This adventure will encourage the development of hiking skills in Scouts.

• The Cub Scout Six Essentials: what they are and how to use them

• How the buddy system works and why we use it

• How to hike with Scouts

• Improving Scouts’ knowledge of the world around them

• A Scout is brave, clean

Complete requirements 1–5. Requirements 6 and 7 are optional.

1. Show you are prepared to hike safely in any outdoor setting by putting together the Cub Scout Six Essentials to take along on your hike.

2. Tell what the buddy system is and why we always use it in Cub Scouting. Describe what you should do if you get separated from your group while hiking.

3. Choose the appropriate clothing to wear on your hike based on the expected weather.

4. Before hiking, recite the Outdoor Code and the Leave No Trace Principles for Kids with your leader. (This may be combined with requirement 3 of the Call of the Wild adventure.) After hiking, discuss how you showed respect for wildlife.

5. Go on a 1-mile hike with your den or family. Find two interesting things that you’ve never seen before and discuss them with your den or family.

6. Name two birds, two insects, and two other animals that live in your area. Explain how you identified them.

7. Draw a map of an area near where you live using common map symbols. Show which direction is north on your map.

This adventure has several choices based on which activities you choose to do with your den. These den meeting plans, when followed as written, meet the requirements to earn this adventure. If you choose to make adjustments, be sure you complete at least the minimum requirements.

Meeting 3 will take place at an outdoor location for a hike. Confirm the outing plan with families, including transportation, all the necessary clothing, the Cub Scout Six Essentials, and any additional items they need to bring. Make sure activity consent forms are distributed, signed, and collected.

It is a good idea to encourage parents and other adult family members to participate in den meetings. For this adventure, several parents and other family members may want to participate in the hike so encourage them to be part of the den meetings as everyone is getting prepared.

See the appendix for optional den meeting activities, including openings, gatherings, and closings.