Earn the BSA
National Outdoor Awards
From
short day hikes to challenging wilderness expeditions,
Scouting opportunities for adventure are almost without
limit. Master the skills of the outdoors, add plenty of
time along trails, on open water, and in camp, and
you've got the perfect recipe for becoming a seasoned
backcountry traveler.
The
National Outdoor Awards recognize Scouts who have
demonstrated extensive knowledge and experience in
camping, hiking, aquatics, riding, and adventure.
Requirements for each badge are full of exciting
possibilities. For example:
- The camping badge asks for a minimum of
25 nights under the stars.
- The hiking badge requires at least 100
miles on the trail.
- The swimming and lifesaving merit badges and Mile
Swim, BSA are the gateway to the aquatics
badge.
- Hundreds of miles on a horse or bicycle carry you
toward the riding badge.
- The adventure badge combines backpacking
with rock climbing and your choice of canoeing,
rowing, or sailing.
Complete
these and the rest of the requirements for each badge,
then add the embroidered bar to the main patch. Silver
and gold devices attached to the bars indicate even more
time in the field.
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National
Medal for Outdoor Achievement
Ready
for even more? Then set your sights on the National
Medal for Outdoor Achievement, the highest recognition a
Boy Scout or Varsity Scout can earn for exemplary
achievement, experience, and skill in multiple areas of
outdoor endeavor.
Begin
by completing the National Outdoor Awards camping badge
with a silver device, and two more National Outdoor
Awards badges, each with a gold device. Other
requirements include:
- Earn merit badges for Backpacking, Emergency
Preparedness, Nature, and Wilderness Survival.
- Complete approved training in Wilderness First Aid
(16-hour course).
- Become a certified Leave No Trace trainer (16-hour
course).
- Plan and lead qualified adventures for Scout
units.
- Complete at least one of the following: - Plan and
lead, with the approval of your unit leader, an
adventure activity identified in the National Outdoor
Awards badge for adventure for your troop, team,
patrol, or squad. - Successfully complete a season on
a council summer camp staff in an outdoor area, such
as aquatics, Scoutcraft, nature/environment, climbing,
or COPE.
Do
all of that and more, and you'll be closing in on the
National Medal for Outdoor Achievement, sure to become
one of Scouting's most respected awards. For full
requirements, check with your local council or search www.scouting.org.
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ULTRA-LIGHT
BACKPACKING
Early
BSA literature did not encourage Scouts to set out on
long backpacking trips. One reason was that the canvas
tents, iron pans, axes, and other gear of the time were
too heavy to pack very far.
Today's
Scouts know that with modern lightweight equipment they
can comfortably carry what they need during an overnight
campout or an extended backcountry expedition. For
rugged clothing and gear that will help ease your load,
check out www.scoutstuff.org.
A
key to going light is doing more with less. The
spork is a great example - a combination fork
and spoon that can be your only eating utensil. Add a
collapsible bowl and an insulated mug, and everything
you'll need at mealtime weighs barely half a
pound.
Modern
materials are another key to ultra-light success.
TrekTek™ clothing wicks moisture away from
your skin and blocks harmful solar rays. Advanced
antimicrobial technology prevents the growth of
odor-causing bacteria. Add a fleece pullover as a warmth
layer for a clothing system that will help you stay
comfortable even if you become wet from perspiration or
rain.
Switchbacks™
Uniform Pants are another great example of cutting
weight by using a single item for two or more uses.
Rugged nylon fabric protects you when you need long
pants. Zip off the legs and you've got great shorts for
hot weather or if you need to wade a stream.
When
the weather snarls with wind and rain, your outerwear
doesn't have to be heavy to be good. Reliable
TrekTek™ DriPak™ Soft-Shell
Rainwear could be exactly what you need.
LIGHT!
That's the word for modern headlamps, both in weight and
in the strong beams they produce. Batteries last a long
time, too, making these lights perfect for long
journeys.
Shed
pounds from your pack with careful choices in your gear
for camp. Start with a sleeping bag and pad that are
light to carry without sacrificing warmth or
comfort.
Advances
in burner design and fuel-delivery systems have led to
lightweight combinations of stoves and cook kits just
right for preparing backpacking meals.
Round
out your ultra-light gear with a good backpack and a
sturdy, featherweight tent.
Finally,
stay alert for new ways to lighten your load. Have the
gear that will keep you safe, but cut out what you never
use. Soon you'll know just what to carry for any
journey, from a short walk during a Scout camp out to a
2,000-mile hike along one of America's great
long-distance trails.
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BIRDCRAFT
Experts
in featherweight travel, birds have fascinated Scouts
since the BSA's earliest days. Ten pages of the first
edition of the Boy Scout Handbook were devoted to birds
in a section titled Birdcraft.
"Any
boy who cares enough for the out-doors to be a scout is
sure to want a good acquaintance with the birds," the
manual explained. Descriptions of ways to tell one bird
from another were followed by a bird identification
chart:
Every
handbook since has encouraged Scouts to learn about
birds. Many of the pages have been as beautiful as the
birds themselves.
Handbooks
and merit badge pamphlets have also shown ways to build
birdhouses and birdfeeders. It's a skill you can enjoy
today, and it can be of tremendous help to birds in your
neighborhood.
Look
to www.scoutstuff.org for excellent birdhouse and feeder
kits. As projects for Cub Scout dens and Boy Scout
patrols, they're hard to beat.
The
BSA has plenty of good literature about birds, too. The
latest Bird Study merit badge pamphlet is a terrific
introduction to the lifelong hobby of Birdcraft, and a
guide for earning one of Scouting's most enjoyable merit
badges.
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EAGLE
VISION
As
the symbol of our nation and emblem of Scouting's
highest rank, the American eagle is the bird most
closely associated with Scouting. Eagles are known for
their keen eyesight. That allows them to see their
surroundings with clarity and to act decisively.
The
Trail to Eagle offers Scouts a route for achievement,
service, leadership, and great adventure. More than two
million Scouts have accepted that challenge. Perhaps it
is the right path for you, too.
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(This
edition of the Be Prepared Newsletter was
developed and written by Robert Birkby, author of the
Centennial edition of the Boy Scout Handbook.)
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