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: 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….
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
Activity Overview Difficulty: BeginnerTime: 30–45 minutesLocation: Suitable outdoor cooking areaBest for: Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Stove safety, fuel handling, camp cooking, fire safety, risk awareness Camp stoves provide a controlled way to cook outdoors, but they still involve flames, hot surfaces and potentially hazardous fuels. Safe…
Activity Overview Difficulty: IntermediateTime: 1–2 hoursLocation: Suitable campfire or outdoor cooking areaBest for: Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Camp cooking, fire management, heat control, food preparation, pioneering Campfire reflector cooking uses a reflective surface positioned beside a campfire to direct radiant heat towards food. It can be…
Activity Overview Difficulty: BeginnerTime: 30–60 minutesLocation: Suitable campfire or outdoor cooking areaBest for: Cubs, Scouts and ExplorersSkills: Camp cooking, fire safety, food hygiene, heat control, teamwork Campfire roasting is a simple outdoor cooking method where food is held over the heat of a campfire using…