I am a Den Leader just finishing our Webelos I year, and giving some advice to Webelos who will just begin camping with Boy Scouts. In the next two months we actually have three different camping opportunities (Webelos Woods, a Pack overnight, and a Council weekend w/ family), so I am putting together a weekend camping list for the boys - based upon what is given in the Boy Scout Handbook and also upon what I've found in dozens of on-line Troop packing lists. Obviously not all of the things on the list will be needed as a Webelos though, and much of it will be accumulated over time.

We seem to have lots of troops in the area (6 or more) that we'll be camping with next year, so we'll learn a lot next year.

Over the last two years I have been teaching the boys (and parents) what to do if they get lost outdoors (or indoors for that matter). I went through some of the Hug a Tree and Survive materials with them (no one in our area to make the official presentation) . I tried to emphasize that even in our relatively suburban area there are plenty of areas where a boy could get lost, and that it can and does happen.

We put together little fanny packs with a large heavy orange plastic bag (and instructions/demo on how to tear a hole for their face), a whistle on a wrist band, and a small LED light. The main focus was to stay calm, stay put, stay warm & dry (orange bag), and to make yourself as "findable" as possible (thus the orange bag & whistle). The lights were available at very low cost so I added them as a comfort factor in case of darkness.

The boys are asked to bring their survival packs whenever we will have an activity in a park or rural area. They really like the kits, so they usually bring them.

Through the last few years we also made small Cub Scout-level first aid kits. We started by focusing on the boy treating themself rather than others. The kit included soap, bandaids, tweezers, antibiotic ointment, and sting-swabs. This year we added latex gloves, 3" gauze pads, and a small roll of adhesive tape.

Through the years we also played several games using compasses. We started by playing a pin the tail on the donkey type game using a compass with the boy covered by a sheet (the fog rooolls in). The boy would get a chance to take a bearing on a target on a wall (initially with LOTS of help from an adult), then he'd be covered with a sheet, and spun around in place. The task is to "box the needle" and use the compass to find the right direction and place a Post-it with his name on it on the wall. We always walked with them to make sure they didn't go headfirst into the wall. It was lots of fun and they got the idea fairly quickly. We've repeated this game each year since then.

Last year we ran a small three or four very short run orienteering type course where we gave them bearings and paces and let them follow the course. They had lots of fun.

While we've discussed maps of all kinds (school layout, street maps, satellite photographs, topo maps - both paper and on-line) and even GPS's, we haven't yet put the maps together with the compasses yet. Maybe next year.

As for the pocketknives, all of the boys in my Den have earned their Whittling Chip card, which gives them the right to carry a pocketknife to designated Cub Scout functions - with the approval of their parents. Right now my recommendation has been to stick to the official Boy Scout Pocketknife or a similar SAK.