GEAR - 

Troop 845 does a lot of trips and a lot of big trips, so if you're in our Troop chances are you'll accumulate quite a stash of equipment by the time we pin an Eagle on you. Lets start with some of the basic gear that you'll find useful in your Scouting career:

 

  • Backpack - You'll need this for every outing.  You can go with an internal or external frame pack and should make sure you try it on before you buy it.  It should be about 3000-4000 cubic inches, you don't need anything in the 5000 cubic inch range
  • Sleeping bag - Use what you can get your hands on for the first few trips, but when you get to the point you want to invest in a good sleeping bag you should get a 20 degree down bag with a fill of 700 or 800. REI makes a nice one.  Make sure you keep it dry on outings.
  • Sleeping Pad - Get some sort of ground pad to insulate you from the ground.  The inflatable ones are a bit more expensive but are really nice.  Go with the Thermarest 3/4 length ultralight bag.
  • Tent - Get a basic two person free standing tent.  The big 6 person mega tents don't really work on most of our trips.  The REI Half Dome or Quarter Dome is a nice option
  • Boots - A good pair of boots is essential and some of the bigger boots can take a long time to break in so many Scouts will outgrow them before they are even broken in.  Trail runners can be a good option for most of our trips as they are low cut, light, and easy to break in.  Salamon, Garmont, and Vasque make some nice models
  • Socks - get Smartwool, nothing cotton
  • Pants - polyester long underwear and brushed nylon over pants are a good start
  • Shorts - Get some synthetic outdoor shorts that you can hike, climb, swim and bike in and that dry fast
  • Long Sleeves - Layers is the way to go.  Go with a light synthetic top, a heavier fleece, a maybe a down jacket in really cold weather
  • T-Shirt - Get a synthetic T shirt that you can wear for everything
  • Rain Jacket - Get a light weight, breathable waterproof jacket for every outing.  Marmot Precip is a classic favorite
  • Hat and gloves - some basic fleece hat and gloves should suit you for most outings
  • Headlamp - a flashlight will do for a while, but when you have a chance get a nice LED headlamp, a Petzl Tikka XP is a good choice
  • Stove - The MSR Pocket Rocket is the preferred stove in our troop
  • Mess Kit - You only need a one quart pot for all your cooking and backcountry needs.  Titanium cookware is nice and lasts a long time
  • First Aid Kit - Use your Scout book for some basic items, make sure to have a blister kit
  • Water Bottles - You should have a three quart carrying capacity.  Get a 1 quart Nalgene and two one quart platypus bags.
  • Compass - get a basic compass from REI
  • Bandanas - These can be used for any and everything, have a few in your pack

 

After you've built up a bit of a stash of gear you may want to get some more specialty items like: Gaitors, trekking poles, or awater filter.