Welcome to the Powhatan District Cub Scout Camping resources page. Here you will find lots of information and guidance to help you plan and run fun and exciting camping events for your Cub Scouts!
The lore of native Americans, notion of adventure, and the values of conservation all come together in Scouting’s outdoor program. In planning camping adventures for your Pack or Den, you are participating in a tradition that goes back to Scouting’s roots. The fun and practicality of the camping experience for Scouts is captured in the following notable quotes, one by author Rudyard Kipling, who had early ties with the Scouting program, and the other by Scouting’s founder Lord Baden Powell.
It was in the days when Baloo was teaching him the Law of the Jungle. The big, serious, old brown bear was delighted to have so quick a pupil, for the young wolves will only learn as much of the Law of the Jungle as applies to their own pack and tribe, and run away as soon as they can repeat the hunting verse…But Mowgli, as a man-cub, had to learn a great deal more than this…The boy could climb almost as well as he could swim, and swim almost as well as he could run; so Baloo…taught him the wood and water laws.
Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Books
Camping is the joyous part of a Scout’s life. Living out in God’s open air, among the hills and the trees, and the birds and the beasts, and the sea and the rivers – that is, living with nature, having your own little canvas home, doing your own cooking and exploration – all this brings health and happiness such as you can never get among the bricks and smoke of the town.”
Robert Baden-Powell, Scouting for Boys, 1932
And yet a third author, Horace Kephart, often called the Dean of American Camping, perfectly expresses what we seek as our approach to life in camp:
Let me not be misunderstood as counseling anybody to “rough it” by sleeping on the bare ground and eating nothing but hardtack and bacon. Only a tenderfoot will parade a scorn of comfort and a taste for useless hardships. As Nessmuk says: “We do not go to the woods to rough it; we go to smooth it – we get it rough enough in town.” But let us live the simple, natural life in the woods, and leave all frills behind.
Horace Kephart, Camping and Woodcraft, 1917
BSA BALOO Training Guide for Pack Overnighters and Webelos/AoL Den Camping
If we are going to go camping we need to be prepared! That takes a fair amount of planning. The most comprehensive guide to planning pack overnighters and Webelos/AoL den camping is found in the BSA BALOO guide:
These are the appendices to the guide to BALOO – Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation – training you should take before you plan and lead your first pack overnighter or Webelos/AoL den campout. The guide covers BSA policies and administration, health and safety, gear, activities, menu planning and more. This document should be your first stop for information and how-to basics. And you should take BALOO Training! The Powhatan District offers BALOO training in October each year. Check the Powhatan website for the location dates, and the registration page.
List of Campsites for Pack Overnighters
To help ensure that our Cub Scouts’ ealiest camping experiences are filled with happy moments, and not frustrations or misery, pack overnighters are restricted to specific campsites that have amenities such as plumbing and flush toilets. The list of Council pack overnighter sites, and a checklist of amenities for pack overnighter campsites, are here:
It’s strongly recommended that Webelos/Arrow of Light den overnighters (if not part of a pack-troop joint event at which the troop is host and picked the campsite) be from this list as well. Beyond pack overnighters, District Cub camping events, including District-sponsored family camping and Webelos-Rees, are held at properly equipped campsites, as are Council resident camps.
Also, note carefully that a “lock-in” type of event, such as an overnight event sponsored by a professional baseball team, or at a museum, or on an historic vessel, is not considered a pack overnighter and is perfectly fine to attend.
Covid Virus Safety Precautions
Pack overnighters and Webelos/Arrow of Light den camping must be conducted in accordance with state and local Covid safety restrictions, Council Covid safety restrictions, and with the approval of your pack’s chartered organization. The State of Virginia’s current Covid restrictions can be found here:
State of Virginia Covid Safety Restrictions
BSA Medical Forms, Risk Factor Certification, and Activity Consent Form
You will need to have on hand at your campouts a copy of the A/B parts of the BSA medical form for each Scout and Leader. If you are camping more than 72 hours (resident camp), you will also need Part C, which requires completion of a physical exam. These medical forms are here:
For Council resident camps, an additional Risk Factor Certification must be completed:
For all events, including camping, you should require an activity consent form, with an authorization signature for the Cub Scout or Leader to participate. The BSA activity consent form is here:
In addition to the information requested on this form, you might want to require submission of medical insurance policy information, in case of emergency.
Note BSA’s policy concerning medication: Taking of medication is the sole responsibility of the individual for whom the medication is intended and/or his/her parent/guardian. It is not the responsibility of BSA or its volunteer leaders.
You should also carry with you a copy of BSA’s Guide to Safe Scouting, available here:
First Time Camping Guide, First Aid and Campfire Guides
Here is a very useful, friendly guide to camping for first-timers!
Here is some basic first aid information:
We strongly recommend at least one leader at the pack overnighter or Webelos/Arrow of Light den campout be certified in first aid. One place where you can register for certified first aid training courses is Campaign Pay It Forward:
Campaign Pay It Forward
And some campfire basic information:
Outdoor Ethics
Outdoor ethics has always been an important part of the Scouting experience. We carry into the woods with us an obligation to conserve resources, be a friendly and helpful camper, to prevent fires and other damage, and to leave our campsites better than we found them. Here are some Outdoor Ethics resources:
- National Park Service Leave No Trace video
- Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics
- BSA’s Outdoor Ethics Website
- Powhatan District Outdoor Ethics Website
- NCAC Outdoor Ethics Committee
Interfaith Worship Service
Do not forget a Scout is Reverent! Below is an inter-faith worship service you can use on your campouts:
BALOO Recipes
What’s camping without food? Meals should be tasty, nutritious, and practical to prepare in camp on a stove or campfire. Much of your campout planning will center on food, cooking equipment, and clean-up. What can you eat in a campsite? Lots! To get you started, here are the recipes used at this year’s BALOO training:
Internet Access Directions
As a handy reference, here are directions for accessing BSA on-line training, internet advancement, internet re-chartering, reporting service hours, acquiring the BSA activity consent form, and acquiring the BSA medical form: