Getting a fire going outdoors is much easier when you prepare properly before striking a match or creating a spark. A good fire lay brings together the right materials in an arrangement that allows the tinder to catch, the kindling to ignite and the fire to grow gradually. For this challenge, you’ll practise building a…
A good knot is one of those small outdoor skills that becomes genuinely useful once you know how to do it without thinking. The reef knot is a classic starting point: it is quick to learn, easy to check and handy when you need to tie something neatly around a bundle or package. Your SGUK…
If you ever need help outdoors, being able to attract attention could make a big difference. Shouting might work when someone is nearby, but your voice can become tired and may not carry as far as you imagine. A whistle or torch can help you send a clearer signal without exhausting yourself. For the SGUK…
Have you ever looked up at a tall tree and wondered just how high it reaches? You don’t need a measuring pole, specialist equipment or a head for complicated maths to make a reasonable estimate. With a simple technique and a little practice, you can work out a tree’s approximate height using nothing more than…
Before heading out on a walk, it’s useful to make sure someone else knows where you’re going and when you expect to return. If your plans change or you don’t come back as expected, that information can help someone work out where you might be and what to do next. That is the purpose of…
Some wild plants look harmless, and a few even resemble familiar foods you might find in a supermarket or garden. The problem is that appearance alone cannot tell you whether a plant is safe to eat. Some poisonous species look similar to edible plants, and getting an identification wrong can have serious consequences. For the…
When you’re walking outdoors, it’s easy to keep moving even when you know that something doesn’t feel quite right. Perhaps a path doesn’t match your map, you’ve missed a turning, or you’re no longer certain which direction you should be heading. Continuing without checking can turn a small mistake into a much bigger problem. The…
Good navigation is about more than knowing how to read a map or follow a compass bearing. You also need to keep checking your surroundings, make sensible decisions and recognise when something isn’t going to plan. The Five Ds of Navigation provide a simple way to remember important questions to ask yourself before and during…
Lighting a fire outdoors is only half the job. Before you leave a campsite, you need to make absolutely sure the fire is completely extinguished and that no hidden heat or embers remain to start another fire after you’ve gone. Ash can look cold on the surface while embers underneath are still hot enough to…
A feather stick is a useful piece of kindling made by shaving thin curls of wood along a stick while leaving those curls attached. The fine curls catch a flame more readily than a thick piece of wood, making a feather stick a handy skill to learn when practising traditional fire preparation. In the previous…
