Camping is core to Scouting and at the 3rd Ottawa, we ensure our youth have regular access to Camping adventures. We know that not all parents have had opportunities to camp and as a result, are unfamiliar with the activity. We invest regularly in high quality camping gear and teach our youth how to use it – and want to share that information with parents.
All of our gear is regularly maintained and cleaned, and we have for over a decade maintained an “evergreen” inventory of gear, annually retiring older, worn-out equipment and investing in replacement gear. We also donate refurbished gear to local Scout camps for use as emergency spares.
Our Group Camping Gear
Eureka El Capitan tents – these are our workhorse 4-person tents, that have been serving us for nearly 10 years and have seen thousands of hours of use by our youth.
Eureka MacKenzie 4 – 4-person tents – These tents are specifically manufactured for Scouts Canada and we have a growing number of these in our workhorse inventory, now that we camp with Beavers and Cubs. These tents are durable, easy-to-setup, have dual entrances and vestibules to keep shoes and feet dry, and more.
Coleman Stoves – Our standard Group camping stoves are modern versions of the stove that soldiers in WWII parachuted into Europe with. These stoves are durable, portable and safe and a nearly ubiquitous piece of gear for the last 70 years in Canadian campgrounds.
We also own a 10’ x 20’ (3.04m x 6.096m) shelter, many tarpaulins, ropes, cooking griddles, pots and pans, cooking utensil sets, wash bins, collapsible tables and more. We have held group camps from 10 to 80 people including groups with celiac, gluten, vegetarian, vegan, and other specific requirements for their diets.
Our Adventure Camping Gear
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL3 – ultralight backpacking shelter tents, to enable our youth to experience mobile camps, they can fit up to 3 people and yet add very little weight to your journey. Won the 2023 Backpacker Gear Hall of Fame award.
Platypus GravityWorks water filtration systems – when you are out in the woods, clean water is a must. Meets all EPA and NSF guidelines for removal of 99.9999% of bacteria and 99.9% of protozoa.
MSR (Mountain Safety Research) single burner stoves and cookware – these stoves and cookware are lightweight and durable, enabling our youth to experience mobile multi-day camps while still enjoying hot, fresh food.
What to Bring to Camp
The gear required for camping differs by section (Beavers, Cubs, Scouts…) as we are more adventurous as the youth get older and more experienced. For instance, sleeping in a tent in winter is not permitted for Beaver-aged youth, so we sleep in cabins instead, therefore we need less warm gear.
This page contains the recommended, time and field tested, packing list for your youth to bring to camp. Please download and print the checklists for your youth and ensure they have everything.
Note that these lists are primarily for weekend camps; multi-day wilderness camps, jamborees, and other lengthy or international events require a different level of planning and preparation that will generally be done with your patrol or group. Some specialized camps (e.g. that require portaging a canoe, for example) also need additional planning.