Grub Master

Troop 200 Campout Grubmaster Information

A guide and tips for planning for campout meals

  • The Grubmaster should help plan out a patrol menu, getting input and approval from his patrol, for the campout. The meals need to be a balanced meal to the best of their ability and what the budget will allow. Please consider fruits and vegetables as well as good protein foods. The troop scout leadership will approve of the menus before food is purchased. The troop will provide water for cooking and water and soap cleaning products for clean-up at all times.
  • Unless told otherwise, budget allowance is $7 per scout in the assigned patrol for a typical weekend campout. Ex: 5 scouts means you have a budget of $35 for all of the food for the weekend for all the meals. Plan accordingly.
  • Generally for a campout you are cooking a Saturday breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday breakfast. Please confirm with the SPL the exact meal plans. Optionally, as budget allows, there can be a Cracker Barrel for each night of the camp out (light snack). Sometimes the troop will provide for the cracker barrel, but you will know this in advance.
  • Purchase the food and bring it with you to check in the night of the camp out. Have the food that needs kept cold in a cooler with ice (with your name on it) and the dry goods in a separate sealed container(s) so they stay dry (also with your name on it).
  • The scouts will be cooking on a propane camp stove. They will be provided a “cook kit”. The kit will contain the following items. Note: They can cook about 2 things at a time. (If you need other cooking utensils, please bring them, again marked with your name.)
    • Griddle
    • Large pot w/lid
    • Med pot w/lid
    • Small pot w/lid
    • Tongs, spoons for stirring/cooking, spatulas.
    • Oven Mitt
    • Access to a Strainer (every other Cook kit has one)
  • A good question to ask is:  What can I do to reduce my preparation, cooking, or cleanup  time at camp?  A great example is pre-cooking bacon at home.  Place the cooked bacon in a ziploc bag and put it in the cooler.  Then it only has to be warmed at camp.   All experienced scouts know getting rid of bacon grease is tedious and time consuming, and cleaning the stove and griddle afterward is also a time killer.
  • Scouts love to try and cook pasta for some reason at camp.  That takes a lot of water and time, and of course 1 more pot to clean.  Past can be cooked at home, and place into a ziploc bag with a drop or 3 of oil (to keep it from sticking together).  Scouts only have to heat the pasta sauce, and can put it over their precooked pasta.  The heat of the sauce will warm the pasta.  Winner winner, spaghetti dinner.  Don’t forget some nice garlic bread.
  • Foil pouches are a great way to cook a meal.  It allows scouts to omit any ingredients that don’t appeal to them, and cleanup is quick and painless.  These are best cooked on an open fire, so make sure there will be a fire available, rather than a propane stove.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the troop provide condiments?

No, we do not as a general rule. Anything like that would need to be provided by the grubmaster

How do we get reimbursed for the money we spent?

Bring your receipts into the troop treasurer after you make your purchases and that adult leader will reimburse you for your costs.

Can you really get everything in that budget?

Yes, you can. Part of this is for the scout to figure out how to do this. This might entail them making a compromise over what they wanted to get and what they end up getting. You probably can’t afford steak, but perhaps hamburgers – after all this is camping, not a fancy backyard cookout. When the grubmasters are planning their menu an older scout will be reviewing it and making sure what they are planning is possible and balanced. Also they need to keep portion sizes and good values for food purchase (like filling foods that cost less per portion)

Should we bring soda or other drinks?

No. Sugary drinks and sodas are not a good idea for a few reasons and not allowed. The troop will always provide water and sometimes powdered fruit drink or lemonade.

Can we bring desserts and/or candy?

A modest dessert – esp. one you can make is OK if your budget allows for it. Candy is not to be brought on campouts due to the problems it can present.

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