Preparing for a night under the stars

Today camping may seem easier, a site may have all facilities in purpose built blocks, some may sleep less under the stars as in a hall not least younger children but for many a part of the appeal is being directly involved in your own survival.

This may well main physically erecting and securing your own tent on assigned but not otherwise prepared grassland which this probably German scout is doing, making sure ever peg is right down and the groundsheet is set up right to help keep the damp out.

Fire is light and a warm meal is underway

Uses of a sleeping bag

 

Sleeping bags have moved on  quite a bit from my early days with lighter weight materials, higher insulation to trap and keep the heat in for a cozy nights sleep under the stars.

Given the youngest members of the scout family sleep under supervision indoors but otherwise in a tent, the groundsheet is clean enough to allow the sleeping bag to rest upon that allows it to be a function as a rug for lying reading a book or just having fun before the organized activities begin.

Setting up

It may be bright and sunny but you really want those ground sheets down properly and the guy ropes securely fastened when you're out camping.

Here the younger scout is receiving some excellent hands on tution in this most essential of camping skills and we hope he's not all"fingers and thumbs".

Tent Inspection

Source: norlington3 colour restored by me.

Going to camp which like most things is currently off, in the past would of involved more making it as while the site was there, there was rather less use of purpose built accommodation and I think it wasn't until around the very early 1970's restrictions on the Cubs camping out became stricter.

Before then and afterwards for those over nine and a half the Cub slept in his tent that would with sometimes a bit of help as needed putting down the groundsheet and erecting the remainder.

Here we have the other element of it, the Wolf Cubs who are from Surrey are required to stand to attention for tent inspection by their Leader as they will be judge on it not only for just putting them up but also for tidiness in this nineteen fifties photograph unusually in colour. 

Apart from having a great time, they are learning to responsible boys.

The Big Tent

I am not altogether sure the younger one will be sleeping in the tent on his own given current guidance around safeguarding which may be seen as a smidgen too restrictive even of the thrust does indeed make perfect sense, almost certainly to more in either as small tent under a roof or sleeping bags in a hall as a more virtual camping as that's the sort of tents those nine plus might sleep in.

Until current restrictions are lifted and guidance from Gilwell to resume comes camping in the summer will be off this year with the Coronavirus together with any participation in International Jamborees.

Getting it assembled

The team sets upon the task of assembling the tents for the duration of their stay, carefully threading the canvas through the frame neatly ready for the first night having identified a suitable spot.

Look at our tent

It looks something like a tight squeeze in this tent with seven of them but they do just about fit in although I think it would only sleep about three or four comfortably.
It is unusual in the UK for under nines to sleep under canvas as cubs unlike in the days of the Wolf Cubs and they sleep in sleeping bags in a hostel or similar building with Akela and instructors with them.
The main thing is they're enjoying the experience of being out of doors.