not Very Useful
saw	screw drivers	File
multiple blades	Scissors	Cork screw
serrated and smooth blade	Awl	Wire Strippers
Can Opener	Wire Cutters
Locking Blades	Ruler

Some other kinds of multi-tools such as the Gerber tool have flat tipped pliers and are not very useful for tiny applications, whereas needlenose pliers can do very small scale jobs. For example, a leatherman is very handy when trying to untie tight knots, but the Gerber is difficult to grab the rope with. When your hands are frozen and you can hardly move them, you'll realize the value of this application.

Sheath Knife:

Sometimes having a sheath knife can be very useful. Sheath knives have a blade that does not fold up. Good sheath knives have a "tang" that is connected to, or is part of the blade, and goes through the handle. This means that you can pry with a sheath knife or use it as a chisel.

The base of the handle often terminates in a hammer face connected directly to the tang so the sheath knife can also be useful as a tool for striking objects (with or without the sheath removed). You would never want to attempt such these things with a pocket knife! Sheath knives must be kept in a sheath (hence the name) to protect the owner from inadvertently coming in contact with the sharp parts of the knife blade. Sheath knives often have deeply serrated edges on the the side opposite the sharpened blade edge. The serrated edge can be used to saw wood, or even harder materials. Some sheath knives (see photograph to the right) also come equipped with a wire cutter capable of severing even heavy fencing wire by interconnecting the knife blade and the sheath to form wire cutting "scissors".

Because sheath knives are special purpose tools and are not needed in all situations, they should be used with care and judgement. Usually significantly larger than pocket knives, they are not only heavier, but also more difficult to handle, especially by younger scouts. Sheath knives are not allowed at Boy Scout camps (this is a council rule). Sheath knives should be carried only on outings in which the need to rapidly deploy a knife blade is advisable. This includes aquatic events (canoeing and diving for example) where there is a distinct possibility of becoming entangled in fishing line that might hold a scout submerged. In this case, the time necessary to find and fumble with a small folding knife could cost a life. To keep your knife sharp, whether it is folding or not, you need to use a whetstone. A whetstone is a block of stone with a rough, sandpaper-like surface. The Boy Scout Handbook has a section on knife care and sharpening. You should review this section carefully because knives and wood tools can cost a life if misused.

 

Canteen/Water Bottle

You should carry enough water to cook with and to drink. If camping in an area with water, you may not need as much. A good canteen should be durable and leak-proof. The best example of this is the Nalgene Brand bottle, which is available at most outdoor gear stores.

 

Flashlight

A good bright flashlight is important. You not only can see better, but you can signal with it as well. The MagLite brand flashlight is very rugged and is also very bright. It comes in a variety of sizes, but for camping, the MiniMag or Super MiniMag lights do quite well. Some Maglights also contain a spare bulb in the base of the light. If the flashlight that you choose does not have spare bulbs enclosed, you must carry one packed in cotton or a small piece of protective foam. A spare set of batteries is also a must. Keep these in a waterproof container that is shock resistant.

There are a number of water proof flashlights which can be purchased as well. These are of course desirable when attending BSA Sea Base or when participating in aquatic events such as canoe trips. A very helpful form of light when camping is the head-mounted illuminator because it allows you to focus the light on objects while keeping both hands free. Cooking after dark will be much easier if you have one of these!

Food

Food is a vital part of camping. When considering what to bring, remember weight, nutritional value, and ease of preparation. The Weight of some foods is just not worth hauling in. Some foods don't weigh very much, but the supplies needed to prepare them do. Consider Nutritional value also. Foods that are high in sugar will give you a burst of strength, then they give you a long period of low energy. Foods such as pasta and oatmeal are good for hiking. They give you a long energy boost that can get you to the next meal. Ease of preparation is a gray area. Sure, we all wat pizza and burritos and steak, but be realistic, they are often too difficult to prepare. You are going to be out in the wild where it isn't always easy to cook a steak or make a pizza, so consider what is easy to prepare. There are tricks you can use to cook fine dining on campouts. Many of these are available in outdoor cooking books that are available at most any outdoor supply store.

Fire Starters

Fire Starters are a great aid in the art of fire building. There are fire starters that you can buy at the store, but it is much more cost effective to make them yourself. Get paraffin wax and heat it until it becomes a clear liquid. Then roll up 1' by 3" strips of newspaper to create 3" rolls. Then tie a string around them to keep them wound. Dip them in the paraffin and let them thoroughly soak. Pull them out and let them dry, and you'll have great fire starter. Another method is to get paper egg crates and fill them with sawdust. Then pour the wax over it and let it dry. Then cut them up and you get a dozen fire starters that will burn longer than the newspaper kind.

Whistle

A whistle is a must have on any scout activity. You need a loud whistle in order to ensure that it will be heard at distance. A very loud whistle is the Storm whistle. This whistle is available at Wal-Mart or any outdoor camping store. You MUST ALWAYS have a whistle with you on the outside of your clothing (not in your pack) during any outdoor hiking, canoeing, or camping activity.

Compass

You should carry a compass. A compass will do you little good if you do not have an accompanying map and the knowledge to use both the compass and the map. No Scout should head off on a hike into unknown territory without both a map, a compass, and the knowledge of how to use both. As important is a prior knowledge of the hiking plan. Where are you supposed to be going? If you get separated and know the plan, you can use the map and compass to get back on course. Of course if you get hopelessly lost, stop, and blow your whistle. If there is no response in a reasonable amount of time, plan to spend the night. Set up shelter, gather fire wood (if it will be cold at night), and periodically blow your whistle. You shouldn't be alone because you should be with your hiking partner, so divide up tasks among yourselves to get established (and warm if necessary) while you have light.

Rain Gear

Rain Gear is important. You should always have it with you, even if the forecast is predicting sunshine. You should have a pack cover to keep your gear dry as well as a poncho or raincoat for yourself. The light see-through plastic ones do just fine. In an emergency, use a trash bag or your space blanket for a rain coat.

Personal Hygiene

Personal Hygiene is an important part of the scout law. A Scout is Clean. You should have a number of items to keep clean.

A personal Hygiene kit could include:

1. Toothbrush/paste
2. Deodorant
3. Comb
4. Soap/Shampoo
5. Other toiletries

You need to bring only 1 toothbrush and an appropriate amount of toothpaste (a small travel size most of the time does fine). Deodorant is not an essential, but to many of the people around you, it is. Bring a small tube or stick of deodorant. A comb is a luxury item that can be excluded if warranted. Soap is good on any campout. Bring a small bar of soap (cut a full bar in a 1/3). Make sure you use biodegradable soap so you won't hurt the local ecosystem. Shampoo is good for Scout Camps with showers. It is a little less useful on a hike. Bring a small leak proof container of shampoo. Other toiletries are specific to different people. Other items such as toothpicks, facial cleaner, etc. are fine, just don't overdo it.

Space Blanket

A Space blanket is a good emergency item to have. It is a reflective sheet that traps heat in and doesn't let cold in. It can be used as a blanket, a wind block, or a signaling device. They are available at most any outdoor supply store.

Clothing

Clothing changes from season to season, but winter is the most important time to focus on clothing. A suggested list of winter clothing (from head to toe) to bring is below:

1. Toboggan
2. Scarf
3. Good Outer Coat that is water resistant
4. Layer fleece or synthetic material below your outer coat. AVOID COTTON!
5. Gloves
6. Good belt. Can serve multiple purposes.
7. Long underwear: Pants and shirt
8. Extra Underwear: A pair per day, unless you plan on doing laundry
9. Non-cotton long pants w/ cargo pockets
10. Wool Socks
11. Polypropylene Sock Liners
12. Sturdy waterproof boots with good ankle support

Tents

If you bring a tent, you should bring the following:

1. Tent poles
2. Stakes
3. Rain Fly
4. Ground Cloth

The advantage of a tent is that it blocks wind and holds in heat. The downside is that it is heavy and bulky.

Tarps

If you bring a tarp, you should bring the following:

1. Stakes (6 to 8 stakes)
2. 1/8" rope (50 feet)
3. Ground Cloth (large enough to fit under your tarp and for you to sleep on.

The advantage of tarps is that they are light and easy to set up. The disadvantage is that they don't hold in heat and often are not very good at blocking the wind.

Hammocks

If you bring a hammock, you should bring the following:

1. Tarp (large enough to stop rain from getting on you. Also you need one long enough to block wind.
2. 1/8" rope (50 feet, not for holding up your hammock, but for holding up the tarp)

 

The advantage of hammocks is that they are easy to set up and require little equipment. They are light and comfortable as well. The downside is that in the winter they may not be as warm as sleeping on the ground and you are more likely to be chilled by the wind. In the summer, the main disadvantage is that there is no protection from insects.

Tip: also consider using a hammock for equipment. "Cargo Nets" made of 1/16" nylon are very light and can keep your equipment off the wet or muddy ground.