The same scene plays out every year. The club schedules the camping trip a month ahead, the announcement lands in the group chat, and even so, the night before, someone is hunting for batteries, someone thinks the club brings the plates, and someone is stuffing a week's worth of clothes into a weekend backpack. It is not a lack of goodwill: it is a lack of a list.
The good news is that the list already exists, and it is official. The Pathfinder Club Administrative Manual, published by the Pathfinder Ministry of the South American Division (SAD), has an entire section on camping trips (4.9.3) and, within it, a block called Materials and equipment that splits the gear into three lists: by Club, by Unit, and by Pathfinder. Almost no one uses these three separate lists, which is why the same mess repeats itself.
In this guide you will find the three lists exactly as the manual writes them, what changes from 1 to 2 and from 2 to 3 days, the collective gear sized to the number of Pathfinders, the list of what not to bring, and the paperwork parents need to turn in along with the backpack. If you want to understand later how to set up the camp on site, the guide to follow is how to set up a campsite.
Why does the camping list need to be three lists?
Because that is how the standard is written. In section 4.9.3 of the Pathfinder Club Administrative Manual (SAD, 2020 edition), the Materials and equipment block opens by stating that every Club, every Unit, and every Pathfinder must have their basic camping gear — and then presents the three separate lists, in this order: by Club, by Unit, and by Pathfinder (pages 168 and 169 of the 2020 edition).
That split solves the classic camping problem: eight Pathfinders show up with eight pocketknives and not a single bucket. When each layer knows what it carries, the weight gets distributed, no one buys duplicates, and setup stops running late.
| List | Who puts it together | Who carries it | Example of what's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
| By Pathfinder | The family, following the club's announcement | The Pathfinder, in their backpack | Backpack, canteen, flashlight, clothing, toiletries, Bible |
| By Unit | The Counselor with the unit | Unit crate, shared among everyone | Pots, eight plates and cups, hatchet, first-aid kit |
| By Club | The Club's Executive Committee | Travels in the vehicle, with club property | Tents, kitchen tent, tools, water drums, tarps |
What the standard says: the three lists and the basic content of each one are in the Administrative Manual. What varies: the final list that reaches the parents' group chat belongs to your club — the same manual states that, when planning the trip, the Executive Committee must clearly list and communicate what the Pathfinder should bring and what they should not bring. Why it works this way: a camping trip at a farm with a brick-and-mortar bathroom and a rustic trip in dense woods do not call for the same backpack, and the board is the one who knows the site.
What goes in the Pathfinder's backpack — and what changes across 1, 2, and 3 days?
The by Pathfinder list in the Administrative Manual is short and worth memorizing: a backpack sized to the Pathfinder, a canteen, boots, sneakers, and sandals (for showering), a 6-meter, 11 mm single rope, a locking carabiner, a sewing kit, a battery-powered flashlight, a notebook and pencil, clothing in an amount suited to the trip, personal hygiene items (toothbrush and toothpaste, comb, toilet paper, soap, towel, bath sponge, deodorant), and a Bible and Sabbath school lesson.
Notice two things. First: the standard does not say “two t-shirts,” it says clothing in an adequate amount — turning that into a number is up to you. Second: the 6-meter rope and the locking carabiner are on the official list and almost never show up in announcements; many clubs do not require them. Ask the Counselor before you go shopping.
The table below is Desbravai's practical reading of the official “adequate amount” rule. It is not text from the manual: it is a starting point for you to check against your club's announcement.
| Item | 1 day (1 night) | 2 days (weekend) | 3 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-shirt / top | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Pants or shorts | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Underwear and socks | 2 pairs | 3 pairs | 4 pairs |
| Footwear | 1 closed pair + sandals | 1 closed pair + sandals | 2 closed pairs + sandals |
| Towel | 1 bath towel | 1 bath towel | 1 bath towel + 1 hand towel |
| Warm layer | 1 | 1 | 1 (+ rain poncho) |
| Flashlight batteries | installed set | installed set + 1 spare | installed set + 1 spare |
| Plastic bags | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Dress uniform | only if it covers Saturday | yes | yes |
| Ongoing medication | doses for the trip + prescription | doses for the trip + prescription | doses for the trip + prescription |
For 3 days, add this to what you would pack for a weekend:
- one full extra change of clothes (a top and a pair of underwear and socks);
- a second pair of closed shoes — if it rains on the first day, sneakers will not dry in time;
- two extra plastic bags, one just for wet clothes;
- a small hand towel that dries quickly;
- extra hygiene supplies: your own toilet paper, sunscreen, and repellent do not last twice as long just because the trip is longer.
Two golden rules close out the backpack. The first comes from the Field Activities Manual for Classes, material attributed to the SAD and widely used in clubs: the backpack's total weight should not exceed one third of the carrier's body weight. A 36 kg Pathfinder carries at most 12 kg. An honest caveat is worth noting: this manual is not on the Pathfinder Ministry's official download site nor in the Administrative Manual's bibliography — it circulates in copies among clubs, so treat the 1/3 rule as an established reference, not a published standard. The second rule is to pack everything in plastic bags sorted by type (clothing, toiletries, dirty laundry) inside the backpack — it rains during camping trips, and a “waterproof” backpack that is soaked inside is the memory nobody wants.
A heads-up on an honest detail: the Administrative Manual's by Pathfinder list does not mention a sleeping bag or a sleeping pad. Sleeping gear appears in the Field Activities Manual for Classes and, in practice, nearly every Brazilian club asks for it. Check your club's announcement before deciding. The same goes for tents — see the guide to tents and shelters before buying anything.
What goes in the unit's box?
This is the list that is almost never written down anywhere — and it is the one people miss the most. The Administrative Manual defines the by Unit gear set with numbers, not adjectives:
| Group | What the standard requires per unit |
|---|---|
| Kitchen | Three medium pots and one large pot; two frying pans; one slotted spoon; one long-handled spoon and fork; one kitchen knife, one cutting board, and one can opener; safety matches; one pasta strainer; one container with a good lid for dishware; three dish towels; one bucket; eight plates and eight rigid plastic cups |
| Tools | One hatchet, one machete, one pocketknife, one gas lantern, a sledgehammer, and a hammer |
| First aid | One first-aid kit per unit |
| Equipment | Ropes and a roll of sisal cord, carabiners, tarps, candles, manuals, and a map compass |
| Gear transport | One unit crate measuring 1 m tall by 2 m wide by 1 m deep, with a padlock |
The eight plates are not a random number: the same manual states that each unit should have 6 to 8 Pathfinders. In other words, the official gear set is sized for a full unit. That is where the math for the whole club comes from — see how the unit system works.
The table below multiplies the official baseline by the number of units. Only the first row is text from the manual; the rest is Desbravai's calculation built on it, for the club that needs to buy everything at once.
| Pathfinders | Units (6 to 8 each) | Pots | Frying pans | Plates and cups | First-aid kits | Padlocked crates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| up to 8 | 1 (official baseline) | 3 medium + 1 large | 2 | 8 + 8 | 1 | 1 |
| up to 16 | 2 | 6 medium + 2 large | 4 | 16 + 16 | 2 | 2 |
| up to 24 | 3 | 9 medium + 3 large | 6 | 24 + 24 | 3 | 3 |
| up to 32 | 4 | 12 medium + 4 large | 8 | 32 + 32 | 4 | 4 |
| up to 48 | 6 | 18 medium + 6 large | 12 | 48 + 48 | 6 | 6 |
A practical warning: the manual requires that, at least once a year, there be a camping trip where the units cook, because several class and honor requirements depend on it — from the menu to where the trash goes. If your club only runs a central kitchen, the by-unit gear set stays theoretical. To plan the menu, see camp cooking. And check the unit's first-aid kit before heading out: it is the item nobody remembers to restock after the last trip.
Read alsoFirst Aid KitWhat belongs to the club and nobody needs to bring from home?
Many families buy things they did not need because nobody explained what counts as club property. The Administrative Manual's by Club list includes:
- Tents and a kitchen tent;
- kitchen utensils at scale: pots, frying pans, roasting pans, strainer, plates, cups, ladles, graters, knives, cutting boards, buckets, basins, serving platters, can opener, containers with lids, aluminum foil, bags, and boxes;
- one club first-aid kit;
- tools: hoes, post-hole diggers, shovels, mattocks, tape measures, knives and machetes, axes and hatchets, a sledgehammer, handsaws, a file, and a sharpening stone;
- equipment: ropes, carabiners, utensil crates, voltage transformers, flashlights, and a gas lantern;
- general supplies: drums for drinking water and for general-use water, tarps in various sizes, rolls of sisal cord, a toolbox, rolls of wire, and trash bags.
The manual also requires that this gear be labeled with the club's name and, if possible, painted in the club's colors. It is a tedious rule that avoids the yearly argument over “is this pot ours or the church's?”.
Where this varies: who brings the tent. The standard places tents on the club's list, but many Brazilian clubs ask each family or each unit to have their own, and some lend them out from club property. Do not buy a tent on your own before asking the board: the club may have a standard model, a size set per unit, and even a color agreed on for inspection.
Why this layer matters to parents: cutting tools are club and unit gear, used under supervision — they are not something the Pathfinder packs on their own to “make do.” The hatchet, machete, and pocketknife show up on the by-Unit and by-Club lists precisely because they have an owner, a person responsible for them, and rules for use.
What NOT to bring on the camping trip?
This list is just as official as the other one: the Administrative Manual requires the club to communicate what the Pathfinder should bring and what they should not bring. The exact content is up to your club, but some items have a clear basis in the standard.
| Item | Status | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Meat | SAD standard | The Administrative Manual states, in plain words, that the club is a department of the Church and must therefore follow the recommendation not to serve meat on the camping trip's menu |
| Glass containers | Field guidance | Weight, cut risk, and trash that has to go back home in one piece; choose plastic versions instead |
| Excess baggage | Field guidance | Most clubs follow the custom of “one bag per Pathfinder”; a backpack over 1/3 of body weight turns into injury and bad moods |
| Cutting tools brought on your own | Depends on the club | Hatchet, machete, and knife are unit and club gear, used under the Counselor's supervision |
| Phone, headphones, and handheld gaming device | Varies by club | One of the trip's objectives written in the manual is precisely “distancing young people from technology dependence”; the practical rule is your club's call |
| Large amounts of cash, jewelry, and expensive electronics | Recommendation | The club's insurance covers personal accidents — it does not cover a lost, stolen, or broken item |
The phone deserves the full nuance: when choosing the campsite, the manual mentions checking for cell signal, because it can be the best rescue equipment available. In other words, phones are not banned by SAD standard — what exists is an educational goal of reducing screen dependence, and each club (and each camporee) sets its own rule. The full discussion is in phones at the camporee.
And there is the rule nobody likes reading in the announcement, but it is written down: the manual expressly forbids romantic physical contact during the camping trip, even between married couples. It is not a backpack item, but it is part of the agreement the club sends along with the list.
Does Saturday change your baggage — and change the day you pack your bag?
It changes both, and this is the part that catches new families off guard the most.
Three items join the baggage: the full dress uniform, the Bible, and the Sabbath school lesson — the last two are literally on the official by-Pathfinder list. The dress uniform goes in last, or in a separate bag, so it arrives without wrinkles. Its pieces and patch placement follow the South American Division's Uniform Regulations; for the rest of the trip, what gets worn is the activity uniform set by your field and your club.
On the calendar, the Administrative Manual is direct about what can never happen: leaving for the trip on Saturday, or leaving Friday afternoon in a way that means setting up camp Friday night. In practice, the club leaves Thursday or early Friday, and everything that takes work — gathering firewood, pitching the tent, securing drinking water, cooking a difficult dish — gets handled before sunset.
Translation for parents: if the trip covers Saturday, the backpack usually needs to be packed by Thursday night, not Friday. Check the meeting time in the club's announcement — that time overrides whatever you had planned.
There is also a detail that motivates the Pathfinder: the manual states that it is impossible to invest a Pathfinder into a class without them taking part in a camping trip, because class card and honor requirements can only be fulfilled in the field. A well-packed backpack, then, is part of the card.
What paperwork goes along with the backpack?
The camping trip has a second list nobody photographs for Instagram, and it is the one that can keep the club from leaving at all. The Administrative Manual requires the board to demand, from every underage participant, a waiver signed by the guardian, medical prescriptions and medications, plus guidance on any special needs — all gathered into a “safety folder.” It also requires hiring transportation from a reputable company and always insuring everyone.
| Document | What it is | Who requires it | Deadline / validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Departure waiver | Form signed by the father, mother, or legal guardian authorizing participation | Administrative Manual (SAD) | Per event |
| Medical form | Health history, allergies, and medications for the Pathfinder | Pathfinder Ministry | 12 months — must be updated even with no new information |
| Prescriptions + labeled medications | Ongoing medication with its matching prescription | Administrative Manual (SAD) | Per event |
| Annual insurance | Personal-accident policy for active members | Mandatory in the SAD since 2010 | 1-year term |
| Travel authorization (outside the home district) | Notarized document required when a minor under 16 travels with an adult who is not a relative within the 3rd degree | Brazil's Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA), art. 83, as amended by Law 13.812/2019 | Depending on the travel period |
Before signing any paper, it is worth knowing the rule that underpins all the others. The Pathfinder Ministry Guidelines (OMD) — the official documents that update the manuals — state, in OMD 009/2014, on the age of club direction and leadership, that no club activity should be carried out without an adult (of legal age) present and that any off-site unit or club activity is only valid with an adult leader present. On a camping trip this means your child's unit is never left alone: a Counselor or a responsible leader is always there.
About travel: since Law 13.812/2019, the age threshold in article 83 of Brazil's Child and Adolescent Statute rose from 12 to 16 years old. Judicial authorization is waived when the trip is to a district adjoining the minor's home district, within the same state or the same metropolitan area, or when the minor travels with a proven relative within the third degree. Outside those cases, the São Paulo Court of Justice advises that the adult companion carry a notarized authorization from the parents. Document format, notarization requirements, and practice vary by district — what your board ends up requesting is defined by the local field (Association or Mission) and the local Children's Court.
One point almost nobody knows, and that parents deserve to know: per the manual's text, the annual insurance's insurable group covers regular, active members with up-to-date registration — and parents who accompany the club cannot be included. If you are going along, talk to the board about your own coverage. Learn about the policy in the club's annual insurance.
Where Desbravai fits in, honestly: member registration, the official medical form, and inclusion in the annual insurance live in the SGC, the South American Division's Club Management System — that part is irreplaceable, and no third-party app does it. Desbravai does not register members or issue insurance. What it helps with is the communication layer around the trip: publishing the packing list, checking who turned in their waiver, and organizing the by-unit gear set. If your club is not yet on the official system, the SGC comes first — and only afterward any support tool.