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Outdoor Survival Skills

Outdoor Survival Skills

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campfire

Purpose

Could you survive out of doors without the conveniences of home? Learn basic outdoor survival skills so you can be prepared for possible emergencies and help others as well.

Description

As a group, learn and practice basic survival skills. For example, invite an expert to teach you about edible plants in your area, how to build a makeshift shelter, how to build a fire, how to find your way if you are lost, how to signal for help, how to find and purify water, how to maintain a positive mental attitude, and so on. Practice these skills in a fun outdoor setting. Consider talking about the parallels with spiritual survival.

As you plan this activity, please follow the counsel given in chapter 13 of Handbook 2: Administering the Church (2010) and review “Safety Recommendations for Church Activities.”

More Ideas

  • Overnight experience—Learn outdoor survival skills and then plan and hold an overnight camp where participants apply the skills learned. Consider giving the activity a scriptural or historical theme.

  • Build a shelter—Show the group how to make different kinds of shelters (such as natural shelters, lean-to shelters, or tepee shelters). Challenge participants to build their own shelters using items such as blankets, ponchos, ropes, and so forth. They could also look for natural materials to build a shelter.

  • Shoebox campout—Plan a camping trip. One week before your campout, discuss the things you might need outdoors, and give each participant a shoebox. Explain that they can only bring things they can fit inside their shoebox. (Water may be the exception. Plan to bring enough for the group.)

  • Survival race—For more experienced groups, invite youth to see who can build a survival camp the fastest using natural resources in the area for food, water, shelter, and fire (where possible). You might consider giving awards for best shelter, best meal, and so on.

Discussion

Encourage participants to talk about what they are learning. Discussions can take place before, during, or after the activity. You could ask questions like the following:

  • Why is it important to learn outdoor survival skills?

  • When have you been blessed by knowing outdoor survival skills?

  • What feelings or impressions do you have about learning the skills needed to survive outdoors?

  • How can you apply what you are learning in your life?

Related Resources

Sabbath Day Lessons

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