LATEST OUTDOOR GUIDES
Keep up to date with the latest guides, activities and resources from Survival Guides UK. Explore new articles covering outdoor skills, survival, Scout activities, camping, navigation, knots, fire safety and practical skills.
Our latest posts are designed to help Scouts, youth groups, leaders and anyone interested in outdoor learning develop practical knowledge and confidence. From new activity ideas and survival skills to useful how-to guides, check back regularly for the latest resources.
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Emergency Communication: How to Call for Help and Pass Information Clearly
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.…
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Preventing Yourself Becoming Lost: Essential Navigation Skills
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…
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Lost-Person Procedures
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 45–60 minutesLocation: Suitable indoor or outdoor training areaBest for: Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Emergency procedures, leadership, communication, headcounts, search planning, risk assessment A lost-person situation should be treated as an emergency that needs an organised response, not as an excuse for everyone to immediately spread out and search. The first priorities are…
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Deciding Whether to Stay or Move
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 45–60 minutesLocation: Suitable indoor or outdoor training areaBest for: Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Decision-making, navigation, emergency planning, situational awareness, risk assessment When something goes wrong outdoors, one of the most important decisions is whether to stay where you are or move to somewhere else. Moving may take you towards safety, help, shelter…
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Campsite Selection Checklist | Free Printable Camping Guide
Campsite Selection Checklist – How to Choose a Safe Campsite Choosing the right campsite is one of the first and most important decisions you make when setting up camp. A good campsite isn’t simply somewhere that looks comfortable. You need to consider ground conditions, weather, water, hazards, wildlife, access, local rules and the impact your…
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The STOP Principle
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…
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Managing Fear in an Emergency
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…
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Survival Psychology
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…
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Improvised Ground Insulation
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 30–45 minutesLocation: Suitable campsite or woodland camping areaBest for: Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Campcraft, survival skills, insulation, resourcefulness, outdoor safety Improvised ground insulation is a way of reducing heat loss between your body and the ground when you do not have enough conventional sleeping equipment. The ground can draw heat away from…
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Stove Maintenance
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 30–45 minutesLocation: Suitable outdoor equipment or cooking areaBest for: Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Equipment care, stove maintenance, fault checking, camp cooking, safety awareness Regular stove maintenance keeps camping stoves working reliably and helps identify problems before they become dangerous. Maintenance should include cleaning the stove, checking the burner and supports, inspecting fuel…
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