BSA Uniform Buying Guide

Post date: Feb 07, 2019 4:40:32 AM

One of the few Troop required items is the official BSA Uniform (tan) shirt. This shirt is also commonly known as the Class-A uniform, adopting the military term for their formal uniform. This uniform can be purchased at one of the many Scout Shops in the Twin Cities. The closest is in Moundsview on old Hwy 10 in front of the Mermaid entertainment center. Next closest is located at the Northern Star Scouting's Base Camp near Fort Snelling.

We highly recommend purchasing a Short Sleeve shirt for youth. You can always wear a long sleeve shirt underneath and it's more comfortable in summer. Also, keep in mind that this shirt should last until the youth is 18 years old. Make sure you purchase it large enough for your Scout to grow into. There are multiple material options for the uniform shirt, a cotton-poplin blend and a polyester, microfiber fabric. The microfiber version is more expensive, but more breathable for warm weather. The microfiber can also pill and show wear faster as our Scouts can be very active in their uniforms. The cotton blend is just fine for our purposes.

Some uniform patches will need to be purchased with the shirt. Many patches are provided by the Troop, either when joining us or as award patches and pins are earned. Patches to purchase with your uniform include:

Council Shoulder Patch

Scouting World Crest

Troop Provided Uniform Items

Troop 626 provides the following uniform items for all members that register with us:

    • Unit Number Patch - We have custom 626 unit numbers as a single patch so they do not need to be purchased separately and sewn on.

    • Green Shoulder Loops - Green Loops signify the Scouts BSA Troop affiliation. The Troop provides these for all youth and adults.

    • Troop 626 Yellow Neckerchief

    • BSA Neckerchief Slide

    • Patrol Patch

    • All Awards earned by the Scout

    • Position Patches

Optional BSA Uniform Items

You are welcome to purchase any BSA uniform or other apparel at our local Scout Shops or online at ScoutStuff.org. Our Troops and Crew do not require any official BSA uniform beyond the official Class-A Tan Shirt.

BSA Pants, Shorts and Skorts

In Troop 626, ANY pants or shorts are allowed to be worn with the uniform. We may ask for jeans or slacks to be worn in more formal environments, like if we attend church services as a unit. The BSA uniform bottom options are high quality, durable and look sharp on our Scouts. There are Zip-Off pant options which are very versatile when camping. The shorts also work as swim shorts. For women, there are new Capri pant and Skorts options. If you purchase any BSA uniform bottoms, we suggest also purchasing a BSA uniform belt to complete the look. It is important to note that the BSA Uniform Pants do not come hemmed, so there is an additional effort or expense to prepare for if you purchase the pants. Very similar green pants and shorts can be found at Costco, Duluth Trading or other retailers and can appear like official uniform bottoms without close inspection.

BSA Socks

The uniform socks sold at the Scout Shop are very high quality and useful for camping and hiking. The Scout Shop often offers sales on these items and we feel you can't go wrong purchasing them.

BSA Hats

Hats can be very useful gear when camping to keep the sun and rain out of your eyes and protect skin from harmful UV rays. They can also look sharp with the uniform. If your Scout likes to wear hats, a uniform or non-uniform BSA hat is a great purchase. A baseball style cap works great, but a hat where the brim goes all of the way around is more functional for sun protection. Just make note which hats are considered "uniform" hats vs. just BSA apparel. During flag ceremonies, uniform hats can be worn, but non-uniform hats must be removed during the ceremony.

BSA Non-Uniform Apparel

The Scout Shop as a great selection Scouting apparel and new styles arrive each season. If your Scout is proud to show off their Scouting Spirit, get them some stuff. The Scout Camps that we visit also have great apparel at their Trading Posts, so send some money along to camp and a shirt or hat may come home.

Camping Equipment at the Scout Shop

The Scout Shop only sells quality gear and at competitive prices. The selection isn't vast, but you can be sure if they sell it, it's worth the investment if you are in the market for that type of item. Keep an eye out for Clearance Sales for some excellent deals or gifts.

Books and other Printed Materials

This isn't Uniform related, but we just want to note here that any Merit Badge Books or Position Guides are provided by the Troop. We have a library of Merit Badge Books that your Scout is welcome to check out for no cost. But, you are welcome to purchase any BSA materials. There are also some fun books on the history of the BSA and "Scout Appropriate" non-fiction books.