Wilderness Survival Merit Badge Pamphlet Wilderness Survival Merit Badge

Wilderness Survival


Requirements were REVISED effective January 1, 2008
(New pamphlet issued after release of Boy Scout Requirements 2007).

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  1. Show that you know first aid for and how to prevent injuries or illnesses likely to occur in backcountry outings settings, including hypothermia, heatstroke, heat exhaustion heat reactions, frostbite, dehydration, sunburn blisters, insect stings, tick bites, snakebite, and blisters snakebites.
  2. Describe from From memory list the seven priorities for survival in a backcountry or wilderness location. Explain the importance of each one with your counselor.
  3. Describe ways to avoid panic and maintain a high level of morale when lost, and explain why this is important.
    1. avoid panic and
    2. maintain a high level of morale when lost.
  4. Tell what you would do to survive in the following environments:
    Describe the steps you would take to survive in the following conditions:
    1. Cold and snowy
    2. Wet (forest)
    3. Hot and dry (desert)
    4. Windy (mountains or plains)
    5. Water (ocean or lake , lake, or river)
  5. Make up Put together a personal survival kit and be able to explain how each item in it is could be useful.
  6. Show that you can start fires using Using three different methods (other than matches), build and light three fires.
  7. Do the following:
    1. Tell Show five different ways of attracting to attract attention when lost.
    2. Show Demonstrate how to use a signal mirror.
    3. Describe from memory five international ground-to- air signals and tell what they mean.
  8. Show that you can find and improvise Improvise a natural shelter. For the purpose of this demonstration, use techniques that have little negative impact on minimizing the damage to the environment. Spend a night in your shelter.
  9. Spend a night in your shelter.
    Explain how to protect yourself from insects, reptiles, and bears.
  10. Explain how to protect yourself against insects, reptiles, and bears.
    Demonstrate three ways to treat water found in the outdoors to prepare it for drinking.
  11. Show three ways to treat water found in the outdoors to prepare it for drinking.
    Show that you know the proper clothing to wear in your area on an overnight in extremely hot weather and in extremely cold weather.
  12. Show that you know the proper clothing to wear in your area on an overnight in extremely hot weather and extremely cold weather.
    Explain why it usually is not wise to eat edible wild plants or wildlife in a wilderness survival situation.
  13. Explain why it usually is not wise to eat edible wild plants or wildlife in a wilderness survival situation.

BSA Advancement ID#: 117
Requirements last updated in: 2008
Pamphlet Publication Number: 33265B
Pamphlet Revision Date: 2007

Worksheets for use in working on these requirements: Format
Word Format PDF Format

Blanks in this worksheets table appear when we do not have a worksheet for the badge that includes these requirements.


Page updated on: November 18, 2021



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