PACK -  Each Scout should have a pack. For our group, it is best that you purchase an exterior frame pack so that it will allow the back to breath while hiking. It must be fitted by someone who knows how to fit a pack on a boy who is small, yet will grow; who has no hips, yet needs the waist belt to fit snugly and carry the weight of the pack. Go to Oshmans, the Scoutfitter, REI, someplace where there is a person who can help fit a pack. This is time and money well-spent. You do not need to spend a fortune to get a good pack. If you borrow a pack from a former scout, please take it someplace to have it fitted and checked. Important: Whatever pack you purchase or borrow, please obtain a pack rain cover so the pack does not live in the tent with the scout.

SLEEPING BAG -  Each Scout must have a sleeping bag. Do not buy a down bag (if it gets wet, it will not dry out easily). He needs a bag that is stuffable into a stuff sack, is light weight, and will handle temperatures to zero (0) degrees. This is money well-spent. Check the Scoutfitter (Harry Hines at Regal Row), Oshmans (Park Ln.), Sports and Recreation (Royal Ln. at Central), Academy (Forest Ln. east of Central Expressway next to the Home Depot), REI (LBJ Freeway @ Montfort). Borrowing old bags is fine, but be sure they will survive cold weather.

GROUND PAD -  Each Scout should have a closed-cell foam ground pad or self-inflating air pad to go under his sleeping bag. It should be light weight. Remember, on 10-13 year old boys, ounces can mean the difference between being able to carry your pack or not. These are not expensive.

TENT -  Every boy must be able to sleep in a tent. If you plan well with the patrol, not everyone needs to carry a tent every time, but every scout should have a tent. If the parents and boys talk, tent purchases can be made in rotation or can be borrowed in the neighborhood. Tents may be shopped at any of the locations mentioned above but the best prices found were at Academy. One can purchase a nice A-frame or dome tent with a good brand name at a decent price. Be aware of the size of the scout, head room, and most importantly, the rain fly over the tent must come all the way down to the bottom edge of the tent to protect the inner tent from moisture.

GROUND CLOTH -  Each scout should have a heavy piece of plastic or a light tarp or something to serve as a ground cloth under his tent. This keeps moisture out and provides an extra lining for protection against tearing the tent floor material.

PERSONAL GEAR - Every scout should pack according to the list on page 224 in the SCOUT HANDBOOK. Very important items are: pocketknife, personal first aid kit, rain gear (poncho or pants/jacket set), possibly a folding camp stool, water bottle or canteen, flashlight + extra batteries, matches in waterproof container, compass, sunscreen if necessary, mess kit and utensils, cup, personal toiletries, paper, pencil/pen, scout handbook. These items can be obtained at any of the above stores, or made up around the house (like the personal first aid kit). Remember to be attentive to weight the boy will carry. Be creative. See the packing up information on page 230-231 in the handbook.

HIKING BOOTS - When you can work it into your budgets, each scout should have a pair of hiking boots. There is a great selection at great prices at the Academy store out on Forest Lane. Get a well-fitted boot to avoid blisters. Also, have your son hike in two pairs of socks.

Troop 125 Equipment Guidelines  

Accountability for Equipment: 

The importance of diligent maintenance of troop and patrol equipment should be emphasized by the Troop Committee to the troop leadership (Boys), and the troop leadership should in turn continually communicate this importance in scout and patrol meetings to all scouts.  Continuous and repeated communication regarding equipment is necessary in order to reinforce the importance.  The troop has made a meaningful investment in equipment and, aside from the dollar investment, it is important for the boys to learn about the proper care and organization of all equipment, which will be used by them but also others after them.  If equipment is well stocked and maintained, campouts will be more enjoyable, and scouting skills will be more easily taught and utilized.

Each patrol will keep their individual patrol equipment organized and packed away dry and clean.  This should be enforced at the campsite.  The Rocking Chair patrol should always set the example for the other patrols.  Under no circumstances should any patrol or troop equipment go home with a scout.  If extraordinary circumstances require that cooking equipment be packed up before being cleaned, the scouts will be expected to clean the equipment at the next scout meeting on the premises of the church. 

The Scoutmaster and troop leadership will enforce existing Troop and Patrol Quartermaster duties including the maintenance of up-to-date lists of patrol and troop equipment.  The Patrol Quartermaster will insure that their individual patrol box is always properly stocked.  Patrol Quartermasters will be required to keep written records of their patrol box and patrol equipment.  At the conclusion of every campout the Patrol Quartermasters will inventory their patrol boxes and patrol equipment and DOCUMENT that all the material and equipment has been cleaned and placed back where it belongs.  The Troop Quartermaster will monitor the Patrol Quartermasters and keep a similar written record of troop equipment at the conclusion of every campout.  The Troop Leadership Council will develop the necessary procedures and documents to carry out this policy.  The SPL and ASPL’s will ensure that each patrol has an assigned Patrol Quartermaster for each campout, and that there is a Troop Quartermaster at each campout.

Durable Equipment. 

The troop and the patrols possess durable equipment (stoves, tables, pop-ups, Dutch oven) that they should be responsible with and accountable for.  All equipment should be indelibly labeled with the name of the patrol (or Troop 125) that it is assigned to.  If durable equipment is damaged or lost the patrol will be held accountable.  Scouts will decide amongst themselves among a few options to replace the equipment.  If an individual scout is responsible for the damage or loss, the individual scout may offer to replace the equipment.  If that does not occur, the patrol members present when the damage or loss occurred may divide the cost equally among all members.  As a final alternative, the troop can offer a meaningful task or goal for which the patrol can “earn” the replacement of the piece of equipment.  For example, by volunteering to cleanup after several troop meetings a patrol could “earn” a replacement for a ruined Dutch oven.

Rigorous adherence to check out and check in procedures will enhance maintenance of troop equipment. 

Each patrol will be assigned one single-burner cooking stove (different than the current large double-burner propane stoves currently used).  The troop will also maintain several additional stoves in case a patrol needs more than one.  All troop stoves will be kept in the storeroom rather than the trailer.  By keeping items in the storeroom, the Troop Quartermaster will be able to maintain control over the inventory.  A patrol or scout needing a stove will ask his Patrol Quartermaster to check one out from the Troop Quartermaster.  The Troop Quartermaster will document which patrol checks out which stove.  The Patrol Quartermaster will be accountable for return of the stove.  The Troop Quartermaster will document that the Patrol Quartermaster returned the equipment in good order. If equipment is lost or damaged, the process outlined above will determine how it is replaced or repaired.   

Tents 

The goal is for each scout to own his own tent after being in the troop for more than 6 months.  The troop will have an inventory of tents, primarily for use by new scouts and scouters, and for cases where the purchase of a tent would be a financial hardship.  The troop strongly encourages scouts to sleep 2 or more to a tent.  Tent arrangements and tent partners should be worked out during the week before departure on a weekend campout.

Troop tents should be stored in the storage room, not the trailer.  Scouts or scouters wishing to check out a tent will request them from the Troop Quartermaster.  The scout will agree to return the tent with all the poles and stakes.  The Troop Quartermaster will document if the tent was returned clean, dry and with all its parts.  If it is necessary to pack the tent before it is dry, the scout that borrowed the tent MUST come to the troop meeting the following Monday to pack away the tent.  At that time the Troop Quartermaster will perform the check-in procedure.  The rigor of the procedures should encourage scouts and scouters to purchase their own tent.  If a tent is returned damaged or with lost parts, the procedures outlined above will apply regarding replacement of the parts.  The Troop Committee will provide specifications for troop tents, as purchases are required in the future.

Discipline and participation at the conclusion of campouts is very important.  There is a great deal of work to be done putting equipment away.  Every scout should help with this, not just a few, and certainly not just the Scoutmaster and/or quartermasters.  The time required to put away the troop and patrol equipment with the enhanced level of care expected must be considered in making the campout agenda.

Consumable Material

Much of the material that is stored in a Patrol Box is consumable, e.g. matches, paper towels, aluminum foil, and mantles for lanterns.  The troop will maintain a reasonable stock of these items, to be determined by the Quartermasters and approved by the Scoutmaster and the adult Equipment Chairman.  A Patrol Quartermaster needing a box of aluminum foil would be expected to have it issued by the Troop Quartermaster.  These items will be kept in the storeroom.  The Troop Quartermaster will work closely with adults, particularly the Equipment Chairman, to keep these items in stock.  A spreadsheet or inventory list will maintained for this purpose.  The Troop Leadership Council will work with the Quartermasters and the Equipment Chairman to determine the inventory system they prefer.

Troop and Patrol Equipment

The specific equipment and quantity of items to be assigned to each patrol and the equipment to be designated as troop equipment is listed in the attached table.

 We need to determine what cookware is necessary, i.e. what is included in the 18-piece cook set.  We need to inventory what we currently have.  Obviously, some patrols are not going to have all of the items that are listed above.  The committee recommends that all patrols should have a full set of equipment.  We suggest that the patrols be expected to participate in this process in order to earn a restocking of their equipment.  The scouts can determine the details of this process.  After we have an inventory, we can present to the Troop Committee the estimated cost of replenishing the equipment.  With the Troop Committees guidance, and the participation of the scout leadership we can determine the pace of this replenishment.  Ideally, we would be able to afford to replenish all of the above equipment as soon as possible so that the scouts can enjoy the benefits of well-organized campouts. 

Saturday Event.  The committee recommends that we organize a Saturday Inventory and Organization Event.  We would like to do this in the next few weeks.  The troop could provide refreshments and pizza.  If approved by the Scoutmaster, we suggest that each Patrol that has 3 or more scouts attending the event be rewarded with a complete restocking of all items necessary for the Patrol Box.  Patrol Quartermasters would be required to attend.  The idea is to make the scouts earn the new equipment by making them an offer they should not refuse.  Depending on the availability of funds, the ideas of the scouts and others, this reward could be extended to include other durable equipment such as cooking tables, and EZ-Ups.  At this event, we should endeavor to mark all equipment with the patrol that it is assigned to.  It is recommended that we get all material out of the old garage and old trailer.  As noted above, all troop equipment that may be loaned to individual scouts (backpacking stoves and tents) should be moved to the storeroom.  All excess stocks of consumables should be moved to the storeroom.  The scouts can determine how best to organize the storeroom.  It is possible that more than one day will be required, but an inventory is the highest priority.

Despite all these measures it is quite likely that we will need to regularly purchase replacement equipment, and have events to organize and inventory our equipment.  We suggest that such an event be placed on the Troop Calendar every December or January.  When the current process has concluded, we will be able to recommend a budget amount for stocking of consumables, and replacing equipment that is no longer serviceable.