LATEST OUTDOOR GUIDES
Keep up to date with the latest guides, activities and resources from Pure Bushcraft. 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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Fire Safety in Windy Weather
Wind can make an outdoor fire much more difficult to manage. A fire that appears calm in still conditions can behave very differently when the wind picks up. Flames can lean to one side, sparks can travel further and burning material can be disturbed or carried away from the main fire. For Scouts and leaders,…
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Choosing a Safe Place for a Campfire
Choosing where to have a campfire is one of the most important fire-safety decisions you can make. A well-managed fire in a suitable location is much easier to control than a fire built too close to tents, trees, dry vegetation or other hazards. For Scouts, learning how to assess a potential fire site is an…
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Teepee Fire Lay: A Simple Fire Lay for Scouts
The teepee fire lay is one of the simplest and most recognisable ways to arrange tinder, kindling and fuel when preparing a fire. It gets its name from its shape. Smaller pieces of wood are arranged around the tinder to create a roughly cone-shaped structure, similar to a traditional teepee. For Scouts learning about fire…
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Types of Fire Lay: A Scout Guide to Different Fire Designs
There are several different ways to arrange wood when building a fire, and each arrangement is known as a fire lay. The design you choose can affect how easily a fire lights, how quickly it develops, how much heat it produces and how long it continues to burn. For Scouts, learning different fire lays is…
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Lashings: Essential Pioneering Skills for Scouts
Lashings are one of the most useful skills in Scout pioneering. They allow Scouts to join poles together using rope, creating the framework for useful structures, games and challenges. Learning lashings combines knot skills with practical problem-solving. Scouts need to think about where poles should go, how they should be positioned and how the ropes…
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Loops: Essential Knots for Scouts and Pioneering
Loops are an important part of Scout knot work and pioneering. Unlike bends, which join two ropes, or hitches, which attach a rope to an object, loops create a loop in a rope. Loops can be useful for attaching equipment, creating fixed points, organising ropes and completing practical pioneering tasks. They are also a good…
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Bends: Essential Knots for Joining Ropes
Bends are an important part of Scout knot work and pioneering. While hitches are used to attach a rope to an object, bends are used to join two ropes together. Learning a few reliable bends gives Scouts useful rope-handling skills and helps them understand how different knots behave with different ropes. Bends are particularly useful…
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Hitches: Essential Knots for Scouts and Pioneering
Hitches are an important part of Scout knot work and pioneering. Unlike many knots that are tied in rope to join or create a fixed point, a hitch is normally used to attach a rope to something such as a post, pole, ring or another rope. Learning a few useful hitches gives Scouts a much…
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Environmental Responsibility: Making Outdoor Adventures More Sustainable
Spending time outdoors gives Scouts the chance to explore nature, learn practical skills and enjoy new experiences. But every outdoor activity has an impact on the environment, whether it is a short walk, a weekend camp or a large Scout event. Environmental responsibility means thinking about that impact and making sensible choices to reduce unnecessary…
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Conservation: Simple Ways Scouts Can Help UK Wildlife
Conservation is about looking after the natural world and helping plants, animals and habitats thrive. For Scouts, it can be a practical part of learning about nature, whether you’re exploring woodland, working on a campsite, taking part in a conservation project or simply noticing the wildlife around you. You don’t need specialist equipment or expert…
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