Useful camp resources for Scout leaders and outdoor groups, including planning advice, campcraft, cooking activities, kit lists and bad-weather ideas.
There are hundreds of different skills you can learn outdoors but you don’t need to master all of them to become much more capable outside. In fact, learning a handful of practical skills and gradually building on them is often far more useful than trying to learn everything at once. Some skills are immediately useful…
Nettles are probably not the first plant you’d choose when looking for something useful to make cord from. They sting, they grow almost everywhere and most people try to avoid brushing against them. They really don’t seem like much good for anything. Look a little closer, though, and nettles have a useful fibre running through…
Washing clothes is not usually the first thing people think about when planning a camping trip. But on a longer camp, expedition or family trip, clothes can quickly become muddy, sweaty or wet. The good news is that you do not need a washing machine to deal with basic camping laundry. With a small amount…
Keeping food cold while camping can be surprisingly difficult. At home, you can simply put everything in the fridge. At camp, you may have a cool box, ice packs, frozen food and a warm day to deal with. The key is to start with cold food, keep it insulated and avoid letting warm air into…
Your first Scout camp can feel like a big adventure. There may be a tent, sleeping bag, muddy boots, unfamiliar routines, outdoor cooking, early mornings and lots of new experiences. You don’t need to be an expert before you arrive. However, practising a few basic skills at home can make camp much more comfortable. Here…
Organising a weekend camp becomes much easier when you break it into smaller jobs. Start by choosing a suitable campsite and agreeing the dates, then plan the group, activities, food, equipment, transport and safety arrangements. Finish by checking the weather and equipment before you leave. The key is to plan early and have a simple…
Good camp planning starts well before you arrive at the campsite. Use this checklist to work through the important details, from choosing a suitable site and planning activities to checking equipment, food, transport, weather and emergency arrangements. You do not need to complete everything at once. Start early, work through the list and review your…
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 1–3 hours depending on the activityLocation: Suitable indoor or outdoor training areaBest for: Scouts, Explorers, leaders and history enthusiastsSkills: Research, traditional camping skills, pioneering, navigation, signalling, teamwork, historical awareness Recreating historical Scout activities can be a great way to understand how Scouting developed while practising practical outdoor skills. Historical activities might…
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 30–45 minutesLocation: Suitable campsite or woodland camping areaBest for: Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Campcraft, survival skills, insulation, resourcefulness, outdoor safety Improvised ground insulation is a way of reducing heat loss between your body and the ground when you do not have enough conventional sleeping equipment. The ground can draw heat away from…
Activity Overview Difficulty: AdvancedTime: 30–60 minutesLocation: Suitable outdoor woodcraft or campfire areaBest for: Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Axe safety, woodcraft, fire preparation, tool control, concentration Quick Answer Splitting firewood means using a suitable hand axe to divide small pieces of prepared wood into smaller sections for a campfire. For Scouts, this is an advanced practical skill…
