Lesson 1: Knot Tying

What is knot tying?

• Knot tying is a simple mechanical skill, a skill that you will never forget, but it takes practice, repetition in other
words do the skills become natural.
• It is an important skill that will save your life in a survival situation.
• Often times it is the simplest of skills that you have, which will be the most useful.

8 Basic Knots

1. Overhand Knot
• The overhand knot is the simplest type of knot.
• It is made by crossing the rope end around the standing part to form a
loop, bringing the rope’s end through the loop, and pulling the rope
taut.
• It is often used to prevent the end of a rope from unraveling
• It should be used if the knot is intended to be permanent.

2. Figure Eight Knot

• The figure eight knot is one of the strongest knots.
• It forms a secure, non-slip loop at the end of a rope.
• Also known as the Flemish Bend, this is the most widely used
tie-in knot by mountain climbers.
• The reason is that it is strong, secure and easy to visually
inspect.

3. Square (Reef) Knot

• The knot is formed by tying a left-handed overhand knot and then a right-
handed overhand knot, or vice versa.
• "right over left; left over right"
• The reef knot is used to tie the two ends of a single line together such that
they will secure something, for example a bundle of objects, that is unlikely to
move much.

4. Sheepshank Knot
• The sheepshank is a simple knot useful for temporarily shortening a
rope.
• It can be used to strengthen a rope at its weak point by placing the
weak part in the middle between the two loops.

5. Slip Knot
• The slip knot is a stopper knot which is easily
undone by pulling the tail (working end).
• It will tighten around an object when pulled from
the "short end" if not attached to an object it will
pull through (untie).
• Use this when you need to create your own shelter
or secure something to a post.
 6. Clove Hitch
• This knot is used to temporarily fasten a rope to a spar, mast, tree trunk, and so on.
• It is made by passing the rope’s end around an object and then crossing it over the
rope’s standing part to form a loop, then passing the end around the object again to form a
second loop, through which the end is passed.
• The knot can be detached simply by lifting it off the object.

7. Timber Hitch
• Beginning for diagonal lashing, drawing the spars together.
• The timber hitch is a knot used to attach a single length of rope to a
cylindrical object. Secure while tension is maintained, it is easily untied
even after heavy loading
• It does not jam or slip, no matter how heavy the load and is easy to tie
and untie.
8. Bowline
• The bowline forms a loop that cannot slip.
• It is frequently referred to as a rescue knot due to its use in rescue harnesses.
• It is made by laying the rope’s end over its standing part to form a loop over the end,
then taking the end around behind the standing part and through the loop. King of all knot

Lesson 2: FIRE STARTING

WHAT IS FIRE STARTING?

• Fire starting or fire making is the process of starting a fire artificially.

• With the aid of several components and the recognition of the fire triangle (heat, oxygen, fuel), a fire could
be made in the wilderness or campsites.
• In Scouting and camping, starting fires is an essential skill as heat and warmth could be vital in the outside
environment, and also necessary for survival.

STEPS TO START A FIRE

• Unless lightning strikes a random tree branch or the very ground you’re camping on, you have to produce a
fire by artificial means.
• Included here are the traditional way of starting fires, which is through the use of matches, igniters, torches,
and even lighters.
• However, in the wild, one may often find that they do not have enough matches or lighters. Also, in camping,
people are usually encouraged to start fires without the aid of matches.

1. Picking a place
• Usually, the location for starting a fire must be suitable. For instance, the ground upon which the fire bed
is placed must be dry and far from any trees or establishments that may easily catch fire.
• Additionally, the fire bed must be bare and free form any plant materials.
 • Also make sure that the place chosen for the fire is clean and easily accessed, in case of unintended
spreading of fire.
• Stones, which can be used to dampen or extinguish the fire if it gets out of control, must be kept handy
.
2. Tinder, kindling, fuel wood
• TINDER - Every good campfire starts with good tinder. Tinder catches fire easily but burns fast. Material
like dry leaves, dry bark, wood shavings, dry grass, and some fluffy fungi make for good tinder
• KINDLING - Kindling usually consists of small twigs and branches. These catch fire from the tinder and keep
the fire going longer, until such time that fuel wood could catch fire.
• FUEL WOOD - Fuel wood is what keeps your fire hot and burning. These could be large logs or medium-
sized branches and sticks. These burn the longest but are also the slowest to catch fire.

Tinder Firewood /Fuelwood Kindling

2. Tinder, kindling, fuel wood

TIPS:

• Collect more tinder, kindling and fuel wood than you need. Fires consume a surprisingly large amount of
materials over time, and you would need a lot to keep it going for an entire night.
• Drier is better when it comes to materials. If leaves, twigs or sticks are “green” or wet, they would not catch
fire or would otherwise take a long time.
• Size matters. Wood, when too big or too small, would fail to sustain a fire due to their inappropriate size.
3. Laying down the fire/ types of fire lays
• After gathering all the necessary materials for starting a fire, they must be arranged in an appropriate
manner before they could keep anybody warm and produce heat.
• There is no conventional way to arrange or “lay” a fire, but campers and enthusiasts alike have observed
that particular techniques and lays are often fool-proof and most effective in starting a fire.
• Arrangement is important because it affects how much oxygen can the fire have, how high the
temperature can get, how fast the fire could spread evenly across the kindling, and how long it could last.

Laying down the fire

(Teepee fire lay)

1. Place your tinder bundle in the middle of your campfire site.

2. Above your tinder bundle, form a teepee with some kindling. Leave an opening in
your teepee on the side the wind is blowing against. This will ensure that your fire
gets the air it needs and will blow the flames onto the kindling.
3. Continue adding kindling to the teepee, working your way up to pencil sized twigs.
4. Create a larger teepee structure around your kindling teepee with your fuel wood.
5. Place a match under your tinder. Because this lay directs the flame up, the flame
should rise to the kindling and then on to the fuel wood.
6. The teepee structure will eventually fall, and at this point you can simply add
some fuel logs to the fire.

Laying down the fire

(Lean-to fire lay)

• Stick a long piece of kindling into the ground at about a 30-degree angle.
The end of the stick should be pointing into the wind.
• Place a tinder bundle underneath the support stick.
• Place some small pieces of kindling around your tinder nest.
• Lay small pieces of kindling against the piece stuck in the ground. Add
another layer with larger pieces of kindling.
• Light the tinder, and watch it burn.

Laying down a fire

(Log cabin fire lay)
1. Start off by creating a small teepee lay.
2. Have you played with Lincoln Logs? Basically, you’re going to play
a larger version of Lincoln Logs and burn them when you’re done.
3. Get large pieces of fuel wood and place them on opposite sides
of the tepee.
4. Find smaller pieces of fuel wood and lay them across the first set
of fuel wood, parallel on the other sides of the tepee. Just like you would
with Lincoln Logs.
5. Repeat laying smaller and shorter pieces to form a cabin or
pyramid shape.
6. Light it up.
 4. Putting out a fire
• After starting the fire and having it serve its purpose, it’s time to put the fire out safely.
• Putting out fires is important, both for safety and courtesy reasons. In the United States and neighboring
regions, forest fires are often started by unattended camp fires that were not put out properly. Also,
cleaning the place up is respect for the next camper.
• Putting out the fire could be done in a variety of ways, all of which are safe and essential.Start early. Putting
out a fire completely takes longer than you think. Plan when you’re going to bed or leaving and start
putting out your fire about 20 minutes before then.
• Sprinkle, don’t pour. You should have a bucketful of water near your campfire for safety reasons. When it’s
time to go, this will serve as your fire extinguisher. Avoid the impulse to pour all the water on the fire. You
don’t want to flood the pit because you or someone else will need to use it later. Instead, sprinkle as much
water as you need to put out the embers and charcoal.
• Stir. As you sprinkle water over the embers, stir them with a stick or shovel. This ensures that all the ashes
get wet. When you don’t see any steam and don’t hear any hissing noises, you know you’re getting close
to a completely extinguished fire.
• Touch test. Don’t actually run your hands through the ashes. You don’t want to brand yourself with a
searing ember. Put the back of your hand near the ashes. If you still feel heat, it’s too hot to leave. Keep
adding water and stirring. As soon as it feels cool, you’re good to go.
• Dispose the ashes. You don’t want to leave the next camper a fire bed full of old ashes. Also, if you had to
create your own fire bed, you want to leave the land in the same condition as how you found it. Scoop up
the ashes in a bag and spread them out around the campsite.
• Patch up your ground. If you made your own fire bed, replace the dirt and sod you dug up.

Important reminders

• Keep your fire’s size to an appropriate level, do not let it get too big or wild.
• Not all stones can be used or rubbed together to start a fire, as opposed to cartoons. Only specific igneous rocks,
such as flint, obsidian and others could induce a spark when struck quickly and strongly enough.
• Do not put body parts near the fire to avoid burns and serious injury. Warmth is radiated well enough from the
fire.
• Never play with fire.

Essential materials

• There are a handful of materials that can be used to start fires in the wilderness.
• Flint and steel are artificial fire starters that could be purchased. These are considered as important scouting and
camping gear.
• Tinderboxes keep tinder dry. It could be used to keep tinder free from moisture.
• Pocket knives could be used to whittle kindling and tinder, and also serve as a fire starter by being struck against
flint or other igneous rocks that could produce sparks through friction.

Lesson 3: First Aid & Bandaging

What is First Aid?

It is the immediate care given to a person/victim who has suddenly become ill or has been injured.
3C’s of First Aiding

• Check
• Call
• Care

Roles of a First Aider

• Bridge the gap between the time of the accident and the arrival of the physician.
• Ends when medical assistance begins.
• Doesn’t intend to compete with or take place of the physician.

Objectives of First Aid

• Alleviate suffering
• Prolong life
• Prevent further or added injury

Characteristices of a Good First Aider

• Gentle- shouldn’t cause pain

• Resourceful- make best use of all things
• Observant- notice all signs
• Sympathetic- should be comforting
• Tactful- shouldn’t be alarming

CONDITIONS REQUIRING FIRST AID

1. Fainting
- Caused by a sudden fall in the supply of blood to their brain that results in the temporary loss of
consciousness.
Signs & Symptoms
Sweating
Dizziness
Nausea
Weakness
Paleness
Ringing in the ears
Blurred vision

First Aid

• Lay the person flat on the ground.

• Elevate the legs to coax more blood into your brain.
• Loosen tight clothing.
• Avoid crowding the patient.
• Call a doctor if necessary.
• If the person is on a chair, push his head down between his knees.
• Loosen tight clothing.
• Avoid crowding the patient.
• Call a doctor if necessary.
 Nose Bleed

- Occurs when a small blood vessel in the lining of the nose bursts.

It is very common in children and often result from harmless activities such as picking their nose, blowing it too hard
or too often or from getting knocked on the nose during play.

First Aid

• Sit down and lean forward slightly.

• Pinch the lower part of the nostrils just below the bony part of the nose for 10minutes while breathing through
the mouth.
• Release nostrils slowly, repeat procedure if bleeding continue.
• Do not touch or blow the nose for about 24hrs.
• Do not pact the affected nostrils with cotton.
• Bring patient to hospital if necessary.

Wounds

- Break in the continuity of a tissue either external or internal.

- Wounds usually result from external physical forces. The most common causes of wounds are motor
vehicle accidents, falls and the mishandling of sharp objects, tools, machinery, and weapons.

Classification

• Open (external)
• Closed (internal)
• An open wound is a break in the skin or in a mucous membrane.
• A closed wound involves underlying tissues without a break in the skin or a mucous membrane.

Open Wounds

Abrasion

• An abrasions results from scraping (abrading) the skin and thereby damaging it.
Bleeding in an abrasion is usually limited to oozing of blood from ruptured small veins
and capillaries. However, there is a danger of contamination and infection, because
of dirt and bacteria may have been ground into the broken tissues.
• Abrasions commonly result from falls or the handing of rough objects. Example
are skinned knees, rope burns (which are actually abrasions, not burns), and shallow
multiple scratches.

Puncture

• Puncture wounds are produced by bullets and pointed objects, such as pins,
nails, and splinters. External bleeding is usually minor, but the puncturing
object may penetrate deeply into the body and this damage organs and soft
tissues and sever internal bleeding.
• Because puncture wounds generally are not flushed out by external bleeding,
they are more likely than some other wounds to become infected. Tetanus
organisms and other harmful bacteria that grow rapidly deep within body
tissues by a penetrating object.
 Laceration

Lacerations are jagged, irregular, or blunt breaks or tears in the soft tissues. Bleeding may be
rapid and extensive. The destruction of tissue is greater in Lacerations than in cuts. The deep
contamination of wounds that result from accidents involving moving parts of machinery
increases the chances of later infection.

Avulsion

• Avulsion wounds involve the forcible separation or tearing of tissue from the
victim’s body. Avulsions are commonly caused by animal bites
and accidents involving motor vehicle, heavy machinery, guns and explosives.
• They are usually followed immediately by a heavy bleeding, a detached finger,
toe, nose tip, ear, or, in rare cases, whole limb may be successfully attached to
a victim’s body by a surgeon if the severed part is sent with the victim to the
hospital.

Open Wounds

The two most serious first aid problems caused by open wounds are a large, rapid loss of blood, which may result
in shock, and contamination and infection of exposed body tissue.

First Aid

Minor wounds can be treated at home.

• First, wash and disinfect the wound to remove all dirt and debris.
• Use direct pressure and elevation to control bleeding and swelling.
• When wrapping the wound, always use a sterile dressing or bandage. Very minor wounds may heal without a
bandage. You’ll need to keep the wound clean and dry for five days. You should also make sure you get plenty of
rest.
• Apply ice if you have bruising or swelling, and avoid picking at scabs.
• If you’re spending time outdoors, use a sunscreen that’s sun protection factor (SPF) 30 on the area until it’s
completely healed.

When to see a Doctor

You should see a doctor if:

• an open wound is deeper than 1/2 inch

• bleeding doesn’t stop with direct pressure
• bleeding lasts longer than 20 minutes
• bleeding is the result of a serious accident

Closed Wounds

Contusion

Blunt trauma causing pressure damage to the skin and / or underlying tissues (includes bruises).
 Blisters

Fluid filled pockets under the skin

Hematoma

A blood filled area that develops under the skin or body tissue (occur due to internal blood vessel
damage to an artery or vein)

First Aid

To control pain, bleeding, and inflammation, keep the muscle in a gentle stretch position and use the RICE protocol.

R-I-C-E Protocol

Rest. Protect the injured area from further harm by stopping play. You may also use a protective device (i.e., crutches,
sling).

Ice. Use cold packs for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day. Do not apply ice directly on the skin.

Compression. Lightly wrap the injured area in a soft bandage or ace wrap.

Elevation. Raise the injured area to a level above the heart.

Fracture

A medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone. A bone fracture can be the result of high force
impact or stress, or trivial injury as a result of certain medical conditions that weaken the bones

Signs and Symptoms

• Pain and swelling at the fracture site.

• Tenderness close to the fracture.
• Paleness and deformity (sometimes).
• Loss of pulse below the fracture, usually in an extremity (this is an emergency).
• Numbness, tingling or paralysis below the fracture (rare; this is an emergency).
• Bleeding or bruising at the site.
• Weakness and inability to bear weight.

First Aid

• Initial treatment for fractures of the arms, legs, hands and feet in the field include splinting the extremity in the
position it is found, elevation and ice. Immobilization will be very helpful with initial pain control.
 Types of Fracture

Greenstick Fracture

An incomplete fracture in which the bone is bent.

A fracture in a young, soft bone in which the bone bends and breaks. Greenstick fractures occur most often during infancy
and childhood when bones are soft.

Treatment

Use of removable splints, casting

Transverse Fracture

• A fracture at a right angle to the bones axis.

• Transverse fractures most often occur as the result of a strong force applied perpendicular to the long axis of a
bone.
• They may also be the result of a stress fracture where many microscopic breaks form in the bone from repetitive
stress, such as running.

Treatment

Transverse fractures often requires the bones to be realigned before being set.

Spiral Fracture

• A fracture in which the break has a curved or sloped pattern.

• Spiral fractures often occur when the body is in motion while one extremity is planted.
• For example, a spiral fracture of the tibia (the shinbone) can occur in young children when they fall short on an
extended leg while jumping.

Treatment

• If the spiral fracture is stable, treatment will usually involve keeping the bone immobilized with a cast for a period
of four to six weeks. A stable fracture is generally more common in children.
• Because of the jagged bones that characterize a displaced spiral fracture, more often than not surgery is required
for treatment.
Comminuted Fracture

• A comminuted fracture is a break or splinter of the bone into more than two fragments.
• Since considerable force and energy is required to fragment bone, fractures of this degree occur after high-impact
trauma such as in vehicular accidents.

Treatment

• External fixation devices such as splints and casts are usually inadequate in treating this type of fracture. Repairing
a comminuted fracture often requires open surgery to restructure the bone to normal anatomy.

Compound Fracture

• A fracture in which the bone ends are no longer touching.

Treatment

• Almost all open fractures are treated in the operating room. It is important to go to surgery
as soon as possible so that your open wound can be cleaned out to help prevent infection.
Depending on your specific injury, you will be given either regional or general anesthesia
during this procedure.

Bandaging

Three key uses of bandages:

• Applying pressure to bleeding wounds

• Covering wounds and burns
• Providing support and immobilization for broken bones, sprains, and strains. These includes gauze, triangular,
Elastic, and tubular bandage.

Types of bandages:

• Gauze
• Elastic
• Triangular
• Tubular

Head Top (for head injuries)

• Fold the base at least 2-3”

• Place folded base aligned with eyebrows
• Pull back and cross-over at the back, tucking apex beneath
• Pull both ends in front/secure with a square knot at the center of the folded
base/tuck ends.
• Pull down apex (tuck sides neatly)
• Tuck apex neatly at cross-over area

Chest Bandage

• Apex at the shoulder of injured part

 • Pull back folded base and secure with square knot at the center indention of
the back.
• Knot/tie longer end with apex

Hand Bandage

• Place the hand in the middle of the triangular bandage with the wrist at the base of the
• Place the apex over the fingers and tuck any excess material into the pleats on each side
of the hand
• Cross the ends on top of the hand, take them around the wrist, and tie them with a square
knot.

Arm Sling

• Place folded base vertically over

• One arm, with pointed directly under the elbow of injured arm
• Lower ends of base at the side of the neck using a square knot
• Make several twist with apex and tie a knot
• Hide the knot

Underarm Sling

• Same procedure as arm sling except that the lower end of the base is tucked under the
injured arm.
• Secure end of base and apex with a square knot the center indention at the back.

Cravat Bandage (for the forehead)

• Place the center of the cravat over the compress covering the wound.
• Carry the ends around to the opposite side of the head, cross them. Bring
them back to the staring point and tie them.

Cravat Bandage (for the neck)

• Place the center of the cravat over the compress covering the wound.
• Carry the ends around to the neck, cross them. Bring them back to the starting point and tie them loosely.

Cravat Bandage (for the cheeks & ears)

• Use the wide cravat. Start with the middle of the cravat over the compress covering the
cheek or the ear.
• Carry one end over the top of the head and the other under the chin.
• Cross the ends at the opposite side.
• Bring the short end back around the forehead and the long end around the back of the
head.
• Tie them down over the compress
Cravat Bandage (for the eye)

• Lay center of the first cravat over top of he with the front end falling over
uninjured eye.
• Bring second cravat around head, over eyes, and over loose ends of first
cravat. Tie in front.
• Bring ends of first cravat back over top of head, tying there and pulling
second cravat up and away form uninjured eye.

Cravat Bandage (for the elbow)

• Bend arm at elbow and place center of cravat at point of elbow

• Bring ends up and across each other in overlapping spiral turns. Continue one end
up arm and the other end down forearm.
• Bring ends to front of elbow and tie.

Cravat Bandage (for the knee)

• Start on top of the knees.

• Cross over and twist 2-3 times under the knee.
• Cross over on top/pull ends to opposite sides.
• Secure with a square knot under the knee

Cravat Bandage (for the Forearm, Arm, Leg and Thigh)

• Place center of cravat over the dressing

• Begin ascending turns wit upper end and descending turns with lower end, with each turn
covering two-third of preceding turn until dressing is covered.
• Terminate by tying both ends in square knot.

Cravat Bandage (for the Shoulder Armpit )

• Start at the armpit.

• Cross-over at injured shoulder
• Tie at the opposite armpit (side of front)