Scout Leadership Course Handout

Session area

Patrol Camp

Outline of the session

Living together as a Patrol is a true test of team work and leadership. It can also be the most positive or negative experience for a younger Scout. Appreciating how to make this positive for all involved is the key to fun leadership.

Session Notes

Food and Nutrition

Nutrition is a very important factor in the success of a camp. Food is both a necessary fuel and vital for body repair. More food is required for strenuous activity, and specific mixes of types of food are needed for cold-weather/winter camping. Where a normal calorie requirement may be between ~2,000 and 2,800 calories/day/person, the energy requirements for a strenuous or high adventure trip are 3,000 - 5,000 calories/day/person and winter hikes require 1,000 MORE calories/day than summer hikes. Food should be nutritionally balanced at ~50% carbohydrates, ~25% fats and ~25% protein.

Just as you need extra water when hiking in summer, extra amounts of liquids during winter activities are essential. In summer it is essential to take plenty of water when camping and hiking.

In winter camping the patrol cook should start water heating AS SOON AS YOU START TO SET UP CAMP while the rest of the patrol does the camp set up, so hot drinks are available as soon as possible.

The other "basics" for camping are to keep it simple and have an easy clean-up. You don't want to waste precious fuel heating extra water for greasy pans.

Another tip is to always put a lid on your pot while the water/contents is/are heating up. The contents of the pot will heat up faster, and you can use the lid as a "griddle" to start heating something up in foil. And you can start to thaw bagged frozen food on the warm lid - just check the bag periodically to make sure the plastic is not melting onto the lid and turn it over!

Kinds of food

Carbohydrates are easily digested and release energy in minutes, but their energy is rapidly consumed. During cold, wet weather it is important to continuously stoke up with carbohydrates and it is recommended that you eat lunch "from breakfast to dinner" or snack frequently on carbohydrates during the day.

Carbohydrates come from starches (potatoes, rice, pasta), cereals, fruit, nuts (trailmix or gorp!), honey and candy (esp. hard candy).

Protein is more difficult to digest and the energy boost takes longer to take effect. High protein foods should be taken in small amounts during the day and concentrated at the evening meal so energy is available for "body repair" and generating body heat while you sleep. Meat is high in protein - and whole meats are particularly recommended for winter camping.

Foods high in protein (other than meats) include instant milk (add to your instant oatmeal, which also has protein, and to your hot cocoa and packaged pasta mix), nuts (peanut butter), and cheese.

Fats produce energy that is consumed by the body over comparatively long periods and have over twice the energy of proteins. Carbohydrates and protein-rich foods tend to be more light-weight than fatty foods, but the fats are essential to keep your metabolism running high in the cold weather. Fats, like proteins, are harder to digest, so they should be consumed in small quantities during the day and most of the daily fat intake should be concentrated in the dinner menu.

Another fatty food is butter. Margarine is usually suggested for camping (comes in a nice tub for easy transport and stays "fresh" longer), but for short trips in cold weather your butter will keep just fine and has more healthy fats than margarine. Add butter to your oatmeal in the morning and your one-pot meal at night. Pre-cooked sausages that can be heated in a bag in boiling water (to keep the clean-up to a minimum) are also a high-protein, high-fat food that is good for breakfast or added to the dinner menu.

Cleaning Up

Eat all the food! Then you won't have to pack out left-over food or worry about disposing it.
Scrape out the pots AS COMPLETELY AS POSSIBLE with a spoon (if you don't have bread to do it with) and then wipe the insides with a paper towel or two to get the insides of the pots and the plates and bowls as clean as possible before adding any water.
Heat water in your clean/water pot and add a SMALL amount of water and washing liquid to your "dirty" wiped-out pot/s.
Use as LITTLE water with soap as possible to minimize the impact of soapy /dirty water on the environment.