Inspiration, Information and Ideas for Scout Leaders
If you are travelling in bear country follow these ten ways to avoid bears: Keep your cooking areas and sleeping areas separate (100 yards or so is the rule of thumb). Hang food and items with strong odors (ie, toothpaste, bug repellent, soap, etc.) at least 10 ft above the ground or use airtight, bear-proof containers. Don’t…continue reading
Scouting disasters in the wild loom when things start to get sketchy, the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, you get that feeling that something is not quite right. It’s time to stop, sit down and think. Bravely pushing ahead against all obstacles, having the grit and determination to keep on going, not giving in are all qualities…continue reading
The right troop first aid kit is large enough, but no too large, arranged for easy access, outfitted with components to meet the most common needs (cuts, scrapes and burns) and won’t break the bank. Campmor’s Advanced Medical Kit is the best option I have found. A good quality kit is costs less than the sum of it’s parts…continue reading
The long history of the “buddy system” in Scouting has shown that it is always best to have at least one other person with you and aware at all times of your circumstances and what you are doing in any outdoor or strenuous activity - Guide to Safe Scouting “Where’s your buddy?” is a pretty common question when we…continue reading
An article from Wilderness & Environmental Medicine Journal examines the retention of skills for those trained in wilderness first aid and concludes: Without additional training, regular use of the course content, or efforts to refresh thinking on key topics, the ability of WFA students to effectively apply their learning will likely decrease as time from…continue reading
We camp in the kingdom of the timber rattler and the copperhead so I keep up on current best first aid practices for treating venomous snake bites in the field. Dr. Paul Auerbach, author of Medicine for the Outdoors, recently published an article about venomous snake bites: read the full article here. Dr. Auerbach observes; “Most bites,…continue reading
The first two parts of this discussion deal with why Scouts make poor decisions and how we can help them decide well. How do we react to bad decisions? If we understand the way our Scout’s brains are working we know that reactive punishment is going to have little effect on their future ability to make better decisions.…continue reading
Yesterday we looked at why otherwise intelligent Scouts sometimes make incredibly bad decisions. We understand that this has a lot to do with their developing brains. How do we help them? Asking adolescents to contemplate trade-offs between risks and benefits is ineffective because their decision making capabilities are underdeveloped. Stating the facts not only won’t…continue reading
Every once in a while a Scout does something so stunningly foolish and reckless we stop and ask; ”He’s such an intelligent kid, why did he do something so stupid?” Emerging brain development research explains the sometimes stunningly bad choices adolescents make. Understanding how the developing adolescent brain works will help us help our Scouts avoid risky behavior and…continue reading
Anyone venturing into the wilderness should leave a detailed tour plan with a reliable contact who will contact emergency services if they have not returned on schedule. Here’s a great idea – a free service called ‘ShouldBeBack.com’. Here’s how it works: Create a trip with an interactive map and provide information for your emergency contacts.…continue reading
I had a few concerns over 911 calls being made by Scouts. I spoke with Eric Parry, a Emergency Response Specialist with MIsson Critical Partners: We travel and camp in some reasonably remote areas. How can we know if there is 911 coverage? To check and see if the area you will be traveling has…continue reading
Thin ice and cold water boating accidents result in cold water immersion – a serious danger of winter in the out doors. Dr Gordon Giesbrecht coined the phrase 1-10-1 to describe the three critical phases of cold water immersion: 1 - Cold Shock An initial deep and sudden Gasp followed by hyperventilation that can be as much as…continue reading
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