Scouting is a fun and rewarding program. But the gear required can be expensive. So, to help you save some time and money, I’ve gone through all 148 Pages of Amazon’s Black Friday deals to find some pretty good Black Friday Scout Deals. I also went to Campmor to find a few more deals there on some higher end equipment.
| Phone Chargers | Sleeping Bags | Camp Mattresses | Backpacks | Hammocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydration Systems | Stoves | Mess Kits | Flashlights | Hats |
| Pocket Knives | Camping Chairs | Tents |
Scout Meeting Tech
Projectors
Great for movies (not so much for PowerPoints). Great for camp presentations, or year-in-review videos. It’s one thing to tell the parents in your unit about the amazing things you’re doing, but it’s quite another to show them. The first one costs a lot less but isn’t recommended for PowerPoints. If you’re not doing powerpoints, then it should be fine. The second and third are a bit pricier, but would do better for committee meetings.
VHS-to-DVD
If you’ve got old Troop year-in-review videos, or old training videos on VHS casettes, then you might want to invest in one of these. I picked one up a few years ago to convert some of my old videos. It’s actually where we got the only video of my dad, in the Troop’s Year-in-Review video for 1991. Brought back a lot of memories.
Camcorders
Phone videos are great. But a good camcorder is a step up.
Camping Gear
Phone Chargers
While we can all balk at having phones for the kids on campouts, it’s important that leaders are able to stay informed as to changes in the weather, and able to call for help if the need arises. And it’s important that those phones don’t run out of juice. You want to have some backup, especially in wilderness areas that will drain your battery.
Sleeping Bags
Especially on winter campouts, the right sleeping bag is key and can make the difference between a fun and exciting weekend, and pure misery. Here are three high quality bags.
Slumberjack Women’s Latitude 20 Degree…
Slumberjack understands the importance of quality recreation and family time. The Women… [More]
Slumberjack Lapland 40 Down Hybrid Mummy S…
The Slumberjack Lapland 40 Degree Down Hybrid Mummy Sleeping Bag features Hybrid Zone C… [More]
Camp Mattress
A good camp mattress will make a huge difference in how you sleep at camp. It’s what separates you from the ground – and will go a long way in keeping you warm and comfortable.
This is the brand that I’ve had – Thermarest – for 25 years. I’ve owned three of them, and they’ve all been pretty great. I remember going from a hard foam pad to my first Thermarest. It was luxurious.
Backpacks
Hammocks
Hydration Systems
Backpacking Stoves
There’s always the tradeoff with backpacking stoves. You want something small and lightweight – but you don’t want to be waiting forever for it to actually heat your meal. This one is certainly small (it’ll fit in your pocket.) and lightweight. It’s also gotten a lot of good reviews in terms of heating food quickly.
This is what I’ve used for decades. It’s a step up and takes a little more skill to operate. But I swear by this one. Cooks fast, weighs very little, and really lasts.
Mess Kits
Headlamps and Flashlights
Hats
Pocket Knives
On any campout, Boy Scout should never be without a sharp pocket knife.
What if my knife also had a thermometer, altimeter, clock, alarm, and barometer? This one’s probably overkill, but so is the fridge with the fridge with the computer in the door, and I still kinda want that one too. Maybe it’s just me.
Camping Chairs
Tents
The rule of thumb for Scout tents is that you want to go a person up when getting a tent. A three-person tent will comfortably fit two scouts and their gear. The Amazon Basics tent is a good place to start. It’s inexpensive and would be okay for Cubs and family camping.
What I’d consider the Gold Standard for Boy Scout tents over the past 30 years is on big discount at Campmor. I grew up in Eureka’s. They’re easy for scouts to set up, and really durable. They’ll take a beating. They’re easy to patch, and replacement parts are available without having to buy a whole new tent.
The Eureka Timberline Tents are possibly the worlds most popular tent with millions bei… [More]
You can get the two-person version here for $142.46.