No, really.

I watched Reginald's old guide on the route, and I can't pull it off. I don't have full runes yet for Shaco specifically, but am using some armor pen/magic pen reds, a few dodge yellows (rest are mana/5), AD quints, and some mpen/cdr blues.

I'm using the 21/0/9 route with 2 in extended buffs in utility, increased exp, etc.

I start with Cloth + 5 pots for Shaco.

Where do you all recommend I start? How many boxes for what should I use? Etc.

I've tried to follow all the video/guides I've seen, but I always seem to get the living **** beat out of me.

If you cant do the other route start at BB

You can get around 7 jitb if youre fast enough and its funny when they try and gank you can u usually get a double kill or atleast one kill and you can alreayd buy a Madred claw

U dont need smite but it just makes u jungle fast.

had 6-7 jitb then attack Blue golem, you shouldnt lose that much hp but pot up.

Wolf, jitb first then kill.

If you havent used smite, use it on Blue Wraith then kill the other ones. Put one on Red buff at the bush. Then go to small and wait until u get a jitb. After popt up and kill them.

Go to red and put atleast 3-4 jitb. Shiva red lizard then smite it and kill the rest. Go to wolf or wraith again. After u can gank (oops i mean u can gank after getting red if u want, dont need wolf or wraith but i only say this because this will get u to 700 gold, if you cant get a gank)

After madred and go to their jungle to get BB and see if u pull off any gank.

3 boxes at lizard (out of initial range), then 2 at small golems, kill golems no smite, then pull lizard back to jitb's and smite for the kill, move on to wraiths > wolves > big golem. Use potions at all 5 camps unless you can clear one with close to full health.

If you get ganked at blue, it will be much harder to get back into the jungle after boxes are popped, but if you get ganked at red you can still clear golems and move over to blue buff at level 2.

Look for Reginalds guide on youtube, it covers a lot of Shacos early game, which is the part of the game it is vital to do well in (fail early = fail late)

Edit: It is also much easier to get a really early gank with red buff as opposed to blue buff (the slow really helps), which is good because early ganks are what makes Shaco scary.

Shaco jungle is very rune dependent, therr are many variations but they need to have a purpose. you can't just have random ass magic pen and mana regen runes - -;....
typically shaco will need
armor pen marks
health quints OR armor pen
armor OR attack speed yellows
CDR OR attackspeed OR mana regen blues

http://www.solomid.net/guides.php?g=45 here's my guide.

I play jungle shaco all the time and I follow for the most part reginalds guide.

I go 21-0-9.

Runes include:
Armor pen marks and quints.
Flat armor seals.
Cd reduc glyphs or mp5 per lvl glyphs.

I put two jitb at the 2 golems. Then 3 jitb at lizard. Then I smite big blue wraith. Go to golems. Initiate, throw a jitb behind the 2 golems crack a potion. Then I lvl my shiv.

I head over to Lizard and throw down a jitb. I initiate elder. Crack a health pot whenever it runs out. And throw a jitb behind lizard when its off cd. Works everytime.

For items I like to always get GA, because after you revive from GA you can teleport out and escape most times. Nashors tooth is real nice as well

Oh man, so many different methods listed here. Sigh... guess I'm gonna have a long night ahead of me testing these out. Laugh.

its not about the runes. its about the technique. don't tank the creeps, let your boxes take the damage. if you start attacking right after you set a box, you won't have another box to set up (it'll be on cooldown) in the middle of a camp to tank after the first wave of boxes expire.

and btw, if you're slow, don't even attempt it. jungle creeps get more health, more attack, and more armor, as time goes on. if you're too slow or need to recall, it'll be an uphill struggle.

I think placement was a big problem too. Also, positioning. You are right about letting the boxes take the damage. I altered my box positioning based on Vision's guide and also made sure that I wasn't too close to the boxes when the golem attacked, or else he'd switch to me.

I downed the golem in like 4 seconds when I did it properly, taking no damage. Got to keep experimenting while I build up my rune page for proper Shaco jungling.