Books
Books about survival and outdoor skills, plus a few fun reads for the car ride there.
Rank by rank
Cub Scout handbooks
Scouts BSA Handbook, 14th Edition
For the scout crossing over. Also the best gift for an Arrow of Light.
$19.99
Outdoor skills
Survival & field guides
The Scouting Guide to Survival
Officially licensed BSA survival guide. Fire, shelter, water, signaling.
$19.98
Bushcraft Kid: Survive in the Wild and Have Fun Doing It
Bushcraft written for kids. Shelter, fire, and knots at a Webelos reading level.
$14.30
The Dangerous Book for Boys
Knots, forts, and the things every kid should know. A classic for a reason.
$15.54
Pro-Knot Outdoor Knots Waterproof Cards
Knot cards that survive the rain. Lives in the pack pocket.
$7.95
Pro-Knot Knot Tying Kit with Practice Cords
The cards plus two cords and a carabiner. Learn the square knot, two half hitches, and the bowline on the couch.
$11.95
ReferenceReady Outdoor Knot Cards, 22 Knots
Waterproof cards for camping and scout knots. Twenty-two of them.
$0.00
Survival Hacks: 200 Ways to Use Everyday Items
Two hundred survival tricks with everyday items. Good campfire reading.
$8.69
101 Things Every Kid Needs to Know
Life skills, from tying a tie to building a fire. Solid for the Bear and Webelos years.
$10.93
Boy Scouts Handbook, the First Edition, 1911
The original 1911 handbook, reprinted. Fun to compare with today's.
$16.18
National Geographic Pocket Guide to Insects
A pocket insect guide. For the bug study adventure.
$12.95
National Geographic Backyard Guide to Birds
The backyard bird guide. Pair it with the binoculars.
$16.86
50 Things to See with a Telescope, Kids Edition
Constellation-first star guide for kids. For the campout star party.
$12.44
Bear Grylls Survival Skills Handbook: Camping
Setting up camp, building a fire, looking after yourself outdoors. Bear Grylls at a Cub Scout's reading level.
$7.99
Bear Grylls: Going Camping
The Outdoor Skills Handbook on camping: tips, tricks, and what actually goes wrong on a first campout.
$7.91
Bear Grylls: Hiking Adventures
Trail skills, pacing, and what to carry. Pairs with the Webelos Walkabout.
$5.99
Bear Grylls Survival Skills: First Aid
Field first aid written for a kid to actually use, not a manual to be quizzed on.
$6.99
The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Junior Edition
Step by step for the disasters a kid actually meets, half of them at school. Funny enough that they keep reading.
$10.99
The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Extreme Junior Edition
The outdoor half of the series: what to do when the situation goes sideways in the woods.
$9.03
The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Expert Advice for Extreme Situations
The original grown-up edition. The one the junior versions are built on, and the one the adults read at camp.
$11.70
Finding your way
Maps & compass
All About Maps Amazing Activity Book
Reading maps, making your own compass, and the geography puzzles to go with it. Ages 8 to 12.
$12.99
How to Use a Compass and Map for Kids
Map reading and navigation with outdoor games attached, so the skill gets practiced instead of read about.
$13.97
The Kids' Compass Guide
Illustrated compass work with quizzes and 15+ games. Good for a den meeting, not just a car ride.
$14.97
How to Use a Compass for Kids (and Adults Too)
Short, plain, and covers the adult who is supposed to be teaching it. Bearings, declination, taking a back bearing.
$12.49
General reading
Kids' books
Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail
A field guide for kids with a magnifying glass built in. Take it on the hike.
$6.09
A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee
Read-aloud about a camping trip that goes sideways. A bear is involved.
$10.99
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End
Greg Heffley goes camping. The Wolf and Bear scouts will read this one on their own.
$7.86
Cupkin Camping Coloring and Sticker Activity Book
Five hundred stickers and a camping theme. The car ride to camp.
$16.98
My Side of the Mountain
A boy runs away to live in a hollow tree with a falcon. Every scout should read it.
$9.99
There's No Place Like Space!
The Cat in the Hat does the solar system. Pairs with the rocket launch.
$5.98
Astronomy Activity Book for Kids
A hundred stargazing activities. For the campout without a screen.
$8.10
Bug Scouts #1: Out in the Wild!
Doug, Abby and Josh earn their foraging bug badge. A Graphix chapter book, and the closest thing to a scouting comic for a new reader.
$7.99
Bug Scouts #2: Camp Out!
The Bug Scouts go camping for their camping badge. Same joke-per-page rate as the first.
$7.43
Tent and car ride
Mad Libs, crosswords & puzzle books
Camp Daze Mad Libs
The camp-themed one. Twenty-one stories, and the only book that survives a rained-out afternoon in a tent.
$5.57
Letters from Camp Mad Libs
Fill-in stationery with 28 stickers, made to actually mail home from summer camp.
$5.50
Highlights Ultimate Puzzle Challenge
256 pages: 125+ crosswords, word searches, mazes, sudoku and logic puzzles. Ages 8 to 12.
$6.99
Highlights Cross Words Puzzle Pad
Crosswords only, on a tear-off pad. Small enough to live in a pack.
$5.99
Crossword Puzzles for Kids
A straight crossword book by a real puzzle constructor, priced like an impulse buy.
$2.39
Road Trip Activities and Travel Journal for Kids
100+ games, mazes, mad libs, writing prompts and scavenger hunts, with zero screen time. Ages 7 and up.
$7.99