Learn essential survival skills including shelter building, fire lighting, navigation, first aid, outdoor safety and practical skills to survive in the wilderness.
⚠️ SAFETY FIRST Food can become unsafe surprisingly quickly when you’re camping, particularly during warm weather. Keep perishable food cold, prevent raw and cooked foods from contaminating each other, wash your hands before handling food and follow the storage instructions on packaged products. If food…
⚠️ SAFETY FIRST Camping involves sleeping outdoors, cooking, handling equipment and dealing with changing weather. Always follow campsite rules, fire-safety guidance and the instructions of your activity leader. Check the weather before setting out and make sure your equipment is suitable for the conditions you’re…
⚠️ SAFETY FIRST First aid is about keeping someone safe until they can receive appropriate medical care. If someone is seriously injured, unconscious, having difficulty breathing, experiencing severe bleeding or otherwise seriously unwell, call 999 or 112 and follow the emergency operator’s instructions. First aid…
⚠️ SAFETY FIRST Woodlands can look peaceful and familiar, but they are still natural environments with hazards that can change with the weather and season. Before heading out, consider the forecast, your route, daylight hours and the equipment you need. If you’re part of a…
⚠️ SAFETY FIRST If you realise you’re lost, stop and tell someone if you can. Continuing to walk without knowing where you are can make the situation much worse. If you’re in immediate danger, injured, lost after dark or unable to find your way to…
⚠️ SAFETY FIRST Weather can change quickly in the UK, particularly when you’re outdoors. Before heading out, check the forecast and any weather warnings for your area. The Met Office issues warnings for rain, thunderstorms, wind, snow, lightning, ice, extreme heat and fog. (Met Office)…
⚠️ SAFETY FIRST A leaking tent is inconvenient, but severe weather can become a genuine safety issue. If conditions include strong winds, flooding, lightning or other dangerous weather, don’t stay in an unsafe location simply because you want to keep the tent dry. Follow your…
⚠️ SAFETY FIRST Never assume a campfire is completely extinguished just because you can’t see flames. Hot embers can remain hidden underneath ash and can sometimes reignite. If you’re finished with the fire, extinguish it properly rather than simply leaving it to go out. Only…
⚠️ SAFETY FIRST Never compromise fire safety just because you are struggling to light a fire. Only light fires where they are permitted, use an appropriate fire area, keep water or another suitable means of extinguishing the fire nearby, and follow local rules and landowner…
⚠️ SAFETY FIRST Running out of water can become a medical emergency, particularly in hot weather or during strenuous activity. If you have no safe drinking water, don’t keep pushing on as though nothing has happened. Stop, reduce exertion, protect yourself from heat and get…
⚠️ SAFETY FIRST Hypothermia is a medical emergency. If you think someone has hypothermia, call 999 or 112 for emergency help and begin appropriate first aid while you wait. Hypothermia occurs when the body’s core temperature falls below 35°C and can become life-threatening. What Should…
⚠️ SAFETY FIRST Heatstroke is a medical emergency and can be life-threatening. If you think someone has heatstroke, call 999 or 112 immediately and start cooling them while you wait for help. Don’t wait to see if they get better. (nhs.uk) What Should You Do…