camping
Car Campouts
Car campouts are when scouts and their families can drive right up to a campsite. At car campouts, the following applies:
- Scouts are encouraged to camp in their own tents, especially after Tenderfoot rank is reached.
- Patrols plan and cook meals together at campouts.
- Each patrol has a “chuckbox” of cooking supplies. The patrol quartermaster is responsible for taking care of the chuckbox. This includes ensuring that the materials are clean, organized, and restocked as necessary.
- Car campouts are a great place for scouts to complete advancement requirements, as many of these revolve around outdoor skills. Older scouts will help younger scouts with these requirements.
- We typically have a Sunday morning event (hike, activity, etc.), and plan to arrive home between noon and 2pm on Sunday from car campouts.
Backpacking Trips
Backpacking involves scouts and one parent driving to a spot and then hiking in and out to the campsite. Hiking is involved in order to reach the campsite. Backpacking trips involve the following:
- Scouts pack their own gear and hike with their own backpacks and equipment
- To reduce pack weight, scouts are encouraged to share tents. Backpacking trips are for scouts and one parent only.
- Scouts are encouraged to attend on their own when they feel comfortable and gain experience.
Summer Camps
Every summer, Troop 6 attends at least one summer camp at Camp Geronimo. We typically head to camp just before the July 4th holiday. This timing allows our older scouts to attend summer school and allows families to plan for vacations. We often attend a second summer camp. Recently, this has been Camp Emerald Bay at Catalina Island. The troop has also organized Cavalcade trips to Philmont Scout Ranch.
Camp Geronimo
Camp Geronimo is the Grand Canyon Council’s summer camp up in the pines near Payson. Geronimo is a valued tradition for Troop 6 and is an amazing experience for our scouts. Ask any former scout who grew up in Arizona if they attended Geronimo and they will immediately smile and tell you how important it was to them as a youth. At summer camp, scouts will be able to:
- Get to know other scouts, outside of their own patrol
- Gain important skills such as cooking, lifesaving, metalwork, rifle shooting, and many more!
- Serve in leadership positions
- Take fun and interesting merit badge classes or earn scouting awards
- Complete rank advancement requirements
- Have an unforgettable experience