1st outdoor guide camp, camp blanket help needed

[JustGettingByMum]

DD going on 1st proper camp at half term and we got the kit list last night
She needs a blanket to fasten round her bag with big (nappy) pins

I thought she would need a rough, tough ex-army type thing, but the guide shop sells ( recommends?) lightweight fleecie blankets

I don't want her to be the odd one out, specially as this is a district camp with over 50 girls of which there are about 10 from her guide group

Which should I get? Please help, thanks.

My dd is going to camp this weekend too; she's got a fleece blanket in her kit to go round her sleeping bag but then a camping may underneath that too, we are in Scotland!
Ikea do fleece blankets but there is also a guide fleece blanket I think ( they can sew their badges on). Hope that helps and I'm sure ur daughter will have a fab time.

If you can find a wool blanket that is much safer round a campfire than a fleece blanket I believe. A camp blanket traditionally has all their spare badges sewn onto it, and we used to put T-shaped holes in them for our heads so you could wear them like a poncho (I sometimes worry about the wisdom of this since you can't get them off fast enough if you do catch fire, an ddon't recommend to the kids that they do it).

I used to have three blankets in my bedding roll, and wrap them round each other in a complicated way, then pinned down the side on the front. They never fell off in the middle of the night though! This was before we were allowed pack mats though. If you have enough blankets I'd send her with a couple, it's horrible being too cold.

We used to have to make bedding wraps, old wool blanket to sleep in top off, polystyrene may thing, groundsheet, sleeping and blanket with head hole and badges. All wrapped up in the groundsheet and tied with rope. Then every morning we would make 8/10 of them, i slways volunteeted instead if washing up portidge bowls. Was supposed to keep bedding dry, if we dropped it in a lake or the tent leaked .

That doesn't help does it OP??? Just fond memories.

If it's any help, I have got the Guiding navy blue fleecy blanket as my camp blanket. It's actually reasonably thick and robust, and is warm. It doesn't fold up small at all. Certainly in our District there is a mix of Guiding blankets and army surplus types. The army surplus types often seem to have lovely coloured blanket stitch round the outside (but I couldn't be doing with all the extra sewing!).

I reckon the other kids will all have fleece.
Fleece is easier to wash & not heavy when wet. I had similar quandry 3 years ago & got cheapie fleece, it's worked fine.

Never had a blanket, slept in my track suit on top of my Pjs.

Thanks for all the responses.
I've been out in the rain and can't find an army type blanket locally so think I may order the guiding fleece online, especially if it's reasonably thick.
Good point re fleecies and fire, I think I will encourage DD to wear her jumpers etc round the campfire and leave the blanket attached to the sleeping bag.
We do have a roll mat so she can take that as well
Love the links meebles, will cribb the instructions for making the bedding roll

Next task is to use my non existent sewing skills to help DD make a bag to keep her plates etc in

Can you tell this is going to be a very traditional camping trip!

Any other hints or tips very gratefully received

Pillowcases make good plate bags and then you only have to sew one edge and thread with cord to make it into a drawstring bag [wino]

I am a Guide leader and have been on a few camps! Extra rope/string for the bedding roll as these quite often get lost. If it is a traditional camp they will most likely have to make bedding racks and bedding rolls each morning. Thick socks at night.

With Edu on the pillowcase - fold over the top, sew, treat cord and done!

Trying to think of other tips - any questions please do ask.

Where are they going?

Also worth speaking to the girlguiding shop as sometimes it takes a while to come. If they are going to be longer then let me know, I have a spare sealed blanket at home and would be happy to post to you first class tomorrow morning. Please feel free to message me if needed.

• not wino. At least not til this evening

My plate bag was made out of a pillowcase! We had to do it ourselves at a gude meeting though. Alternatively how about a sports bag with drawsting?

Love the pillowcase tip, will definitely do that and the DD can personalise the pillowcase - wondered why I was being called a wino by someone who's not even met me ( but very apt)
They are off to a guides owned site in south wilts, very peaceful - well until the guides turn up!

Re the blanket, I spoke to the guide leader after school today and she strongly advised both the army style (wrapped round the bag), & a fleecie blanket for inside the bag so might need to rethink my plans.

Cest tout - thanks for the kind offer, may come back to you in a couple of days as our local guide shop is only open on thurs eve so will o and chat to them.

Any thoughts on crocs to wear round the site?
Kit lust says no flip flops but I thought crocs might be ok.
Obv she will have trainers and wellies too

Lust??? FGS list!

I thought I had done well correcting the iPad which wanted to correct wellies to willies

definitely no lust and willies on guide camp.

ooer.

Unless they start singing Once a Girl Guide went to Camp... which DD learnt at her first Brownie PackHol.

Am just glad my dds go to Cubs / Scouts where the kit list doesn't contain such things !

Thought. I would just give an update..........

Managed to get a proper guide blanket for dd and nappy pins to fasten it. The week before camp, she took her sleeping bag, blanket, pins and groundsheet to guides to make her camp roll. And came back saying, dont use guide blanket, get an old one instead

Anyway she was away at the start of half term, and it rained constantly! But she had a fantastic time, the guide leaders were fab. She learned to cook spaghetti Bol, eggy bread, and apple mush!!