CAMP GADGETS

IDEAL CAMP ACCORDING TO BADEN POWELL: “…where every patrol leader and Scout takes a genuine pride in his camp and his gadgets.” — Lord Baden-Powell read more

Building any good camp gadget requires at least some basic skills in Campcraft, e.g. proper use of wood tools, tying basic knots, simple lashings. At a Scouts BSA resident camp, these camp gadgets are often referred to as “campsite improvements.” A good camp gadget should be durable, aesthetically pleasing, and serve a purpose. There are numerous designs and ideas. Here are some of our personal favorites:

DOUBLE TRIPOD CHIPPEWA KITCHEN – The Chippewa Kitchen can be seen as the indisputable king of all large “camp gadgets.” It’s the ultimate camp-kitchen-pioneering-project, lending convenience to a wide range of camp cooking operations.

SMALLER CHIPPEWA KITCHEN – This version requires only 6′ spars and is ideal for a single patrol where a lighter load on the cooking platform requires lighter-weight materials. It’s a great-looking project and extremely functional!

SIMPLE CAMP TABLE – This small camp table is completely functional and provides a convenient raised surface for personal, patrol, or general use. It’s simple design is easy and quick to set up, and is surprisingly stable.

HAND WASH STATION – This wash station is the ideal First Class Camp Gadget! It’s sturdy, portable, and very useful when camping away from washroom facilities, and inherent in its design is a sound approach to a variety of pioneering concepts and skills.

TRIPOD STRADDLE SEAT – Here’s a camp seat that can be made with very few materials. When fashioned with attention to detail, it’s both sturdy and portable, and can easily serve as a comfortable perch for the duration of the camping trip.

SCOUT STAVE DISH WASHING RACK – Made completely of Scout Staves, this design is fashioned along the lines of the Simple Camp Table. It is a sturdy campsite convenience and makes the necessary task of after mealtime cleanup less cumbersome.

CAMPSITE BEACON – A lightweight lantern is suspended inside two “floating” quadpods supported by a free-standing, square framework. This attractive structure created quite a spectacle while serving as a campsite locater in a crowded area or in the woods.

SINGLE FIRE BUCKET HOLDER – Safety, simplicity, and with a high coolness factor, this is a great, little design based on the structural advantage provided by a single triangle. It’s completely functional, and easy to construct.

DOUBLE FIRE BUCKET HOLDER – In addition to being the height of simplicity, this basic camp gadget makes an invaluable contribution towards safety around the fire circle. (It’s another great way to score points in the “looking good” department.)

TOOL RACK – Tool racks are helpful in maintaining an organized and neat campsite. A place for everything, and everything in its place, especially wood tools, goes a long way towards limiting accidents.

TOOL RACK 2 – In this tool rack, the tool’s handle is slipped in between two parallel cross pieces. This way, they’re held very nicely in place, and the wobbling experienced in the first rack is eliminated.

SIMPLE FLAGPOLES – Flags engender pride! Flying ‘em high is great for Scout spirit, and making a flagpole is really easy. All you need are straight sticks (Scout Staves work great), rope for Round Lashings, rope for guylines, and three stakes.

FORKED STICKS & CROSSBAR – It’s a sight right out of the old frontier and it’s easy to make—two forked sticks with a crossbar from which pots are suspended for boiling water and cooking food.

ONE LEGGED FIRE CRANE – This simple camp gadget is made using a dovetail notch. With the handy bow saw and a pocket knife, you can make excellent joints for log structures without lashings.

SIMPLE GARBAGE BAG HOLDER – This is just about the easiest of all useful campsite improvements, But, beyond its simplicity, it’s just plain functional, adding mucho convenience!

SELF-STANDING GARBAGE BAG HOLDER – Getting that garbage bag off the ground has all kinds of advantages, but sometimes, you can’t hammer sticks into the ground to make the easy three stake holder.

CAMP CLOTHING DRYING RACK – Designed very closely along the lines of the Simple Camp Table, this is an easy solution to how to dry wet clothing and towels at a long-term camp.

A BETTER CLOTHES DRYING RACK – You’ve got to love this design! This drying rack is based on suspending two equilateral triangles to make six cross sections for hanging wet clothing or towels.

CAMP GADGETS DURING THE FRONTIER DAYS PROGRAM – See how many of the above camp gadgets were featured during a special program of “Real Deal” Pioneering and camp cooking, in a traditional Scout campcraft setting at a Scouts BSA summer camp.