Participants Guide.

Congratulations on your willingness to take the Troop 505 Wilderness Survival Merit Badge Course.  The course will be rigorous and will give you some tools you can use for the rest of your life.

Go to https://sites.google.com/site/spct505/wilderness-survival for the complete and extensive course coverage before you get to the Survival course and and after you get back.

Survival Priorities

Please Find Some Fine Scouts Without Fear

Knowing priorities in an emergency lets you start to work immediately and without confusion. Below are listed the logical steps you should take. Later, each item will be studied in detail.

•              Positive Mental Attitude. As attested by those who have survived wilderness emergencies, a positive mental attitude may be the most essential element in survival.

•              First Aid. If an injury is life threatening, such as rapid loss of blood, first aid becomes the most important thing to do.

•              Shelter. Extreme weather conditions, too hot or too cold, make finding or building a shelter of top importance. At such times even painful but minor injuries must wait until shelter is available. This is even more urgent if night is approaching.

•              Fire. Often, along with shelter, you will need a fire for warmth and signaling. Fuel should be secured and the fire started before dark.

•              Signaling. When you have taken the first steps in dealing with the emergency, you will need to prepare rescue signals.

•              Water. Under all circumstances, water is essential. You can live only a few days without it. Finding water is even more urgent when the weather is hot and dry.

•              Food. A person can live several weeks without food; it does not rate high as a survival priority.

 WILDERNESS SURVIVAL KIT FOR MERIT BADGE

INSTANT BODY SHELTER SHOULD INCLUDE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

•     A heavy duty plastic bag, 7-bushel size

•     Plastic tube tent

•     Aluminum coated emergency blanket

If a sudden storm dumps rain or snow, you need to protect yourself from the dampness and cold immediately. Even in summer unexpected storms happen, especially in mountainous areas. A big heavy-duty plastic bag, the 7-bushel size, is one of the best instant shelters you can have. It takes up little space and weighs only a few ounces. When a storm breaks, get out of the wind, make a hole in the bag just large enough to get your face through, squat down and pull the bag completely down over you.

A plastic tube tent is another good instant shelter. Aluminum-coated emergency blankets or suits are available. Just be sure your head is covered, and there are no gaps to allow your body heat to escape. The combination of an emergency blanket and a plastic bag over it will protect the wearer from severe weather. Later, when conditions improve, more permanent shelter can be found or made.

FIRE STARTING MATERIALS SHOULD INCLUDE ONE OR TWO OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

•     Waterproof, strike-anywhere matches

•     A metal match and 0000 steel wool

•     Magnifying Glass

•     Flint and steel

•     A bow drill

•     A candle

•     Chemical heat tabs

•     Bits of dry tinder or dryer lint

•     a butane lighter

            An excellent combination for your basic kit would be a butane lighter and several heat tabs. Put them in a can such as small bandage strips are sold in, seal the lid with adhesive or electrical tape, and you have a fast, efficient fire starter system, even in damp weather.

SIGNALING DEVICES SHOULD INCLUDE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

•     Whistle

•     Distress flags

•     Signaling mirror

•     Pocket flashlight (must have)

•     Strobe Light

•     Your fire is a signaling device. At least, your basic kit should contain a whistle and mirror. For overnight trips you will have a flashlight in your camping equipment.

FIRST AID KIT

            You can buy a small first aid kit, or working with your counselor, put together one of your own. In either case, know what each item is for and how to use it.

            Two or three regular Band-Aid strips; small tube of antibiotic ointment or disposable packets; two or three tablets of parental approved pain reliever (Tylenol or Advil); two quarters for phone; I.D. card with emergency phone numbers; small section of mole skin; sun screen; and include non-aerosol bug repellent in either kit.

ALSO RECOMMEND PURCHASING THE WILDERNESS SURVIVAL MERIT BADGE BOOKLET

ALWAYS INCLUDE YOUR SCOUT POCKET KNIFE AS PART OF YOUR SURVIVAL KIT

Carefully assembled, your emergency kit will be surprisingly compact and lightweight. It should be small enough to carry in your jacket pocket.

Stop

Think

Observe

Plan

For the Wilderness Survival Weekend, you will need the following items: your survival kit, climate and temperature appropriate clothing, personal medications and a sleeping bag.