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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SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge: Something Big Is Coming
Something big is coming to Survival Guides UK. Not another short list of outdoor activities. Not a course that finishes after a few lessons. And not a challenge that stops when you reach number 100. We are building something much bigger. The SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge is going to be a huge, ever-growing collection of…
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SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 27: Identify a Tree Without Looking at Its Leaves
You don’t need leaves to recognise a tree. Its bark, buds, twigs, shape and even the seeds scattered beneath it can provide clues to its identity. Learning to identify a tree without leaves is especially useful in autumn and winter, when many familiar trees have lost their leaves. For this challenge, you’ll investigate a tree…
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SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 26: Find a Safe Water Crossing
A stream can look harmless from the bank, but moving water is not always as shallow or predictable as it appears. Rainfall upstream can raise water levels quickly, and slippery stones or hidden holes can turn a simple crossing into a serious hazard. This is why it is important that you learn and understand how…
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SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 25: Find Signs of Animal Feeding
You don’t always need to see an animal to know it’s been nearby. A nibbled leaf, a chewed hazelnut or a strip of missing bark can tell you that something has stopped for a little meal. Learning to spot these clues makes an ordinary walk through woodland, a park or a hedgerow much more interesting.…
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SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 24: Find a Safe Campsite
Choosing where to camp is about more than finding a flat patch of grass with a good view. In order to find a safe campsite, the right spot should keep you sheltered, comfortable and away from any hazards, while giving you enough space to pitch your tent and move around safely. For this challenge, you’ll…
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SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 23: Make Natural Cordage
Before modern rope was available, people used natural fibres to make natural cordage for tying, carrying and securing things. In this challenge, you’ll explore how fibres can be twisted together to make a simple piece of cordage and discover which materials work best. The aim is to experiment, observe the results and learn something about…
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SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 22: Make a Basic Fire Lay
Getting a fire going outdoors is much easier when you prepare properly before striking a match or creating a spark. A good fire lay brings together the right materials in an arrangement that allows the tinder to catch, the kindling to ignite and the fire to grow gradually. For this challenge, you’ll practise building a…
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SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 21: Tie a Reef Knot
A good knot is one of those small outdoor skills that becomes genuinely useful once you know how to do it without thinking. The reef knot is a classic starting point: it is quick to learn, easy to check and handy when you need to tie something neatly around a bundle or package. Your SGUK…
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SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 20: Make a Simple Emergency Signal
If you ever need help outdoors, being able to attract attention could make a big difference. Shouting might work when someone is nearby, but your voice can become tired and may not carry as far as you imagine. A whistle or torch can help you send a clearer signal without exhausting yourself. For the SGUK…
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SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 19: Estimate the Height of a Tree
Have you ever looked up at a tall tree and wondered just how high it reaches? You don’t need a measuring pole, specialist equipment or a head for complicated maths to make a reasonable estimate. With a simple technique and a little practice, you can work out a tree’s approximate height using nothing more than…
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SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 18: Learn How to Give a Route Message
Before heading out on a walk, it’s useful to make sure someone else knows where you’re going and when you expect to return. If your plans change or you don’t come back as expected, that information can help someone work out where you might be and what to do next. That is the purpose of…
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