Good rucksack for small Scout?

[AChickenCalledKorma]

DD1 is 10.5, small for her age and very slender. She needs a rucksack suitable for carrying all her kit to Scout camp. I've done a bit of research but am wondering if any parents of small, skinny Scouts/Guides/similar have any tips from personal experience? Am prepared to spend a bit of money, because she should get plenty of use out of it (loves camping etc so liable to carry on and do DofE etc) - but on the other hand, she's pretty rubbish at taking care of possessions, so it needs to be fairly bullet-proof!

We have found Regatta survivor rucksacks fairly indestructible.

However, for actual Scout camp, mine usually take a hold-all and a day sack. DS1 has been in Scouts for more than two years and has only ever been expected to carry on his back the kit for a long day hike or overnight hike, for which 35 L is fine.

I do sympathise with the small Scout thing. DS2 is wearing an XXS Scout shirt!

A holdall is much more practical for scout camp. My 10 year old DS would not be able to carry the size rucksack he will need for DofE at the moment, it would be much too big as they need 50 to 60 litres.

ThreeBee, Mine too

Thanks for responses. (And yes to the XXS shirt. She's also wearing Cub trousers!)

Do they find a holdall easier to carry than a rucksack? I was heading towards a rucksack, because I find it easier to carry a big load on my back than in a bag with handles. Not sure how that would balance against the size issue. The leaders want them to have one bag that carries everything.

For some reason, I found that thread title incredibly sweet.......!

Find out how far they have to lug their stuff- if it's not far then a hold all that zips all the way open is better- easier for keeping stuff in in a tent and easier to find things in.

You can get a holdall with wheels that would be easier unless she has to carry it a long way over tricky terrain. My ds has a rucksack for his first cub camp and managed to break one of the zips trying to stuff everything into the front pocket instead of the main compartment ! More recently we used a swiss army wengar holdall, which has two wheels at the bottomland a pullout handel. We got ours cheap when tesco was doing the collect vouchers for bags promotion.

Check with leaders , our group ask them to take rucksacks not hold all and certainly not suitcase on wheels......not good over grass.
If buying from Millets or Cotswold camping take your knecker, scouts get 10% discount.

DS2 is in size 9-10 trousers which I've taken in at the waist. His troop have to wear Scout belts for inspection and the new design has buckles which don't fit through the belt loops of his trousers! Luckily I found an old-style belt on eBay which has smaller buckles, then I made extra holes so it would fit his teeny tiny waist.

Definitely find out. We have used hold alls for some camps, but theywent by train to one last year and rucksacks were compulsory for that. Our Scouts has some rucksacks to lend out, which was handy as we only had one suitable rucksack.

Dd struggled with her rucksack as though tall, she is very slight.

You don't need a DofE sized one yet though, no stoves, food and tent to carry! Its also amazing how much less room smaller clothes take up.

Do consider towels carefully though, you either want microfibre camp towels or very thin very cheap towels that aren't bulky.

Yes, ours use the microfibre towels. Well, I say they use them; what actually happens is that they pack them and then bring them home clean, dry and unused three days later.

LOL ThreeBee - yes we have a microfibre towel, which is still in remarkably "as new" condition after a couple of school residentials and a Scout sleepover!

I could tell you many stories about my two older boys and their attitudes to personal hygiene whenever they're away from home for a few days, but it might put you off your cup of tea.

I'm noting it all down though, so I can embarrass them in front of future partners.

I will tell you one. DS2 has Asperger's and takes instructions literally. Before he went away to PGL for five days, I reminded him that while he was away, I expected him to change his pants every 24h or after he had a shower.

He understood the 'or' literally (I should have said 'and'). He only had one shower during the five days, so he only changed his pants once.

As soon as he got home, I made him have another shower. After the shower, he put the same dirty pants and clothes back on that he'd been wearing for the last three days! When I made reference to the 'changing pants after a shower' rule, he reminded me that I'd qualified that rule with "while you are away" and he was home now.

Where is the emoticon for banging my head against a brick wall?

Can I just clarify for any Americans reading; when I say 'pants', I do mean 'underpants'.

(Where's the emoticon for holding your nose???)

I have ONLY come on to congratulate you on the thread title.
I have nothing useful to add, but as advertising, it was perfect.
thank you

I was a bit concerned that people might read it as a "swap shop" style exchange. As in "going cheap, one small Scout, slightly grubby, will exchange for decent rucksack"

I already have enough Scouts in all the sizes I need, but you can never have too many rucksacks!

Agree with everyone else - all mine have been through Cubs and Scouts, and eldest 2 now onto Explorers. Eldest one's done about 150 nights away now and middle one well over 100. The only time any of them have had to carry their full kit any distance was when ds went to the World Scout Jamboree, and they were given special bags for that . My girls have both had holdalls with wheels, so they pull them mostly, but they are MUCH easier to keep your things in / find things in than rucksacks. Generally, when hiking, it tends to be a day sack.