Troop 116
Things to pack: from a 1911 Boy Scout Handbook

Packing lists

Below are packing lists for various kinds of standard troop trips. Note that these lists might be supplemented with specialty gear for some trips. (No, you don't need to bring the items pictured above, which come from an 1911 edition of the Boy Scout Handbook.)

Note that most of the following lists should print out onto a single page, so you have no excuse to to be properly packed.

Gearing-Up Notes

Gathering all this specialty camping and outdoors gear can seem daunting for younger and newer Scouts but don't worry.

You can always ask for advice from the troop, and between us all we can usually scrounge up loaners of just about anything you might need to borrow while you shop around for the right gear for yourselves (or, frankly, wait to see if your tween is serious about all this before sheeling out for a complete Bear Grylls wardrobe and pack full of gadgets).

Pro tip: You don't have to mortgage your house to REI to get what you need. Coleman camping gear from WalMart or Target works just fine, if sometimes a bit bulkier and heavier than the fancy brand stuff—but at 1/5 the cost, who cares? You can scour the racks at Marshalls and Goodwill for non-cotton clothes in your size. (A long-sleeved underarmor shirt for just $6? Yes, please!)

Cotton kills

All clothing on camping trips should be polyester or wool.

  • No jeans.
  • No cotton T-shirts.
  • No cotton socks
  • No cotton undies.

(Once cotton gets wet—from rain, water sports, or even just sweating—it sucks heat away from the body, which can lead to hypothermia and other life-threatening conditions.)

Personal gear

Troop gear

Related pages

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Note: The first aid and survival tips provided on this site are informational only. Please seek advice from a medical professional or trained wilderness first aid expert for current best practices and techniques.