Summer Camp packing list

Everything a Scout needs for a week at Summer Camp, what the troop brings, and what to leave home. Print it, or check things off on your phone as you pack.

Print this list
Going to Outback?

For every Scout

Label everything with your Scout’s name and troop number. Plan on rain and at least one water activity, so pack extra clothes and a second pair of shoes.

Sleeping

  • Sleeping bag
  • Small pillow
  • Foam pad or cot (cots rent for $25 for the week)
  • Extra blanket

Clothing

  • Field uniform, worn to check-in and to dinner every evening
  • T-shirts
  • Jeans and shorts
  • Long-sleeve shirts
  • Sweatshirt or jacket
  • Rain gear
  • Pajamas
  • Underwear and socks for every day
  • Swimsuit
  • Hat
  • Extra clothes for when things get wet

Shoes

  • Sneakers or hiking shoes
  • Hard-soled water shoes for the lake. Flip-flops and Crocs get lost in the mud.
  • A second pair of shoes in case one gets soaked

Toiletries

  • Toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Soap and shampoo
  • Deodorant
  • Towel
  • Sunscreen
  • Lip balm
  • Insect repellent
  • Hand sanitizer

Gear

  • Refillable water bottle
  • Backpack or daypack
  • Flashlight or headlamp
  • Watch or alarm clock
  • Sunglasses
  • Compass
  • Personal first aid kit
  • Pocket knife, if your Scout has Totin’ Chip

Program and extras

  • Scout Handbook
  • Notebook and pencils
  • Merit badge workbooks and any finished prerequisites
  • Order of the Arrow sash, if you’re a member
  • Camera and fishing gear (optional)
  • Spending money for the Trading Post, about $80 to $100

For adult leaders and the troop

Adult leaders also bring

  • Your own tent. Camp tents are for youth only.
  • A cot or sleeping pad
  • Your own medications, kept in locked storage at your campsite
  • Your field uniform for check-in and evening flags

Troop gear

  • U.S. flag
  • Troop and patrol flags, plus your state flag if you’re from out of state
  • First aid kit
  • Lanterns
  • Maps and compasses
  • Patrol dining tarps
  • Rope
  • Ax and bow saw
  • Dutch ovens
  • Extra sleeping bags
  • Troop library
  • A lockable, critter-proof container for food

Camp provides

  • Canvas wall tents on platforms for youth, three Scouts to a tent
  • Picnic tables, a pavilion, and a flagpole
  • Running water
  • Toilet paper
  • Latrine and latrine cleaning supplies
  • Garbage cans and liners
  • Supplies for every merit badge class

Medications and health forms

Packing is the last step. Before camp, every medication needs signed forms uploaded to CampDoc, and all youth medications get checked in at the Med Lodge on Sunday. See every step.

Medications to pack

  • Prescription medicine in the original pharmacy bottle, with the full label showing
  • No pill organizers and no over-the-counter medicine. The Med Lodge has it.
  • Only enough for the week
  • Rescue inhaler or EpiPen. Your Scout can carry it only if a signed Contract to Carry is already in CampDoc.
  • A CPAP that runs on batteries. Campsites don’t have electricity.
How medications work at camp

Paperwork

  • Everything uploaded to CampDoc at least 14 days before your week, including a Permission for Medication Administration form for each medication and any Contract to Carry. These go in CampDoc, not in your Scout’s bag.
  • Leaders: a paper copy of every camper’s forms, kept with you on the drive, not in the trailer
Health and medications

Leave these at home

Not allowed at camp

  • Firearms, ammunition, bows, and arrows. See the policy.
  • Fireworks
  • Alcohol and drugs of any kind
  • Aerosol cans
  • Laser pointers
  • Pets
  • Inappropriate shirts or material
  • Over-the-counter medicine

Better left home

  • Personal electronics. Camp has very little cell signal, and Wi-Fi is for adult leaders only. Internet and phone policy.
  • Excessive jewelry and other valuables
  • Food and candy in tents. Bears and chipmunks visit campsites, so lock food in a troop trailer or a critter-proof container, and don’t take food from the dining hall.