CAMPING 2

5. Prepare a camp menu for an overnight standing Patrol camp of at least seven Scouts covering two breakfasts, two lunches, and two suppers (some tinned food may be used). Make a food list for the Patrol. List the foods required for your menu that you can get from your local store with their prices.

For those who are new to all this here some basic ideas that I have learnt over the years. Firstly, your budget should be limited to a certain amount. The reason behind this requirement is not to go overboard and buy the most expense foods you can. Start with an amount per scout and try to plan a menu around this amount. When planning you menu it is important to plan meals that your patrol will enjoy and not just ones you do, also find out if anyone is unable to eat any such food substance for any reason. Its a good idea to send out the menu with the camp letter so parents can inform you about this or get the scouts to plan their own menu, which is the best case. Once you have a menu, you need to list the quantities of all the food items required to back your menu. How many apples for tea, how far will one chicken go? This is when experience comes into play. Ask you mom or you Scoutmaster or even an older scout. Different patrols tend to differ on this. Then its time to go to the shop and price the items. You will need to know the total cost before you can send out letters. The best is to make a menu for +- 6 scouts, take the total cost and divide it by 6. Then add on about 15% to that number to get the price for food per scout that will leave you safe. If you now get 8 its just a matter of adding in a few more items of food.

For an example checkout this link!

6. At an overnight standing Patrol camp:
a) Assist in the preparation of the camp programme.

Camp Program

Day 1
17:45 Arrive at camp and unpack transport
18:00 Setup site
19:00 Start Supper
19:30 Eat Supper/clean-up
20:30 Stalking
21:30 Coffee around the fire
22:30 Lights Out

Day2
7:00 Rise and Shine
7:15 Breakfast/Clean-up
8:00 Inspection
8:15 Compass Trial setup by PL
8:45 Pioneering project
12:30 Start Lunch
13:00 Lunch/clean-up
13:45 Swimming with ASM (has Water Charge)
16:00 Start the fire
16:45 Prepare food
17:20 Start cooking
18:00 Eat Supper/clean-up
20:00 Have Campfire
21:15 Wide Game
22:15 Coffee around fire
23:00 Lights Out
Etc

b) Lay out the campsite according to the principles in (1) above.

c) With another Scout, pitch a Patrol tent, or build a shelter, taking into consideration the weather and terrain. Strike and pack the tent, or dismantle the shelter. Know how to take care of tents, including the correct storage of tents between camps.

When pitching a tent remember your campsite layout and the direction of the wind. It is important to pitch your tent on flat ground with a slight slope (therefore the run will not collect over long camps) and not under trees. Branches can fall and damage the tent or injure a scout. If it rains never, touch the side of the tent, as water will come in. When striking a tent never stand on it and make sure all pegs are removed before lower it, as these could cut hole in it. Different tents have different ways of pitching and striking, but the basics are all the same: pegs at an angle of 60 degrees and main guys at 45 degrees. The Scout trail has information available on pg 48 - 50.

With regard to the shelter use your own ideas, but remember these few ideas: The smaller the shelter the better, therefore no bigger than a two man. The angle of the wall should be as high as possible. A shelter made from natural material will not always keep out all the water, but if the angle is high, the water will have reached the ground before it get through. Cover the ground with dry materials, as the ground is cold, keep you feet, hand and head covered to keep in as much warmth as possible. A good book is the Veldlore Veldcraft book.

d) While camping, cook all meals for yourself for twenty-four hours to the satisfaction of the examiner. Raw ingredients must be used in cooking the meals. (For this requirement, it is acceptable for the candidate to take charge of the kitchen, in cooking the meals for the whole Patrol, with the help of other Scouts, but under his overall supervision.)

Checkout the cooking section of Resources for some ideas and receipes.

e) Make a comfortable bed on the ground and sleep in it overnight. Use a groundsheet, padding of clothes, rucksack, grass, straw, hiphole etc.

When making a bed in a tent, make sure you never sleep with your head down hill. Your bed should be made in a way to maximise room in the tent. Start by putting down a ground sheet, this will stop the dampness from coming up. Then place your mat if you have one (roll up mat can be bought from Checkers, Game and others), these help to keep you warm and make the sleep a little more comfortable. Then place your sleeping bag and pillow. This hep hole that is talked about is for those who sleep on their side. Dig a little hole that your hip will fit into and then place you groundsheet, etc down.

f) While in camp show the right way to:
i. store your food and gear against heat, animals, insects, and wet in bad weather;
ii. dispose of refuse and maintain correct hygiene standards.
iii. take precautions against the spread of fires.

Food should be stored in a tent off the ground. A camp fridge can be made or a cooler box works better (it good to know both, but as BP said: Only a tenderfoot scout roughs it). Cover all food in containers and keep lids closed; this will prevent items like sugar from going hard in wet weather. A kitchen on camp should always be clean and scouts should not be allowed to do anything until the kitchen is clean.

Leftover food can be offered to the farmer for his dogs or put into a dry pit (a hole for left over food that is covered with soil). Wastewater should be poured down a wet pit (a hole cover with a catch to stop not liquid items and oil, this should be put in plastic to be carried out) over long camps or splashed over a bush away from the kitchen on overnight camps.

The precautions for fires are mainly basic sense, but for when basic sense evades us, here they are: Never leave a fire unattended. You should have a fire notice (explains what to do incase of a fire), a bell, buckets felled with soil and water, a spade and beaters on hand. You should clear the area around a fire to prevent it from catching anything. Never make a fire under tree or make them to big. Never ever, pour a flammable substance onto a open flame. Petrol or oil should never be used on a fire. Never pour water onto a fire burning oil or petrol, as the oil/petrol will just float on it. Fire is a dangers thing, but if you follow the precautions, it is safe to use.

g) Make three camp gadgets in camp and use them.

When making a gadget, think of what would make your life in camp more comfortable. There is no reason to ever make a weather rock, except that it�s funny. Items like a camp chair or washbasin holder are gadgets that actual have a purpose on camp. The same goes with an item like a foot scrapper, why not just use a rock or stick and any way you should take your shoes off when entering a tent.

For ideas on camp gadgets read the veldlore camping / cooking books or visit the SASA web page: Camp gadget.

7. Have camped under canvas or in the open as a Scout for a total of not less than twelve nights (not necessarily continuous).

If you have any other question relating to the topic or any ideas to share please fell free to contact the webmaster at: [email protected]

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