TROOP 23 ONLINE....... 

Camping Page

Backpacking  / Tailgate Camping / Summer Camp / Cold Weather Camping / Cooking / Fire Building / Using A Compass / Picking A Tent Site / Keeping The Bugs Away / Leave No Trace

Camp Site

 

Camping.....

is the one thing that Scouts and Leaders enjoy most about Boy Scouting!

There are all kinds of camping ....
  • Backpacking
  • Tailgate Camping
  • Long Term or Summer camp
  • Cabin Camping
  • Canoe Camping
  • RV Camping
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Troop 23's camping is usually Backpacking or Tailgate Camping. Of course we always go to Summer Camp at Chesterfield Scout Reservation which is long term camping.

 

Picking a Spot to Pitch Your Tent

Backpacking  / Tailgate Camping / Summer Camp / Cold Weather Camping / Cooking / Fire Building / Using A Compass / Picking A Tent Site / Keeping The Bugs Away / Leave No Trace
 

There are many factors to consider when picking a campsite. Some of them are safety concerns. Some are comfort issues. And others are impact issues -- both visual and physical.

Here are some tips to follow when choosing your next campsite.

Impact

  • If possible, always concentrate your impact by camping in an established campsite. If you must make a new site, camp on the most durable surfaces such as dirt, rock, sand or gravel. Avoid crushing vegetation.
  • Camp at least 200 feet from water. Sometimes, you'll find that the only established campsite is closer to the shore. In that case, take it, but be careful not to contaminate the water when cooking, washing up or taking care of personal business.
  • Consider the visual impact of your site. In the middle of a meadow, five feet from the trail, on the shore of a lake, or perched on the edge of a cliff -- these are spots that most likely will intrude on the experience of other hikers. Try to pitch your tent in a less obvious spot.

For information on Leave no Trace

Safety and comfort

  • Check around and above your intended site for potential rock fall, weak tree limbs or dead trees that look tipsy.
  • Pick a site that has a few strong, live trees scattered about for protection from the elements.
  • If possible, face your tent door to the east or southeast to catch the morning sun.
  • Look for higher ground. Not only will you stay drier if it rains, but during bug season the breeze will keep those pesky critters away.
  • Check your intended camp area for animal scat, tracks or bedding sites. You would be wise to avoid pitching camp near animal dens or trails.
  • Last but not least, look for a relatively flat spot. Sometimes they're tough to find, so when the ground is sloped, position your head uphill for a good night's sleep.

 

Keeping The Bugs Away

Backpacking  / Tailgate Camping / Summer Camp / Cold Weather Camping / Cooking / Fire Building / Using A Compass / Picking A Tent Site / Keeping The Bugs Away / Leave No Trace

 

As you know, bugs can be a huge problem with outdoor activities. Mosquitoes, black flies and other pesky insects can be very annoying as they swarm and bite causing much itching and discomfort. There is no one solution that works all the time but here are a few tips to help keep the bugs away.

  • Stay away from wet, grassy areas
  • Avoid using fragrant or scented personal products
  • Wear light colored long sleeve shirts and pants
  • Wear a hat and a bandana on your head and neck
  • Keep cool - bugs are attracted to sweat
  • Traditional bug repellent - most contain DEET as the active ingredient against bugs
  • Sunscreen/insect repellant - this may have a lower concentration of DEET
  • Avon Skin So Soft - tests don't prove this but many insist that it works
  • Citronella candles and oil - helps keep mosquitoes out of the area
  • Head Nets - keeps bugs away from your head and face
  • Bed Net - recommended for summer camp
  • Garlic - it will secrete through your pours
  • Zinc or Vitamin B - also secretes through your pours
  • Citrus - deters the bugs
  • Coconut soap and coconut oil - repels mosquitoes
Ticks

To avoid exposure to ticks

  • Stay on the trails and avoid grassy, brushy areas
  • Wear light colored clothing so ticks can be seen
  • Wear long sleeve shirts and tuck shirts into pants and pant legs into socks
  • Wear a hat
  • Check yourself for ticks or have someone else check for you.

Finding and removing a tick early (within 36 hours) is key to the prevention of diseases carried by ticks.

If a tick is attached to your skin, grab it with tweezers as close to your skin as possible and pull it straight out. Do not use Vaseline. It will kill the tick and cause more harm. Also do not squeeze the body of the tick, it can cause all the infected material of the tick to enter into your skin. Wash the area thoroughly with soap and water and use a disinfectant. You should have any tick bite checked by a doctor, but you should definitely have a doctor check out the bite if a rash of more than one inch wide appears at the site of the bite. This is a sign of Lyme disease. If you have flu-like symptoms up to a month after being bitten by a tick, call your doctor, you could have ehrlichiosis, another serious, potentially fatal, tick-borne disease that can be treated with antibiotics.

BSA TROOP 23 

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