Pack 874 loves to camp and we do it well and often. Our Pack camps four times a year — once each season. We have camped close to home (Patapsco State Park) and further away (Rocky Gap State Park). See the Pack Calendar for more information on the camping trips planned for the upcoming year. Contact our Outing Coordinator if you have any questions. And see our List of Recommended Camping Supplies before you pack!

To Register for a camping trip, fill out a Registration Form and either mail it or drop it off at the Outing Coordinator's house. If you need the Outing Coordinator's address, email him. Forms must be received by the Monday before the scheduled trip. While the camp sites hold a limited number of people, we seldom sell out. However, it is first come, first serve, so get your registration in early. The cost for most camping trips is $15 per person. The Winter Camping trip usually costs a little more, and fees will be announced.

During a typical family camping trip, families would begin arriving at the camp site on Friday afternoon or evening. Families are responsible for setting up their tents, and all are encouraged to help set up the Pack kitchen and dining area. The Pack provides a light dinner, and the boys are free to play around the camp site until lights out.

Saturday morning breakfast is provided by the Pack. A duty roster tells the boys their responsibilities for meal cleanup. Following breakfast, the Pack will engage in a Pack activity — perhaps a hike, a service project, or something like the Extreme Games. Lunch is served at noon and the afternoons are often free for individual or group activities (bike riding, fishing, hiking, etc.). Our Master Chefs prepare a gourmet camp dinner on Saturday night — come see what delectable meals can be prepared in a Dutch oven. If campfires are allowed, we all relax around the fire in the evening and roast marshmallows.

Sunday morning calls for breakfast and the breakdown of the camp site. As families re-pack their cars, the Cubmaster will take the boys for Scouts' Own. All can help break down the kitchen and dining areas. Once all our gear is packed and secured, we do a final sweep of the campsite to make sure we Leave No Trace.

Fall Camping

Our fall camping trip usually takes place in late September or early October. This is a family tent-camping trip — parents and siblings are all invited. We try to camp close to home because many of the boys are involved in fall sports, and if we camp close to home, those boys can attend their games without missing out on camping. Because this is our first big Pack event of the fall, we encourage our new Scouts to attend. This is a great opportunity for new Scouts and their families to get to know the rest of us.

Winter Camping

Our winter camping trip usually takes place in late January. Have no fear! — this trip takes place at Broad Creek, and all campers sleep on cots in heated cabins. Each Scout may bring one parent on this trip. The boys will compete in the Extreme Games — our version of the winter Olympics.

Spring Camping

Our spring camping trip is another family tent-camping trip that takes place in late April or early May. For two years, we have returned to Elk Neck State Park, where the boys have built a favorite natural fort in the woods. In the spring of 2008, we enjoyed a warm and sunny camping trip, except for the Saturday night downpour.

Summer Camping

Our summer camping trip is usually in July. In the summer of 2008, we camped at Rocky Gap State Park for the second straight year. The boys hiked (some all the way to PA), kayaked, fished and resisted coming home! Oh, and in case you were wondering, yep, it poured on Friday night.