Equipment Lists
This page contains equipment lists for spring/summer/fall camping trips, fall backpacking trips and winter camping trips.
Car Camping Trips - Spring/Summer/Fall
This is is for trips with daytime temperatures down to 40° and nighttime temperatures down to 30°
Clothing
No cotton! All clothing must be synthetic!
Equipment
No cotton! All clothing must be synthetic!
- 2 pairs long pants
- 1 pair shorts
- 1 short sleeve shirt
- 1 - 2 long sleeve shirts
- 2 pair underwear
- Rain coat
- Rain paints (optional if no rain is in forecast)
- 2 - 3 pair wool socks
- Fleece jacket or pullover/wool sweater/puffy jacket (if weather is going to be cold or wet, bring two of these)
- 1 set long underwear (tops and bottoms)
- Hat
- Gloves
- Hiking boots or shoes (if weather is going to be cold or wet, bring two pair). All leather boots need heavy waterproofing.
Equipment
- Compass, knife, and matches
- 3 season sleeping bag (good down to 20°)
- Sleeping pad
- Day pack
- Water bottles (1 - 2 liter)
- Flashlight or headlamp
- Extra batteries
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Mess kit (plate, cup, fork/knife/spoon)
- Personal first aid kit
- Sun screen
- Spending money (if appropriate)
Backpacking Trips - Spring/Summer/Fall
This is is for trips with daytime temperatures down to 40° and nighttime temperatures down to 30°
Clothing
No cotton! All clothing must be synthetic!
Equipment
Optional Gear
No cotton! All clothing must be synthetic!
- 1 pair shorts or pants to hike in
- 2 t-shirts (short or long sleeve)
- 1 set long underwear (tops and bottoms)
- 1 pair warm pants (fleece or synthetic sweat pants)
- Fleece pullover, fleece jacket or puffy jacket
- Rain jacket
- Rain pants
- Warm hat
- 2 - 3 pairs of gloves and glove liners
- 2 - 3 pairs of wool socks
- Hiking boots (no sneakers). All leather boots need heavy waterproofing.
Equipment
- Compass, knife, and matches
- Backpack (needs to be big enough to carry personal gear plus a share of troop food)
- Pack rain cover or liner (this can be a plastic trash bag)
- Water bottles or hydration bladder (2 - 3 liters)
- Sleeping bag (good down to 20°)
- Headlamp or flashlight (bring extra batteries if needed)
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Mess kit (unless staying at AMC hut)
Optional Gear
- Sun hat
- Sun glasses
- Sunblock
- Camera
- Camp shoes
- Trekking poles
Winter Camping Trip
Note: No cotton clothing should be brought on winter trips. All clothing should be made of synthetic wicking materials.
Always check the weather forecast when you pack and again before your leave, and always remember it can be wrong. It’s most useful for deciding how warmly to dress and if there might be ANY chance of rain or wet snow. The colder or wetter, the better organized you and your pack need to be. No matter what the forecast, in winter bring everything listed below.
If your scout doesn’t have something below, consider adult items you might have, or check with others in the troop to see if you can borrow equipment. Better to have too much than too little, within reason.
Clothing
Equipment
Recommended but Optional Winter Gear
Emergency Equipement
Every person doesn't have to carry all of these, but there should enough amongst the group
One last tip for Parents
This information is presented to you to help you supply your son with the gear that he needs to camp comfortably in cold weather. Your son will be the one looking through his backpack or bag for the gear, so he has to know where it is. Every Scout should pack his own bag! That way he knows exactly which pocket his flashlight is in, or where to find his gloves, or if he even has a certain piece of gear.
Always check the weather forecast when you pack and again before your leave, and always remember it can be wrong. It’s most useful for deciding how warmly to dress and if there might be ANY chance of rain or wet snow. The colder or wetter, the better organized you and your pack need to be. No matter what the forecast, in winter bring everything listed below.
If your scout doesn’t have something below, consider adult items you might have, or check with others in the troop to see if you can borrow equipment. Better to have too much than too little, within reason.
Clothing
- 2 sets long underwear top and bottom
- 2 pair underwear
- Fleece pullover, sweater or vest. (This is worn as a midlayer. Bring two (one lighter, one heavier) if it is going to be very cold or wet.)
- Winter parka or puffy jacket that fits over other layers
- Insulated snow pants, or warm fleece pants with shell
- Fleece pants (or other non-cotten pants) to wear in the evenings.
- 100% waterproof rain jacket and pants. Big enough to fit over other layers.
- 2 warm hats that covers ears.
- 2 - 3 pr. warm mittens or ski gloves. One can be a light pair for dexterity. Gloves get wet quickly and are hard to dry out. Shelled mittens and gloves are better, but fleece is ok as second or third pair.
- 1 scarf or neck gaiter
- 3 - 4 pairs of warm socks. Tip: bring a couple of plastic bags to use as liners to protect your dry change of socks if your boots are soaked.
- Insulated winter boots or high-top waterproof hiking boots.
Equipment
- Full-size backpack. Winter gear takes up a lot of space – you need a bag big enough to carry it all.
- Mummy-style sleeping bag rated to 0° to -20° deg (warmer is better). Beefing up your mummy bag is possible: add a liner, a lightweight down summer bag, pin your parka across your chest, increase the padding under you, wear more dry clothes inside your bag, even slippers.
- Insulated sleeping pad (Note: this is needed even if staying in AMC hut)
- Water bottles (1 - 2 liter) (no Camelbaks in winter, their hose can freeze up)
- Snack foods – Lots! High energy = high calorie. Gorp, nuts, crackers, cheese and salami, granola bars, candy.
- Flashlight or headlamp and spare batteries
- Mess kit (Note: this is not needed if staying in AMC hut)
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Sunblock
- Handwarmers
Recommended but Optional Winter Gear
- Gaiters – to keep snow out of boots.
- Ski poles or hiking poles with baskets – very helpful with snowshoes when you get into one of those “awkward” situations.
- Slippers or booties (nice to have)
- Earplugs for hut (adults take heed)
- Smaill pillow and pillowcase (Note: pillow is not needed if staying in AMC hut)
Emergency Equipement
Every person doesn't have to carry all of these, but there should enough amongst the group
- Tarp or lightweight bivy sack
- Map
- Compass
- Whistle
- Knife
- First aid kit
One last tip for Parents
This information is presented to you to help you supply your son with the gear that he needs to camp comfortably in cold weather. Your son will be the one looking through his backpack or bag for the gear, so he has to know where it is. Every Scout should pack his own bag! That way he knows exactly which pocket his flashlight is in, or where to find his gloves, or if he even has a certain piece of gear.