Outdoors

Lessons learned in the outdoors teach youth skills that make them more self-reliant. They can explore canoe paths and hiking trails and complete challenges they first thought were beyond their ability. Attributes of good character become part of a youth as he or she learns to cooperate and meet outdoor challenges that may include extreme weather, difficult trails and portages, and dealing with nature’s unexpected circumstances.

Backpacking & Hiking

Take better photos of your Scouts

By Scouting magazine

A veteran photographer offers simple tips for taking more dramatic and memorable photographs of his favorite subject — Scouting.

Camping

Starry, Starry Night

By Scouting magazine

Fall and winter night skies offer great opportunities to view prominent stars, planets, and constellations, plus a meteor shower or two.

Campground Cooking

Outdoor Smarts: ‘I’m Still Hungry’

By Scouting magazine

Careful menu planning examines the rigors of high adventure activities and makes sure that calorie and nutrition levels not only meet energy requirements but also leave diners feeling satisfied.

Health

Helping Children Get the Sleep They Need

By Scouting magazine

The rising numbers of first graders through high school seniors who fail to get adequate rest are a wake-up call for parents to become more proactive in promoting healthy slumber.

Aquatics

The Missinaibi: A Wilderness River Journey

By Scouting magazine

Boy Scouts and Venturers overcome low water, long portages, and fierce headwinds to follow the French voyageurs’ historic trade route into northernmost Ontario, Canada.

Camping

Outdoor Smarts: Lost and Found!

By Scouting magazine

People get lost in the wilderness more often than you might think. The keys to being found include preparing well, responding correctly, and carrying a well-stocked survival kit.

Camping

Scouts 'NAYLE' the Qualities of Leadership

By Scouting magazine

A new course at Philmont’s Rocky Mountain Scout Camp reinforces Boy Scout leadership methods by focusing on strategies for group success in challenging high adventure activities.

Aquatics

Grunt, Sweat, and Glide

By Scouting magazine

The Oakland Strokes, a group of 140 Venturers in the BSA’s Piedmont Council, have a 33-year history of rowing four- and eight-person shells. Their exhaustive practice regimen and backbreaking determination have garnered regional, national, and international championships

Florida Sea Base

The Keys to High Adventure

By Scouting magazine

The Florida National High Adventure Sea Base offers fun and excitement for Venturers and older Scouts.

Backpacking and hiking

'We Go Camping'

By Scouting magazine

A New York State troop has conducted an outdoor activity for more than 400 consecutive months (nearly 35 years) by relying on a simple formula of program, planning, and parents.