Sleeping bag: 30F or better recommended. Cheap “Sleepover bags” won’t be warm enough. We camp all year including January and February. Synthetic is preferred for younger scouts, since down sleeping bags are harder to take care of and don't insulate as well when wet. Rectangle bags don't pack down as much and are heavier.
Sleeping pad: Foam pad to insulate you from the ground keeps you warm and comfortable.
Flashlight: Doesn’t need to be huge. An AAA model LED is enough.
Water bottle: 1-liter nalgenes are great.
Boots: Check whether there is a used pair of boots in the gear swap (ask Mr. Perkins). Otherwise boots that use a mixture of fabric and leather are find. Waterproof is a plus.
Rain Gear:
Warm clothing layers: Needs to be warm. NO COTTON. Polarfleece or wool keep you warm even if it gets wet. Jeans, sweatshirt material and hoodies are not warm. Shorts in November is not warm. Scouts with inadequate clothing on cold-weather campouts are a safety hazard and may be sent home or not allowed to accompany the troop. There is a big difference between the clothing you wear for the walk from the bus to the school door, and the clothing needed to stay warm for many hours in the outdoors.
Mess kit: plate, bowl, spoon, fork, cup. Doesn’t have to be fancy or bought at a camping store. My stuff came from Target and Walmart and cost 50 cents a piece. The best is a wide, shallow bowl rather than a plate.
Toilet kit: toothbrush, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, soap, washcloth
Tent: The troop has a supply of two-person tents to borrow. If you buy a tent, a two-person tent is preferred because it allows scouts to camp with their friends but is able to be set up and taken down by scouts. Parents and scouts tent separately.
Backpack or duffel bag: At first, a duffel bag will be sufficient. Some of our campouts involve hiking in, so a backpack will eventually become necessary. For some reason in the late 90s and early 2000s everyone went crazy for internal frame packs, despite the fact that they don't carry as much gear and are much more expensive. The troop has some used backpacks to lend.
Prohibited for youth and for adults:
Electronic devices are only permitted to be used for scout-related activities such as looking up requirements or references, taking pictures, recording advancement, etc.
REI, Campmor, Dick's Sporting Goods, Moosejaw, Cabelas, etc. are all good sources to shop for gear.
The troop provides patrol cooking gear such as stoves, pots, cooking utensils, equipment for washing dirty dishes, woods tools such as axes and saws, and has tents available to lend.
Here's a list of scout-related gifts and equipment (Note, I have not personally purchased and tested all these ideas, but they are what I would try if I needed items on a budget).