Camping with the Pack

Pack-Wide Camping Trip Information & Packing List

Locations: Pack 556 camps at various locations throughout Santa Clara County mostly, with some sojourns into neighboring Santa Cruz County.

Parking: Parking is often limited so when possible, carpool!  It's good for the environment, lower impact on the parks we visit and gives the scouts time to catch up on the drive!

Bathrooms: Most campgrounds have standard toilets and sinks in men’s and women’s restrooms and some even have showers! Light in most restrooms is minimal at night, so bring a headlamp/flashlight/lantern.

Water: Water can sometimes be non-potable, and if so the pack will haul in water. Please arrive with a full reusable water bottle.

Grounds: When we camp, we typically get group campsites with plenty of space! The scouts roam free and can be as loud as they wish. Campsites can vary so be ready to be on a little slope sometimes.  All the campsites we use have picnic tables, fire rings and even barbecue pits

Pets: Do not bring your pets.

Meals: Given the size of our pack, it would be impossible for each family or each den to cook meals separately. Therefore, the camping committee plans the meals and purchases the food centrally. We keep things simple –typically foil-pack meals for dinner where each person assembles their own and we have several “cooks” tending to them at the BBQ. Breakfast is often non-cooked items, such as bagels and muffins and oatmeal packets. The cost of the camping trip includes the meals.

Activities: If we have enough parents to plan and help, we can have projects and activities for a couple hours during the day. The cost of the camping trip includes the activities. There are plenty of other activities to do as well –carve sticks, go for short hikes, play in the recycled water, play on the playground, play capture the flag, etc. Scouts should be exploring nature and getting dirty. This is a great place to do it.

Campfire: We will have one big campfire for the whole pack. There are benches, but space is tight, so bring a chair. We typically have s’mores and this is a great opportunity for dens or families to perform skits. It’s not formal –anyone can get up and tell a joke or a story or do a skit.

Packing List: Because the pack centrally provides most things, your packing is relatively simple.

• Tent & tarp

• Sleeping pads, sleeping bags, pillows

• Flashlight/headlamp/lantern

• Water bottle (fill it with drinking water before you leave)

• Coffee mug (for tea, coffee, hot chocolate, to save on Styrofoam cup usage)

• Class-B tshirt, long pants, jacket for evening, good walking shoes

• Toiletries including small hand towel (to save on paper towel usage). Bathrooms are sometimes stocked with handwashing soap, sometimes not.

• Pocket knife for Bears & Webelos (if your scout is younger than a Bear, please do not bring a pocket knife)

• Folding chairs

• Scout handbook (you may work with your den to complete some requirements!)•

Pack Provided Items:

• Dinner and breakfast

• S’mores & limited snacks

• Cooking equipment

• Plates, bowls, utensils, napkins, cups

What not to bring:

• Alcohol is strictly prohibited during any scouting event, no matter your age

• Video games & other electronics (note: you likely won’t have cell reception)

• Bikes, scooters, skateboards