Scouting and iPad Apps

on February 2, 2011 in Advancement, Cub Scout, Gadgets, games

It is a gadget I would like to get, but I do not have one yet. Even my mother would like to have one after playing with the one my sister-in-law owns. I am sure many of you would like one if you do not already own one. What am I talking about? The iPad, of course. It has been available for nearly a year. I decided to see if there were any apps available for it. There are several apps for the iPod Touch after all. (Yes, I realize that iPhone apps also work on the iPad, but I wanted to see apps specially made for the larger format.)

When I typed “Boy Scout” into the iTunes search box it came up with 21 apps for the iPod Touch and iPhone, but only seven for the iPad. There were only five iPhone apps for “Cub Scout”  and three for the iPad. Type “Scouting” into the search and you get apps for Boy Scouting and sports. When you narrow it down to just Boy Scout or Cub Scout apps we have ten for the iPhone and four for the iPad.

Two Cub Scout based iPad apps that caught my eye were “Pack Badges” ($3.99) and “Pinewood Derby” ($1.99). The Pack Badges app allows you to track advancement requirements for the Cub Scout awards and several special awards, and it allows you to track multiple Scouts. It has received a 4.5 star rating from its users. The Pinewood Derby game app allows you to build a Pinewood Derby car and then race it. There seems to be some problems with it though. Users only gave it a two star rating and complain about it crashing a lot.

Two Boy Scout related apps that caught my attention were “Camping Manual” ($2.99) and “Troop Badges” ($5.99). The Camping Manual app is exactly what it says. It is a manual with lots of all season camping tips. It has not yet been rated  enough by its users to earn an average. Troop Badges is similar to Pack Badges in that it allows you to track multiple Boy Scouts through their advancement progress. It has earned a four star rating.

I have not used any of these apps, yet. I would like to hear from those of you who have. Are they worth the money? Should I download them when I finally purchase an iPad? Do you have a favorite Scouting app that I have not listed? Has the BSA produced any iPad apps yet? Let me know.

5 Responses to “Scouting and iPad Apps”

  1. Charles Johnstone says:

    I have a few favorite scouting apps fo rthe iPad:

    Official Boy Scout Handbook – Overpriced, but it is very handy to have this available on my person at scouting events.

    MyBadges – A listing of every requirement for rank and for merit badges. Very handy app. It would benefit from direct links to MeritBadge.com, but maybe they haven’t partnered up yet.

    GoodReader ($0.99) – Though not a dedicated scouting app, I use this to ready scouting documents, Advancement Reports previously downloaded from ScoutNet as well as reports from TroopMaster. I have a current Troop Roster and phone list available at all times, as well as a current advancment report. These com in very handy during troop meetings and SM Conferences (it is a good agument to the scout’s handbook).

    In addition, I used Goodreader to read scouting books available at http://www.thedump.scoutscan.com/nonfict.html These works include PDFs of the original Scoutin For Boys, as well as BP’s Outlooks.

    On top of that, I carry many scouting reference books including the Guide to Safe Scouting, the Scoutmaster’s Handbook, the Troop Committee Guidebook, the Advancement Committee Guidebook, and the Troop Program Features (all 3 volumes). These are really handy to have available when questions arise.

    I highly recommend the iPad to scouters. IT sure makes my life easier, but I have had to deal with my unit’s prohibition on electronics during events. 🙁

  2. Steve – I’ve had an ipad for almost a year and have A LOT of Scouting apps for it – some directly related some ancillary (survival skills, astronomy…) It’s too long for a comment box but if you’re interested in some of the apps I use for Scout stuff I posted here: http://scoutersjourney.wordpress.com/2011/01/23/scoutmasters-ipad-keeping-it-all-together

  3. Caleb W. says:

    I use ScoutTrail on my iPod touch, and I find it very useful that you can individually mark each requirement, sub-requirement, and sub-sub-requirement for every merit badge, rank, and a some (not all) of the special awards.

  4. […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Steve B and HalfEagle Bot, ScoutBot. ScoutBot said: Other Blog: Scouting and iPad Apps… http://bit.ly/hQxbXA #scouts #bsa #scouting <br><br> […]

  5. Kesler T says:

    I just released a Scouting app (The Scout App) that lets users keep track of a single boy or an entire troop. As you check off merit badges and other requirements, you see the progress made across all ranks. It’s available in the App Store here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-scout-app/id733163415?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D2

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