Essential Troop Equipment

[dewASM 10]

We are in the process of starting a new troop. Which, of course means, we have nothing but 10 boys, some committed parents and a ton of enthusiasm can't forget a new charter organization that seems really interested!

 

We are thinking about submitting a grant request to a local charitable organization to buy some essential equipment. What would you all consider the most important pieces of TROOP equipment? If I am creating a wish list, what should be on it?

 

thanks for your input

[Eagle92 110]

-US and Troop Flags,

-trailer

 

Since the troop is comprised of patrols, looks like 2 patrols of 5, i am going to list some stuff from the 1979 ed. BS HB.

patrol camping gear

-2 man tents with fixins

-dining fly

-patrol flag

-small US flag with halyard,

- wood tools of axe, saw, and spade

- repair kit of

-8 in. file for sharpening

- sharpening stone

- thin wire

- rope

- duct tape( oh i added that one)

-sewing kit

-first aid kit (I recommend one toteable kit for each patrol,with a larger one for the troop trailer

- lantern

- cook kit

- water container

- washbasin

more later

 

 

[Kudu 186]

Consider following the BSA advice to purchase lightweight stoves (pictured on page 253 of the Boy Scout Handbook), which the Handbook advises us can be used for both regular "plop" camping at established campsites and also out on the trail, which is what Scouting is all about.

 

Many beginners say "Well, we will put that off until someday when the boys get more experience, but 'just for now' we will invest in heavy two-burner stoves and plywood Patrol Boxes." Of course that "someday" never comes, the boys never get out on the trail, and after a year or two they begin to drop out because camping is always the same old car camping, lacking in any real outdoor adventure.

 

For more information about investing in lightweight "essential Troop equipment" for regular monthly campouts, see:

 

http://inquiry.net/outdoor/equipment/lightweight_camping.htm

 

Kudu

 

[John-in-KC 311]

Invest in good gear. Talk to folks at REI and Camp-Mor and other such places about trade-offs between weight, durability and cost.

 

Philmont, annually, sells off used trail tents. They're reputed very servicable for normal camping, just no longer fit to take on the trail year-in and year-out.

 

I have a lightweight backpacking tent. Wonderful thing. It does require a certain amount of TLC, rather a bit more than an old-fashioned canvas tent would.

[Eagle92 110]

dutch oven

reflector oven

 

and get the backpacking stoves NOW, and skip on the bigger burners as recommnded

 

Another set of equipment, mostyly paperwork, is get teh Troop Program features vols 1,2,&3 and troop resources book. very big aid in letting your PLC decide what they want to do for program, and gives them a suggested plan.

 

[John-in-KC 311]

Going with what Eagle 92 said...

 

Scoutmasters Handbook for you and your ASMs.

 

Patrol Leader's Handbook for each of the PLs.

 

Senior Patrol Leader's Handbook for your SPL.

 

JUNIOR LEADER TRAINING, vice Troop Leader Training. This will require some digging. JLT helps reinforce skills the youth need, as well as teaching them leadership.

 

Aluminum Foil. Amazing the things you can cook in foil, and then pack the foil out!

[kenk 11]

My son's troop went from operating as one giant patrol (maybe 15 boys) to using real patrols with 6-8 boys in each patrol and each patrol owning their own gear. They each have a big heavy plywood patrol box with:

 

-Brinkman two-burner propane stove (I think they were purchased at Target)

-Open Country 6-person Deluxe Camp Cookset

-Coleman 2-mantle propane lantern in clamshell case

-Texsport Propane Distribution Tree - don't fit inside patrol boxes

-Texsport Propane hose (for tree)

-20 lb Propane tank

-3 Rubbermaid dishwashing tubs

-Open Country nonstick Griddle

-Lodge 10" (maybe 11") cast iron skillet (we found they were burning teflon skillets in cook kit, so added a cast iron skillet which do much better)

-Plastic spoon, slotted spoon, tongs, flipper

-Can opener

-Flexible plastic cutting boards (2 per patrol) from Target

-12" dutch oven - from Harbor Freight

 

Each patrol also has a 10'x10' EZup that we got on sale. They aren't holding up all that well. Eventually we may move toward more traditional rain flies.

 

The patrol boxes are WAY heavy, but they really help keep gear together.

 

I can't disagree with idea to use lightweight gear and stow them in Rubbermaid tubs instead of using the heavy patrol boxes. Several of the adult leaders in my son's troop are worried that lightweight gear wouldn't withstand the abuse boys give the gear. I don't know about that.

[Kudu 186]

kenk writes:

 

The patrol boxes are WAY heavy, but they really help keep gear together.

 

Heavy Patrol boxes also keep the Patrols together:

 

Usually in small camping lots only a few feet from where they were unloaded.

 

"Real" Patrols have some distance between them.

 

And "Real Patrols" get out on the backwoods trails, which is not possible when you are "heavily" invested in two-burner stoves, propane distribution trees, then Troop trailers and all the other junk that goes with heavy equipment

 

kenk writes:

 

Several of the adult leaders in my son's troop are worried that lightweight gear wouldn't withstand the abuse boys give the gear.

 

Quality gear lasts longer. Of course you can not balance heavy pots on small lightweight stoves, you use small folding cooking racks for that.

 

If you don't have the lightweight equipment, you never learn how to use it correctly, and then you never "get around" to moving past Webelos III Troop camping with Patrols close together in small campsites.

 

Kudu

 

[Eagle92 110]

I have to echo the quality part. You buy good quality gear, take care of it, and it will last a very long time. While this does go away from Scout led to a degree, I do think it's important. Make sure the youth know not only how to use and take care of the equipment properly, but also how much it costs and who will have to fork up the money to replace it: the entire patrol.

 

As for chuck boxes tjhey have both advantages and disadvantages. Advantage is that they store the patrol gear very well. dis advantage is that they are heavy and as has been pointed out, some troops will limit their camping to car camping. Nothing wrong with that on occasion, but trust me backpacking is a lot more fun!

 

As for the trailer, while some units are fortunate to have access to a CO's van, some units do not. And trust me you do not want your truck looking like the Clampet's stuffed with so many backpacks that you cannot see out the rear window, and people at work think you are moving out your house (don't ask )

 

The books are helpful, and yes you need current ones, BUT if you can get the older ones, save the 1972 ed. of the BSHB, I've found they are much better written and provide better basic info. In fact I got my list from both the 1979ed. BSHB and 2nd ed Field Book.

 

 

[Mafaking 10]

 

Most essential item for a new troop?

 

A Troop bank account under the Charter Organization's tax ID.

 

It's not as easy as an individual opening up a new account. The documents need to ascribe the tax ID back to the charter. But you are a subset of the CO. A youth group of the CO. So the red tape get a little longer than normal.

 

 

[Mafaking 10]

 

Most essential item for a new troop?

 

A Troop bank account under the Charter Organization's tax ID.

 

It's not as easy as an individual opening up a new account. The documents need to ascribe the tax ID back to the charter. But you are a subset of the CO. A youth group of the CO. So the red tape get a little longer than normal.

 

 

[xlpanel 10]

For starting a troop, you would want to go with 2 or 3 burner, heavy, propane stoves.

 

Why? The good 3 burners stoves can put out 30,000 BTUs a burner, which is 90K total they can use.

 

When cooking dinner a a patrol, you are normally going to have at least two pots of food going (sometimes up to three) and a pot of water you are heating to rinse the dishes.

 

Even IF you bought three backpacking stoves (much more expensive) you would only get, at best, 10,000 BTU a burner.

 

This means that the backpacking stoves will take 3x times to boil water, heat dinner etc.

 

Do the guys want to spend their time waiting around for the pot to boil? Or do they want to be done with cleanup and out to play?

 

Plus, backpacking stoves are a no-no for griddle cooking or frying pans. You can't really use a large frying pan 12" or above on a BP stove. The stove's burner is just not big enough around. You would not get enough even heat distribution.

 

Most of your camping will be weekend 'base' camping, where you go out somewhere and not move your base around.

 

You might go backpacking once a year, which means a new base every day. It is better to prepare for the camping you are doing 88% of the time, than to prepare for the camping you do 12% of the time.

 

If you need backpacking stoves for that one time, ask troops in the area if you can borrow some.

[John-in-KC 311]

No, no, no, a thousand times, no.

 

Buy the good stuff, that is suitable for backpacking. Teach the youth about proper care, so they can in turn teach future youth. It can then be used to support both base camp and trail operations.

 

They'll learn more about cooking by learning to make meals from a host of dehydrated foods (including ... dried BEANS) along with fresh ingredient foods than they will by opening cans of beenieweenies.

 

Yes, I used Patrol boxes when I was a Scout. We'd use them about half the year, and the portion of the Troop that went to LT camp (vice a weeklong backpack) used them there, since the 60s were in the era of units drawing rations and cooking meals, vice dining halls. The biggest single advantage of the patrol box is it does help teach cooking as a skill, by organizing gear into a mini-kitchen.

 

Those of us who went on the trail, well, because we hiked in the Sierra Nevada, we carried more than a couple pressure cookers.

 

If I remember correctly, the old adage for ration planning using fully dehydrated meals was 1 1/2 lbs of food per Scout per day. On a 7 day trip, that means not quite 11 lbs of rations, plus a share of the gear.

[Twocubdad 665]

One suggestion is to pay a little extra and get the cooking gear (cook kit/pots and pans and chef's kit/utensils) through BSA. They are sized for patrol cooking and have a good mix of sizes I've not found in other kits. Ultimately, it was cheaper and easier to pay a little extra for the BSA stuff than it was to try to assemble things.

 

Another School of Hard Knocks lesson is to get enough of everything two have two complete sets for each patrol. Don't try to double up. Mark everything using stencils, colored tape or an electric engraving tool as needed. This helps keep the patrols separate and not constantly going back and forth between patrol sited borrowing stuff, or worse yet, setting up on top of each other so they can share gear. Make each patrol responsible for their own gear. The QMs should be doing regular inventories and the patrol responsible for replacing anything missing or damaged.

[RememberSchiff 3695]

Let your program be your guide to your equipment purchases.

 

We have units with quite different outdoor programs - one is heavy into water treks (canoeing, rafting, kayaking - many PFD's), some backpacking (no dutch ovens there), and a few too many are 100% car camping (don't get me started).

 

Once you have roughed-out your program, talk to other units with similar programs to get gear recommendations and who to buy from. Ask questions and research. For example, should I buy a Coleman propane lantern or an Orbit 3W LED lantern?

 

Top ten equipment list

10. Cool troop neckerchief, hat, or Class B t-shirt (wicking poly, no cotton)

9. Tents

8. Stoves as fits your program

7. Cook kits

6. Water jugs and/or purifiers as fits your program - may want collapsible or hard plastic

5. Saw, ax, file

4. Tarps

3. Rope (1/4", 3/8" reel of manila, 550 paracord too)

2. A troop FIRST AID kit - Adventure Medical offers some well-considered kits.

1. A folding camp chair for SM!

 

How about that, lanterns did not make my top ten. Maybe I can get by without a lantern

 

My $0.02,