Outdoors - Scout Life magazine

4 Fun Sports For the Great Outdoors

No referee? No sports field? No problem. We've adapted these four sports so they can be played almost anywhere.

How to Find Fossils

Sometimes a rock's just a rock ... and sometimes it's a fossil. How can you tell the difference?

How to perform a canoe-over-canoe rescue

If you go canoeing enough, eventually you're going to fall in the water. Here are tips for safely rescuing a capsized canoe.

How to Skip Rocks

A stone-skipping expert shares his tips to help you successfully skip rocks.

How to Cook Some Goofy Grub

We scoured the Internet for these six strange recipes and oddball cooking methods. Then we challenged a Scout troop to try them out.

Video tips for better biking

You can make biking easier, safer and more fun with these video tips and tricks from bicycling experts.

Poisonous Plants Quiz

Whether you're on a backcountry trek or a walk in the park, how aware are you of dangerous plants? Take this quiz and find out.

How to Make Your Own Hiking Stick

Walking sticks make hiking more fun. Next time you go hiking, step out with a personal walking stick that you made yourself.

Make a Solar Hot Dog Cooker

If you curve some aluminum foil just right, you can cook hot dogs with the sun's heat.

Make Your Own Minnow Trap Using a 2-Liter Bottle

Don't waste money buying bait. Gather your own! It's simple with this easy-to-make trap.

Emergency Preparedness Quiz

Whether you're on the trail or just having fun in the park, it's easy to get into trouble. Accidents happen. Would you know what to do?

Test your skills in 10 emergency scenarios

Test your first aid and emergency response skills with scenarios designed for a First Aid Meet.

Keeping Warm on a Cold Night in an Igloo

When done right, an igloo can keep you nice and cozy – even on the coldest winter night.

How to Prevent and Treat Blisters

Here are tips for how to avoid getting blisters and how to treat them.

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.

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?