If you’re wanting to earn the Eagle-required Camping merit badge, you’re in the right place! In this guide, I’ll be providing you with all of the answers that you’ll need to complete your merit badge worksheet. In the process, you’ll also build a lifelong understanding of outdoor techniques to prepare you for any backpacking trek or campout!
You’ve reached part 2 of my ultimate guide to the Camping merit badge! If you’re new to ScoutSmarts, you should first check out part 1 for the answers to requirements 1-4 of the Camping merit badge.
If you’ve just come over from part one, congratulations! You’re halfway done. Once you finish this badge, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge needed to safely and comfortably camp in almost any situation. Give yourself a big pat on the back. 🙂 It’s time to get back into it! Take a minute to closely review and think through requirements 5-10 of the Camping merit badge:
An important part of being prepared is making sure to pack the right amount of clothing to remain comfortable in any environment. Being too cold on a campout is the worst! On the other hand, you don’t want to overpack and need to carry all that heavy gear around. In this section, I’ll be teaching you the best items to pack for both cold and warm campouts!
In warm, sunny environments, I’d recommend packing the following articles of clothing:
Personally, whenever I go camping, I always bring a wide-brimmed hat, a light jacket, a rain jacket, and a pair of extra warm socks. These are items that I find myself using practically every time — regardless of whether the campout is in warm or cold weather! Speaking of cold weather…
In cold, windy environments, I’d recommend packing the following articles of clothing:
During cold campouts, you’ll obviously need more than just a t-shirt to stay warm. This is why the beanie, socks, and gloves are so useful! In most cases, your body’s warmth will escape from your head, hands, and feet. So, having these articles of clothing will help you to trap in heat. Another way to trap heat close to your body is called layering.
Layering means wearing multiple articles of clothing over each other so that you can achieve the right level of warmth. For example, wearing a t-shirt, light jacket, hoodie, and then a waterproof snow jacket over all of that would be considered layering!
Layering can help you to keep warm because your body will heat the inner layers, and you’ll be insulated from the cold by the outside layers. You can even remove or add clothing if you begin to overheat or get too cold. Basically, layering is a great way to easily and precisely control your body’s temperature! 🙂
When determining the right footwear to take on a camp, the main thing you should consider is the environment you’ll be heading into. Does the weather report predict rain? How cold will it get at night? Will it be sunny so that my shoes can dry if they get wet? These are all very important questions to ask yourself when choosing the right camping footwear!
When deciding on what footwear you’ll pack for camp, I’d highly suggest speaking to your Patrol Leader, SPL, or Scoutmaster and asking them their opinion. It’s likely they’ve been on the camp before, and can give you some great pointers! To serve as a general guideline though, below are the best types of footwear for different weather conditions:
Another thing to consider when choosing the right footwear is the type of physical activity your troop will be doing. Will you be running, playing sports, or hiking? If so, you’ll need supportive shoes that can stand up to these tasks. I don’t know what your troop will be doing, so seriously, talk to your Scoutmaster to hear what they recommend. 😉
Failing to choose the right footwear is one of the biggest mistakes that inexperienced campers make. If you’re looking to buy a new pair of footwear for Scouting, there are some key things you must know! To learn more, check out my Complete Guide To Choosing Scouting Footwear.
Keeping your equipment properly cared for will prolong its usability and save you a lot of money in the long run! Proper care means emptying, cleaning, washing, and drying your gear following each campout. After your gear has been cleaned, it should be stored dry and out of direct sunlight, in an area free of pests.
Quick tips when caring for camping gear:
Outdoor essentials can vary based on the nature of your camping environment. Once you’ve been camping for some time, you’ll have a better sense of what equipment you commonly use and what to bring. However, the BSA says that 10 essentials should always be on your packing list. These items are known as the 10 Outdoor essentials. Here they are:
I don’t want this article to be too long, as you probably already have a pretty good idea of what gear you take along to campouts. However, for a complete checklist of my favorite 21 essentials to bring camping (and some additional items to impress your friends), check out my Essential Scout Camp Packing List!
If you’ve read the previous sections along with part 1 of my guide to the Camping merit badge, by now you should be prepared for an overnight campout. Pack your bag according to the above checklist, look sharp wearing your class-A uniform, and get ready for an amazing camping trip! You’re ready. 🙂
In this day and age, there are thousands of brands and varieties of tents out there. However, almost all tents can be grouped into 1 of 4 categories based on their shape. Here are the 4 different types of tents: A-Frame tents, Pyramid tents, Hoop tents, and Dome tents. In this section, I’ll be explaining each of the 4 tent types in a bit more detail!
Tents should be pitched away from places where water may pool, in areas clear of roots and sharp sticks. Make sure to never pitch your tent under dead or dry trees, as in heavy winds branches could fall and injure you. After a camp, tents should be cleaned, fully dried, and stored in a cool environment until their next use.
An important part of camping is properly caring for your tent after you’re all finished. Remember, you’ll need to sleep in your tent again on the next campout, so you want to make sure it’s kept in great condition!
To keep your tent in great condition, here are a few keys to keep in mind:
After a while, your tent may become so dirty with sap, mud, and gunk that it may require a more complete clean. No worries! I’d recommend watching the quick video (1:52) below to learn how to conduct a thorough cleaning of any tent:
Being able to properly care for your tools isn’t just an important skill for camping — It’ll help you throughout the rest of your life as well! Proper tent maintenance will save you a lot of money and headaches in the long run, so make sure you do this step right. 🙂
What does the Scout Law teach us? A Scout is clean! Camp sanitation is important in preventing foodborne illnesses and insect infestations. Unsanitary camp conditions can lead to consuming spoiled food, which may result in indigestion, food poisoning, or diarrhea.
Since drinking untreated water can cause illness, it’s important to purify it so that it’s suitable for human consumption. When camping, three methods of water purification are typically used:
Demonstrating two of these purification methods should be fairly straightforward. Simply find some clear fresh water and boil it. Then, depending on your equipment, you can either drop an iodine tablet into your remaining water or run it through a pump filter.
When finding water to purify, it’s important to choose the cleanest source of water, possible. You should avoid trying to purify murky water unless it’s a last resort, and instead try to purify water from moving streams or large lakes. Also, keep in mind that boiling and iodine tablets won’t remove heavy sediment in your water, so always use a water filter, when possible.
Tents should be pitched over debris-free areas on a slight incline. By doing this, in the event of heavy rains, the water will flow away from your tent rather than pooling where you sleep. Also, avoid pitching your tent in a sensitive meadow area and instead, place it on short grass or insensitive ground. Move any branches too, as these could puncture the floor of your tent.
For your own safety, always pitch your tent with a side wall facing into the wind. Never face your tent opening into the wind. Otherwise, your tent might be blown away! Especially in heavy winds, be careful of camping under trees, as their falling branches could be dangerous and unpredictable.
Both internal and external frame backpacks come with a metal frame to support your back while hiking. However, an internal frame pack has the frame built into the backpack and is more form-fitting. On the other hand, an external frame pack has a metal frame on the outside of the bag which can be used for attaching gear or distributing weight.
External-frame packs tend to leave a space between the bag and your body which provides a cooling airflow. These bags pull your center of gravity backward and are good for hiking groomed trails where you often need to redistribute weight among different parts of your back. However, external-frame packs are bulky and can snag easily. Therefore, these bags may not be ideal for difficult trails.
Internal-frame packs have recently become more popular, as they sit closer to your back and have less risk of snagging. These bags push your center of gravity forward, which helps with your stability but may feel uncomfortable during flat, easy hikes. Internal-frame packs are also typically more expensive than external-frame but are well-suited for maneuvering challenging trails.
There are many different types of sleeping bag styles such as the rectangular sleeping bag, barrel-shaped sleeping bag, and mummy sleeping bag. However, these bag-type differences are usually not too important. Since sleeping bags can differ by brand, the main things to look out for are the bag material, temperature rating, and care instructions.
However, if you’d like to see the different styles of sleeping bags to better fulfill the requirement, check out the informative video (2:31) below. At the 50-second mark, you’ll get a great walkthrough of the sleeping bag styles I mentioned earlier:
The most important thing to consider when purchasing a sleeping bag is the temperature that you’ll be using it in. Each sleeping bag comes with a temperature rating at which it will be most effectively used. Assess the conditions that you’ll be camping in, and pick a lightweight bag most suitable to your needs.
To keep your sleeping bag in good condition, you should avoid using it on rough, uncovered ground. Sleeping bags should be cleaned often, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and be stored dry. A good sleeping bag can easily last you your entire Scouting career!
Here’s a great example checklist for camping gear, but I’d encourage you to create your own based on your past experience.
When packing your gear for a campout, you should always place the items you’ll need sooner, closer to the top of your bag. This way, you won’t waste time looking through your pack when you’re retrieving something you know you’ll need! Don’t worry if you’re not sure how to do this, I’ll teach you a great trick that I use. 😉
Here’s the trick: Before packing, take the time to think through exactly what you’ll be doing as you arrive at your campsite. Close your eyes if it helps, and just walk yourself through the day of the camp. Often, this is how it’ll go:
Therefore, you should pack your bag in the following order, from top to bottom:
While packing things in the order that you’ll need them is a good rule of thumb for most items, there’s one exception to keep in mind. Items that are used in emergencies should always be easily accessible from your pack, even if you don’t think you’ll need them. Here are some items that should always be kept within reach:
Fuel-powered stoves are one of the most important tools your troop will be bringing along to campouts. That’s why, it’s important to learn how camping stoves work, as well as how to be safe while using one!
Before we dive into how to properly use different types of camping stoves, I’d highly recommend watching the informative video (5:12) below. In it, you’ll learn about the types of fuel available, as well as how to choose the best-suited stove for your campout. 🙂
Hopefully, you now have a good idea of the types of stoves that are out there! What kind of stove does your troop use? Mine used a 2-burner propane stove. In the next section, I’ll be giving you a few tips so that you can safely use any type of camp stove!
There are always risks involved when working with an open flame, so be sure to set up your stove away from anything that may catch fire. When working with propane, it’s easy to have your flame set too high, which will waste fuel. The ideal setting is for the flame to burn blue and hug the bottom of your pan, not for it to go up the sides.
Here are a few more tips to keep in mind when using a propane or butane stove:
Also, these stoves need to be connected to a propane canister, so always check if the connections are fully tightened. This can be done by applying soapy water to the areas where the canister is fastened. Small bubbles should form if the canister is not securely sealed. If the seals are not fully connected, you should also smell the propane (a rotten egg-like scent).
Liquid fuel stoves are pretty similar to propane stoves so you should follow the same safety procedures. However, these stoves are often smaller and can be a little bit harder to use, as they need to be primed before lighting. Here’s how to prime a liquid fuel stove:
On second thought, if you’ve never used a liquid fuel stove before, these instructions might not make too much sense… Not to worry, though! Here’s a quick and helpful video (2:48) that will visually guide you through the entire process of priming and lighting a liquid fuel stove:
Liquid fuel stoves may be more difficult to use, but perform better than propane stoves in cold weather, and can also be refilled. This makes these types of stoves great for long backpacking trips where you’re trying to be more fuel-efficient to keep your pack weight low. As with all stoves, keep the fuel bottle is kept as far away from the flames as possible.
I shouldn’t need to say this, but fuel is extremely flammable! Do not leave your fuel anywhere near a campfire. Make sure to regularly check for leaks, and monitor the level of your remaining fuel. Store your fuel at room temperature and refill the tanks, when necessary. Doing so will ensure that you have ample fuel for your next campout!
A few different types of cooking stoves are white gas stoves, kerosene stoves, cartridge stoves, and propane tank stoves:
If you want some help with this, I’d recommend checking out my guide to the Cooking merit badge. In it, you’ll learn useful cooking techniques and discover a few example dishes that you can consider making yourself. Otherwise, you could also use your troop’s prior camp menus for inspiration!
I’d suggest asking your patrol what they want to eat so that everyone’s happy with your meal choices. My troop always cooked hamburgers or hot dogs after setting up on the first night, as those are some of the easiest, most inexpensive outdoor meals. If you’d like some more ideas, here is a great website of simple camping recipes.
Food should always be stored in some sort of container so that it does not become contaminated or attract animals. Practice general food safety rules like not leaving meat out and keeping perishables on ice. Avoiding cross-contaminating meat and vegetables by cleaning knives between uses. When disposing of food, either place it in a tied-off trash bag or far away from camp so as not to attract wildlife.
After preparing your camp menu, it’s time to start cooking! Work with your fellow patrol members to prepare a meal using a lightweight stove. I’d recommend checking out this Nonstick Pan + Mess Kit combo on Amazon. Being able to cook in your mess kit is a game-changer (and makes for fewer dishes to wash later on)!
Remember, you can check out the website I listed in requirement 8c for step-by-step recipes that could be completed on any campout. For more info on cooking, I’d also highly suggest checking out my complete guide to the Cooking merit badge. Good luck, I hope your dish tastes great! 🙂
There’s no quick way to complete this requirement. However, Scouts who attend most of their troop’s activities should be able to pretty easily camp for a total of 20 days within their first year and a half of Scouting. Remember, this is the fun part. Just stick with it, and you’ll get there in no time!
I chose to do requirements I) and VI), but your troop may give you the opportunity to do any one of these activities! You probably won’t need to go out of your way to finish this one either, as most troops try to schedule activities so that their Scouts are able to earn their Eagle-required badges. Any one of these will be a tiring but unforgettable adventure! 🙂
This will most likely be completed as a troop community service project. If you’re not rushing to complete this badge, finishing up requirement 9 will seem more like a waiting game. Eventually, your troop will take you out to do these activities, or you’ll complete them during a longer seasonal camp. With that, you’ll be set to earn your camping merit badge!
This one is on you! Testing your limits and improvising while camping is a great way to build character and develop your skills. What did you learn? Take a second to ask yourself the following questions and think through your answers.
Once you’ve finished the other requirements, be sure to thoughtfully discuss each of these points with your counselor. A lot of learning comes from self-reflection, so by looking back on your camping experiences and recognizing everything you’ve accomplished, I’m sure you’ll gain a new appreciation for all the campouts you’ve been on. Great work! 🙂
Using the skills we’ve learned together in this guide, you’re now prepared to start camping like a true pro! Don’t be afraid to ask older Scouts or adult leaders for advice, as there’s always more to be learned when camping. Get out there, stay safe, but also remember to have fun!
If you found this post helpful, I’ve also written guides to many of the other Eagle-required merit badges. I’d definitely recommend checking out my comprehensive difficulty rankings for every Eagle-required merit badge if you haven’t seen it already.
I hope this guide has helped you to answer every requirement of your merit badge worksheet in your own words! I’m looking forward to having you back at ScoutSmarts soon because I’m constantly uploading new articles to support Scouts like yourself. Until next time, best of luck on your Scouting journey!
I'm constantly writing new content because I believe in Scouts like you! Thanks so much for reading, and for making our world a better place. Until next time, I'm wishing you all the best on your journey to Eagle and beyond!
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Hey there, reader! I'm Cole, the guy behind ScoutSmarts. I earned my Eagle back in 2014, and along the way, learned how to be a dependable leader. Although I didn't realize it at the time, Scouting helped shape my life! While I can't tell my past self what I know now, I can teach you all the smart Scouting knowledge that I wish I'd known when just starting out. Start reading! Hopefully, you'll learn a few things along the way and make the best of your time in Scouting. :)
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