Birthday and Holiday Gift Suggestions for Troop 248 Members

On the Camping and Hiking page, we discuss in detail the essential equipment every girl needs to enjoyably participate in Scouts BSA outdoor trips and activities.  Because parents and other family members of girls who join might wish to give them items they will need, we suggest the following.  All of these items are very reasonably priced and available on the BSA’s www.scoutshop.org/camping.  Some of them are also sold at the BSA’s local Scout Shop at 9190 Rockville Pike in Bethesda, MD 20814. As we discuss later in this website, used or borrowed items are perfectly suitable for girls in our Troop. Purchasing new equipment is not a requirement to join.

• Hiking Boots: This is the most important item your girl needs to have in Scouting. These boots should support the ankle to avoid twists, sprains, and breaks that can easily happen when hiking on uneven ground. The risk of injury multiplies when she is carrying a backpack. They should be water-resistant or waterproof. Higher-end stores like REI and North Face have great products that often go on sale. Prices at L.L. Bean in Tyson’s Corner are a bit lower with products that are just as good.
  • Gifting used hiking boots is good environmental stewardship. We have several very good pairs of used hiking boots in the Troop storage unit that are free for the taking at any meeting – just have your Scouts ask the quartermaster during any Troop meeting. Please give the Troop your used female-sized hiking boots when your Scout grows out of hers
• Day Pack: $29.99 This is a great 15-liter backpack for day hikes. It is also a great extra bag to bring smaller items to overnight campouts. Several of our Scouts have this and like it. It is bright green and has the Scout logo on it. https://www.scoutshop.org/kelty-15l-summit-daypack-green-grey-639825.html
• Overnight Backpack: $99.00 This is a 50-Liter backpack for overnight hiking. It is scaled to a female child and will hold everything she needs to bring on campouts. https://www.scoutshop.org/bsa-ultralight-50l-backpack-617289.html A bigger 70-liter backpack is also available. $149.00 https://www.scoutshop.org/mountaineer-70l-backpack-
  613893.html We have tested both packs.
• Sleeping Bag (cold weather): $69.00 A cold weather bag rated to 25 degrees. Bring blue with a BSA logo. Here is the link to the page listing all of their sleeping bags, including the recommended ones: https://www.scoutshop.org/camping/sleeping/sleeping-bags.html?p=2&product_list_limit=all If she already has a cold-weather bag and would like to be extra-warm, consider a fleece sleeping bag liner that fits in her bag for $16.00. https://www.scoutshop.org/coleman-stratus-fleece-sleeping-bag-liner-641600.html
• BSA Deluxe Pocket Knife: $19.99 The standard BSA pocket knife has been manufactured for the BSA since the start. If your Scout’s great-great-grandparent was a Scout, he would have had one of these same knives. https://www.scoutshop.org/bsa-deluxe-pocket-knife-2-1-2-knife-615782.html
• Head Lamp: $24.99 This straps on the head so that the light is on the forehead. This one has a BSA-themed strap. Good for setting up our tents on Friday night. https://www.scoutshop.org/petzl-tikkina-headlamp-with-bsa-logo-641385.html
• Performance BSA Tee Shirts: $16.99 These shirts have a Scouts BSA logo and are made of the “wicking” material for hiking and other activities when staying dry is important. They come in Red, Forest Green, and even the identical tan color of a BSA uniform shirt (so she can be “matchy”). https://www.scoutshop.org/bsa-performance-t-shirt-youth-655344.html
• Scout BSA Leggings: $6.99 These leggings are good for the summer and even better under BSA uniforms in the cold. https://www.scoutshop.org/scouts-bsa-girls-space-dye-leggings-olive.html
• Summit Tee Shirts: Starting at $14.99 Scouts who went to the Summit with the Troop for summer camp might like to have a souvenir of that trip. This link is to the Summit base trading post site. https://store.summitbsa.org/apparel/womens/t-shirts-tops/?mode=4&sort=featured&limit=100