Outdoorsman Award Requirements

To qualify for this award, Venturers must, to the satisfaction of their company and advisor:

The Outdoorsman Award is particularly demanding. It is awarded to a Venturer upon the decision of the Venturer Company executive and the advisor, having satisfied themselves that the Venturer has completed the requirements in each of the four (4) sections below: Section 1 - Discovery Complete the first plus any other two (2) in this section. Projects may be carried out in-groups. In each case participate in the preparation of a written, sketched, taped or photo log of the trip.

• Visit a place of interest on foot involving an overnight stay and at least a total of 32 km walking, OR 64 km cycling, OR 320 km by car, train or bus OR a similar trip at equivalent level by means of the Venturers own choosing.

• In ten (10) hours walk 32 km, OR cycle 120 km, OR swim 1.5 km non-stop, OR jog/run 4.5 km non-stop OR complete an endurance test at equivalent level of the above of your own design.

• Visit a place of interest on foot involving a total of 16 km walking, OR involving a total of 40 km by cycling, OR involving a total of 240 km by car, train or bus OR a similar trip at equivalent level by means of the Venturers own choosing.

• Participate in the planning, organizing and carrying out of a Company overnight trip to a Venturer Company in another District or Region. Participate in the organization and execution of a joint activity with the Venturer Company visited and participate in the preparation of a log covering the event.

• Over a winter, spring, summer or autumn season, practice an outdoor interest such as: plant collection, photography, forestry, meteorology, sketching, bird watching, leaf collection, survival training, animal tracking, or another interest of your choice. Study a stream or lake and state what condition it is in and what, if any, proposals are needed to correct bad situations. Make a report or visual presentation to the Company describing the study.

Section 2 - Challenging Activities Complete one (1) of the first two projects, AND both the third and fourth projects. Projects must be carried out in-groups of three to five Venturers.

• Utilizing a minimum of survival equipment, camp forty-eight (48) hours in a bush or wilderness area involving hiking a minimum of 3 km each way. On return, prepare a report to the Company.

• Build and furnish an igloo or winter shelter and live in and around the shelter for thirty-six (36) hours. Hike, snowshoe or ski into the area in which the igloo or shelter is to be located, carrying or sledding all necessary equipment. On return, prepare a report to the Company.

• Plan, organize and participate in an overnight backpack hiking trip or canoe or cycle trip with your Company, to explore and map a trail, stream or similar area of interest not before visited by the Venturers. On return, prepare a report to the Company.

• Plan, organize and participate in an overnight camping expedition, utilizing lightweight or minimum amount of equipment and minimum rations to a point of interest chosen by the Company utilizing transportation available to the Company. On return, make a presentation about the trip to the Company. Some experimenting should be done before making this trip in order to determine the minimum requirements for survival equipment.

Section 3 - Outdoor Skills & Knowledge

• Complete all of this section.

1. Select a campsite and setup a no-trace camp. Meals may be individual or group, using minimum pots, pans and dishes. Understand and explain reasons for selecting the site. Why was the camp considered a "no-trace" one? Was "no-noise" included?

2. Participate in a number of overnight camps to a total of forty (40) days, at least seven (7) of which must be consecutive. A maximum of ten (10) days (which must be in temporary shelter) may be undertaken with your family or another group outside of the Company. Give evidence of having practiced an outdoor interest on at least two (2) of your camping trips.

3. Assemble, display and describe winter and summer survival kits and explain their use. Know how to identify and gather edible roots and berries and construct a summer and winter shelter with a minimum number of tools. Explain what to do if you become lost in the wilderness.
   Optional: Explain the theory and snaring, skinning and cooking wild game.

• Complete any three (3) of the following:

1. Name the main parts of a hand and felling axe explain the care of axes and replace an axe handle in a camp environment. Name the parts and care of a hunting knife or pocket knife. Demonstrate practical ability in the use of axes and knives in the cutting of deadfall and the carving of wood figurines. Demonstrate how to sharpen a knife and an axe.

2. Plan, purchase, prepare and serve for a group of at least three (3) Venturers on a weekend camp, and also build, start and maintain the fire used for cooking; or show that you know how to use and take care of a backpacking stove.

3. Maintain a weather log for a period of sixty (60) days, noting cloud formations, wind strength and direction, precipitation and barometer pressures. Be able to explain warm and cold fronts and the cloud formations associated with each front.
   OR
   Construct a device for measuring wind strength and barometric pressure. At a camp, try to forecast the weather on a day-to-day basis.

4. Demonstrate the tying and practical use of ten (10) knots or bends, four lashings and one whipping. Explain the construction of a simple camp tower and bridge and construct either the bridge or tower.

5. With the aid of a compass, carry out a journey over a 5-km cross-country course using written instructions requiring a minimum of fifteen (15) separate changes of direction. Complete accuracy is required, and the whole journey must not take more than sixty (60) minutes.
   OR
   Journey for one full day with only a map. Keep compass in pack and use only if necessary. If you use the compass, the trip doesn't count.

6. Practice survival camping for a weekend, eating off the land.

• Complete any two (2) of the following:

1. Acquire a new outdoor skill, e.g. if you can't swim, learn to swim. Similarly, learn to sail, canoe, and climb, fly model airplanes, go-cart, photograph wild birds or animals.

2. Demonstrate ability to deal with first aid situations which might arise in an outdoor situation (approximate level - St. John Ambulance Standard Certificate) or demonstrate ability to deal with water safety situations arising from water activities (Bronze Medallion or Red Cross Leader Patrol).

3. Be able to describe and identify fifteen (15) birds, their eggs and nesting habits. Birds selected must be native to your province or region, or to be selected through personal experience.

4. Be able to describe and identify fifteen (15) animals - excluding domestic animals - the size of their litters and the means of feeding their young. Animals selected must be native to your province or region, or to be selected through personal experience.

5. Be able to describe and identify fifteen species of trees, moss or lichens and their leaves and fruit where applicable, and identify their commercial use, if any. You should select trees you have personally observed.

6. Describe and identify five (5) major constellations and name their principal stars. Demonstrate one method of determining direction by the stars on a night hike for each compass direction. Demonstrate a method of telling time by the sun and directions by the sun

Section 4 - Conservation Investigate and give a report to the Company on any one (1) of the following subjects. The report must be at least twenty (20) minutes long and may be illustrated by any means of your own choice. A group of Venturers can investigate and make a report, but this report would have to be at least thirty (30) minutes long and would need to be illustrated.

• Animal conservation or plant conservation

• Air conservation

• Water or sea conservation

• Soil conservation

• Mineral conservation

• Ecology

• Governmental conservation measures

• Volunteer conservation groups

• What any industry or company is doing about conservation

• Any subject of your own choice dealing with some aspect of conservation or ecology.