The Rule of 3
Three of anything means help — three whistle blasts, three fires in a triangle, three flashes. (Also remember survival priorities: ~3 minutes without air, ~3 hours without shelter in harsh weather, ~3 days without water, ~3 weeks without food — so shelter and water come before food.)
Wilderness Living Honor — what you'll master
Finding direction without a compass, safe water, shelter, signals, wild edibles, knots, and a 15-item survival kit — practiced on two weekend campouts. Prerequisite: the Pathfinder First Aid honor, plus knowing how to prevent/treat hypothermia, heat illness, snakebite and dehydration.
🧭 Direction without a compass
- Sun rises in the east, sets in the west.
- Shadow-stick method: mark a stick's shadow tip, wait ~15 min, mark again — first mark is west, line runs east–west.
- At night (N. Hemisphere): find Polaris (the North Star) using the Big Dipper's two pointer stars — it marks true north.
- "Moss grows on the north side" is a myth — don't rely on it.
💧 Safe water
- Clear water can still be unsafe — always treat it.
- Boil 1 minute (3 minutes above ~6,500 ft), or use purification tablets or a rated filter.
- Collect from flowing sources when you can; filter out sediment first.
⛺ Shelter & warmth
- Stay dry and insulate from the ground (leaves, pad) — the ground steals heat.
- Smaller shelter = warmer. Use natural features, a debris hut, or a tarp.
- Shelter is a survival priority — set it up before dark.
📣 Signals
- Rule of 3; a whistle carries farther than your voice.
- Signal mirror toward aircraft/searchers; bright colors; ground-to-air symbols in the open.
🍃 Wild edibles — safety first
- Most wild plants are NOT food. Only eat plants positively identified by the instructor.
- Never taste anything with a known allergy; the Universal Edibility Test is a last resort, not a shortcut.
🪢 Knots to know
square (reef)bowlinetwo half-hitchestaut-line hitchclove hitch
The Ten Essentials
- Navigation (map & compass)
- Sun protection (hat, sunscreen, sunglasses)
- Insulation (extra clothing/rain layer)
- Illumination (headlamp + spare batteries)
- First-aid supplies
- Fire (lighter, waterproof matches, tinder)
- Repair kit & tools (knife/multi-tool, duct tape)
- Nutrition (extra food)
- Hydration (extra water + way to treat it)
- Emergency shelter (space blanket/bivy)
Your 15-item survival kit (build in class)
Pack it in a zip bag or small tin. Confirm the exact list your class/instructor uses.
Wilderness & Remote First Aid
The American Red Cross course for when help is an hour or more away. Ages 14+; about 16 hours; bring a current adult CPR/AED certification.
- Scene size-up & patient assessment
- Bleeding control & wound care
- Splinting fractures/sprains
- Cold emergencies — hypothermia
- Heat emergencies — heat exhaustion/stroke
- Bites & stings (incl. snakebite), dehydration
- When to evacuate vs. treat & monitor
Prevent & treat (know these for the honor)
- Hypothermia: keep dry, insulate, warm core, warm fluids; shivering that stops is a danger sign.
- Heat illness: shade, fluids, cool down; altered mental status = heat stroke = emergency.
- Snakebite: keep calm & still, keep the limb below the heart, remove rings/watches, evacuate — no cutting/sucking/ice.
- Dehydration: prevent by drinking before you're thirsty; treat with shade, rest, and treated water/electrolytes.
Leaders — Wilderness Leadership track
After the camping/hiking/orienteering/first-aid honors: search-and-rescue drills, leading a weekend trip, then a week in the wilderness (Wilderness Leadership & Advanced).
Field safety rules
- Everyone signs the waiver (parent/guardian for under-18, with medical/allergy info).
- Only taste plants the instructor has positively identified; never with a known allergy.
- Fires only in permitted sites/conditions, water & shovel ready, fully out before leaving.
Press "New quiz".
Verify against the official requirement list before awarding.