Learn essential survival skills including shelter building, fire lighting, navigation, first aid, outdoor safety and practical skills to survive in the wilderness.
Activity Overview Difficulty: ChallengingTime: 2–4 hoursLocation: Scout campsites and suitable outdoor activity areasBest for: Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and experienced pioneering groupsSkills: Pioneering, knots, lashings, teamwork, planning, ropework and structural awareness A pioneering bridge is a structure built from poles and rope using traditional knots and lashings. For a Scout pioneering project, the safest approach…
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…
Activity Overview Difficulty: ModerateTime: 15–30 minutes to set up; maintained throughout campLocation: Scout campsites and outdoor campsBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult leadersSkills: Food hygiene, campcraft, outdoor cooking, organisation and teamwork Good camp kitchen hygiene means keeping hands, food, equipment and preparation areas clean and preventing food from becoming contaminated. Outdoor cooking…
Activity Overview Difficulty: ModerateTime: 30–60 minutesLocation: Scout campsites and outdoor campsBest for: Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult leadersSkills: Campcraft, food hygiene, outdoor cooking, organisation and teamwork A good camp kitchen should have separate areas for food preparation, cooking, eating, washing up and waste, with enough space to work safely. Set the kitchen up on…
Activity Overview Difficulty: EasyTime: 15–30 minutes for routine care; several hours for thorough dryingLocation: Home, campsite or suitable dry areaBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders, campers and outdoor enthusiastsSkills: Equipment care, cleaning, drying, storage and camping maintenance Good sleeping bag care is mainly about keeping it clean, dry and properly stored. Air your sleeping…
Activity Overview Difficulty: EasyTime: 15–30 minutes to learnLocation: Home, outdoor shop or before a camping tripBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders, campers and outdoor enthusiastsSkills: Equipment selection, weather awareness, camping preparation and outdoor planning Choose a sleeping bag based on the temperatures you’re likely to encounter, your size, the type of camping you’re doing…
Activity Overview Difficulty: Easy–ModerateTime: 15–30 minutes for a temporary repairLocation: Campsite or homeBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders, campers and outdoor enthusiastsSkills: Tent pitching, equipment repair, problem-solving and outdoor maintenance A broken tent pole can often be given a temporary repair using a tent-pole repair sleeve, sometimes called a splint. The sleeve is placed…
Activity Overview Difficulty: Easy–ModerateTime: 15–60 minutes depending on the repairLocation: Home, campsite or suitable outdoor areaBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders, campers and outdoor enthusiastsSkills: Tent maintenance, repairs, sewing, problem-solving and equipment care Many minor tent problems can be repaired using a suitable tent repair kit, provided the repair is appropriate for the type…
Activity Overview Difficulty: EasyTime: 15–20 minutes to learn; ongoing during campingLocation: Campsites, woodland, hills and other outdoor camping areasBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders, campers and outdoor enthusiastsSkills: Tent pitching, knots, tensioning, campsite organisation and weather awareness Tent guy lines are cords attached to a tent to help stabilise and tension the structure. They…
