Lost Pines Boy Scout Camp

The facilities at Lost Pines Scout Reservation are great (for a boy scout camp). The mess hall is an enclosed air-conditioned room with ice and drink dispensers. Meals are prepared and served by the staff like a cafeteria. The reservation provides canvas tents on PVC frames sitting on wood decking. There are restrooms with showers scattered around the park. Flag ceremony is held in the common area outside the mess hall. Due to the large number of scouts attending, many merit badge courses are offered.

The camp is very well run. There is plenty of staff, especially in the administrative and main offices so any problem or issue that arises can be addressed quickly. There is wi-fi service in the common area outside the administrative offices, and laptops are available to be checked out. While I wouldn't call the food "good," at least there was plenty of it. There are many merit badges offered so the course selection is strong. The swimming pool and lake provide great opportunities to cool off in the heat of the day. The camp has beautiful scenery and plenty of trails to hike, take photos and to get some quiet solitude.

The weather was brutal. Daily highs ranged between 100 and 115. One day we recorded 111 degrees in the shade. At night the temperatures dropped into the high 70's around midnight. A trick I discovered on my second day was to shower around 11:00 p.m. and then go to bed with wet hair--sounds weird but it sure made sleeping a lot easier. The tents are thick-walled canvas tents so the sides roll up. That was essential in order to capture the slight breeze going through camp. The ground was rock hard and mostly barren due to the fact that Bastrop had experienced the same typical summer drought that seems to hit central Texas every summer. With little grass around, the red-orange dirt kicked up by groups of scouts coming and going all day eventually dusted everything in camp.

When we attended winter camp in December 2008, the weather was great--not too cold and no rain. Attendance at winter camp is lower than for summer camp and winter camp is 5 days versus 7 days for summer camp, so fewer merit badges are offered. Most days we could get by without coats until about 6:00 p.m. Generally, from my experience and from hearing stories from others, the weather at winter camp is usually not bad and it is much easier to tolerate than the extreme heat of summer camp. Plus the shorter winter camp is easier for younger scouts to bear the time away from home and family.

Click HERE for the Sleeping Bag Finder at REI

Week long camp requires more gear than a weekend backpacker. Most scouts bring plastic action packers (available at Academy, REI and Cabella's). They are essentially large plastic crates. You can get them with wheels, which seems to be worth a little extra cost because it will be heavy. Here's a good basic checklist of the things to bring to summer camp:

• Light sleeping bag (or sheet set and light blanket)
  
• Cot (tents are on wood platforms, so a sleeping pad will work if necessary)
  
• Mosquito netting to cover cot (hang from tent frame with parachute cord)
  
• Flashlight (preferably a headlamp) and extra batteries
  
• Knife
  
• Towel (quick dry towels are best, but they are expensive)
  
• Tennis shoes
  
• Closed-toe water shoes (lake activities)
  
• Plenty of socks (at least 3 pair)
  
• T-shirts (5)
  
• Shorts (3 pair)
  
• Bathing suit
  
• Underwear (6 pair)
  
• Gold Bond powder (for feet and groin area)
  
• Soap & shampoo
  
• Toothbrush & tooth paste
  
• Rain gear
  
• Parachute cord (at least 50' for clothes line, hanging mosquito net and securing canvas tent edges if necessary)
  
• Duct tape (many of the canvas tents have rips/small holes that need to be covered in case in rains)
  
• Nalgene bottle (can be refilled throughout the day so 1 is enough)
  
• Hat/cap
  
• Spiral notebook and pens for taking notes in classes
  
• Sunscreen
  
• Mosquito spray
  
• First Aid kit
  
  NOTE: If you plan to use the climbing tower, you must have cotton shorts (no polyester or nylon) or you'll be denied access. Certain merit badges (e.g. life saving) may require use of long sleeve shirt and long pants so check with scout master to see if you need to bring any specific clothing.