A Guide to Surviving Boy Scout Summer Camp as a Leader

Boy Scout Camp as a leader is a different experience than when you are a camper.  I went to plenty of summer camps as a Boy Scout.  They were all fun and I learned a lot.  I just made it back from my first Boy Scout Summer Camp as a leader.  It was definitely not the same experience I had as a boy. As a leader, I had lots more responsibility.  I’m also older, out of shape, and used to certain comforts to keep me happy.  To survive Boy Scout Summer Camp as a leader you must forget all of those.  It takes truckloads of patience, the will to keep moving no matter what. and the ability to trick your body into thinking it’s still 15 years old.  Otherwise forget it.  You won’t survive.

Preparation

As this was my first week-long campout with the Boy Scouts as a leader I was looking forward to Summer Camp.  I spend months thinking about what to bring, what to do, and how much fun I’d have.  I did have a leg up on the other leaders as I’d seen the campsite we were going to stay in before camp.  I’d also gone to the orientation and knew what I was going to be doing most of the week.

Since I’d see the samp site.  I knew I wanted to backlight as I would have to haul my stuff down a 100 yard fairly steep hill to the site.  So I backed with the minimum amount of clothing and stuff I figured I’d need to be comfortable for the weather we were supposed to have.  In hindsight, I should have packed more.  Lots more.  I forgot the first rule of camping.  Pack lots of extra socks.  Always pack a jacket, and have a backup plan for everything.  I’ll get to why this was so important.

Check-In and getting settled

As we arrived at the camp, we were greeted with a huge line of cars.  Waiting to get into camp.  It was an interesting sight.  Even though we made it to camp on time we didn’t actually make it into the camp for over 45 minutes.

Of course, once we got into camp that’s when we had to load everything into one vehicle to take it down to the campsite. Otherwise, it was over a 1/2 mile to camp.  Once we got to the top of the hill by the campsite, we unloaded the trailer and truck and everyone helped carry stuff down the hill into the campsite.

Seline Campsite

Our campsite was at least a 1/2 mile from the main camp entrance.  Not to mention 1/4 mile from the showers and dining hall.  Which honestly speaking isn’t bad unless you’re an out of shape leader.  The worst part was the dirt hill you had to go down to get into camp and go up to get out of camp.  This wasn’t too bad until the 3rd day of rain.  Then it became terrible and almost dangerous.

Short on tents

The biggest problem we had the first night was the camp overbooked the camp.  They had planned for 13 tents for 29 boys and 6 leaders.  As the tents are 10’x10’ this caused a huge problem for our troop and the leaders.  These tents barely fit 2 boys with cots and gear in them.  Little alone 3 boys.

The worst part is we didn’t know about this planning until after we’d set up the camp using all the tents on the site.  We found out at 9:30 PM when the other troop staying at our campsite showed up.  So all the leaders had to move their stuff around.  While the other Troop got shorted a few tents because there was no way to put 3 people in each of the 13 tents we were allowed to use.

Normally we’d have just brought our own tents but there are no flat spots on the site.  So every tent is on a raised platform.  Needless to say, I was lucky to have brought a tent just in case. However, it’s not fun staying on a hill in a small tent.  

First whole day

The first day was great.  The weather was cool, breakfast was good but small portions and I was energized to get down to the rifle range to help teach the Boy Scout Rifle Merit Badge.  Even with having sleep in my own small tent, things were looking good.

I fulling enjoyed helping with the rifle merit badge.  However, after dinner came the first true test of any leader.  Homesick kids.  We had one boy that just couldn’t handle everything being different.  This is where patience is a virtue.  After a long day of walking over 5 miles just getting to and from places.  To deal with a homesick boy that’s making himself physically sick over a missing toothbrush and missing his family.  It takes patience.  The worst is trying to decide if he’s truly sick or just homesick.  We ended up calling Dad and trying to find out what may be the problem.  Lucky for us Dad was understanding and let us try to keep him in camp and work on him dealing with his homesickness.

This boy was not the only homesick boy we had during camp.  Just the first one.  It’s funny how the more tired these boys get the more they want to go home.  Something to think about as a leader.  You have to make sure everyone gets enough sleep but also keeps busy enough not to get homesick.  It’s a fine line.  I have to say Our Scoutmaster did an amazing job with most of the boys keeping them on the right side of that line.

The Rain and Mud

Going into the week the weather report said highs in the upper 70’s, lows in the lower 60’s.  With a 40% chance of rain most days and 80% one day.  This is Nebraska so I planned on maybe getting a little wet one day.  I packed a raincoat and extra socks.  Figuring that should be enough.  Going to Boy Scout camp as a leader I should have known better. I didn’t.

The rain started the afternoon of the first day.  It then rained the first 4 nights, and every day until Thursday afternoon.  Tuesday and Wednesday were bad enough that I ended up driving home to get a pair of dry shoes.  My “waterproof” work boots were so wet my feet were prunes.

The whole camp was one giant mudslide, even on the gravel roads in camp.  The trails were slicker than a slip and slide, and the boys were all covered in mud.  I suspect some of them on purpose.  Even the shower houses were covered in mud from over 200 boys trying to clean the mud off each night before bed.  If the temperatures had been just a hair higher it would have been a lot of fun.  However, 70 degrees is not warm enough to be comfortable when soaking wet and covered in mud.

Walking for the out of Shape leader

Everywhere in camp was at least 1/8 mile away.  Many places were over a 1/4 mile. This meant by the first night my legs were sore.  My suggestion to any leader who wants to go to Boy Scout Camp starts walking a little bit every day for a few weeks before camp. You’re going to need to build up to walking 4-5 miles a day.  Lucky for me I had comfortable boots.  Too bad, they weren’t as waterproof as I’d hoped.

Don’t expect to relax

If you’re going to Boy Scout summer camp as a leader to relax.  Think again.  I volunteered to help with the rifle merit badge as they were short-handed and would have had fewer kids get the merit badge had I not helped.  This meant I spend my entire week from after breakfast to before dinner at the rifle range.  A few nights I even spend after dinner there.  Now, don’t get me wrong I had a great time.  Teaching Scouts rifle safety is why I got certified.  The problem is it left almost no time to relax.  Our Scoutmaster was even busier with training and meetings in the morning and tracking down “lost boys”  the rest of the time.  Going to Boy Scout Summer Camp as a leader means you spend your time making sure everything is going as smoothly as possible.  Even those things you can’t control.

Bring snacks or food

One of the secrets to surviving Boy Scout summer camp as a leader is having a full stomach.  You have enough to get upset about you don’t need to get hangry.  Of course, I forgot this little fact when I left for camp.  Figuring most camps serve enough food to keep even the biggest growing boy full.  Seems like this week was an off week for the kitchen staff.  There were no seconds, and the quality wasn’t even up to par with my son’s cooking.  Which by the way my son considers ketchup, sliced cheese and a piece of bread in the microwave good pizza.  So it says something when I would eat his cooking first.

My suggestion is all leaders bring something to eat just in case.  I realize that tent camping in the woods and food in tents is a bad plan.  Animals can smell food a long way away.  However, if need be keep some beef jerky in your car or whatnot.  Just in case you have to miss a meal like I did Thursday morning when the kitchen staff sleep in and only had sugar-coated cereal with little milk and yogurt for breakfast.

Things to make you More Comfortable

Even though I had to pack everything in there were a few things I brought to make my life easier and more comfortable.   These things helped make it easier to survive the Boy Scout Summer camp as a leader.  Of course, there was the standard cot, and  I like to sleep with a fan.

So the Coleman Tent Fan was great.  I was even impressed that the batteries lasted the whole week. I did bring extra batteries just in case.  I’m sure had it been any warmer I’d have needed them.

The other thing that made life easy was my battery pack for charging my phone.  As I own an iPhone that eats battery life when it doesn’t have a good signal my phone needed charging almost twice a day.  Granted I didn’t use my phone much but when I did get a chance to call home or one of the homesick boys needed it to call home.  It was charged.  This external battery bank charged my phone at least 8 times during the week and still had some charge left to it when I came home.  Well worth the extra weight in my pack just to make sure I have a phone when I need it.

Conclusion

Surviving Boy Scout Summer Camp as a leader is all about your mindset, and being prepared.  Of course this year I wasn’t as prepared as I should have been my mindset was OK.  It’s really hard to have “happy thoughts”  when you are wet, tired, and boys are whining.  However, next year I’m sure I’ll plan better and learn from my mistakes.  No matter what, I’m bringing 2 pairs of shoes.  At least 2-3 towels, and serious rain gear.  Whatever the forecast I’ll have more than one sweatshirt and a jacket.  I’m also going to bring a cooler of ice, and some snacks.  The long and short of everything is that the key to Boy Scout Summer Camp as a leader is a little creature comforts make everything else easier to deal with.