Guest post by PATTON****
In my youth (a LONG time ago)I learned a lot of skills as a member of the Boy Scouts that prove to be very useful today and in any future SHTF or TEOTWAWKI situation.
Scouting teaches skills that can be valuable either during the ‘bugging out’ phase or at your retreat location.
To be honest, I was a bit rusty with some of the skills I learned many years ago, however after getting hold of and reading through a trusty mid-1960′s copy of the BOY SCOUT HANDBOOK and FIELD BOOK I quickly refreshed many of the skills I learned long ago.
Needless to say, these two books should be part of your survival / preparedness library.
Recently during a trip to my local GOODWILLL store dropping off some used clothing, and I spotted in a stack of dropped off items an old “Official” Boy Scout Reflector Oven. I had never even thought of using one for my prepping, nor did I remember exactly how to use it, or what recipes/foods could be cooked with it.
The internet once again proved to be a plethora of information on how to use (or even build) one, and recipes that can be used to cook using it. Further information gleaned from Boy Scout websites also enlightened and refreshed me to other forms of cooking, including foil-cooking techniques and cooking without utensils.
Looking through some of these websites such as this one revealed a wealth of information on a multitude of survival / outdoor living /camping skills. I was also rusty on using a Dutch Oven, and found a great document on how to use it along with great recipes.
We all know that if you want good emergency training you could join a volunteer fire department or first-aid squad. We certainly have to know CPR and basic first-aid (or EMT) and firefighting skills.
However, have you ever considered volunteering as a Scout Leader at your local Boy (or Girl) Scout Troop? Getting involved through Scouting will allow you to learn, teach and practice many outdoor skills that you may need, including first aid and fire safety.
Besides, it is a great way to get involved with your local community and to teach kids the same skills that just may help them or their families in a SHTF or TEOWAKI situation.
Your involvement as a Scout leader (or as a troop adult assistant) will also help you develop leadership, planning, coordinating, teaching and other skills that could also help you during prepping or a SHTF / TEOTWAWKI situation. And besides, Scouting is fun!
You may even be surprised to find like-minded adults who are also prepping.
Even if you decide that Scouting is not your cup of tea, I suggest that you take advantage of Scouting websites across the internet for the great information they offer.
Just enter into your search engine the words such as, “(Boy) Scout Cooking”, “Scout Survival”, Scout Woodcutting, “Scout Knots/Lashing”, “Scout Mapping”,etc., and you’ll find a cornucopia of information that may just surprise you, and may even teach you some new skills or ideas that you have never even considered.
The Boy Scout motto is, “Be Prepared.” That says it all. I lived by that motto then, and I still live by it now.
Any old scouts out there?
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{ 14 comments }
Absolutely true Patton. Just back from a Boy Scout camp teaching survival in hte Desolation Wilderness (near the Rubicon trail for you Jeep buffs). Making a fire without a lighter _looks_ easy in the book until you actually try it in reality. Pretty quick you learn that its ALL about the tinder.
Also, also Patton noted, in talking with other adult leaders at this camp, the level of likemindedness and prepping is MUCH higher than what I see in the GP (general population).
The Boy Scout Survival Manual has been considered to be very similar to U.S. military field survival manuals by those in the armed forces who have reviewed it. Any recent edition of the Scout (wilderness) Survival Manual will be certainly sufficient.
Never was a scout but had lots of buddies who were and learned a lot form them. The various scout manuals are great resources too. I had used a reflector oven way back in my past and had forgotten that it makes some great grub. Thanks for the reminder, I’ll be looking to pick one up soon. Got any suggestions on where to find them inexpensively?
We used to make them for sheet metal working merit badge. Try finding the work book for that badge
Thanks Azyogi. I’ll do that.
The Boy Scout “Field Manual” is a required 2nd book. My ( 3 merit badges away from Eagle ) son is quite adept at the whole wilderness survival thing. He’s normally forgetful and distractable, but he focusses beautifully when it’s time to pack for a camping trip. He’s currently Senior Patrol Leader, so he’s also teaching the younger scouts.
Alas, the Girl Scouts have become a complete waste. From their “Thinking Badge” through the whole new-age junk food they’re fed, my daughter ditched them at age 9. It only gets worse as they get older. I also do not like the Girl Scout policies so much that I no longer buy their cookies. And, I used to buy a lot.
The stuff I learned in Scouts is still with me, and I’ve recently started back to camping. I’m a bit stiffer in my old age, but I can still teach those whelps a thing or two. Slowly.
-Jolly
I am a scout leader ,my son is a Eagle Scout. He received The National Scout Award of Merit for heroism when he saved my wife’s life when she caught herself on fire and he put out the fire. He was 10 at the time. My father was an Eagle Scout,my mother a den leader,my wife a committee member leader. My son and I are merit badge councelors for rifle, shotgun,first aid,and cooking.(all the fun ones). We are all members of the Order of the Arrow. We live by the Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared”. A scout is prepared for why,what or where ever. Period.
heh, I’m a current scout. they’ve taught me survival skills and how to shoot. I love it!
Camping, wilderness cooking, rifle shooting, first aid, wilderness survival, fire building, knife sharpening – I learned these and a million other things in scouts. My family didn’t do any of these things, but thanks to my time in scouts, they are all part of my life today.
I’m an Eagle scout and served briefly as an assistant scoutmaster and later as a scoutmaster. I couldn’t agree more that scouting is an excellent way to learn and practice survival skills. Way more important, it is a way to teach these skills to a new generation, many of whom will never have another opportunity to learn them.
Great post and very true! I couldn’t imagine my life without the outdoor and leadership experiences and training. I still have my books for reference as well (’70s era). Being an Eagle Scout has created opportunities that would generally be much more difficult duplicate. And now that prepping is necessary, I find myself rethinking and refreshing my earlier experiences/training; I still live by the motto “Be Prepared”.
I was a boyscout for some time, but in hindsight I didn’t take it as seriously as I should have. In fact, what I learned in scouting, I dismissed until later in life. If I had the chance to do it again, I would have taken it more seriously and continued on the path to being an Eagle Scout.
Since I have started prepping, I have routinely scoured scouting sites for information, as well as looking for a couple good scouting manuals to add to my collection. To boot the merit badge booklets that you can pick up pretty inexpensively are light weight and pack easily into your pack in the event you need some ad-hoc information in the field for a topic such as orienteering/navigation.
Yeah. Semi-Recent Eagle here. The wilderness training is marvelous. I find that the quality of the troop usually varies by the leadership though. Generally you want to stay away from LDS (Mormon) troops,The leaders and the boys are usually there because they’re expected to be, not because they want to be (This coming from a Mormon). Signs of a good troop are that they are primarily boy lead, Active use of the patrol system, and that they take an active role in Council and OA events.
One thing I don’t see enough praise for in the Prepivalist Community is the team and leadership training Scouting provides. Preparing my eagle project was way more intensive than anything I did in high-school, I’d say that working with and learning to lead others at a patrol, troop, and lodge level has helped prepare me for future crisis far more than a few woodsman tricks ever has.
I have three paper back books that have tons of useful “be prepared” info (and way more than I can ever remember): Boy Scout Fieldbook, SAS Survival Handbook, Everyday Wisdom 1000 Expert Tips For Hikers. Can’t say that I’ve ever seen a Boy Scout Survival Handbook but I assume it’s loaded with many gems of wisdom.
Comment on Eagle Scouts: Of the zillion or so people I’ve interviewed over the years, Eagle Scouts as a group have always come across as pretty darn resourceful people.
Former Eagle Scout here. Scouting taught me a lot when I was a kid. My dad was the Scoutmaster, so I ended up getting a little more out of the program than some of the other kids in the troop. Where it was a one night a week, one weekend a month thing for the other kids, it was just another part of life for me.
It gave me a great foundation for life. In addition to learning pioneering and wilderness survival skills, I also learned financial management and community service.
With that as a foundation, I think my time in the Marines was a lot easier for me. I had a lot of the basic skills already, and the woodsman mindset was already established. It was a lot easier for me to sleep in the dirt than, say, a PFC who grew up in the city.
In response to Jolly’s comment on the Girl Scouts, I completely agree! My sister tried it out for a while when she was a kid, but ended up getting out of the program. She found what she was looking for in the Boy Scouts Explorer program. It is open to boys and girls alike, and she earned her Ranger Badge which is the highest “rank” in the Explorer program, much like an Eagle Scout.
Parents who are looking for a Boy Scout type program for their daughter should look into an Explorer program in their area. If your area doesn’t have one, consider starting one up. As Patton says in the main post, it is a great way to get involved with your local community and to teach kids the same skills that just may help them or their families in a SHTF or TEOWAKI situation.”
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