Troop Campout Rules
The first rules to abide on any Boy Scout troop campout are the Scout Law and the Scout Oath, something all troop members should know. Beyond those staples of scouting, several other rules can be adopted to promote safety, courtesy and the least amount of impact on the natural environment.
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Fire Safety
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Build fires a safe distance and downwind from tents and dining tarps---and preferably in established fire pits or grates. This prevents smoke and flames from damaging tents and jeopardizing the safety of scouts while also minimizing the impact on the environment.
Clutter-Free Campsites
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Keep campsites clutter free. Sites with cookware, firewood, tent stakes and other supplies scattered about can lead to tripping injuries and other hazards. Every type of supply should have its place. Also keep tents far enough away from one another so guide ropes do not overlap and cause tripping hazards.
Cooking areas also should be kept clean and free of food waste to avoid animal ransacking. If industrial trash bins are available at campsites, ensure bags are taken there daily to keep garbage away from the site. Secure all food items in patrol boxes or coolers.
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Knife, Axe and Saw Safety
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Follow the rules set out in the Boy Scout Totin' Chip training course for knife, axe and saw safety. Only allow scouts who have completed this course to carry pocket knives or other cutting devices. Rope off an axe yard, a safe distance from campsites, where all wood chopping and sawing takes place and restrict the number of people who can be within the yard at any time. All properly trained scouts wishing to enter the axe yard must ask permission from those already inside.
Take time on troop camping trips to teach the Totin' Chip course to new scouts. Those who violate the rule of knife, axe and saw safety should have corners cut from their Totin' Chip certification cards for each infraction. When all four corners are gone, violators must undergo the Totin' Chip course again before regaining pocket knife and other cutting privileges.
Duties Charts
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Give each troop patrol a duties chart spelling out the roles of individual patrol members for each day of camping. Duties can include fire building, cooking, clean-up and latrine duty. Teams function better with clearly defined roles for each individual.
Obey the Outdoor Code
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Observance of the scouting Outdoor Code is essential to all camping trips. All troop members should promise to follow the code and pledge to camp with the least amount of impact on the environment. Always leave campsites and trails in better condition then when you arrived.
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