Learn essential survival skills including shelter building, fire lighting, navigation, first aid, outdoor safety and practical skills to survive in the wilderness.
Wind can change the way a campsite needs to be planned. A location that seems ideal in calm conditions may become uncomfortable or unsuitable when the wind increases. Choosing a sensible site and thinking about how the wind will affect tents and equipment can make…
Before pitching a tent, it’s worth taking a few minutes to look around the area. A campsite can appear perfectly safe at first glance, but there may be hazards that aren’t immediately obvious. Learning to spot these hazards is an important Scout skill and helps…
Camping near a river, stream or lake can be an enjoyable part of an outdoor adventure, but water brings its own hazards. The important thing is not simply to find a scenic spot beside the water. Scouts should learn to look at the surroundings, consider…
Choosing suitable ground is one of the first things Scouts should think about when arriving at a campsite. The ground affects how comfortable the tent will be, how well tent pegs hold and whether rainwater is likely to become a problem. A few minutes spent…
A little preparation before pitching a tent can make the whole process easier. Instead of immediately spreading the tent out and putting the poles together, take a few moments to check the equipment and make sure you’ve chosen a suitable location. For Scouts, this is…
Tent guy lines are an important part of many tents. They help keep the tent stable, improve the shape of the fabric and provide extra support when conditions become windy. For Scouts, learning how to use guy lines properly is a useful part of understanding…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…