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The following is a list of skills that we think are useful to have for outdoor activities. It is not a list of every skill the outdoorsperson needs; merely some of the less common but useful ones.
Planning
- Ability to visualise terrain from a contour map
- Knowledge of what gear you’ll need for particular expeditions (which comes with experience)
- Ability to forecast how much food you’re likely to need given a particular level of exertion (eg: climbing in the snow vs an easy walk in summer)
- Be able to foresee what hazards your party might face
- An ability to come up with a workable 'Plan B' under pressure when something goes wrong
People
- Ability to build consensus and negotiate a course of action that everyone likes (or at least can live with)
- Be able to resolve conflicts peacefully when they occur
- Ability to maintain and build morale in the face of adversity
- An ability to motivate people
- The ability to pass your skills onto others
Movement skills
- Skill in route-finding where the path is indistinct, and be able to see track junctions which are not obvious
- Be able to accurately navigate off-track or cross-country (without a GPS!)
- Ability to recognise when others’ packs aren’t adjusted or packed properly
- Perceptiveness to recognise when your party is about to do something dangerous (for example, walk/ski too close to a cornice overhang), and the confidence to speak up about it
- An ability to read wind, rain, and cloud patterns to forecast the weather.
Camping
- Ability to select campsites, and tent locations within the site appropriate to the conditions
- Knowledge of hygiene in the outdoors
- Able to deal with rain while in camp, and help others do so
- Able to light a fire in damp conditions, and know when it is and isn’t appropriate to do so
- Able to tie the figure-eight, rolling hitch, and bowline knots
More information
Adventure Activities Standards
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