Pack 1344 Camping Corner
Tips for First Time Campers!
General Information
When Pack 1344 camps, it’s considered “car camping”. You will always be a short walk to your car! This means you can choose gear that is heavier, cheaper, and generally more comfortable than “backpacking” gear.
What to Bring:
- Tent
- Ground tarp or Tent fly
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping pad
- Pillow
- Small cooler
- Camp chair
- Warm clothing (plan for it to be colder than expected)
- Rain poncho
- Closed-toe and sturdy shoes
- Flashlight
- Medication
- Bug spray
- Mess Kit
- Snacks and food for finicky eaters (Dens usually cook a group dinner)
- Water bottle
- Toilet Paper
- First Aid Kit
- Cub Scout 6 Essentials:
- Filled Water Bottle
- Small first aid kit
- Whistle
- Flashlight
- Sun Protection
- Trail Mix
- Class A Uniform for the campfire
- Collapsible Wagon
Pack 1344 is committed to providing a fun and safe environment for our Scouts. Whether this is your first experience camping, or you are an expert camper, all participants must abide by the following:
- A parent or legal guardian is required to attend both the daytime and overnight portions of the campout with your Cub Scout. Your immediate family, including siblings (younger than 18), are welcome to stay overnight with the pack. Unfortunately, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins are not permitted to stay overnight.
- All registered scouts and family members staying overnight MUST complete a BSA Health Form Part A and B in advance. If you do not already have a current version (less than 12 months old) on-file, you must bring a copy with you.
- We will have at least one BALOO and Hazardous Weather training trained adult in attendance, which is required for a campout.
- The Scout Code of Conduct prohibits all tobacco and drug use around Scouts. (https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss04/)
- You must sing at the campfire, and you must have FUN!
Camp Highroad
Pack 1344 typically camps Camp Highroad in Middleburg. It is roughly an hour’s drive from Burke. The campground provides a large communal area where the Pack will be able to camp as a unit. Dens will be directed to their section of the campsite upon arrival.
What should you expect?
- Locust Grove has two levels, an upper and a lower level.
- Each area has pavilions with picnic tables and benches, and fire pits.
- There is a ‘bathroom’, but it isn’t ‘fancy’. There are no sinks or showers.
- There is running water that is drinkable.
- You can drive to the individual campsites to unload your gear.
Schedule
When you arrive at the campsite find the site where your den is and drop off your gear, then park your car. Please check in with your den leader. Turn in your Medical AB forms to the Pack Secretary or Committee Chair (if you haven’t already provided one).
During the day dens will organize their own activities. Late afternoon the dens will come back to their campsites for dinner. When it starts to get dark out the pack will come together at the campfire for a night full of fun and song! When the campfire is over the dens will then go back to their campsites to wind down for the evening. You are not expected to spend the night with the pack, you can leave at any time!
On Sunday morning, you can leave once you have packed up your equipment and have checked out with your den leader. Please make sure to Leave No Trace!
Weather
We will keep a close eye on the weather forecast. One year the pack experienced three seasons during the campout, so it’s important to pack appropriate clothing!
On the morning of the campout, please stay in touch with your den leaders. We want everyone to have a fun and safe camping trip. If you have never camped before, we want to make sure that you have the best experience possible. Above all, we want scouts to want to camp again!
There’s no need to force camping on a scout if the weather is going to make them miserable.
Meals
Most meals are planned by the dens as they will often use the opportunity to work on advancements.