Learn the key priorities in an outdoor survival situation, including staying safe, finding shelter, managing exposure, getting help and making sensible decisions.
Outdoor skills can seem like a huge subject when you first start learning. There are maps and compasses, fires, shelters, knots, navigation, cooking, first aid, weather, water and plenty more besides. You don’t need to learn everything at once. In fact, trying to do so can make it harder to remember what you’ve learned. A…
Activity Overview Difficulty: BeginnerTime: 30–45 minutesLocation: Suitable indoor or outdoor training areaBest for: Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Emergency decision-making, situational awareness, staying calm, problem-solving, communication The STOP principle is a simple way of slowing down and organising your thoughts when something goes wrong outdoors. STOP stands for: S — StopT — ThinkO — ObserveP — Plan…
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 45–60 minutesLocation: Suitable indoor or outdoor training areaBest for: Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Emotional control, emergency decision-making, communication, resilience, situational awareness Fear is a normal response to an emergency. It can make you more alert and help you recognise danger, but if fear turns into panic it can make it harder to…
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 45–60 minutesLocation: Suitable indoor or outdoor training areaBest for: Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Decision-making, emotional control, situational awareness, teamwork, resilience, survival mindset Survival psychology is the ability to manage your thoughts, emotions and behaviour when something goes wrong outdoors. In an emergency, the biggest problem is not always the weather, equipment or…
Activity Overview Difficulty: EasyTime: 15–30 minutes to learn; ongoing practiceLocation: Campsites, Scout camps, woodland, countryside and outdoor basesBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and outdoor enthusiastsSkills: Personal hygiene, food hygiene, campsite management, sanitation and outdoor living Camp hygiene means keeping yourself, your food, equipment and campsite clean enough to reduce the spread of germs,…
Affiliate disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of our links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. ⚠️ SAFETY FIRST Wet clothing can become dangerous in cold, windy or exposed conditions. Water conducts heat away from the body much faster than dry air, and wind can…
What Are Survival Priorities? When something goes wrong outdoors, it can be tempting to start thinking about everything you might need. You need food. You need water. You need a fire. You need shelter. You need to find your way home. But trying to do everything at once can lead to poor decisions. Survival priorities…
Water Collection Water is one of the most important resources to understand when you’re outdoors. Knowing how to find and collect water is an important survival skill — but finding water and making water safe to drink are two different things. A clear-looking stream isn’t automatically safe. A puddle isn’t automatically unsafe. And collecting water…
