Outdoors - Scout Life magazine

Forms for planning your outing’s itinerary

Paperwork? For an outing? When it comes to the outdoors, keeping good paperwork is part of Being Prepared. Download our templates to help you get started.

How to Set Up a Tent

Before leaving for your trip, be sure you're comfortable setting up -- and taking down -- your tent.

How to Treat and Purify Water

VIDEO: Three easy ways to treat water so it's safe to drink.

Use the Moon and a Watch to Find North

VIDEO: The moon can tell you where the sun is, and once you know the sun's position, you can use your watch to find north.

How to Use a Map and Compass

VIDEO: Learn about aiming, taking a bearing and other compass tips and tricks to improve your orienteering.

How to Care for Hiking Boots

VIDEO: Boots are super important on the trail. So take care of your footwear, and it'll take care of you.

5 Snowboarding Tips from Gold Medalist Red Gerard

Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard shares tips to help you become a better snowboarder.

17 Tasty Dutch Oven Recipes

Here are some favorite Dutch oven recipes from our pals Tim and Christine Conners and their book, The Scout’s Dutch Oven Cookbook.

How to Read a Topographic Map

Topographic maps tell you about the terrain where you’ll be traveling, but learning to read topo maps takes a little practice. Here are a few tips.

How to make sturdy wooden snowshoes

Trekking through snow is loads of fun, until you get stuck in knee-deep drifts. Sturdy snowshoes will keep you near the top of the snow’s surface.

Winter Warriors

Scouts in Minot, N.D. know plenty about winter camping. They experience it for much of the year.

How to Identify Stars in the Winter Sky

Here's an easy way to trace your way from one winter constellation to another.

Ultralight Backpacking Sample Gear List

When practicing the art of ultralight backpacking, every ounce counts. Here is a sample packing list from a backpacker who participated in an ultralight trek last summer based out of the Montana Council’s Montana High Adventure Base.

Create an emergency pack or kit

Instructions for creating a family emergency kit, a major disaster preparedness kit and a personal emergency service pack.

8 Fishing Knots to Know

Can you imagine going fishing without knowing how to tie an improved clinch knot? Or a double surgeon's loop? Neither can we.

How to Clean and Care for Your Gear

It's important to keep your outdoor gear clean and in good working order. Gear Guy tells you how.

How to stay clean on the trail

Gear Guy tells you what you need to do to stay clean in the outdoors.

Pro Angler Demonstrates 5 Ways to Cast Your Fishing Line

Improve your fishing with these casting tips from a professional fisherman.

Two Keys to Successful Fastpacking

It's possible to carry less weight and still have everything you need (or at least everything you really need) on a backpacking trip. Here's how.

12 Tips to Help You Sleep Well on the Trail

Gear Guy is here with tips to help you get a good night's rest on the trail.

How to build a bug board

They might annoy us or amaze us, but there's no question about it: Bugs are an essential part of the natural order of things. Here's how to make your own nature museum to display them.

How to beat the stink when camping

Going without a shower on a long camping trip? Here are 7 hygiene tips to keep you healthy and relatively clean.

How to go fishing at night

Fishing after dark takes skill. Here are tips to help you catch your limit.

How Well Would You Do on This Camping Quiz?

Ready to put more "outing" into "Scouting"? You will be, once you ace this quiz on camping basics.

Gear checklists for your next trip

Need to know what you need to bring on your next trip? Here are gear checklists and expert tips for all kinds of outdoor adventures.

How to maintain your bike

Maintaining your bike is your responsibility, both for your safety and that of the friends you ride with. Luckily, tuning up your bike isn't as hard as it might seem when you first try. Here's how to maintain some of the components on your bike.

Catch and release fishing tips

Here are a few tips for ensuring the fish you catch have the best chance of survival.

Make your own mailbox stove

Looking for a unique and fun way to cook for your troop? Do what this North Carolina troop does: Cook in a mailbox.

8 Great Historic Hikes

By exploring a historical trail, hikers can follow in the footsteps of the trailblazers who carved their own paths through the American wilderness.

Properly Portaging Your Canoe

Technique is more important than sheer strength when lifting your canoe.

Calls for climbers and belayers

When climbing or rappelling, it's very important for the person on the rock to communicate well with his belayer. To do this, they use "calls." Here are some of the generally accepted signals for belaying climbers and rappellers.

Build a flagpole, table or chair for your camp

With the right pioneering skills, you can create all kinds of contraptions that come in handy at a campsite.

Unusual But Effective Cooking Methods

Bread baked by mailbox? Fish roasted on a stick? North Carolina Scouts show off their unusual -- but effective -- cooking skills.

Fun games to play in the snow

Staying safe on a winter outing is hard work, but that doesn't mean there won't be time for fun. Here are a few activities we came up with. Can you think of more?

How to avoid frostbite

Frozen flesh won't kill you right away -- but the pain might make you wish you were dead. Know the symptoms and how to treat them.

How to tie basic fly-fishing knots

Fly fishermen depend on knots and must know how to tie several different knots properly. Here's how to tie some of the more common fly-fishing knots.

Take an All-Star Tour of the Night Sky

Hunt the night sky for heroes, beasts and more and have a party while you're at it!

Basic First Aid Treatments for the Trail

No matter how well-prepared you are, injuries can strike anywhere on the trail. Know what to do when they strike. The next time you see one of these five common problems, you can spring into action.