Things to remember when planning your meals:

1. Review – with your Patrol – to make sure all needed Patrol equipment for cooking will be available and in working order.  See list equipment list. If you are planning on cooking something unusual you should make sure we have whatever is needed to actually cook that first. If 5 patrols all want to use a dutch oven we might not have enought for everyone.
2. Plan your meals – ideally with your Patrol at Patrol Corners on the Monday beforehand.  Is anyone allergic to what you are planning on bringing?  Are there any vegetarians? Do you need to pack your gear and food more than a few hundred yards?  (Weight and bulk may matter then.)
3. A Scout is thrifty!  You can save your Patrol money by shopping at low cost grocery chains (i.e. Cub etc).  Also buy the size that fits your needs.  (Don’t get extra large jars of peanut butter and jam for 4 PB & J sandwiches.)
4. Thrifty means sensible buying, but don’t skimp on having decent meals of good food.   Remember, any campout where the Scouts don't have enough to eat is a BAD campout in their minds.
5. Try to keep the cost of food to $12 or less per person.  If the Patrol decides they want to eat really good let them know in advance that it will cost them extra.
6. Make a list of what you need to buy for each meal– use Patrol menu list (example below)
7. Buy it. After you have purchased the food you can send an email to everyone in your Patrol to let them know how much their share of the food will be. That makes it MUCH more likely that they will bring the money on Friday night.
8. Pack perishables in cooler with ice or ice packs (reusable and don’t leave a mess of melted ice!) right before you leave home. Don't pack something perishable in a cooler on a Thursday before a campout. 
9. Sometimes it helps to have each meal’s food in a separate bag.
10. Before you drive away from home, review the list and make sure you haven’t left something in the refrigerator or sitting on the counter
11. Think about good nutrition.  Good meal planning should include a variety of healthy foods from the four major food groups.
12. Collect money from the Scouts in your Patrol when they arrive for the campout.  If a Scout told you he was coming but does not show, then you should collect the money from him at the next Troop meeting.  You might need to call them the Sunday night after the campout to remind them to bring their money the next night.

Sample food plan - Lunch 

Use our Meal Planner Guide to help prepare for your next campout! 

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