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1-502-361-2624
Outdoor adventure is the promise made to all youth when they join Scouting. Youth yearn for outdoor programs that stir their imagination and interest.
In the outdoors, boys and girls have opportunities to acquire skills that make them more self-reliant. They can explore canoe and hiking trails and complete challenges they first thought were beyond their ability. Attributes of good character become part of a child as they learns to cooperate to meet outdoor challenges that may include extreme weather, difficult trails and portages, and dealing with nature’s unexpected circumstances.
Scouts plan and carry out activities with thoughtful guidance from their Scoutmaster and other adult leaders. Good youth leadership, communication, and teamwork enable them to achieve goals they have set for themselves, their patrol or squad, and their Troop or Team.
Learning by doing is a hallmark of outdoor education. Unit meetings offer information and knowledge used on outdoor adventures each month throughout the year. A leader may describe and demonstrate a Scouting skill at a meeting, but the way Scouts truly learn outdoor skills is to do them themselves on a Troop outing.
Scouting uses the patrol method to teach skills and values. Scouts elect their own patrol leader and they learn quickly that by working together and sharing duties, the patrol can accomplish far more than any of its members could do alone. The patrol succeeds when every member of the patrol succeeds and Scouts learn that good teamwork is the key to success.
Exercise and fitness are part of the outdoor experience. As Scouts hike, paddle, climb, bike, or ride, their muscles become toned and their aerobic capacity increases. When they work as a patrol to plan menus for their outings, they learn to purchase cost-effective ingredients to prepare flavorful and nutritious meals.
Service to others and good citizenship is learned through such outdoor activities as conservation projects, collecting food, building trails and shelters, and conducting community service projects that promote healthy living. Through helping other people, Scouts learn to appreciate how they can share themselves and their blessings to those in need. By giving service to benefit others, Scouts gain a sense of personal satisfaction.
ScoutStrong Healthy Unit Award
Personal fitness is one of the aims of Scouting. To show a commitment to this value and earn the SCOUTStrong Healthy Unit Award, follow three healthy practices at all meetings and gatherings:
Snack smart: Serve fruits or vegetables, when you have snacks (three meetings).
Drink right: Make water the main beverage (six meetings).
Move more: Include 15 minutes of fun physical activity (nine meetings).
Scouts can earn the SCOUTStrong Healthy Unit Award with their den, pack, troop, or crew.
Types of Outdoor Activities
What are typical Scout outdoor activities? For younger Scouts, less-rugged activities are more appropriate as they begin to acquire outdoor knowledge and skills. These may include the following:
Day hikes—Reasonably short hikes (3 to 10 miles) in terrain without a lot of elevation gain or loss.
Service projects—Daylong projects that may be related to conservation, food collection, building shelter, or healthy living activities.
Patrol activities—A Scouts BSA Scout patrol may hike or camp with other patrols or squads in the unit or, with the permission of their Scoutmaster and parents or guardians, may hike or camp on their own.
Weekend overnights—Troops that plan and carry out outings once a month attract and retain youth at a much higher level than those that have fewer outings during the year.
Camporees—Councils and districts plan camporees and other outings during the year that give Scouts an opportunity to test their knowledge and skills in competitive events with other troops and patrols.
Summer camp—Summer camp is what many Scouts enjoy most. Camp programs provide numerous opportunities for Scouts to earn merit badges along their advancement trail. Resident camp includes at least five nights and six days of fun outdoor activities.
Jamborees—Every four years, the Boy Scouts of America hosts a national Scout jamboree. More than 40,000 Scouts and leaders from across the country participate in this 10-day event filled with the most popular and highest quality outdoor activities Scouts enjoy. To participate, a Scout must be at least 12 years of age by July 1 of the jamboree year and be a First Class Scout.
Council high adventure—A high-adventure experience includes at least five nights and six days of trekking in wilderness and other rugged, remote locations. Trekking may include backpacking, canoeing, mountain biking, horse packing, mountain climbing, ski touring, rafting, kayaking, or a host of other outdoor adventures. Participants must be at least 13 years old by Jan. 1 of the year they participate.
National high adventure—The BSA operates national high-adventure bases and programs. With two locations in the Florida Keys, the Florida National High Adventure Sea Base offers a variety of aquatic and boating programs. The Northern Tier National High Adventure Program, based in northern Minnesota with two satellite bases in Canada, provides a variety of canoe treks and programs. Philmont Scout Ranch in the mountains of New Mexico provides excellent backpacking treks. Age requirements for these programs vary, but most programs are rugged and designed for older Scouts.
Unit high adventure—The highest level of challenge for a troop or team is to plan and carry out its own high-adventure experience. These activities for more experienced Scouts are planned and implemented by youth members with coaching from their adult leaders.
Qualified Leadership
Two-Deep Leadership Required
It is the policy of the Boy Scouts of America that trips and outings may never be led by only one adult. At a minimum, two registered adult leaders or one registered adult leader and a parent of a participant, one of whom must be at least 21 years of age, are required for all trips and outings. Sufficient adult leadership must be provided on all trips and outings based on the total number of youth attending. Click here for more information on leadership and youth protection.
Outdoor Activity Tips
- Obtain permission from parents or guardians for activities that are held away from the regular unit meeting places.
- Understand the local council’s policies regarding filing tour plans for unit outings. Click here for more information on tour plans.
- Be sure to have enough adult leaders for the activity. If feasible, check out the site before the activity. Check on reservation procedures, restrooms, availability of adequate drinking water, and any potential hazards.
- Use the buddy system. Coach the Scouts in advance on what to do if they get lost.
- Carry a first-aid kit and make sure someone is qualified to use it. Be prepared with emergency procedures.
- Arrange adequate and safe transportation.
- Always leave a site in its natural condition.
For more safety tips, review the the Guide to Safe Scouting and the Sweet 16 of BSA Safety.
Accident and Sickness Protection
For questions about current camper accident and sickness insurance, please contact your local council.
Leave No Trace
Every Scouting activity should be planned with Leave No Trace principles in mind. Leave No Trace is a method that prepares Scouts to make ethical choices in the outdoor environment and to respect the rights of other outdoor users, as well as future generations. It’s an awareness and an attitude rather than a set of rules. It applies in your backyard or local park as much as in wilderness or backcountry areas. The principles of Leave No Trace are below:
- Plan ahead and prepare.
- Travel and camp on durable surfaces.
- Dispose of waste properly (pack it in, pack it out).
- Leave what you find.
- Minimize campfire impacts.
- Respect wildlife.
- Be considerate of other visitors.
For more information, refer to the Principles of Leave No Trace, No. 430-105. Also see Teaching Leave No Trace on this website.
Safety
To assure safer outings, the BSA has developed four leader training opportunities. The foundation for safety in any Scouting outdoor program is qualified supervision and discipline, and these two elements are the first and last points for each safety training opportunity. Because fitness is critical to all outdoor activities, it is also included in each safety emphasis.
Safe Swim Defense
- Qualified supervision
- Physical fitness
- Safe area
- Lifeguards on duty
- Lookout
- Ability groups
- Buddy system
- Discipline
Safety Afloat
- Qualified supervision
- Physical fitness
- Swimming ability
- Personal flotation equipment
- Buddy system
- Skill proficiency
- Planning
- Equipment
- Discipline
Trek Safely
- Qualified supervision
- Physical fitness
- Plan ahead
- Gear up
- Communicate clearly and completely
- Monitor conditions
- Discipline
Climb On Safely
- Qualified supervision
- Qualified instructors
- Physical fitness
- Safe area
- Equipment
- Planning
- Environmental conditions
- Discipline
For more detailed information on these training opportunities, see Safe Swim Defense, No. 34370; Safety Afloat Training Outline, No. 34159; Trek Safely, No. 430-125; or Climb On Safely, No. 430-099.
Orienteering!
Orienteering, the use of map and compass to find locations and plan a journey, has been a vital skill for humans for thousands of years. Orienteering is also a recognized sport at the Olympic Games, and thousands of people participate in the sport each year in local clubs and competitions.
Camp Crooked Creek Orienteering map
