Wilderness Survival Merit Badge
Scouting involves a lot of outdoor activities. This should come as no surprise to anyone, as some of the more popular terms associated with Scouting are “Camping” and “Hiking”. Scouts learn by doing, and they love to get outside and learn new things! The Wilderness Survival merit badge touches on another aspect that is important to the Scouting program…safety. It teaches Scouts how to avoid problems in the outdoors or the backcountry, and what to do if things don’t go as planned.
Completing Wilderness Survival at Summer Camp
While a Scout can work on this merit badge at any time, it is very common for Scouts to complete the Wilderness Survival merit badge at Summer Camp. Scouts often work on various merit badges at Summer Camp, and this is a popular one specifically because of one of the requirements…
Improvise a natural shelter. For the purpose of this demonstration, use techniques that have little negative impact on the environment. Spend a night in your shelter.
The last sentence above is the one that makes this merit badge popular at Summer Camp. The Scouts will spend the week learning how to avoid potential problems, while also learning what to do if the unexpected happens. Towards the end of the week, they’ll put what they’ve learned into practice by constructing a shelter and spending the night in it.
They Are Not Alone
It’s important to note for both the Scouts and the parents…
When the Scouts complete the overnight requirement of the Wilderness Survival merit badge, they will be with other Scouts who are also working on the merit badges, yet they will be away from the specific campsites occupied by troops during the week.
That said, they are not alone. Adult leaders are watching them continuously through the night. As with many other aspects of the Scouting program, the Scouts have an opportunity to try new things. Those opportunities are always done in an environment that allows them to fail (a.k.a. “Learn”) in a safe environment where registered adult leaders are there to step in when help is needed.
This merit badge can be a little intimidating for some Scouts. That said, it’s also one of the most rewarding. When they are done, the Scouts will have spent the night on their own in a shelter they constructed. It’s a very cool accomplishment.
What To Bring
This is one of the few Summer Camp merit badges that require the Scout to bring some additional items. While there isn’t necessarily an official packing list, the following is a list of recommendations we typically give to our Scouts regarding items they should consider bringing.
Extra Sleeping Bag
One thing you can always count on at Summer Camp…it’s going to rain! While severe weather may change the camp-under-a-shelter plans, non-severe rain will not. If it rains, equipment is likely to get wet. Even if it doesn’t rain, the morning dew will cover pretty much everything. Having an extra sleeping bag for the overnight camp means the Scout will still have a dry sleeping bag in his tent back at camp for the following night.
Tarp
The tarp will be used to construct the shelter. We have extras in the trailer, but the Scouts are encouraged to bring their own.
Rope
They will use the rope along with their tarp to build the shelter. It’s also a good opportunity for them to put those knot-tying skills to good use!
Headlamp / Flashlight
Shocker… It gets dark at night.
Extra Shoes
While not necessary, this doesn’t hurt. It’s the same concept as with the extra sleeping bag. If the Scout’s shoes get wet during the night (either from rain or dew), they’ll still have a dry pair at camp. They won’t have to spend the rest of the week walking around in wet shoes.
Something to use as a pillow
See the notes above about having a 2nd item that can get wet.
Miscellaneous Extras
Smaller items such as a pocket knife (with their Toten Chip), duct tape, a book if they want to read, etc. often come in handy.
Water Bottle
As described below, the Scouts should not bring along any food. However, they should bring a water bottle along. Don’t forget to fill it before heading out!
Planning Ahead
When packing for Summer Camp, it’s a good idea to separately pack the items for this merit badge’s overnight event. Placing all of the needed items in a separate backpack/bag can be helpful. The Scouts will have to carry all of their items to the makeshift campsite. Having everything together not only makes it easier to transport items, but it also reduces the chances of the Scouts leaving something behind in their tent at the troop’s campsite.
We often tell the Scouts not to OVER pack when packing for Summer Camp. However, it’s expected that the Scouts enrolled in the Wilderness Survival merit badge will be bringing some extra items.
What Not To Bring
Basically, the Scouts should not bring anything they won’t need. (Duh!) As mentioned above, they will have to carry everything to their makeshift campsite. They won’t have to go far, but why make it any harder than it needs to be!
Another BIG item not to bring is food. They absolutely should not bring any food/snacks with them. They are outside, in nature, where the animals live. Like people, animals love to eat. If the Scouts bring food, they will most certainly have one or more visitors during the night. It’s best to just avoid that whole situation. We don’t allow food in the tents for this very reason. The same applies to their shelter.