01/29/08

Hiking

1. Show that you know first aid for injuries or illnesses that could occur while hiking, including hypothermia, heatstroke, heat exhaustion, frostbite, dehydration, sunburn, sprained ankle, insect stings, tick bites, snakebite, blisters, hyperventilation, and altitude sickness.
2. Explain and, where possible, show the points of good hiking practices. including the principles of Leave No Trace, hiking safety in the daytime and at night, courtesy to others, choice of footwear, and proper care of feet and footwear.
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. Make a written plan for a 10-mile hike, including map routes, a clothing and equipment list, and a list of items for a trail lunch.
5. Take five hikes, each on a different day, and each of at least ten continuous miles. Prepare a hike plan for each hike.*
6. Take a hike of 20 continuous miles in one day following a hike plan you have prepared.*
7. After each of the hikes (or during each hike if on a continuous trek) in requirements 5 and 6, write a short report of your experience. Give dates and descriptions of routes covered, the weather, and interesting things you saw. Share this report with your merit badge counselor.

The hikes in requirements 5 and 6 can be used in fulfilling Second Class (2a) and First Class (3) rank requirements, but only if Hiking  1, 2, 3, and 4 have been completed to the satisfaction of your counselor. The hikes of requirements 5 and 6 cannot be used to fulfill requirements of other merit badges.

Source: 2007 Boy Scout Requirements (33215)

Notes

Hiking merit badge is on the Eagle Scout required list (requirement 3.j.). It is one choice of a group of three merit badges on the list.

All Scouts should consider starting Hiking merit badge immediately upon joining a Boy Scout troop. The reasons are simple:

1. The first four requirements are relatively easy for most Scouts. Completing these allows you to work on requirements 5 and 6.

2. The following is a direct quote from the requirements:

The hikes in requirements 5 and 6 can be used in fulfilling Second Class (2a) and First Class (3) rank requirements, but only if Hiking  1, 2, 3, and 4 have been completed to the satisfaction of your counselor.

In other words, if you go ahead and knock out the first four requirements early, you'll be able use later hikes to kill two birds with one stone.

Workbook in PDF