Learn essential survival skills including shelter building, fire lighting, navigation, first aid, outdoor safety and practical skills to survive in the wilderness.
Tent pegs might be small, but they play an important part in keeping a tent secure. Using the right peg, putting it into the ground correctly and checking it after pitching can make a big difference, especially when the weather changes. Learning how to use tent pegs properly is a simple camping skill that Scouts…
Choosing the right place to pitch a tent is one of the simplest camping skills to learn, but it can make a big difference to comfort, safety and how well the tent performs. A good campsite isn’t always the flattest-looking patch of grass. Scouts should learn to look at the whole area before unpacking the…
A tarp shelter can be built with surprisingly little equipment, but having the right kit makes a big difference. For Scouts, choosing and organising shelter equipment is about more than simply carrying as much as possible. The aim is to have a simple, reliable and manageable shelter kit that can be used safely in the…
A tarp can be one of the most useful pieces of outdoor equipment a Scout carries, but even a good tarp can become damaged. A sharp branch can create a small tear. A guy line can pull out an attachment point. A peg can rip a corner when strong wind catches the fabric. Knowing how…
A tarp shelter can be one of the most useful pieces of outdoor equipment a Scout can carry. It is lightweight, flexible and can be pitched in several different ways. However, a tarp that works well on a calm summer afternoon may be completely unsuitable when the wind picks up or heavy rain arrives. Learning…
Building a tarp shelter is a useful Scout skill, but building one once and declaring it finished doesn’t teach the whole story. A good shelter needs to be stable, practical, weather-aware and easy to use. The Tarp Shelter Challenge turns shelter building into a practical problem-solving exercise. Scouts work in teams to design and build…
Knowing how to make a simple emergency shelter is a useful outdoor skill for Scouts. A lean-to is one of the simplest shelters to understand. It uses a strong horizontal support with smaller poles arranged against it to create a sloping roof. Once covered, the structure can provide some protection from wind and light rain….
If you ever need to make an emergency shelter outdoors, the materials you have available can make a big difference. You don’t always need specialist survival equipment. A useful shelter can sometimes be made using items already in your rucksack, combined with suitable natural materials. The important thing is knowing what each material can realistically…
Children can become cold surprisingly quickly when spending time outdoors, particularly in cold, wet or windy conditions. For parents and Scout leaders, understanding heat loss in children is an important part of keeping outdoor activities comfortable and safe. Children may not always recognise that they are becoming cold, and they can become distracted by games…
When you’re cold outdoors, most people think about putting on another layer or finding shelter. Those are important steps, but your body position can also affect how quickly you lose heat. How you sit, stand, lie down or position yourself in relation to the wind and ground can influence your exposure to cold air and…
