Camping
Camping With Pack 309
Brevard County and Central Florida offer a unique and diverse outdoor experience for Cub Scouts and their families to enjoy. Camping, whether with the Pack or as part of a larger Riverside District or Central Florida Council event, affords our Cubs and Scouting families the opportunity to get out and explore the natural world while learning about and practicing Scouting principles.
Camping Season
Central Florida’s climate offers year-round camping opportunities, with mild winters and warm summers. Cub Scout camping season spans the cooler Autumn, Winter, and early Spring months.
Camp Out Duration
Cub Scout camp outs typically span the course of a single weekend. Campers arrive Friday evening to set up camp, enjoy a full Saturday of Cub Scout events and activities, and pack up Sunday morning.
Family Camping
Cub Scouts is a family affair! There’s nothing better than exploring nature’s beauty with the ones you love. While each Cub Scout must have at least one parent or legal guardian in attendance, Pack 309 encourages our Cubs to bring along parents, siblings, and close family members to share and participate in all the fun camp out activities!
Camping Facilities
Because Cub Scouts are just starting out on their camping journey, all camping events are of the “car camping” variety. Camp grounds allow for vehicles either at the camp site or very nearby (with drive-in for equipment drop-off and loading). Older Scouts in BSA Troops engage in a more rugged camping experience, but we keep it simple and comfortable for our Cubs and their families!
All campgrounds have dedicated restroom facilities either within each camp site or very near by for everyone’s comfort.
Camping Costs
Pack 309 wants our Cub Scouts and their families to have the best possible camping experience on every outing, so everything the Pack provides on camp outs is done so at or below cost. Camping is for fun, not for fundraising!
Each camp out has a small fee (typically less than $20 per camper, though the more expensive venues might have a higher fee) to cover the costs of campsite fees, water, and food for the weekend. The Pack operates a kitchen for the duration, and provides a light Friday dinner, full Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and a Sunday morning breakfast for all campers. Water and lemonade are always available, even morning coffee is provided!
Camping Gear - What to Bring
Camping gear can be intimidating, especially if you’re new to it. This is a list of the basics to help you get started, with a few optional “creature comfort” items thrown in. This list is not exhaustive – if you have other needs please follow the BSA motto and “Be Prepared”!
Tent
The first and most important thing you’ll need to sleep outside is something to sleep in. Weather in Central Florida is famously good, and just as famously unpredictable – the odd stray rain storm (or morning dew so heavy it might as well be rain), wind, and occasional curious wildlife makes sleeping in a tent a must.
There are a million good options for tents, but the Pack’s collective experience has revealed two important points to consider:
- Tents sleep half the number of people they claim to. A “four person tent” sleeps two comfortably, a “six person tent” sleeps three, etc. Consider the size of your typical camping party, double it, and that’s about the size of tent you’ll want.
- Simple is good. Winter camping means you might be setting up your tent in the dark. An early checkout time at a camp ground might need tents to be broken down and put away quickly. A simple, comfortable tent that’s easy to both put up and put away can make a camping trip easy and hassle-free.
Ground Fly
A tent keeps you dry from above, and a ground fly keeps you dry from below! The ground fly is a waterproof layer underneath the tent to keep any ground water from seeping in. Some tents come with one, but a tarp from the local hardware store or super center does the job just fine.
Sleeping Bag
Central Florida is known for warm weather, but overnight lows can be quite chilly! A good three-season sleeping bag will keep you comfortable on nearly all camping trips.
Sleeping Mat
A little bit of padding between your campers and the ground can make all the difference after a long day full of Scouting fun! The variety of options available ranges from simple foam pads to fold-able beds, but most seasoned Pack 309 campers go for an inflatable pad (this example has a built-in pump).
Flashlights and Lanterns
On a dark camp site, flashlights and lanterns are essential both for safety and for fun. Simple hand-cranked flashlights like these are excellent for Scout nighttime play (and parents don’t have to remember batteries), while a good lantern can light up a wide area (say, while setting up a tent in the dark!).
Sunscreen and Bug Repellent
Pack 309 wants our Cub Scouts and Scout families to come home from camp outs with happy memories and valuable life lessons, not sunburns and itchy bites. Sunscreen and bug repellent are a must in Florida’s natural spaces.
Water Bottles
Good hydration is absolutely critical to outdoor fun! The Pack provides water for all campers, bring something to put it in!
Camping Gear - Nice to Have
These items aren’t necessarily essential for a good camping experience, but they can bring a little more comfort to your temporary outdoor home.
Fans
A fan can provide welcome relief on a warm camping day, and even more on a warm camping night. A little air circulation in a tent goes a long way toward making happy campers. This one is rechargeable and has a light, perfect for tent use!
First Aid Kit
Sometimes bumps and scrapes happen in the wild. Pack 309 keeps a fully-stocked first aid kit at all camp outs that is available for anyone that needs it, but a little extra never hurts.
Batteries
Cub Scouts in the wild take only pictures and leave only footprints, and you will definitely want to take those pictures! And in our modern world that means keeping your phone or camera charged through the weekend. A little batter power can also come in handy for other rechargeable devices (like some flashlights, lanterns, and fans).
Many campers opt for a simple portable battery pack, and that’s plenty to keep them going through the weekend.
A few bring along portable power stations and solar panels to keep them charged. You’ll often find these charging around the Pack 309 camp site, so if you need a quick recharge just holler!