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Step 1: Ask the girls to determine where their experience level falls on this list:
- Look Out: wonder what the world at our doorstep is like
- Meet Out: see, listen and enjoy nature sites and sounds
- Move Out: walk around block to see what you can find
- Explore Out: walk with a purpose. Follow trail signs and learn how to be safe outdoors
- Cook Out: select safe place for a campfire and prepare a one pot meal
- Sleep Out: prepare for a overnight close to home
- Camp Out: choose campsite, plan equipment, pitch a tent
- Travel Out: plan trip, budget, use map or compass
The girls' experience level will determine what type of trip they are ready for. A hike around where you meet with your troop? A cookout in a local park? Are you going to cabin camp or tent camp? In your back yard, at Camp Pisgah, or at another campsite?
Are the girls ready to learn the skills for a more advanced outdoor event? What training do they need? When and how will they get it?
Step 2: Put the girls to work planning the event. It is easy for leaders to do it all, but the girls need the opportunity to develop the leadership skills that come with trip planning. They will be more responsible and more receptive to getting things done when they have been the ones to plan the activities.
The girls can plan
- when and where to go
- what to do; what to take
- what to eat and how to purchase, store, and cook it
- kaper charts to spread the work evenly
- what behavior is acceptable (talking all night?)
- for special needs (allergies, mobility issues, dietary needs and religious preferences)
- how to pack, carry, and keep up with their own gear
- what new skills they need to learn (pitching tents, cooking methods, clean-up or spending a night away from home!)
Step 3: Cross your "t's" and dot your "i's"
- Fill out necessary forms and have them approved by Council staff
- Have Troop Camper and First Aid person at event at all times
- Have all permission slips and health history signed and copies made for leader and other adults anytime you go on an outing away from your regular meeting place
- Have copies of the itinerary for all parents and an emergency contact person who will start a phone chain in case of emergency
- Have an emergency plan in place prior to taking trip
- Check to see if area has cell phone service or regularly phone lines to make a call if there is an emergency
- Add extra insurance if needed
What Will You Need?
Once you've made some decisions about your camping trip, you and your troop will have to decide what you're going to need.
When planning what you'll need, consider this:
- supplies/clothing for planned activities
- time of the year/weather
- group size
- length of trip (more than two nights? Contact the service center for extra insurance.)
- special tools for cooking methods you're planning
- keeping your food cool and away from animals
- Health and Safety equipment (permission slips, health history, first aid kit, emergency numbers)
- equipment for shelter and sleeping
- how to secure your valuables (it's better to leave them at home)
- how will you transport all these items?
In the course handout, you will find some suggestions for helping the girls plan what they need to take on a camping trip. You'll also find suggested packing lists for personal and group gear and a Quick-Check Planning Sheet to remind you of all the details.
Let's Review:
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