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Camping Activities Checkpoints
These checkpoints apply to all activities listed under the category “Camping
Activities”
The leader must review the Step 1 checkpoints and these Camping Activities checkpoints before reading the activity specific checkpoints that follow.
Planning and Supervision
The leader:
___ Uses the principles of minimal impact camping in Outdoor Education in Girl Scouting.
___ Obtains site permits, if needed, in advance
Equipment
The leader:
___ Uses flame resistant tents. Plastic tents are not used.
___ Uses portable cookstoves whenever possible to reduce the use of wood in backcountry areas.
Clothing
The leader:
___ Makes a complete checklist of group and personal equipment and distributes it to group members.
___ Makes sure soft-soled shoes, such as sneakers, are worn around the campsite to reduce environmental impact. Girls learn the proper care of their feet, such as treatment for blisters.
Site
Campsite Sanitation
The leader:
___ Stores garbage in an insect- and animal-proof container with a plastic inner lining, and covers it securely when there is a campsite garbage pickup service.
___ When there is no garbage pickup service, removes all garbage from the campsite in plastic bags and discards as appropriate, or recycles whenever possible. Does not bury food. Carries out grease and fuel canisters.
Primitive Campsites
The leader:
___ When primitive camping, chooses and sets up a campsite well before dark.
___ Uses a previously established campsite if available.
___ Makes sure the campsite is level and located at least 200 feet from all water sources and below tree- line.
___ Avoids fragile mountain meadows and areas of wet soil.
___ Avoids camping under dead tree limbs.
___ Uses existing fire rings if a fire is necessary.
___ If a latrine is not available, uses individual “cat holes” - at least 200 feet away from the trail and known water sources - to dispose of human waste.
___ Does dishwashing and personal bathing at least 200 feet away from water sources.
___ Stores food well away from tents and out of the reach of animals. Where necessary, hang food at least 10 feet high from a rope stretched between two trees. If the site is in bear country, check with local authorities on precautions to take.
___ Sees that garbage, tampons, sanitary supplies, and toilet paper are carried out.
Emergency Procedures
The leader:
___ Posts telephone numbers for all emergency care and council contacts where appropriate or the adult in charge carries them, and knows the location of the telephone.
___ Writes, reviews, and practices evacuation and emergency plans for severe weather with girls and posts the plan.
Outdoor Cooking Specific Checkpoints
Planning and Supervision
___ The leader supervising outdoor cooking has received council training.
___ Girls should learn to use a variety of cooking methods, including use of propane, butane, and gas stoves, charcoal, “canned heat,” and solar energy.
___ The leader checks with the local fire district, land management agency, or conservation office to see whether a permit is required. Fires are not permitted when there is excessive dryness or wind. The leader also checks the fire index with local land management agencies or the fire district or consult the radio. Local air pollution regulations are followed.
___ Girls are instructed in the food preparation and safe cooking skills listed in the tips below.
Clothing
___ Cooks roll up long sleeves, tie back long hair, and do not wear plastic garments, such as ponchos, around an open flame.
Equipment
___ Firefighting equipment is available, including fire extinguisher, water, loose soil or sand, and a shovel and a rake, as appropriate.
Emergency Procedures and First Aid
___ Fire safety rules, emergency procedures, and first aid for burns are reviewed with the group and understood.
___ Procedures are established and known in advance for notifying the fire department or land management agency officials in case of a fire.
___ Fire drills are practiced at each site.
Portable Cookstoves
___ Portable cookstoves differ in size and in fuel use. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully and closely supervise the girls when using any stove.
___ Take an adequate amount of fuel. Store the extra fuel supply away from the cooking flame.
___ Never use portable cookstoves inside a tent or indoors.
___ Keep all stove parts clean. Check that lines and burners are not clogged.
___ Do not refuel the cookstove or change canisters near an open flame. Take care not to spill fuel. If fuel does spill, relocate the stove before lighting it.
___ Place portable cookstoves in safe, level, and stable positions, shielded from the wind and away from foot traffic.
___ Do not pile rocks or other items around the cookstove for stability. Do not overheat the fuel tank.
___ Use pots of appropriate size, so that the stove is not top-heavy.
___ Store the extra fuel supply away from the cooking flame.
___ Do not dispose of pressurized cans in a fire, place them in direct sun light, or keep them in enclosed areas where the temperature is high. See the manufacturer’s instructions on the label. Store and dispose of fuel canisters in the recommended manner.
Solar Stoves
___ Remember that pots and food inside a solar oven are hot even if the stove does not feel hot. Use insulated gloves when removing the pot and opening the lid.
Open Fires
___ Build fires in designated areas. Avoid establishing new fire sites, if possible. An established fire site is clear of overhanging branches, steep slopes, rotted stumps or logs, dry grass and leaves, and cleared of any burnable material, such as litter, duff, or pine needles.
___ Where wood gathering is permitted, use only dead, fallen wood, and keep the cooking fires small.
___ Store wood away from the fire area.
£ Watch for flying sparks and put them out immediately.
___ Before leaving the site, check that the fire is completely out: sprinkle the fire with water or smother it with earth or sand. Stir; then sprinkle or smother again. Finally, hold hands on coals, ashes, partially burned wood, or charcoal for one minute. It should be cool to the touch.
___ Make a plan for disposing of cold ashes and partially burned wood. You may scatter ashes and burned wood throughout the woods away from the campsite.
___ Do not put ashes and burned wood in a plastic pail; do not leave a pail with ashes or burned wood against the side of a building.
Charcoal Fires
___ Charcoal fires are started with fuels explicitly labeled as charcoal starters - never use gasoline as a fire starter. Never add charcoal lighter fluid to a fire once it has started.
Tips for Food Preparation
___ Meals are nutritionally sound, reflect girls’ planning, and are pre pared with consideration of food allergies, religious beliefs, and dietary restrictions of group members.
___ Whenever possible, buy food and supplies that avoid excess packaging, and buy in bulk.
___ Review health considerations, including the importance of keeping utensils, food preparation surfaces, and hands clean, cooking meats thoroughly, refrigerating perishables, and using clean water when preparing food. Do not use chipped or cracked cups and plates.
___ Instruct girls in the safe use of kitchen tools and equipment, such as knives.
___ Maintain discipline in the cooking area to prevent accidents with hot food and sharp utensils.
___ Use long-handled cooking utensils and pot holders or insulated gloves to protect hands.
___ Do not overfill cooking pots. o Do not use pressurized cans, plastic basins, bottles, and cooking utensils near an open flame.
___ No person with a skin infection, a cold, or a communicable disease participates in food preparation. Each person has an individual drinking cup.
Tips for Food Storage
___ Store perishables such as creamed dishes, pudding, dairy products, poultry, meats, and salads at or below 45°F in a refrigerator or an insulated cooler with ice in it. If this is not possible, use powdered, dehydrated, freeze-dried, or canned foods.
___ On extended trips, do not use foods requiring refrigeration.
___ Use safe water to reconstitute powdered, dehydrated, or freeze- dried food. Once reconstituted, eat perishable items within one hour or refrigerate them.
Water Purification Tips
___ Access a safe drinking water supply for cooking, drinking, and personal use. Safe drinking water is defined as tap water tested and approved by the local health department. All other sources are considered potentially contaminated and must be purified before use. Giardia lambia is suspected in all surface water supplies. There are three ways to purify water.
First, strain water through a clean cloth into a clean container to remove sediment and then choose one of the following methods:
1. Boil water rapidly for a full minute and let it cool.
2. Disinfect water with water purification tablets, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Check the shelf life of the product to make sure it has not expired.
3. Pour water through a specially designed water filtration device that is designed to remove Giardia. These filters will also remove many other contaminants. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.
Note that only boiling the water or pouring it through a specially designed filter will remove Giardia lambia. These methods will not remove chemical pollutants.
Dishwashing Tips
___ Wash dishes in a prescribed area according to this procedure:
___ Remove food particles from utensils and dishes.
___ Wash dishes in warm, soapy water.
___ Rinse dishes in hot, clear water.
___ Sanitize dishes by rinsing in clear, boiling water or immersing for at least one minute in a sanitizing solution approved by the local health department.
___ Air-dry and store dishes in a clean, covered area.
___ Dispose of dishwashing and rinse water according to the campsite regulations. In backcountry areas, dispose of wastewater on the ground at least 200 feet beyond any water source or trail.
These pages are for check-list purposes only. Please refer to
your Safety-Wise book to make sure the checklist information is current and
accurate.
These pages are not endorsed by Girl Scouts of the USA. 'Girl Scouts' and
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Scouts of the USA.