Taking Care of Troop Gear
Written on August 18th, 2024 by Elizabeth
Adults, please help your Scout with taking care of Troop Gear! Scouts should be doing this on their own, but will likely need reminders and some checks from adults to make sure that troop gear is taken care of properly. Gear is shared and we are all responsible for taking care of this, as a group. The following information will help Scouts and adults be able to know the best ways to take care of our gear. Thanks!
Tent Maintenance and drying procedures
Troop 500 camps monthly, which means our tents are used frequently. Any moisture that remains in or on the tent or the tent’s rain fly will encourage mold and mildew to grow, which is destructive to all parts of the tent, tent fly, footprint, bags, zippers, etc.. Once it grows, it’s extremely difficult, time consuming, and costly to remove. So, it’s really important that we all take care of our tents! Even if you think your tent was dry from your camp out, you STILL need to clean it out and set it up after every single campout.
How to clean tents:
Tent maintenance is as simple as setting up your tent.
Ideally, you’ll want to set your tent up on a clean, dry surface, preferably in a sunny breezy location. You can also setup your tent in a garage or basement, but it will take longer to dry indoors. If you are setting it up inside, you can speed up drying by putting a house fan nearby until it’s dry.
- Unpack your tent from the stuff sack.
- Inventory all of the contents. You should have:
- Tent – one (1)
- Rain fly – one (1)
- Leg poles - two (2) - these have two (2) aluminum sections each with a shock cord holding them together.
- Pole bag – one (1) – holds the two leg poles
- Tent Stuff Sack – holds the complete contents of your tent
- Tent Stakes and bag
- footprint
- Open the entrance end of your tent to gently shake out any mud, grass, leaves or other debris which may be trapped inside. You might need to turn the tent completely inside out so that you can shake out any tiny sand or dirt that is inside, because this can damage the tent.
- Setup the tent, just like you do during our campouts. If you had turned the tent inside out, make sure that you carefully turn it back to right-side-in before you set up the tent. Leave the rain fly OFF of your tent so that the air can flow through it. Leave all of the zippers unzipped, as well.
- If there is mud inside your tent:
- remove as much of the mud as possible first. Place the setup tent into direct sun light or a light breeze for several hours until the mud is dried. Gently shake or sweep out the dried mud and debris.
- Wipe out the remaining dried mud with a soap and water solution and a sponge. Allow your tent to thoroughly dry.
- Dry the rain fly by hanging it over a clothes line or patio chairs (Do NOT hang it over a fence or bushes because these can snag or puncture the nylon fabric.
- Turn the tent pole and tent stuff sack inside out to remove any debris. Hang the inside-out pole bag and the tent stuff sack in the sun or breeze and let them dry thoroughly.
- After your tent has been drying, check to make sure that the tent is COMPLETELY dry. If it is completely dry, you won’t feel any moisture at all, anywhere inside or outside the tent. This is very important! If your tent is not dry, you’ll need to give it more time to dry. You cannot put it into the bag until it is 100% dry. Do not leave your tent out overnight because moisture will condense on the surface and you’ll have to wait longer for it to dry completely.
- When completely dry, disassemble your tent and account for all the parts of the tent including the tent, tent poles, tent fly, stakes, and footprint.
- Re-pack your tent
- Turn the tent pole bag right-side-in & pack the two poles inside, then tie it shut.
- Fold the tent lengthwise in half and in half again. Allow trapped air to escape before rolling it.
- Fold the rain fly lengthwise in half and in half again and place it on top of the tent.
- Fold the Footprint in half and then in half again and place it on top of the rain fly.
- You will roll the tent, footprint, and rain fly together.
- Place the pole bag at one end of the tent and roll the pole bag, tent, footprint, and rain fly SLOWLY and tightly from one end to the other, allowing ALL trapped air to escape as you roll. Keep the roll aligned, like a roll of paper towels.
- Turn the tent stuff sack right-side out so that you can see the number of your tent on the outside (shake the bag to ensure there’s no debris remaining inside the bag.)
- Insert the tent, rain fly and rolled-up pole bag into the tent bag and secure the top.
Cooler Cleaning Procedure
Troop Coolers
The troop has both water coolers and food coolers that will be sent home to be cleaned out and dried before returning. Coolers need to be wiped out and disinfected after each camp outing to prevent mold and bacteria growth.
How to clean coolers
A solution of warm water, dish detergent and a capful of bleach work best to clean and disinfect your cooler.
- Completely empty the contents of the cooler and discard. Remove all water and remaining ice.
- Using a large sponge, wipe out the ALL surfaces inside AND outside of the cooler. Scrub the exterior clean, removing any dirt and scuffs from the outside of the cooler body.
- Open the drain valve of the cooler, if equipped. (This would be for the food coolers).
- Using a garden hose, rinse out the inside and outside of the cooler until clean.
- Prop open the lid of the cooler and allow it to dry completely before closing. *Make sure to double and triple check that ALL of the inside is completely dry before closing the cooler, or all of your hard work will be wasted, as the dampness in the cooler will likely start to grow mold or bacteria.
- Return the clean, dry, cooler to your Assistant Patrol Leader (or Assistant Senior Patrol Leader).
Thank you for helping to keep our Troop Gear clean and dry!!
