While most troop camping in central Texas doesn't involve the risk of bears like trips to New Mexico, Colorado, and Minnesota, Troop 157 strives to abide by the Outdoor Code, which states, that as Americans, we'll do our best to:

• to be clean in my outdoor manners,  

• be careful with fire,  

• be considerate in the outdoors,  

• and be conservation-minded. 

Following these simple guidelines ensures that we'll have fun, safe adventures in the outdoors. Below are some more details on how we make that happen. Is something missing? Talk with the Troop Webmaster to get additions to this page.

LOOKING FOR CANOEING TIPS? THEY ARE AT THE BOTTOM!

We're rarely in bear territory, but usually in the domain of racoons and ants. The best ways to ensure avoiding trouble with either include:

• All food is stored in coolers or closed dry boxes. 

• NO FOOD goes into tents - ever. 

• Patrols plan out their menus at shakedown meetings, grubmasters purchase the food, and the patrol cooks it. No snacks or extra food should come from home by individuals. Often, it causes problems with sharing and storage with personal gear in tents.

• Dining is family style. Prepare the food and everyone eats at once. Eating as it comes off the griddle generally leads to issues about food equity.

• KP (Kitchen Patrol) – happens immediately after each meal. Individuals are expected to "lick their own plate clean" and those assigned KP duty for that meal clean the patrol gear plus the nearly clean individual gear using the standard KP three bucket process.

Part of being clean in your outdoor manners is keeping a clean campsite at all times. 

• Set-up – when we know there will be wet/windy/sunny weather, patrols should plan to put up a tarp to protect their chuckbox and provide a place to cook and eat. The troop has materials in the trailer. 

• Troop Gear – Chuckboxes and stoves have legs. Use them. Tents have bags, when not in use, they should be in the tent, not blowing around in the mud. 

• Personal Gear 

  • • Again, no need to bring personal food/beverages 

    • Electronics - Camping is one of the few times/places we get to unplug. Try it!

      • Troop Phone Policy - For years the policy was that phones stay in cars during campouts. As phones among scouts has become more ubiquitous, more parents want to be able to contact their scout. We want to encourage our scouts to enjoy their time outdoors and take full advantage of it -- not tethered to their phone playing the same games or scrolling the same endless feed that they could be doing at home.
        
        The troop needs parents to encourage this as well so that phones can stay in cars or out of site in tents -- not as a distraction from being engaged in activities while camping. This applies to troop meetings too.
        
        

Also, if a scout has an issue at a campout they can obviously tell their parents at home, but need to prioritize telling their Patrol Leader, Senior Patrol Leader, or onsite adults for the fastest resolution. Situations have happened where a scout contacted their parents, who then tried to contact an onsite adult (cell coverage can vary greatly at some of the places we camp), wasting valuable time when the scout should have just talked with leadership onsite first.

• THERE IS NO NEED FOR tablets, laptops, or gaming platforms at troop campouts. Please do not send them or allow scouts to bring them. 

• Tent (don't forget stakes and the rain fly) If you/your scout hasn't earned the First Class Rank yet, they'll be in a troop tent with other scouts in their patrol. They'll get these tents ready at the shakedown meeting on the Monday before the campout.

• Sleeping bag, pad and/or blanket

  • Keys to sleeping warm when it's cold: wear a warm hat, change into clean, dry sleeping clothes, if you don't have a sleeping pad, a blanket helps insulate from the ground

  • Keys to sleeping cool when it's warm: bring a cotton sheet to lay over a sleeping bag (vs laying on a nylon sleeping bag). Roll up flaps on tents to encourage a breeze.

• Clothing

  • Class A Uniform (wear to and from the campout, at flags)

  • Extra clothes based on weather. It's always nice to put on a clean t-shirt if it's been a sweaty day or have another layer if it gets chilly.

  • Good sturdy shoes - hiking boots and/or tennis shoes (Crocs are for going from a tent to the bathroom. That's about it. Flops are only for in a shower, not around the campsite.) Don't wear shoes that you need for going to school on Monday -- sometimes they come back wet/muddy.

  • Warm clothes (shorts by day, jacket, warm hat  -- even warm days can have cool evenings)

• Rain jacket (always -- good for a windbreak too)

• Hat with a brim for sun

• Toiletries

• Cup/spork/bowl for eating

• Water bottle (with water!)

• Small pack for carrying water bottle, sunscreen, etc. for hiking around

• Flashlight, extra batteries

• Scout Handbook (always!)

• Pocketknife (especially if taking the Totin Chip safety class)

• Camp chair (optional)

Pack your gear in a backpack or duffle bag. We're trying to get away from using footlockers for weekend campouts. Save them for summer camp. 

TROOP/PATROL GEAR

• Tents for scouts under First Class Rank

• Chuckboxes (pots, pans, utensils, spices, cleaning supplies)

• Dutch ovens

• Gas stoves, propane

• Water Jugs

• Tarps/poles for building a cooking shelter

One last thing -- the T157 tradition is that if you go camping, at the Monday meeting after the campout you can wear a Class B t-shirt instead of the Class A uniform.  

LOGISTICS FOR PADDLING THE WILBARGER PADDLE TRAIL ON THE COLORADO RIVER