Climate tips:
    It may be cold at night/early am. Make sure everyone brings gloves and a warm hat. Think layers of clothing, as the temperature will vary as much as 30 degrees during the course of the day.

    Have milk and cocoa or Quik on hand to take off the morning chill. If you are in a unit with a troop that doesn’t have a Coleman stove-please share so they can make cocoa.

Food tips:
    There are NO fireplaces only fire rings.  BUT if you are going to use those for cooking you must clear the area around it of brush and have charcoal or wood and a water bucket.  Remember....starting a fire and getting the fire hot enough to cook takes some time.  ALSO  remember you may not leave a fire unattended .   It must be completely OUT and COLD.  Otherwise Use a Coleman stove for cooking. 

    No one has ever starved on a community camping trip. Unless you are doing badge work that requires something elaborate-the simpler the better.

    Friday night: everyone brings their own. You supply s’mores and juice/drinks for later. There is water from taps and it is fine but you may want to pack water.

    Saturday AM ideas: bagels and butter/ jelly/cream cheese, grapes, Hot choc. and juice. OR cereal (bring two possibilities- hunger will make them eat it) and milk, grapes and juice. INSTANT COFFEE A MUST!!

    DO NOT freeze the milk container you plan on using Sat. AM or you may be chipping milk into your cereal. It’s happened. You can freeze Sun’s milk and juice. (if you are planning on staying over)  If you can get juice that doesn’t need to be refrigerated for Sat do so (like apple) .

    Saturday Lunch ideas: Bread or rolls, peanut butter and jelly, cold cuts, mustard, mayonnaise (keep in cooler with frozen milk), lettuce, sliced cheese, juice, water, apples or oranges or some other indestructible fruit, cookies and chips if you feel the need.

    Saturday Dinner ideas: Sloppy Joe's on hamburger buns, a green salad, bread, a fruit salad (melons and stuff the girls can chop). Need frying pan for Sloppy Joe's. OR spaghetti/pasta and sauce, bread, same salad ideas, OR a one pot stew or recipe in the material attached. My kids always like the “banana boats” in the material attached, but you need a campfire that has burned down to coals.

    Nice to Have but not essential: A case of those beef cup-a-soup things. Great for snacks at night when its cold or as an afternoon snack. Just boil water.

    Pack your Sat dinner/Sun. breakfast in a separate cooler so they will stay cooler longer. Don’t open until Sat night. Your other cooler can have some frozen juice/water (for Sat. lunch ) to keep the other milk and cold cuts cool.

  VERY IMP. ALL FOOD AND PAPER PRODUCTS MUST BE IN A COOLER OR RUBBER COVERED CONTAINER. NO closed cabinets. Expect mice and bigger critters to get into anything that is uncovered. No food or snacks at all overnight in the units for same reason....critters will come visit you.  We have had trouble with bees in the ruff along a couple of paths here in the past. Please stay on trails....  BE WARNED!!!

This weekend is always so much fun-rain or shine, heat or cold ( and we’ve had it all). I look forward to seeing all of you there. Questions please call Mary Blumenthal Lane.