Troop Leader Resources

Program Feature: CAMPING

Living Comfortably in the Outdoors

—> This month’s meetings and main event will help Scouts develop good camping skills so they can enjoy outings more and open the door to many fun outdoor activities.

Rudyard Kipling wrote, “Who hath smelt wood-smoke at twilight? Who hath heard the birch-log burning? Who is quick to read the noises of the night? Let him follow with the others, for the young men’s feet are turning to the camps of proved desire and known delight!” In other words, camping is fun! It’s a chance to get away from the “busy-ness” and distractions of everyday life and spend time hanging out in the woods with your closest friends.

Camping is also the foundation of many other Scouting activities. Scouts camp for fun, but they also camp so they can be closer to great spots for fishing, rock climbing, geocaching, hiking, and a host of other activities. Comfort in the outdoors means finding a balance between skills and equipment. In the movies, we often see a hero with such good skills that all they need is a knife. On the other hand, people without skills may only feel comfortable camping in a fully stocked motor home. The more you know, the less equipment you need. The goal is not to be like a Navy Seal, but to have good outdoor skills so you feel more comfortable and confident while living outdoors.