Year-round camping award

I recall from my scouting days a vague award given to units that successfully went camping at least 10 times during the year. Having just completed a camping trip this weekend I began to wonder how my camping experiences over the last 12 months compare to that lofty, but fairly common, award.

The requirements are as follows:

1. Hold one overnight activity for 10 months in any 12 month period.

Since last January I have been overnight camping 13 times.

2. Camp outs must be in a tent, under the stars, or in a improvised shelter. No RVs or campers or cabins. Family trips also don’t count.

I slept under the stars once, each other time has been in a tent.One of the trips was exclusively family, two others had family members on them. So cutting out the family trip I still have 12 trips.

3. A tour permit must be filled out for each trip.

I don’t have a troop number nor district to report to. But each trip has been planned ahead of time, usually with a facebook event dedicated to it.

4. One of the trips must be a long-term BSA camp. (like a 5 day one)

My longest trip was 3 nights in Yellowstone and Grand Teton. This would qualify if it were a scout camp. Unfortunately it was also the family trip. However, since I don’t actually have a unit nor am I officially recognized by the boy scouts I have to claim some bending of these rules. In any case, congratulations troop, we qualify for the Year-round camping award (save for some issues with not being a troop.)

In those 13 trips I slept outside for 17 nights over the last 12 months. I estimate 214 people were involved in those trips (this does not account for duplicate attendees who came on more than one of my campouts. For example, I was on each one so I was counted 13 times for that number).

I went to Arches twice (9 people, 12)

Goblin Valley twice (and once on a day trip) (15, 30 (and 4))

Dugway geode beds once (13)

Little Sahara once (39)

Bear Lake once (7)

Nebo wilderness once (ward camp out, I was in charge, I think ~60)

I didn’t take pictures on that trip, I was a little…crazy. So I stole this from a facebook album, not even close to a group shot.

Diamond Fork once (5)

The Unitas three times (4,3,3)

And Yellowstone once. (5)

I also went to California last January but we stayed in someone’s house.(3)

Pretty good for a college student with no car. Thank you to everyone that made these adventures possible. They have brought considerable stress to my life as I’ve had to plan most of them but they are by and large worth it.