CAMPING EQUIPMENT TIPS
Going on camp is one of the great joys of the scouting movement and from a 5 year old joey to a teenager in Scouts or Venturers, investing in quality camping equipment is essential for a positive experience.
Too often kids come to camp without the correct equipment, such as no stretcher or a sleeping bag of poor quality. This has the potential to impact on their enjoyment of the weekend, particularly when it is cold or wet.
To assist parents and care givers, we provide the following information to assist in the purchase of the correct equipment. After all, investing in quality equipment will last a life time and see your child through many happy camps. A number of these items also make for great Christmas or birthday presents too.
Stretcher – if your child is going on a joey or cub camp that requires sleeping in tents, they must bring a stretcher. This is essential as it enables the location of baggage underneath the bed, keeps your child above ground in the event of particularly heavy rain and is more comfortable than a thermarest or sleeping map.
The stretcher should be high enough off the ground so that their luggage can fit underneath and have rubber feet to ensure that the floor of the tent is not ripped.
As an example, we recommend the Kathmandu Retreat Single Campbed or similar. Also keep an eye out for the ALDI camping specials as these are great stretchers too.
Your child should be able to carry, erect and pack away the camp bed on their own so some practice at home is always a great idea. At times they can be tricky to get the last piece connected. Don’t stress, the leaders will always be around to assist joeys and cubs – Scouts should be able to do on their own.
Insulating mat – as great at stretchers are, they are also very good at loosing body heat from underneath. For a good night’s sleep please bring an insulating mat. You can easily get them for $10 at Kmart. Even in mild weather, please pack the mat. Remember, a yoga mat is not an insulating mat.
Sleeping Bag – this is a piece of equipment that should last your child for many, many years. We cannot stress enough how important it is to provide a quality sleeping bag, particularly when camping from April to October. The nights are cold and your child will not sleep if they can’t keep warm.
A quality sleeping will have a temperature rating on it. You will need to bring the correct sleeping bag for the conditions. For example, please bring a sleeping bag rated for zero degrees, which is essential for camps in colder weather. Even in October, temperatures at our camp sites, which are often in the Dandenongs and other Hills around Melbourne, will get close to zero. For camps in milder weather, a 6 degree sleeping bag should suffice.
You should consider purchasing such a sleeping bag at one of the many, many outdoor camping and specialist stores in Melbourne. A sleeping bag from Kmart, Target or Big W is highly unlikely to be suitable, particularly if it has a Disney character on it.
Waterproof coat – sounds obvious doesn’t it, but we can’t tell you how many times kids come to camp with a coat that isn’t actually waterproof. It doesn’t need to be gortex or made of fancy material but it must repel rain and for extend periods of time. The action and adventure of Scouting doesn’t take a back seat for rain.
Shower proof does not mean rain proof. If it won’t keep you dry in the shower, its won’t pass muster. Puffer jackets are not raincoats.
Thermals – a pair of thermals are a great addition for any camp. They’ll keep your kids warm, even if they get wet. They don’t need to cost a bomb, ALDI thermals do the trick nicely for a song.