Event · part of 9. Show experience in camping
9(a). Camp at least 20 nights
Required Often forgotten Repeats 20 times
At designated Scouting activities or events. One long-term camp of up to six consecutive nights may be applied; two nights may be counted for each additional long-term trip.
Notes and warnings
Warning. Twenty nights is the requirement that decides how long this badge takes, and it is the one most often started too late. Everything else here can be done in a few weeks.
Note. A long-term camp of up to six consecutive nights may be applied towards the total, and two nights may be counted for each additional long-term camping trip. Read 9(a) itself for exactly how the counting works.
Where this step comes from
- Camping Merit Badge Requirements (Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2026-02-19), Requirement 9(a) · The twenty nights and how long-term camps count.