Learn essential survival skills including shelter building, fire lighting, navigation, first aid, outdoor safety and practical skills to survive in the wilderness.
What Is Emergency Fishing Awareness? Emergency fishing awareness is understanding how fishing might provide a potential source of food in a survival situation, while also knowing its limitations, legal requirements and environmental responsibilities. For Scouts, this is primarily an awareness and planning skill rather than a reason to catch wildlife unnecessarily. In a genuine emergency,…
What Is Woodland Conservation? Woodland conservation is the protection and careful management of woodland so that trees, plants, animals and other wildlife can continue to thrive. Woodlands are important habitats and provide food, shelter and nesting sites for many species. They also help absorb carbon dioxide, improve air quality, reduce soil erosion and provide valuable…
Why Stream Crossing Requires Care Crossing a shallow stream can be a useful skill for Scouts and anyone exploring the countryside, but even a small stream can present hazards. Water can be surprisingly powerful, particularly after heavy rain. Slippery rocks, uneven ground, hidden holes and cold water can all turn a simple crossing into a…
Walking pace control is the ability to maintain a steady, controlled walking speed over a set distance or period of time. It is a useful outdoor skill for Scouts because it helps you manage energy, stay together as a group and make better progress on hikes and expeditions. Walking too quickly at the beginning of…
Activity Overview Difficulty: BeginnerTime: 45–90 minutesLocation: Suitable indoor or outdoor training areaBest for: Scouts, Explorers and outdoor enthusiastsSkills: Communication, signalling, teamwork, observation, Morse code, semaphore, message handling Communication has always been an important part of Scouting. Before mobile phones and digital radios, Scouts had to rely on a combination of spoken messages, written notes, runners,…
Activity Overview Difficulty: BeginnerTime: 45–60 minutesLocation: Suitable indoor or outdoor training areaBest for: Scouts, Explorers and outdoor enthusiastsSkills: Communication, signalling, observation, Morse code, semaphore, teamwork, concentration Before mobile phones, digital radios and satellite communications, people had to find other ways of sending information over distance. Historical signalling methods included semaphore, Morse code, flags, whistles, mirrors,…
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 1–2 hoursLocation: Suitable woodland or outdoor training areaBest for: Scouts, Explorers and outdoor enthusiastsSkills: Shelter building, pioneering, outdoor survival, site selection, environmental awareness, teamwork Knowing how to create a basic shelter is an important outdoor skill. A good shelter helps protect you from wind, rain, cold ground and exposure to the…
Activity Overview Difficulty: BeginnerTime: 30–45 minutesLocation: Suitable indoor or outdoor training areaBest for: Scouts, Explorers and outdoor enthusiastsSkills: Communication, radio skills, spelling, emergency communication, accuracy, teamwork The phonetic alphabet is a standard way of spelling letters aloud so that they are less likely to be misunderstood. The most widely used version is the NATO phonetic…
Activity Overview Difficulty: BeginnerTime: 45–60 minutesLocation: Suitable indoor or outdoor training areaBest for: Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Communication, emergency signalling, navigation, decision-making, teamwork, situational awareness Emergency communication is the ability to get the right information to the right person quickly and clearly when something goes wrong. The most important message is not necessarily the longest one….
Activity Overview Difficulty: BeginnerTime: 45–60 minutesLocation: Suitable outdoor training areaBest for: Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Navigation, route planning, situational awareness, map reading, decision-making, group management The best way to deal with becoming lost is to avoid becoming lost in the first place. Good navigation is not simply knowing how to use a compass. It means continually…
