Anyone with BALOO training book

[CPAMom 10]

Please tell me the bathroom requirements and water requirements for Family Campouts at the pack level.

[Scoutfish 16]

Baloo- appendix A (page 75)

 

 

Mandatory standards

 

#4 Drinking water from an approved source is provided at convienient locations and is readily available.

 

#8 All facilities are available to people with disabilities.

 

#9 Each family site is within 300 feet of a sanitary toilet facuility.

 

Now, read those carefully as there can be a ton of interpretation to each of them:

 

#4 can be bottled water that is in a cooler or even a cardboard box strategically placed around camp or even in your own cooler.

 

#8 IF you have somebody with disabilities, they have to be able to have facilities too. If you don't have somebody with a disability, then no worries.

 

#9 Site is within 300 feet. Well, that can be the boundry of a site being within 300 fet, not an actual tent.

 

Just saying so as you don't think a rule is broken if you don't have bathrooms or porta-jons next to every tent

[CPAMom 10]

Very interesting - So portajon is ok. And bringing water in is ok.

[Scoutfish 16]

Depends on your interpretation of it.

 

Personally, I think porta-jons reprresent all that is vile , nasty and should have a picture in the dictionary right next to the word "unsanitary" , but they do meet some peoples idea of sanitary as compared to....having nothing.

 

Water...sure, having bottles of it is okay as well as coolers/dispensers, canteens and such.

 

But figuring that it'sa FAMILY PACK CAMPOUT...your probably not looking to hike to your campsite no more than..what .. a few hundred feet? Facilities shouldn't be that hard to have..

 

But if you do find yourself at Old Farmer MacDonald's farm..bring water, and either get porta-jons or set up a facility.(This message has been edited by scoutfish)

[Basementdweller 608]

More importantly the site must be approved by your council. The council should maintain a list of approved sites. If you stay at a scout camp, state or national park your more than likely ok. If you are planning on camping on someones farm or private property, the Tour permit will not get approved by our council, hopefully your council is different.

 

here is the link to the campsite approval form from BSA

 

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34-65.pdf

 

 

I really dislike cases of bottled water and paper plates at these kind of events. My first Family campout we had 20 bags of garbage for 30 participants. I was really embarrassed and wondered what we were teaching our boys. Now we do not permit bottled water or paper plates at our events. Everyone brings a Plate/bowl, spork and a cup.

 

Water, we haul water in 5 gallon jugs. We have hauled as much as 100 gallons. We have three 5 gallon jugs with spouts on them, two flavors of cool aid and one of regular water. We have taught our boys to reuse 32 ounce gator aid bottles for around camp.

 

We went from 20 bags of trash to 2. Those were not full either, we got rid of them to avoid wildlife fun.(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

[ScoutNut 147]

Basement is correct, approval of ANY campsite used for Cub Scout camping is entirely up to your council.

 

The form he linked to is what is used to get council approval.

 

Many of the State Park Youth Group camping areas around me have pit toilets or porta-potties. All are approved by my council for Cub camping.

 

I do not know of any camp area without a water pump that my council has approved for Cub camping.

 

 

[CPAMom 10]

Thanks! The reason I ask - Yes, we are looking to camp at an approved council site. However, the particular group campsites that we plan to use - Well, the portajons and water pump situation exists. The detailed listing from Council does not exclude these sites.

 

Funny thing - There are some KOAs in our council area that are not on the approved list. I wonder why. Their bathroom and water situation is great.

[Basementdweller 608]

KOA is cost. They limit the number of people per site and their quiet hours are not all that scout friendly. I have never taken a scout group to a koa, but as an adult I have been yelled at plenty at them, telling storys around the campfire.