Everything you need for your next Scout adventure.
Making sleepovers, camping and other residentials as fun as possible
Helping you make sure your young person has the right gear.As your young person moves through Scouting, they’ll have plenty of opportunities to experience life away from home. From their first indoor sleepover to weekend camps under canvas, nights away are a brilliant chance to build confidence, independence and memories that last.
Each section will have its own opportunities for camps, sleepovers, hikes and outdoor adventures. As young people get older, they’ll take on more responsibility too - learning practical skills such as cooking outdoors, looking after their kit and working together as a team.
One of the most important skills they can learn before heading away is how to pack their own bag. We encourage young people to get involved with packing rather than having everything done for them. Knowing where their kit is means they’ll be much more confident finding what they need when they’re away from home.
To help you get ready, we’ve put together our Kit List with the essentials your young person may need for camps and nights away. You don’t need to buy everything at once - we’ll let you know what’s needed for each activity, and there are often ways to borrow or source kit without spending a fortune.
Things everybody needs for an amazing nights away
Use this list as a guide to help you get everything ready for your young person’s next adventure.- Uniform
- Sweaters, jumpers or hoodies
- T-shirts or polo shirts
- Breathable base layer
- Micro-fleece mid-layer
- Trousers and/or shorts (not denim)
- Spare underwear (one per day)
- Spare walking socks (one pair per day)
- Pyjamas or nightwear
- Sturdy walking shoes or boots
- Waterproof trousers
- Waterproof layered jacket
- Swimwear and towel (microfibre preferred)
- Handkerchiefs
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Personal wash kit and face towel
- Teddy (maximum of one, please)
- Scarf, hat and gloves
- Sun hat, sun cream and sunglasses
- Sleeping bag
- Foam roll mat
- Plate, bowl, mug and KFS (cutlery)
- Tea towel
- Small torch or head torch
- Spare batteries
- Personal first aid kit
- Day sack (up to 20L)
- Rucksack (45L to 60L recommended)
- Refillable drinks bottle
- Bin bag for dirty clothes
Label your items, in case they get lost.
Put your young person's name on everything. This way, we can return lost and misplaced items as quickly and as easily as possible.
No jeans or joggers
Walking trousers or the Scouts Activity Trousers are comfortable, suitable, and will dry quickly if they get wet on activities or in wet weather.
No suitcases, haul bags or wheeled cases
Your young person needs to be able to comfortably carry all their gear on their back. Investing in and looking after a good quality 40-plus-litre rucksack will see your young person all the way through their journey from Beavers to Explorers and beyond.
Kit Purchasing Guide
Looking for the right kit? We've put together some reccomendations to help you choose practical, reliable kit without breaking the bank.| Recommended Kit |
4yrs - 10yrs |
11yrs - 18yrs |
|---|---|---|
| Nights Away Kit | ||
| Rucksack Investing in a good quality 40 to 60 litre rucksack will pay off throughout your young person's Scouting adventure, all the way from Beavers through to Explorers and beyond. |
HiGear Nepal 65 (£) |
|
| Rucksack Liner While you can buy a specific waterproof rucksack liner, a good, heavy duty black refuse sack works just as well, and costs a fraction of the price. |
Black Bin Liner (£) Heavy Duty Rubble Sack (££) OEX Drysac (£££) |
|
| Sleeping Bag We recommend a good sleeping bag with a minimum 2-3 season rating and comfort temperature down to 3°C. If you're a cold sleeper, get a 3-4 season bag. |
HiGear Spirit Junior 300 (£) Vango Starlight Junior 250S (££) Vango Ultralight Pro 300 (£££) |
Vango Nitestar 225 (£) OEX Roam 300 (££) Vango Ultralight Pro 300 (£££) |
| Roll Mat We recommend a good quality, thick, foil-backed foam roll mat over self-inflating mats. Keep the ties so that it can be rolled up and stored with your rucksack. |
Freedom Trail 6mm Foam Camping Mat (£) Hi-Gear Military Foam Sleeping Mat (££) Multimat Trecker Thermal Mat (£££) |
|
| Head Torch A good quality head torch will help to light the way ahead and keep your hands free to do other things. Just remember not to shine it in everyone’s faces! |
HiGear Mini Evo 3 LED Head Torch (£) Coleman CXHT+200 LED Headlamp (££) Petzl Tikka Headlamp (£££) |
|
| Mug, Plate and Bowl A good, hardy mug, plate and bowl that you can bring to camp, and take on hikes away. Make sure you mark your items with your name or initials. |
HiGear Plastic Bowl, Plate and Cup (£) HiGear Enamel Bowl, Plate and Cup (££) Lifeventure Titanium Bowl, Plate and Cup (£££) |
|
| KFS (Knife, Fork and Spoon) Cutlery Set Get a good quality KFS that links together (and can be wrapped in your tea towel). Asking someone to engrave your initials into your KFS is a good idea. |
HiGear Heavy Duty KFS Set (£) Lifeventure Ellipse KFS Set (££) Lifeventure Titanium KFS Set Camping Cutlery (£££) |
|
| Expedition and Hikes Away Kit | ||
| Compass Once we’ve taught them how to read a map, a good quality compass will ensure your young person always knows which way they’re heading. |
- not required until Scouts - | HiGear Deluxe Map Compass (£) Silva Ranger Compass (££) Silva Expedition 4 Compass (£££) |
| Mess Tin or Cooking Pot Set For Scouts and Explorers who are going on an Expedition or Expedition Training weekend, a Mess Tin or Cooking Pot Set will be essential. |
- not required until Scouts - | HiGear Aluminium Mess Set (£) Hi Gear 2 Person Cook Set (££) MSR Titan Camping Kettle (£££) |
| Personal First Aid Kit For Scouts and Explorers who are going on an Expedition or Expedition Training weekend, a personal first aid kit will be essential. |
- not required until Scouts - | HiGear First Aid Kit 1 (11 Items) (£) Lifesystems Trek Kit (££) Lifesystems Waterproof Kit (£££) |