Hiking
Resources
- Hiking Workbook
- Scoutmaster Bucky's Merit Badge Advancement Quick Reference
- Scoutmaster Bucky's Acknowledgement Form
Related
Hiking Requirements Current Scouts BSA requirements
as of March 8, 2025
as of March 8, 2025
1.
Do the following:
a.
Explain to your counselor the most likely hazards you may encounter
while hiking, and what you should do to anticipate, help prevent,
mitigate and respond to these hazards.
b.
Show that you know first aid for injuries or illnesses that could occur
while hiking, including hypothermia, frostbite, dehydration, heat
exhaustion, heatstroke, sunburn, hyperventilation, altitude sickness,
sprained ankle, blisters, insect stings, tick bites, snakebite.
2.
Do the following:
a.
Explain and, where possible, show the points of good hiking practices
including proper outdoor ethics, hiking safety in the daytime and at
night, courtesy to others, choice of footwear, and proper care of feet
and footwear.
b.
Read aloud or recite the Leave No Trace Seven Principles, and discuss
why each is important while hiking.
c.
Read aloud or recite the Outdoor Code, and give examples of how to
follow it on a hike.
3.
Explain how hiking is an aerobic activity. Develop a plan for conditioning
yourself for 10-mile hikes, and describe how you will increase your fitness
for longer hikes.
4.
Take four 10-mile hikes and one 20-mile hike, each on a different day, and
each of continuous miles. Prepare a written hike plan before each hike and
share it with your counselor or a designee for approval before starting the
hike. Include map routes, a clothing and equipment list, and a list of
items for a trail lunch. You may stop for as many short rest periods as
needed, as well as one meal, during each hike, but not for an extended
period such as overnight.*
a.
10-mile hike #1
a.
10-mile hike #2
a.
10-mile hike #3
a.
10-mile hike #4
a.
20-mile hike
5.
After each of the hikes (or during each hike if on one continuous "trek")
in requirement 4, write a short report on your hike. For each hike, give
the date and description (or map) of the route covered, the weather, any
interesting things you saw, and any challenges you had and how you overcame
them. It may include something you learned about yourself, about the
outdoors, or about others you were hiking with. Share this with your
counselor.*
* The required hikes for this badge may be used in fulfilling hiking
requirements for rank advancement. However, these hikes cannot be used to
fulfill requirements of other merit badges.
