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Best comfort items & traditions for summer camp


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On 4/23/2019 at 11:57 PM, dedkad said:

Interesting about all the desserts people are talking about. None of the summer camps my son has been to in California allow food in the campsites because of the critters.

I'm in California to and most of those rules fall into 2 categories: a) paper rules which are written in the Leader's Guide or other literature and aren't actually enforced or b) allow food to be taken to the campsite but must be stored overnight in the dining hall.

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Yes, it's mighty inconvenient when the squirrels and chipmunks get into your snack supply...

Daughter always had a deck of waterproof cards in her pack. I have a range of mocha pots (and demitasse cups), and choose the one most suited for the number of espresso drinkers and type of trip.

I remember my son's first summer camp experience.  He was in a hammock overnight and some other scout got a food package from home.  A racoon stole the package and decided to eat right under the hammo

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Hiking boots and smartwool socks. I’ve tried running shoes like most wear during camp but my feel are sore by the end of the day. The boots provide good support and the sock breath well keeping the feet dry. Also bunching the socks down on the boot keeps the dirt and chiggers away from the feet and ankles.

I learned this from a forum member 22 years ago.

Barry

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9 hours ago, Eagledad said:

I learned this from a forum member 22 years ago.

Just bunching them down? I can see that, I think. Not sure though. 

Any idea how it helps keep away the dirt and chiggers? Really curious as I love new things that work and I like to know how it does it. 

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3 hours ago, Buggie said:

Just bunching them down? I can see that, I think. Not sure though. 

Any idea how it helps keep away the dirt and chiggers? Really curious as I love new things that work and I like to know how it does it. 

I assume the bunching down makes a tight seal on the boot. 

Dusty trails is a real pain at summer camps and can get uncomfortable as it seeps into the shoes. I never had this problem at camp or on the trail.

Also, long socks are best for bunching and they come in handy pulled up on the cool mornings, especially backpacking. I don’t know if they still sell them, but BSA sold some great long hiking smartwool brand socks in uniform colors. A little pricey, but great for scouting activities that requires full uniform like adult leader training. I love them for Woodbadge. 

Barry

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13 hours ago, chief027 said:

I'm in California to and most of those rules fall into 2 categories: a) paper rules which are written in the Leader's Guide or other literature and aren't actually enforced or b) allow food to be taken to the campsite but must be stored overnight in the dining hall.

I suppose it depends on where in California you camp.

In Yosemite, there are definitely bears and they have been known to rip up tents, rip the roof of convertibles, and break into steel toolboxes in pickup truck beds to get at food.  The National Park Service now provides reinforced steel lockers where campers can store their coolers. 

Had a great camping trip in Banff National Park in Canada. They had a lot bears there too, and they had the same kind of lockers as Yosemite, where campers could secure their food from marauding bears.  They also required trash to be quickly deposited in a lockable dumpster. Kind of a pain to deal with latches etc every time you wanted to throw stuff away, but it's better than having a bear destroy your campsite.

Food storage rules in remote areas shouldn't be treated as "paper rules"...

Info:
National Park Service:
https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/lockers.htm
https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/nature/bears.htm

Parks Canada:  
https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/mtn/ours-bears/securite-safety/camping-propre-bare-camp
https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/mtn/ours-bears

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Eagledad said:

I don’t know if they still sell them, but BSA sold some great long hiking smartwool brand socks in uniform colors. A little pricey, but great for scouting activities that requires full uniform like adult leader training.

I am guessing that you are referring to the Thorlos wool socks sold at the scout shop.  Not too bad, at $15.99 a pair, if you get them when they do the buy one, get one at half price sales.  Seems to be on sale at least 50% of the time I am in the store.

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7 minutes ago, MikeS72 said:

I am guessing that you are referring to the Thorlos wool socks sold at the scout shop.  Not too bad, at $15.99 a pair, if you get them when they do the buy one, get one at half price sales.  Seems to be on sale at least 50% of the time I am in the store.

Yes, that’s them. I’m still wearing them 20 years later. Good investment.

Barry

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1 hour ago, Eagledad said:

Yes, that’s them. I’m still wearing them 20 years later. Good investment.

Barry

Actually have a pair on right now.  

We had a backpacking trip this past January that involved a lot of water, they kept my feet both warm and dry the whole time.  Highly recommended.

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On 4/24/2019 at 11:37 AM, Cambridgeskip said:

In recent years there have normally been several sets of "exploding kittens" floating round camp. I don't know if that has made it to your side of the pond yet. It's quite addictive :)

That’s a great game! The imploding kittens expansion pack doubles the fun.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi !

The first thing I remember until now is a card game based on GWENT fully made by my friend . Instead of heroes, he put us there, our descriptions, quotes and pictures which he drew

It was great fun throughout the all summer camp  .I highly recommend making cards with your own hands

Just like you I realy like to wear good socks . Many choose socks inaccurately they take ordinary because they can be destroyed  . But the important thing is that you need to find those that will not be destroyed and are adapted to the expeditions

 It seems to me that taking a hammock is a good idea if only there is one which is the right size .Usually during the day, which is often exhausting at the camp it is worth taking a rest for a moment with a good book and some drink is really nice

 

 

 

 

 

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On 5/1/2019 at 11:45 PM, Eagledad said:

Hiking boots and smartwool socks. I’ve tried running shoes like most wear during camp but my feel are sore by the end of the day. The boots provide good support and the sock breath well keeping the feet dry. Also bunching the socks down on the boot keeps the dirt and chiggers away from the feet and ankles.

I learned this from a forum member 22 years ago.

Barry

I’m late, but that made me think.

When I staffed a summer camp, I preferred my Nike running shoes over my Columbia boots. I tried to wear my running shoes since they were more comfortable for me. I had to wear BSA socks, so socks didn’t make a difference. I only wore the boots when it rained heavily and was muddy. Let’s see what I prefer this year when I go back. 

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1 hour ago, Olaf said:

Hi !

The first thing I remember until now is a card game based on GWENT fully made by my friend . Instead of heroes, he put us there, our descriptions, quotes and pictures which he drew

It was great fun throughout the all summer camp  .I highly recommend making cards with your own hands

Just like you I realy like to wear good socks . Many choose socks inaccurately they take ordinary because they can be destroyed  . But the important thing is that you need to find those that will not be destroyed and are adapted to the expeditions

In free time, you can also play football it is not difficult to transport and it gives a lot of fun and good energy. Just take a few backpacks, draw the lines and you can have a good time

 

 

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On 5/19/2019 at 11:59 AM, ItsBrian said:

When I staffed a summer camp, I preferred my Nike running shoes over my Columbia boots. I tried to wear my running shoes since they were more comfortable for me. I had to wear BSA socks, so socks didn’t make a difference. I only wore the boots when it rained heavily and was muddy. Let’s see what I prefer this year when I go back. 

I think it depends on the terrain where your camp is located.  If I were in a mountainous region, or very rocky terrain, I would definitely prefer the boots, but if I was in a softer, flatter, or forested area (like maybe Northern Tier), then I would prefer something lighter --- like maybe your Nikes. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 5/19/2019 at 9:59 AM, ItsBrian said:

I’m late, but that made me think.

When I staffed a summer camp, I preferred my Nike running shoes over my Columbia boots. I tried to wear my running shoes since they were more comfortable for me. I had to wear BSA socks, so socks didn’t make a difference. I only wore the boots when it rained heavily and was muddy. Let’s see what I prefer this year when I go back. 

I’ve spent time at multiple camps the one I work at currently i usually wear boots. However at my council camp I generally wear tennis shoes because it’s super flat.

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