Learn essential emergency and survival skills for Scouts and outdoor adventures, including first aid, signalling, getting lost, shelters, emergency planning and calling for help.
Activity Overview Difficulty: ModerateTime: 30–45 minutesLocation: Campsites, woodland, open countryside and suitable outdoor training areasBest for: Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult leadersSkills: Emergency communication, signalling, situational awareness, emergency planning and outdoor safety A distress signal is used to show that you need help in…
Activity Overview Difficulty: ModerateTime: 30–45 minutesLocation: Campsites, woodland, open countryside and suitable outdoor training areasBest for: Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and adult leadersSkills: Emergency communication, signalling, navigation, situational awareness and emergency planning Emergency signalling is about getting attention, communicating that you need help and making…
Activity Overview Difficulty: ModerateTime: 45–90 minutesLocation: Scout campsites and suitable outdoor areasBest for: Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and experienced pioneering groupsSkills: Pioneering, lashings, ropework, teamwork, construction and emergency awareness A pioneering stretcher is a temporary structure made from poles and rope lashings, traditionally used to…
Activity Overview Difficulty: EasyTime: 15–30 minutes to learn; ongoing practiceLocation: Campsites, Scout camps, woodland, countryside and outdoor basesBest for: Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Patrol Leaders and outdoor enthusiastsSkills: Personal hygiene, food hygiene, campsite management, sanitation and outdoor living Camp hygiene means keeping yourself, your food, equipment…
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…
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….
First aid is one of the most important skills an Explorer can learn. An accident can happen during a hike, expedition, camping trip, cooking activity or simply while going about everyday life. Knowing what to do can make a difficult situation much easier to manage….
First aid is one of the most valuable skills Scouts can learn. It’s practical, useful and potentially life-saving. But first aid doesn’t have to be taught entirely through demonstrations and worksheets. Scouts can learn by practising communication, recognising hazards, working through scenarios and thinking about…
First aid is one of those skills that can be genuinely useful outside the Scout meeting. For Cubs, it doesn’t need to be taught through long lectures. Games, scenarios and practical challenges can make the subject much easier to understand. The Scouts programme includes Emergency…
First aid can be a brilliant subject for Beavers. At this age, the aim isn’t to turn young people into qualified first aiders. It’s about helping them understand what to do when something goes wrong. They can learn to stay calm, recognise when someone needs…
First aid doesn’t have to be a serious or complicated subject for Squirrels. At this age, the most useful lessons are often very simple: Stay calm. Keep yourself safe. Get an adult. Know how to call for help. Don’t make an injury worse. Games and…
⚠️ SAFETY FIRST Use fictional scenarios, role-play or appropriately trained simulated patients rather than creating real injuries. Explorers should only practise first aid techniques they have been taught by a suitably qualified instructor. Don’t ask young people to perform procedures beyond their training. For a…
