What to buy, what to skip

The uniform

Some units insist on every last piece. We don't — and there is more you can skip than you might expect.

Somewhere for scouts to show what they’ve earned and which pack they belong to. Each scout has two, and the event description says which to wear.

Class A

Formal: pack meetings, service projects and ceremonies. Bought at the Scout Shop.

Class B

The Pack 345 t-shirt. Your scout gets one free when you pay their first year’s dues. Extras are $12 in youth and adult sizes.

Which shirt your scout needs

Which shirt depends on your scout’s grade.

Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Bear and Webelos
Kindergarten through 4th grade

The blue Cub Scout shirt, with blue Cub Scout bottoms and belt.

Arrow of Light
5th grade

The tan Scouts BSA shirt with blue shoulder loops, and green Scouts BSA bottoms — the same uniform they’ll wear after crossing over to a troop.

Check any second-hand shirt against this

Older checklists and hand-me-downs often put Webelos in tan. Webelos wear blue — only Arrow of Light wears tan.

The tan uniform is not just for 5th grade

Arrow of Light scouts wear the same tan shirt and green bottoms they’ll keep wearing after they cross over into a Scouts BSA troop — so it carries them well past Cub Scouts. That’s most of why the Arrow of Light bundle costs more than the others. Buy it with room to grow.

Arrow of Light has no hat, neckerchief or slide of its own; those scouts may wear any official Scouting America hat or neckerchief. The official uniform page carries the current detail for every rank.

What it costs

A complete uniform runs roughly $100 to $165 new, depending on grade and how much of it you buy. It is a one-time purchase for most families — scouts wear the same uniform for several years, and the per-grade bundles are the easiest way to get everything at once.

Tips that save real money

You don’t need the official scout pants. Any pants, shorts or skorts in the right color is fine. Just not jeans with a Class A shirt.
Cold day? Any long-sleeve shirt underneath the uniform shirt, any color.
The neckerchief is optional — and your scout gets the purple Pack 345 one when you pay their first year’s dues.
If it was ever a valid uniform, it’s still a valid uniform. An actual BSA rule, so hand-me-downs are fine.
Badge Magic works if you don’t want to sew. Sewing is better, but nobody is checking.
Uniform pieces and camping gear work as birthday and holiday presents — for the scout, and for the adult leader in your family.

Get the right council patch

You need the Golden Gate Area Council shoulder patch, not the Pac-Sky one. Tell the Scout Shop you’re with a San Francisco unit. It’s only sold in the physical stores, not online.

Where to buy it

Peninsula Scout Shop, Foster City — 1150 Chess Drive, (650) 358-0588. The closest shop to the city. They take phone orders for pickup, will mail for a small fee, and will sew badges on.
Marin Council Trading Post, San Rafael — 225 West End Avenue. The other one our families use.
scoutshop.org stocks almost everything, though the council shoulder patch is sold only in the shops.
scoutshop.org — most items are available online, but not the council shoulder patch.

Sewing it yourself?

Check the official Cub Scout Insignia Placement Guide before you start.