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How hot is too hot? Boy scout camp concerns


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A few weeks ago we signed the boys up for cub scouts. This seemed to be an exciting thing for them and DH. Of course they immediately hit everyone up for Cub Camp this summer. DH was really excited and we filled out and paid for the first session (this coming weekend) hoping that it would be cooler than the end of July. As we all know, Mother Nature has a way of laughing at the best laid plans. This weekend the highs are 95 and 98. DH is concerned about camping this weekend and he required to go because of their age. He is seriously considering eating the $125 which at this point is too late to get any kind of refund. So what say the Hive, is it truly going to be a safety issue, or is DH being a wimp because I know he doesn't like to be hot? My boys will be heartbroken if he cancels as I have been working them up all week about it.

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As a kid I spent 2 weeks at a time at a summer camp with no AC and daily highs of 104. It was fine. As an adult I probably wouldn't enjoy it, but I do not think this is too hot for camping. Drink a lot of water, rest when you need to, wear cool clothing and sunscreen, get in the shade when you can. We were also required to salt our food. I had a blast at camp even in the melting heat.

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Many camps have pools, and shady woods.

If they drive separately, they can always leave for home, or leave for a local mall with AC if need be. Chances are, they'll be fine.

Pack suitable clothes, large refillable water bottles, sunscreen.

Make sure your dh feels empowered enough to make sensible decisions different than the rest of the group for him and your ds if need be.

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Not too hot for safety, very possibly too hot for your DH's comfort. My husband HATES the heat. I tolerate it better than he. I've gone camping in the GA summer before, quite often as a child. I will again, but this time with a melting DH in tow. :D As always, water, sunscreen and shade!

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My son had a serious heat injury at a cub scout camp last summer. I picked him up on the 3rd day, he got in the car and was not making any sense. I took him home and his body temp was 105. He ended up in the ER, on antibiotics (he ended up with a kidney infection or something due to dehydration) and this dude could not walk for about 2 weeks. He slept and slept for days. It was terrifying.

 

This is Texas and it's around 100 degrees here in June.

 

This was a day camp (I wasn't with him). My son had NOT been drinking water throughout the day and the group leader wasn't checking to be sure the boys were hydrating. My son was irresponsible for not drinking water, but the leaders should've made sure the kids were drinking water. I was an NCO in the army and you always make sure people are hydrating in those conditions. I shouldn't have let him go - he was obviously too little.

 

Anyway, it looks like your husband is going...so he can make sure your son stays hydrated and watch for heat injuries.

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Hey Jen -- I am a freak about the heat too. My sons always went, much to my objections and my dh's constant reassurance they would be fine. They learned to stay hydrated. Yes, it was high 90's, even 100 and above at times. This was cub day camp and week long scout camp, most in MD or PA, and here in TX for scout camp. I KNOW! You think they'll cancel it! Just like not cancelling Klondike Derby when it's 6 degrees. :tongue_smilie:

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Thank you all for the confirmation I needed. This is the deep south, if they canceled summer camps every time it neared or surpassed 100 degrees, there would be no summer camps. Now, any suggestions as to how to gently tell DH to suck it up and go?

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I am currently at a camp in the deep south with a heat index today of 106. The adults are miserable: the kids are fine. We have some great leaders that rearranged a few things today. A few outdoor activities were moved inside. But, the bunks are air conditioned. If I did not have a cool place to come to at the end of the day I think I would have packed up and headed out already. :tongue_smilie:Water, water, water!!!

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That's not too hot. I was a cheerleader all through junior high and high school. We went to camp every summer in July - in Texas! We spent all day outside and didn't get to go swimming. We did carry around water jugs and we were just fine.

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Are your boys regularly out in this kind of heat playing? If so, they should be fine. However, many kids of this generation are not used to being out in extreme heat and cannot take it. I grew up here and GA, I know heat, but I would make darn sure my kids knew to stay hydrated and call me if they started feeling funny. We were at Disney last summer when the temps were over 100 with heat index over 110-it is very difficult to stay hydrated.

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Well.......

 

I get sick in the heat. And I live in the South. It is hot early this year, and even inside, I'm miserable. We're talking heat migrane.... So, if your dh gets ill in the heat, it would be a deal breaker.

 

If dh can handle the heat, I would send things to help keep him and the boys cool. A cooler with those things (called ?) that you put on your neck, ice packs, tons of water (freeze some so it can thaw later).

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Are your boys regularly out in this kind of heat playing? If so, they should be fine. However, many kids of this generation are not used to being out in extreme heat and cannot take it. I grew up here and GA, I know heat, but I would make darn sure my kids knew to stay hydrated and call me if they started feeling funny. We were at Disney last summer when the temps were over 100 with heat index over 110-it is very difficult to stay hydrated.

 

This was one of DH's concern. When they are "bored" outside they will complain they are hot and ready to come in. When we go somewhere like the zoo, not a problem (I'm miserable, but that's besides the point). DH does not get sick, but the heat takes a lot out of him. I will make sure to send the cooler with extra cooling items.

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Buy him a new waterbottle and put a message inside. about how he's a great dad...braving the elements. .......

 

I bet once he's there, he'll have a great time.

 

:iagree: But don't just get them water bottles, get them a couple of camelbacks. DS13 did 10 days last July with actual temps 98-101F. The leaders were vigilant, the boys stayed hydrated, the only ones complaining about the heat were parents on visitors' day.

 

It would actually be a good idea to get him, er, them, outside and acclimated prior to camp.

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I will be going to camp with dd7 in August. We are required to bring a day bag (backpack or drawstring bag) to tote around during the day. One of the things we are required to have in our day bag is a bottle of water. They said we should encourage the girls to drink their water (as much as they can), and to refill it at every activity station (there are places at each station to do this throughout the day). And they said, make sure we, the adults, do this ourselves, as the adults tend to neglect themselves more than the kids.

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I'm going to disagree w/ the camelback suggestion. For a 13 yo, it's fine. For a cub, it's too much weight to be hauling around, and by the end of the day, they are more exhausted than the other kids. Remind them to drink upon arrival at every station, and upon leaving every station, and they will be fine. If there aren't stations, then remind them to drink something every 30 min- 1 hour.

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A few weeks ago we signed the boys up for cub scouts. This seemed to be an exciting thing for them and DH. Of course they immediately hit everyone up for Cub Camp this summer. DH was really excited and we filled out and paid for the first session (this coming weekend) hoping that it would be cooler than the end of July. As we all know, Mother Nature has a way of laughing at the best laid plans. This weekend the highs are 95 and 98. DH is concerned about camping this weekend and he required to go because of their age. He is seriously considering eating the $125 which at this point is too late to get any kind of refund. So what say the Hive, is it truly going to be a safety issue, or is DH being a wimp because I know he doesn't like to be hot? My boys will be heartbroken if he cancels as I have been working them up all week about it.

 

I worked at summer camp in my early 20's. Resident camp and there was no a/c in sight. Outside all day every day for 6 days. We slept in tents and if there was no breeze, well you get the picture. We played with the kids in the big field. in the sun. in the middle of the day. in July. when it was 105. And this was SE Virginia where humidity is high. We never had a child pass out due to heat. We never had anyone have real heat issues. Prickly heat, yes. But nothing more serious. Prickly heat was a small red bump style rash. Put some powder on it and it went away by the next day. It could have easily been chafing due to sweat.

 

So no, not a safety issue.

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Sorry, unless your dh has some medical issue that makes heat dangerous, I think he's being a wimp. That's not too hot and when we go to Scout camp they are very serious about keeping everyone hydrated in hot weather.

 

The camp my kid went to didn't even check if the boys were drinking water. You must've had some good leadership at your camp.

 

If I would've sent my son back the next day, he would've had a heat stroke. I'm usually not wimpy. I was in the army for 7 years. I was stationed in the middle east. I know heat! :ack2:

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My boys did it every year in cub scouts and it was always in the high 90s. There is water at every station they go to and they boys are told they HAVE to drink, there is no "I am fine" and go without.

 

Now that my older 2 are boyscouts, they do overnight in this heat (they go in 2 weeks) and they love it. They again make them drink.

 

Dawn

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My boys did it every year in cub scouts and it was always in the high 90s. There is water at every station they go to and they boys are told they HAVE to drink, there is no "I am fine" and go without.

 

 

Maybe we just had a really bad experience. I'm still too paranoid to let him go back, tho.

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95 and 98 is not that hot...

 

Says the Texan. :D

 

My dd is at camp this week with highs in the mid to high 90s and no AC. As long as the counselors are making sure the kids are drinking lots of water, it's not a big deal. I wouldn't want to camp, but I don't think the heat bothers kids as much as adults.

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Thank you for all the responses. I told him he needed to suck it up and go. He's not happy with me, but he will go. He is going to steal my weighted blanket and store it in a cooler bag with ice packs to sleep with. I guess that means neither of us will get any sleep that night. I am going to go out and hunt for a couple of good water bottles for the 3 of them and try and find one of those neck cooling things. He has 2 battery operated tent fans he can use. This is just a 2 day, 1 night event, so I am fairly certain everyone will be okay. The brochure says the events are geared to the Tiger and Wolf scouts, so I am sure they will make sure those young kids drink enough. I am more fearful of DH not drinking enough. Hopefully I will be able to report back on Sunday that they all had a blast.

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On hot days, my Jazzercise instructor puts wet washcloths in her freezer, the puts them in a cooler to bring to class to hand out to everyone. (The room has no AC.) Though it feels divine, it's actually not a great idea for class, as it cools down your muscles rapidly which can be bad when exercising, but for camp it might be lovely.

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My dh and boys ride dirtbikes a lot in the summer. He packs wet washcloths in a ziploc bag with some water and keeps them in the cooler. They find them very refreshing! Just wiping their faces, hands, and arms down with them, rewetting and hanging around the neck for a bit.

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Not too hot!! Sorry, Dad!

 

Up where we live, the issue is COLD! Yes, cold!

 

My ds leaves to work at summer camp all summer and will be packing long johns and stocking caps and gloves for some cold nights in June. Lake water is about 48 degrees currently and they go swimming!

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When we had National Weather Service warnings because of the heat (100s, if I recall, and we live on the high humidity Gulf Coast), we made the girls drink extra water morning and night, a glass of Gatorade with lunch, and be quiet (still) for an hour in the heat of the day (no long afternoon hikes those days). We wet our bandanas frequently and wrapped them around our necks. Our leadership was VERY careful for the safety of our campers and I don't recall any heat related issues.

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