BSA Wilderness Survival MB Requirements

The Boy Scout motto is "Be Prepared."

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) was founded in 1910 with the stated mission of encouraging, training and preparing young people to make moral and ethical choices. The organization emphasizes personal development, community service and high adventure in the great outdoors. Personal achievement is recognized through the awarding of merit badges, including the elective Wilderness Survival merit badge. According to the BSA's ScoutSource, there are 12 requirements for this merit badge. These requirements can be grouped as explanation, preparation and demonstration.

Explanation

Scouts must be able to list from memory and explain the importance of the seven wilderness survival priorities. They must explain effective methods of staying calm when lost. Scouts must discuss survival procedures in a variety of wilderness environments, including forest, desert, coast, mountain and extreme cold. They must be able to explain how to protect themselves and their fellow campers against forest predators, poisonous snakes and insects. They should be able to discuss the negative ramifications of eating plants or animals found in the wilderness.

Preparation

Scouts who are working toward the Wilderness Survival merit badge are required to prepare for the unexpected by creating a wilderness survival kit. According to BoyScoutTrail.com, a wilderness survival kit is not the same as an emergency kit that may be put together for home use. Items contained in the wilderness kit will vary depending on the time of year, the geography and the weather patterns of the area the scout expects to be camping in. This kit should be compact and light enough to be carried by the scout at all times while in the wilderness.

Demonstration

Scouts working on the Wilderness Survival merit badge must be able to demonstrate proper first-aid procedures for a variety of situations, including hypothermia, tick bite, heat exhaustion, frostbite, blisters, snakebite, dehydration and others. Scouts must demonstrate three ways of building a fire without matches. They must show how to construct a natural shelter, treat water for drinking or cooking, and demonstrate proper clothing wear for different weather conditions. Scouts must know the proper way to use a signal mirror and demonstrate five methods for attracting attention when lost.

References

• Boy Scout Trail: Wilderness Survival Merit Badge
• Merit Badge: Wilderness Survival
• Boy Scouts of America: Wilderness Survival

Resources

• Boy Scouts of America