Tips

• Make it your own

  Camping has many forms, so consider doing something different to what you would normally do.

  
  Why not challenge yourself to camp every month of the year or at least in all the different seasons of a year.

  To earn your badge, you can either try some of our example activities, or come up with your own with support from a Scouts volunteer or trusted adult. The activities should be challenging for you and take a reasonable amount of time.

• Guidance for Leaders

  Offer flexibility and encourage Explorers to tailor their badge to their interests and skill set.

  
  Everyone has different skills and experiences, so try to consider their starting point when choosing what they will achieve.

  
  As a rough guide, an Activity Badge should be achievable within 3 weeks of activities.

• Safety fundamentals for Explorers to consider

  • When taking part in adventurous activities, remember to let someone know: 
    • Where you’re going.
    • Who you’re with.
    • What time you plan to be finished.
    •  A plan for communicating your progress.
    • Ask for help if you're visiting new places or trying new activities.
  • When volunteering with unfamiliar teams, make sure you have a key contact person to liaise with and understand what to do if you feel unsafe or uncertain.
  • Complete your own risk assessment based on your plans and ask an adult volunteer to check it for you.
  • Take note of and apply the top safety tips from the Guidance for Food Safety webpage to keep yourself and others safe in various kitchen settings, including when using different stoves or cooking at campsites.
  • Be mindful of food allergies and intolerances by always checking ingredient labels and avoiding cross-contamination. Use separate utensils and preparation areas for allergen-free meals to keep everyone safe.
  • If cooking together in groups, assign someone the role of reminding everyone about key safety practices and supporting those who are cooking.
  • Make sure you know what kit you need, that it is in good condition, and you know how to use it effectively.
  • Ask for support around the Nights Away process and use of the Nights Away Event Passport. You can find out more about Nights away assessments and the nights away event passport  on our guidance pages.

• Safety essentials for volunteers or responsible adults to manage activities safely

  • All activities for this badge must be safely managed.
  • Support Explorers to review and understand the Externally Led Activity guidance, that external providers can follow The Scouts requirements.
  • Volunteers must have completed a thorough risk assessment and make sure it is shared. Use the safety checklist and activity guidance to help you plan and risk assess the activity.
  • Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process in place.

• Badge availability

  Badges will be available to purchase from Scout Store later in September, please check back for updates.