Scout Equipment List

Seasonal Guidelines for sleeping bags 

Choosing Ground Insulation (sleeping pad)

Choosing a tent 

Before purchasing a tent, try it out at the store to check space, protection, and weight.

Space: Tents are rated for the number of sleepers, usually assuming no gear inside and smaller, rather friendly climbers. Is there sufficient head and foot room? How vertical are the walls? The steeper the walls, the greater the interior usable space. Is it easy to go in and out of the door(s)? Does each side have a door? How easy is the tent to set up?

Protection: Summer in the Sierra, autumn in the Alps, or winter in the Cascades? Will the shelter need to withstand above-timberline wind or heavy snowfall? A four-season tent implies more protection.

Weight: What does it really weigh? Break out the scale since manufacturers are notoriously optimistic. With two-person, four-season tents weighing from 3.3 to almost 10 pounds (1.5 to 4.5 kilograms), a tent can be the heaviest piece of gear in the pack. Ultralight two-person tents can weigh as little as 1.3 pounds (600 grams), and tarps, much less. Tents often list a “minimum

weight” (excluding stakes, stuff sacks, instructions, etcetera), and a “packaged weight,” which includes everything. Use “minimum weight” for comparisons.

Equipment List