Our monthly campout for October is our yearly backpacking treks. Backpacking is a fun and enjoyable experience that anyone can do, even if you have never backpacked before! Our youth and adult leaders are here to help everyone best prepare for camp so that they will have a successful, safe, and fun trip! We really encourage as many of our Scouts as possible to join us for backpacking, as it’s a great way to learn some important skills and prepare for future high adventure opportunities.
Sign-ups are available on TroopWebHost. For this camp, we split up into two different crews based on age:
Our Beginner Crew (6th & 7th graders) will be meeting on Saturday morning, October 15th, at 8:00 AM at Chapman Elementary School. They will be headed to Mohican State Park to participate in our traditional Mohican Trek. This is a great opportunity for our younger Scouts to have a positive and fun backpacking experience. Please read the information in the following link for additional information on Mohican Trek, why we structure it the way we do, and the importance of encouraging your Scout to participate:
Our Advanced Crew (8th-12th graders) will be leaving on Friday, October 14th, and traveling to Raccoon Creek State Park in Pennsylvania. There are two options for this trip.
Friday morning departure: This group will be meeting at Chapman at 9:00 AM on Friday morning.
Friday evening departure: This group will be meeting at Chapman at 6:45 PM on Friday evening, and travel to Raccoon Creek SP to meet up with the rest of the group, who would all then backpack together on Saturday and Sunday.
For our Advanced Crew participants, it is very important to indicate in the comment field of your TroopWebHost sign-up if you will be doing the Friday morning departure or the Friday evening departure so that we can plan accordingly. Also, if you are not able to join us on Friday due to other commitments, but would still like to participate in camp, you can sign up to meet the Beginner Crew at Mohican State Park. Just make sure to note that in the comment field.
Remember, Scouts are responsible for bringing their own food for the weekend. Here are some suggestions/tips for backpacking food:Backpacking Food InfoThe amount of food you need to bring depends on which trip you are attending:-For those Scouts going on the Mohican trek, you need to bring one non-cook lunch, one dinner, one breakfast, and a limited amount of snacks. You also need to bring one gallon of water to share (you don’t need to carry it on the trail).-For those Scouts going to Raccoon Creek on Friday morning, you need to bring two non-cook lunches, two dinners, two breakfasts, and some snacks.-For those Scouts going to Raccoon Creek on Friday evening, you need to bring one non-cook lunch, one dinner, two breakfasts, and some snacks.Please pack each meal separately into its own ziploc bag, so that it can be found easily on the trail (the bag can then hold the trash from that meal). Also, everyone needs to being a string bag to put all of their food in overnight. We store the food in cars, and it’s easier if everyone has one bag to store with all of their food. Don’t forget to bring a mess kit for eating (cup, plate/bowl and spork) – bring only what you need for eating your food, and pack it in a ziploc bag.
A fall backpacking gear list can be found in the Mohican Trek link above. Just adjust the amount of clothing you need to bring based on the trip you are attending. Here are some additional gear notes:-Our Advanced Crew participants need to bring their own tent to camp. Beginner Crew participants will share tents.-Everyone needs to bring two filled one-quart water bottles with them, and have the ability to carry at least two quarts of water in their backpack.-The weather for this upcoming weekend looks chilly, so pack a stocking cap and a couple of pairs of gloves.–The troop will be supplying hiking maps, as well as a couple of compasses per hiking group, but scouts are welcome to bring their own compass if they would like.-Please also pack a couple of masks.
Parents, while it’s your role to support your Scout, please remember that it’s a Scout’s job to pack his own backpack and assemble the food that he will need on the trek. This way, he will be familiar with the gear and food he is bringing, and where to find it in his pack.
Backpacking Camp is a great way to spend time with friends, enjoy the outdoors, and earn some hiking miles! If you have any questions about camp, please do not hesitate to talk to an adult leader.
