Son about to embark on first cub camp - what advice to give?

valk_scot

Charity shops are a great source of Cub camping gear!

Also re torches...it's useful if you can get one that clips onto a lanyard, that way it can hang round their neck under their jacket when not in use on walks and games rather than fall out a pocket. Currently the kids have this, it's cheap and easy on batteries. Tesco are pretty good for basic camping gear btw, they do a not bad cheap rucksack. Just don't get the sleeping bag there, okay?

Spendless

Either get your child to pack their own bag, supervise them whilst they do it or at least show them where the items are in the bag. My son and his friends never fully unpacked their bags, even when sleeping in an inside dorm where there was more space than a tent, and we often heard on their return 'you never packed me a <whatever> only for it to be pointed out that yes, it was packed, it was there but you never looked far enough down or in the side pockets.

myonlysunshine

Wow I could have written this thread my son is currently on his first cub weekend camp this weekend....

We were really worried about him going, we said no to the last few trips because we didn't feel he was ready but you can say no so many times!!!

He has asthma but it is well controlled, and I don't want him to think having asthma stops your life and as long as he remembers to take his medication we have to trust him when we are not there..

I loved girl guide camps when I was younger I have such fantastic memories of campfire songs and great friendships that you can make in a few days with other kids , so we will happily spend a weekend with the phone glued to us and the car keys nearby so he can have the same fun :rotfl:

pigpen

pleasedelete wrote: »

Don't throw deodorant cans in the campfire. Tht was the highlight event of my sons 1st trip (he didn't throw I must add)

Or that is what he told you!! lol

valk_scot

Spendless wrote: »

Either get your child to pack their own bag, supervise them whilst they do it or at least show them where the items are in the bag. My son and his friends never fully unpacked their bags, even when sleeping in an inside dorm where there was more space than a tent, and we often heard on their return 'you never packed me a <whatever> only for it to be pointed out that yes, it was packed, it was there but you never looked far enough down or in the side pockets.

I used to pack bags with them but I also put the list in too. If it was ticked on the list it was in there somewhere, they just hadn't looked properly. I keep suggesting this to my incredibly absent minded OH but he gets grumpy when I do....then phones me up from work trips to ask me if he packed a such and such!

misswig

Just picked up my almost 9 year old from his cub camp. This time round the only toiletries I packed were his tooth brush and toothpaste which still havnt been used!!

I second packing the oldest, holiest clothes he has as thy will either get beyond filthy, wet or lost.

And pack plenty of cakes!!

swampduck

From my past experience as Brownie leader and cub scout leader - there are some children that still have a teddy at night. Providing it's a little one - tuck it into the bottom of his sleeping bag!

Swampy

Raksha

Send him with a wind up torch, or turn one of the batteries round in the torch to break the circuit. That way of it gets switched on by accident, it doesn't run the batteries down before camp even starts. Don't forget to make sure he knows how to take the torch apart to turn the battery back round.
Don't arrange a big family event for the next 24 hours as he will be asleep or like a bear with a sore head

swampduck

pleasedelete wrote: »

Don't throw deodorant cans in the campfire. Tht was the highlight event of my sons 1st trip (he didn't throw I must add)

This happened at a scout camp with us once ! Have you ever seen the trees around you dripping with foam? :eek:

Swampy

Savvy_Sue

Gees wrote: »

The only advice I would give, is don’t let him take anything that can’t be easily replaced, and to tell him to have a great time.

Ah yes, DS2 once took his Nintendo whatever it was, and was devastated that it went missing from his bag while his pack were out on activities.

I had warned him NOT to take it ...

sooty&sweep wrote: »

I know parents who would pack small sweets in between the layers of clothes and in the toiletry bag etc to be able to tell if the child ever got to that bit. The sweets often came back untouched

:rotfl: that's a good one, never thought of that.

sooty&sweep wrote: »

When I pack I often pack a complete set of clothes into a carrier bag i.e. socks pants trousers top etc so everything is together.

Had forgotten that I used to do that too: lay out a pair of trousers folded longways, put the t-shirt and sweatshirt on top, pair of pants and socks, then roll the whole lot up. One bag, complete outfit. Then a few spares of pants and socks in a separate bag for 'accidents'.

Spendless wrote: »

Either get your child to pack their own bag, supervise them whilst they do it or at least show them where the items are in the bag. My son and his friends never fully unpacked their bags, even when sleeping in an inside dorm where there was more space than a tent, and we often heard on their return 'you never packed me a <whatever> only for it to be pointed out that yes, it was packed, it was there but you never looked far enough down or in the side pockets.

:rotfl: ah yes, our last family holiday was the biggest we'd ever done, so packing was a massive operation. I stuffed swimming trunks, pants and socks into their spare shoes, but DS2 never found them so had to buy new pants. I should have insisted on searching his things, but he said he couldn't find them, so I trusted him!

Has reminded me of another thing I used to do, to teach them independence, I had a packing list for each of them, listing what clothes were needed, plus sun hat, cagoule, wellies, cuddly toy, books, cassette players and tapes (yes we're that old!) and so on. Would give each boy his list, and tell him to bring me what was on it, so I could pack it for them.

The first time I trusted DS1 to put his own things into his own bag, he 'forgot' to pack any trousers :rotfl: