Practical safety guidance for Scouts, leaders, parents and outdoor groups, covering activity safety, emergency planning, equipment, fire, supervision and water safety.
Activity Overview Difficulty: Easy–ModerateTime: 30–60 minutesLocation: Woodlands, fields, hedgerows and other suitable outdoor areasBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult leadersSkills: Observation, plant identification, outdoor awareness, responsible countryside access and risk management Wild plants can be useful and interesting to learn about, but never eat, touch or use an unfamiliar plant simply because…
Activity Overview Difficulty: ModerateTime: 30–45 minutesLocation: Scout campsites and suitable outdoor areasBest for: Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and experienced Cubs under close supervisionSkills: Fire lighting, solar energy, tinder preparation, observation, patience and fire safety A magnifying glass can concentrate sunlight onto a small area of tinder, increasing its temperature until it begins to smoulder and…
Activity Overview Difficulty: ModerateTime: 30–45 minutesLocation: Scout campsites and suitable outdoor fire areasBest for: Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and experienced Cubs under close supervisionSkills: Fire lighting, flint-and-steel technique, tinder preparation, fire safety and campcraft Flint-and-steel fire lighting works by striking hardened steel against a suitable piece of flint to create small sparks. Unlike a ferrocerium…
Activity Overview Difficulty: Easy–ModerateTime: 15–20 minutesLocation: Scout campsites and suitable outdoor activity areasBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult leadersSkills: Fire safety, ferrocerium rod handling, spark control, situational awareness and campcraft A ferrocerium rod is generally straightforward to use, but it produces very hot sparks capable of igniting dry materials. The main safety…
Activity Overview Difficulty: ModerateTime: 20–30 minutesLocation: Scout campsites and suitable outdoor fire areasBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult leadersSkills: Fire lighting, ferrocerium rod use, tinder preparation, fire safety and campcraft A ferrocerium rod, often called a ferro rod or fire steel, produces hot sparks when a suitable striker is drawn firmly across…
Activity Overview Difficulty: ModerateTime: 20–30 minutesLocation: Scout campsites and suitable outdoor fire areasBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult leadersSkills: Fire lighting, fire safety, preparation, observation and campcraft Lighting a fire with matches is a basic campcraft skill, but the preparation of the fire is more important than the match itself. Start with…
Activity Overview Difficulty: ModerateTime: 20–30 minutes to learn the basics; applied throughout a pioneering projectLocation: Scout campsites and suitable outdoor activity areasBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult leadersSkills: Risk awareness, ropework, lashings, teamwork, equipment care and safe construction Pioneering safety is about planning the project, using suitable equipment, constructing it correctly and…
Activity Overview Difficulty: ChallengingTime: 2–4 hoursLocation: Scout campsites and suitable activity areasBest for: Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and experienced pioneering groupsSkills: Pioneering, lashings, knots, teamwork, construction, buoyancy and water safety A pioneering raft is a temporary structure made from poles, lashings and suitable flotation. Building one is an excellent pioneering project because it combines ropework,…
Activity Overview Difficulty: EasyTime: 15–30 minutesLocation: Scout campsites, activity centres and outdoor settingsBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult leadersSkills: Ropework, campcraft, equipment care, observation and outdoor safety Rope identification means being able to recognise what a rope is made from, how it is constructed and what it is suitable for. Common ropes…
Activity Overview Difficulty: ModerateTime: 20–30 minutes to set up; maintained throughout campLocation: Scout campsites and outdoor campsBest for: Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult leadersSkills: Campcraft, awareness, organisation, communication and responsibility Camp security is about protecting people, equipment and the campsite from avoidable risks. A secure camp doesn’t need to feel like a fortress. Good…
