The outdoor essentials are just what the name implies. A few things a Scout (or anyone else) should have available when venturing into the outdoors. They will be listed in his handbook which makes a handy checklist when packing for a trip.
- Pocketknife: The classic Scout Pocketknife is a fine knife and a pretty good value. Most simple pocket knives (you may have one around the house) will allow your Scout to learn the essential Scout knife skills of safety, care, and sharpening. Avoid serrated blades as they are not appropriate for the new Scout.
- First Aid Kit: A personal first aid kit is a simple selection of items to help treat minor injuries and keep them from becoming serious infections. The handbook includes protective equipment for performing CPR. That may be a bit much for a brand new Scout who may not know CPR yet. The Troop should also have a more significant first aid kit for more serious injuries. Your Scout can probably gather adequate first aid supplies from your home and collect them in a ziploc bag. If you prefer, there are many commercial kits available.
- Extra Clothing: You should not need to buy anything special here. Scouts should have a change of outdoor clothes in case they get wet or otherwise need to change. They can wear the same kind of clothes they would wear for an extended day outside. It is important that Scouts have clean dry clothes for sleeping. Sleeping clothes can be as simple as shorts/t-shirt or sweats in cooler weather. (The exception may be outdoor winter camping, but hopefully your new Scout isn't doing this right away.)
- Rain Gear: Your Scout may be able to use an older rain coat (think rain = mud) especially if it is long enough to go down to his legs. It is best to be able to at least keep the entire torso dry, from the head down to about mid thigh. A simple poncho is probably the best bet for a young Scout. I prefer rain suits (jacket/pants) but a young Scout will outgrow them in a hurry. Avoid the trash bag thickness throwaways (sometimes called emergency), a heavier vinyl poncho should hold up with reasonable care and is inexpensive to replace if damaged.
- Water Bottle: Dehydration is one of the biggest problems for young Scouts. Just about any water bottle (even the bottled water type) can work to get your Scout started. There are a large variety of bottles available, if you want to buy something, keep it simple with a wide-mouth (easier to clean), unbreakable water bottle. Another challenge with water bottles is carrying them. Without a good method for carrying it will get lost and be useless. If your Scout wears a belt a small carabiner works nicely, he may also be able to fit it into a cargo or jacket pocket. There are also a variety of carriers available for purchase.
- Flashlight: Young Scouts really like flashlights, the bigger the better. Functionally, they really don't need much light and they tend to over use them. As long as it is reasonably water resistant, just about any flashlight will do and this is another item you may already have in the house. If you need to buy one, I suggest a small, inexpensive LED flashlight. Headlamps, which allow hands free use, are very popular. Instead of extra batteries and bulbs, I simply carry two inexpensive flashlights in my pack.
- Trail Food: Check with your Scout or leaders to make sure trail food or snacks are not already on the menu for their trips. If not, consider mixing your own trail mix from grocery store ingredients and putting in ziploc bags. GORP (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts) are a good start and you can add cereals, chocolate (m&ms), and pretzels to mix things up. Mixing your own also allows you to exclude any foods that might be an allergy problem such as peanuts. If you don't want to mix there are many prepacked trail foods available online or at your local stores.
- Matches and Fire Starters: A small box of stick matches in a ziplock bag will suffice. There are special canisters for matches, but make sure you include part of the striker or it will be difficult to get the matches to light. Dryer lint makes an excellent fire starter as do cotton balls dipped in vaseline.
- Sun Protection: This not only includes sun screen, which you need for most any outdoor activities but a good hat. Some Troops may include sunscreen as crew gear which is more cost effective than each Scout buying a personal bottle of sunscreen. A baseball style hat provides decent protection for the face but can leave the ears exposed which tend to get sunburned after long hours in the sun. A brimmed hat provides more complete protection.
- Map and Compass: While clearly an outdoor essential, a new Scout probably doesn't know how to use a compass to find his way if he becomes lost. You may be able to postpone this purchase until the Troop plans compass training. There are many styles of compasses, you want something that looks like this starter compass with a flat, clear acrylic body and rotating dial. There are many variations and prices of this basic style, most of the additional features won't matter much for basic navigation. A lanyard (string) helps prevent loss. For purely sentimental reasons, a Scout logo compass might be worth a few extra dollars.
Once prepared for the great outdoors, your Scout will be ready for Cabin Camping.
