I'd put a pack right up there with a sleeping bag - maybe ahead of it - for a troop that hikes a lot. I've seen a lot of little kids that become packs-with-legs because their parents buy an adult-size pack that "he'll grow into" - if he doesn't totally lose interest because he totes around too much crap in a pack because it will hold it all, and which doesn't even come close to fitting, with the result that he never learns that a load doesn't have to just hang from his shoulders. REI and (last time I checked) the Boy Scouts both had good-quality kid-specific packs that weren't too hard on the checkbook.
Because the pack is very important, and because I want them to spend money on a bag, I have been buying a couple packs that are 12 year old specific. I have a Kelty Jr Tioga that is amazing. But I have also bought 2 Outdoor Products Dragonfly packs. The external frame really lends itself to 12 year old scouts with big sleeping bags. And, the frame is the right size for the small boys. I can even size it for my 9 year old. I also bought 2 MOLLE hip belts that fit perfectly on the Dragonfly frame for when a larger boy, or adult needs to use the pack. Of course, the pack is not light at a little over 3 lbs.
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