Weekend Camps

Longer Camps

Camps involving water activities

Winter Camps

There may seem a lot of items that you need but everyone will soon learn what they absolutely need and what they can leave at home. Of course, some items can be very expensive and what you spend depends on what kind and how much camping you are intending to do.

Notes on Camping Equipment

Speaking generally, you can get by at most camps with a certain amount of "privation" in other matters as long as you are warm & dry and get enough sleep. This requires a good set of waterproofs to keep you (and your clothes) dry. A breathable waterproof fabric like "Gore-tex" (or it's equivalents) is an expensive material for jackets (e.g. brands such as Berghaus, North Face, Mountain Equipment etc.) but worth every penny if it keeps you dry and comfortable. So many additional problems at camp stem from being cold and wet. Cheaper, non-breathable fabrics (which can also be fully waterproof) will cause you to sweat when you're active but not allow the moisture to escape so you and your clothes get hot and damp. A good outer jacket will also keep wind-chill down to a minimum.

For warmth, you're better off using the "layer" strategy of using several thin layers of clothing underneath your jacket than simply a vest and a thick jumper. Synthetic materials nowadays have very good insulating qualities although natural fabrics will also have their fans. Specialist thermal undergarmets which are designed to "wick away" sweat are very good for cold weather camping and activities. They are relatively expensive but only a couple of sets may be needed even for a week's camp. They can be obtained as individual tops and long-johns or as combined one-piece suits from most specialist mountain gear shops (Craigdon in Inverurie is the closest). A cheaper alternative can be the traditional so-called "thermal underwear", which are warm enough but do not have good wicking properties to carry away sweat.

For a typical cool or cold day outdoors, it is difficult to beat a thermal undergarment layer, a fleece and a Gore-tex jacket for general wear.

Many people concentrate on their top half and forget their legs! The same principles apply although for the kind of camps we generally do, cheaper or "ordinary" (i.e. non Gore-tex) leggings are thought suitable enough. Jeans/denim trousers should never be worn at camp as they are very difficult to dry and are extremely uncomfortable to wear when wet. You will also get quite cold when wearing them.

At night, when it's at least possible to get some sleep (if you and your colleagues have calmed down enough!) the sleeping bag and - equally importantly - your sleeping mat or roll comes into it's own.

Ground is cold. Even in a sleeping bag, sleeping on bare ground will cause you to loose heat rapidly. The sleeping roll is as much for heat insulation as it is for comfort. The best kind are the self-inflating mats which end up about 1 inch thick (e.g. "Therma-Rest"). They are relatively light, have excellent insualting properties (they are foam-filled) and are (size for size) very comfortable. However, they are relatively expensive. The "closed-cell" foam type mats are light, still have good insulating properties but are only moderately comfortable. However, they are quite cheap and you could use two if space was not a problem. Inflatable beach or "li-lo" type matresses are not at all suitable for camp. Fair enough, they are comfortable but they are heavy and are poor insulators as (cold) air can ciculate around inside them.

The sleeping bag itself is very important and you should buy the best that you can afford. "Cheap" bags are good enough for sleepovers in someone's home but outdoors they perform poorly. You cant beat the advice of an experienced camper who works in a specialised outdoor store. For general camping, synthetic-filled bags are probably the best. They do not loose their insulating properties when wet (well, not much) and they can be dried relatively easily. Natural down-filled bags are much warmer when dry but are just useless when wet. Nevertheless, whatever filling you have it is important to try and keep your sleeping bag dry at all times.

"Mummy"-type bags are better than the envelope- (or "box-") shaped bags as there is less air inside your body needs to warm up. Buy a bag which has a built-in hood which can be closed up around the head and face as 40% of heat loss occurs through a human head.

Bags are "rated" according to whether they are suitable for one (summer), two (spring and summer), three (plus autumn) or four (plus winter) seasons and often have a temperature range over which they are suitable.

In cold weather, unless you can afford a high-performance bag (very expensive!) use a thin, fleecy blanket or sleeping-bag liner inside your bag for extra warmth.

The Basic Checklist

You will need the following items for any camp and this list should be regarded as a minimum. The number of items (e.g. sets of clothing) will depend, of course, on how many days and nights we will be away for.

PLEASE MARK EVERY ITEM WITH THE SCOUT’S NAME

Weekend Camps

Everything from the Basic checklist above plus, any equipment required for specialist activities.

Longer Camps

Everything from the Basic checklist above, plus any equipment required for specialist activities.

As a general rule, take at least 1 set of under clothing (pants, socks, vest/t-shirt) for each day at camp. You will also need at least 2 pairs of trousers and 2 jerseys / sweat shirts / fleeces for, say, a week's camp.

A couple of pairs of good walking socks (knee length and thicker than normal socks) should also be considered if hill walking and/or hiking is planned.

A good quality waterproof jacket is essential on longer camps as we may not have a chance to dry out any wet clothes. The same goes for boots! 

You should also bring a spare pair of trainers in addition to your normal boots as the possibility of indoor activities and visits during longer camps is higher. Establishments may not appreciate muddy hiking boots tramping through their premises!

A smaller day sack will also be useful to carry food, drink and gear, as we will probably be going on activities away from the main camp site.

Swimming gear (with a larger towel) will also be useful.

Camps Involving Water Activities

Everything from the Basic and Longer Camp checklists above (depending on length of camp) plus any equipment required for specialist activities.

Extra sets of underclothing, jerseys / sweat shirts / fleeces, and trousers. Also bring an extra pair of old trainers for wear in/on the water.

Swimming gear (with a larger towel) will be essential.

A fleecy blanket or similar may be nice if you're sitting on the river bank or beach in damp clothes.

Winter Camps

Everything from the Basic and Longer Camp checklists above (depending on length of camp) plus any equipment required for specialist activities. Also bring twice as many spare sets of clothing as for normal camps.

Specialist thermal undergarmets which are designed to "wick away" sweat are very good for cold weather camping and activities. They are relatively expensive but only a couple of sets may be needed even for a week's camp. They can be obtained as individual tops and long-johns or as combined one-piece suits from most specialist mountain gear shops (Craigdon in Inverurie is the closest). A cheaper alternative can be the traditional so-called "thermal underwear", which are warm enough but do not have good wicking properties to carry away sweat.

Sturdy ankle-type walking boots (rather than the converted "trainer-types") and thick walking socks should also be used.

A fleecy blanket or similar may be nice to slip inside a sleeping bag at night, unless you have a specialist cold-weather bag (expensive!) or a sleeping bag liner.

A good sleeping bag and insulated sleeping mat is most essential for a cold-weather camp. Try and get a sleeping bag with a built-in hood and one that can be zipped-up right up to the face as most heat from the body is lost through the head. A "mummy-type" bag is also warmer than a "box-shaped" or "envelope-style" bag. An insulated sleeping mat is also essential when sleeping on the ground. Closed-cell ("foam") types are OK but self-inflating foam-filled mats are even better. Air-filled blow-up "li-lo" type mats are not at all suitable in cold weathers.

Mobile Phones

We would strongly advise against bringing mobile phones to camp. In addition to the high possibility of loss or breakage (for which the Leaders and Scout Association will not accept liability) there is no opportunity to re-charge the batteries. Any electrical points which are present at any camp building will be used to keep the batteries of the Leader's mobile phones fully charged in case of emergencies, or to keep the two-way radio batteries fully charged.

To prevent potential problems, if your child does take his/her phone to camp, we would be grateful if you could let us know. The Leaders can look after the phones (allowing your child to use it in the evening if required) and this will also prevent messages being passed on without our knowledge - "Chinese Whispers" can cause great problems!

The Leader's mobile phones will be switched on between 7pm - 9pm at camp (UK time if abroad) every evening for important calls. If you wish to leave non-urgent messages, please contact the designated Emergency Contact for each camp. He/She will be in contact with the Leaders on a daily basis to pass messages back and fore and is our official Emergency Contact.

Obviously, should any emergency arise, we will contact you immediately, without waiting for the evening call.

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