All-American Campout

All registered Trailmen, Woodlands Trail through Adventurers. Any troop adult, parent, or grandparent may attend Saturday as a day visitor. Male adults may camp overnight with their troop, following the troop's camping and membership requirements — there is no female camping at this event. Campers must come as part of an attending troop (no individual camping); day visitors don't need troop approval.

$17 per person (youth or adult) to camp the weekend — one or two nights — or $12 per person for a Saturday day pass. Both include museum entry. Optional add-ons: the commemorative camo shirt + event pin ($17, order by September 8) and trap shooting for Navigators, Adventurers, and Guidons who help run the events ($25, limited capacity).

Overnight (camping) registration closes September 20. Shirt and pin orders close September 8 — after that there's no guarantee of a shirt or pin. Day visitors can show up and register on site Saturday, but pre-registering is strongly preferred so we can plan with accurate numbers.

No refunds under any circumstances after payment/registration — please confirm your troop is attending before you register.

A property waiver must be signed for every participant — each adult signs for themselves, and a parent signs for each child. It's completed right in Cheddar Up as part of registration. Each attendee also needs a current-year medical form on file with the troop.

Camping is by troop and by patrol — camping areas for the largest troops are assigned at check-in, and troops are expected to camp using the Patrol Method (patrol flags, chants, and yells strongly encouraged). Each troop brings everything required for its camping: tents, field kitchen, canopies, first-aid kit, water dispensers, and so on. Hammocking is very unlikely to work at your assigned site — plan on tents.

No food is provided — troops are responsible for all their own food, all weekend. Plan coolers and ice. A snow cone truck will be on site Saturday 3:00–5:00 pm for individual purchases. There's a water point for filling containers near the museum, and a hand-wash station near the dog tag stamping tent where you can refill water bottles; a NON-potable water buffalo may be closer to the camping area, so bring plenty of drinking water.

The museum is self-guided — go at your own pace — with one exception: three guided tours of 30 people each (90 total). First-time visitors, as marked at registration, go into a drawing; the selected 90 youth and parents get a red wristband, a tour assignment, and an email a few days before camp. Not selected? Please give the guides and their groups room while tours run.

New this year: the museum sells tickets in its gift shop — $10 (normally $20) for 8 blank rounds through a real M1 Garand, in the motor pool area behind the museum. Ages 8 and up, adults included.

Friday late arrivals simply check in Saturday morning. Saturday late arrivals: get word to Camp Director Charles Galler through your troop POC.

Pre-ordered shirts and pins are distributed on Friday to your troop POC — at check-in if they arrive in time, otherwise at the Officers' conference Friday at 9:00 pm, which POCs attend. Camp shirt, troop uniform, or Trail/Travel shirts should be worn during the event.

Porta-potties are near the campsites and in the activity area, with a hand-wash station by the camping-area porta-potties (hand washing only). No showers on site — portable/field showers are welcome. The museum has only a small dumpster, so please pack out your trash. There's no electricity at the campsites: camp is device-free for youth, and portable generators must be off between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am — so a CPAP needs its own battery plan.

Not right now — Brazos County is currently under a burn ban, so campfires are not permitted unless it is lifted before camp. Check the county's burn-ban page before you come. If the ban is lifted, fires must be in a below-ground or raised fire pit with a 5-foot radius of clearance. Never leave a fire unattended, and restore the ground when you leave.

Yes, shotgun is back this year. Some Navigators, Adventurers, and Guidons who help run the events will get to shoot a game of trap — $25 per shooter, limited capacity, added during registration on Cheddar Up. Shotguns are provided in 12 and 20 gauge (you declare your gauge when you register so the right ammunition is purchased); personal firearms and ammunition are not allowed.

Troop uniform for the flag ceremonies and the worship service; Travel/Trail uniform all other times. New Trailmen who don't have a uniform or troop shirt yet are absolutely still welcome — come anyway.

Two ways: sign up for a free volunteer position (parking, check-in, or supervising the tomahawk, dog tag, slingshot, or BB gun stations) when you register on Cheddar Up — and expect to pitch in with field day activities as required.

Each troop POC receives a radio at check-in — for POCs, station leads, and camp staff only, never for the youth. Troops are welcome to bring their own radios, just on a different channel than camp's. Youth are device-free, so coordination runs through leaders.

Trail Life USA's weapons policy applies (link at the bottom of this page), with a South Plains Region addition: your concealed-carry firearm must be on your person, and whenever it isn't, it must be locked in a safe secured by cable to something immovable — a trigger lock is not sufficient. Personal firearms are otherwise prohibited; event ranges are run by certified staff.

The event packet is out — this page reflects it, and the schedule shown here is still subject to minor adjustment. Your troop POC gets key updates directly from event leadership.

The region keeps a live Q&A sheet for this event — add your question there and the answer gets posted for everyone to see. The link is at the bottom of this page.