Using only troop tents

[riverwalk]

Well, I would have to see the rock before making such promises, haha.

Here's one that will strain your taut line hitch! Years ago, after a family campout, I set up two tents in the yard. I swept them and left them up all day for drying. True, I could have put them away sooner, but the City notified me that I was starting a tent city!! Of course this was during the time I was trying to fight local drug activity, with only my family's help, haha.

[Scouting179]

Actually, the boys learn really fast if they set up the tent and need to clean out all the dead leaves, etc before they can use it. We do ensure dry tents are stored, but it is the boys responsibilty to clean them out.

Then what is the problem the adults have with the tents? I don't get it. If they're clean, then no one should mind using them.

[Mrw]

We have had them come back dried, but not cleaned of all the dirt, dry leaves, etc.

I personally keep my own stuff cleaner than that.

[Lynda J]

Your boys need to realize that if they store a tent with leaves in it, that at a point those leaves will start breaking down and the tent will start rotting.
The leaves can also cause staines. Also if the leaves have any bug spores on them those bugs can hatch and start eating the tents.
We have 5-6 small dustpans that have small brooms with them. The boys are responsible for sweeping out the tents before taking them down.
I will have to admit that we have had to take tents down in the rain and get home and set them back up. But for the most part our boys are pretty good.

[Chief J]

Here is how we solved Scouts not wanting to clean the tents properly. All of our tents are numbered, and we make sure the same scout gets the same tent each camping trip.

That is when we go camping in June, Johnny gets tent #1, when we go camping in July, Johnny gets Tent #1 again, etc. This way if it is returned with a broken zipper, or dirty, they get it back that way, and when they start complaining we show them who had the tent at the last camping trip (themselves) and ask why it was not cleaned or reported that there was a problem.

Again, this is for Scouts who use Troop equipment. I have no problem with them bringing their own tents on a camping trip.

Chief J

[Mrw]

Yes, the boys get their own dirty tent back and they then learn to take better care of them. I just bring my own as I don't want to fall into the cycle when the newer ones haven't learned yet.

Each of our patrols has a certain set of tents assigned. No one else should be in their tents and this helps with the accountability thing too.

[Billiken]

Each of our patrols has a certain set of tents assigned. No one else should be in their tents and this helps with the accountability thing too.

Excellent idea !!!!!!

[TCC7]

There are a few reasons why our troop uses troop tents.
1. Some of our kid's families would be financially put out if they had to buy a tent plus all the other gear.
2. Most of our trips are backpacking and the kids devide up the loads.
3. We can trade parts to complete a tent.
4. We don't have to worry if a personally owned tent is ship-shape.
5. It does make everything uniform.
6. No class envy. Same idea as the scout uniform.

I'll share a little tip: Our scout hut has a drop ceiling. We use those bendable clamp hooks made for those type ceilings and hang our tents up. The next meeting, our pre-opening is to store the tents after they have dried and aired out.

By the way , our leaders use the same tents as the scouts because we have our own leader patrol and don't want the scouts to ask why we get to use our own tents. We also don't store our gear in the tents. Too much of a chance the scouts will have food in them. Not good in bear country. Here lately the boys and leaders like to set up our survival shelters (army ponchos). Snap them together and sleep two to a shelter.

[KJT495]

Our troop recently wrote into our by-laws that scouts are to use troop tents. Adults can use troop tents (but then are expected to return them clean and dry) or use their own tents. The main reason for this was that we had one boy bringing his own tent who would then refuse to take any equipment home to clean. He also decided he could break other rules - such as food in the tents because it was his own tent. He'd roll the mess up, clothes and all and stick it all in a trash bag while the rest of the scouts were cleaning properly to pass inspection before being allowed to take their tents down. Before this idea caught on, we had to stop it.

[mhjacobson]

Good idea, if there are enough tents, to have the SCOUTS stay in troop tents. This is not only fo the reasons statedL equality, they will take care of the equipment, and responsibility. But also for the fact that scouts should be able to stay with scouts in their patrol and as assigned by the PL. Much more difficult to do this when a scout states: "This is my tent and I can say who stays in it" or "This is my tent and I will be alone."

Adults are different and should be allowed to use their own tents, if they desire.

[616kayak]

I have always used my own tent. I see no reason why a PLC cant say that all scouts will share tents with approval from the committee regardless of who owns the tent.

[pipestone1991]

Policy anyway says that females must be seperate, am I not right?

[gwd-scouter]

You are correct that a female must tent by herself, with another female, or with her husband.

[ASM-142]

or her son

[gwd-scouter]

Ah, yes, true about "or her son" but I know for a fact that my son would rather sleep in the open in the cold and driving rain before he'd consider sleeping in a tent with me!

[Mrw]

Mine too!

[ASM-142]

mine too - and I am a father not a mother

[summertop]

My sons LIKE sharing a tent with me. Can you believe that?

However, I encourage them to share tents with the other scouts. Especially since I am also the scoutmaster. I often get other leaders to share a tent with me just so my sons can't. I think it is important for the scouts to do as much together as possible.

I "think" it is a BSA policy that no scout sleeps alone. Even if it isn't it is a troop policy.

As for only using troop tents...I don't agree with that policy. Often, I get a new scout that doesn't even own a tent and they have to share with one who does (I have many they can borrow also). By the time they leave my troop (age 14) they usually DO have their own tent. I think they are much more likely to continue to enjoy the outdoors if they have their own tent. If they always used troop tents, they wouldn't be enticed into getting their own.

[WVBeaver05]

I "think" it is a BSA policy that no scout sleeps alone.

I think you are wrong about what you "think"

For example, many (most?) summer camps use 2 person tents. All it takes is a an odd number of Scouts and you have no choice.

Besides that I have never heard that policy.

YiS

[cballman]

as long as there are enough tents for everbody and sometimes you will have an odd person out whether it is a kid or adult. sometimes when you snore like I do then you can tent by yourself quite frequently then again my son also likes to tent by himself at summer camp. if the tent situation allows. then again about an earlier post we use the same style tents for the adults and boys so if there is a problem and if you use all the same style then everyone should have no trouble learning how to set them up.