Care of Troop Gear

In order to provide a good outdoor program for scouts, Troop 351 maintains a large amount of Troop Equipment. From time to time troop equipment may be sent home with a scout after a campout to be properly cleaned and dried out. Please follows the instructions below and return the equipment to the Troop Quartermaster at the troop meeting immediately following the campout. Cooking gear and stoves should be as clean as you would want them at home for your family to cook and eat from.

Tents or Tarps

• Clean out the dirt and grass from the inside and outside of the tent.


• Always dry out the tent immediately, even if it did not rain during the campout. This step is necessary to ensure that the tent is completely free of moisture before storage and does not develop mold and mildew during storage. Set the tent up in the sun or if it is not sunny outside, set up the tent indoors. If you cannot set up the tent, make sure to at least hang it with the sides not touching until it is dry.


• Inspect the tent for damage and broken or missing parts.


• Write down any problems and tell the Quartermaster.


• The tent bag should contain (1) the tent body, (2) the rain fly (3) the tent poles and (4) four tent stakes


• Refold and roll the tent nearly without getting it dirty or wet and place it in the tent bag with all the other items.

Cook Kits

• Remove all items from the Cooking Kit Box.


• Clean out the box by wiping down the inside and outside of the box with a disinfectant.


• Clean aluminum and stainless steel cooking items with dish soap and a Brillo pad and place in dishwasher.


• Clean cast iron skillets by scraping all remaining food particles from all surfaces, fill with water and boil on the stove. Pour out all water and thoroughly wipe all surfaces dry. Coat the entire surface of the skillet with vegetable oil and let cool.


• Was dishtowels in the washing machine.


• Wipe off potholders, and wash if necessary.

Cooking Stoves

• Clean all exposed surface inside and outside.


• Use a degreaser to clean the aluminum inside cooking surfaces to remove all grease and cooking stains.


• Place the cooking grate in the dishwasher, if it is removable.


• Dry off all items and reassemble the stove.