Hiking
Merit Badge Workbook
This workbook can help you but you still need to read the merit badge pamphlet.
The work space provided for each requirement should be used by the Scout to make notes for discussing the item with his counselor, not for
providing the full and complete answers. Each Scout must do each requirement.
No one may add or subtract from the official requirements found in Boy Scout Requirements (Pub. 33216 SKU 34765).
The requirements were last issued or revised in 2012 This workbook was updated in April 2012.
Scouts Name:__________________________________________
Unit: __________________________________________
Counselors Name: ______________________________________
Counselors Phone No.: ___________________________
http://www.USScouts.Org
http://www.MeritBadge.Org
Please submit errors, omissions, comments or suggestions about improving this workbook to: [email protected]
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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. ____________________________________
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b. 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.
Hypothermia: _________________________________________________________________________
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Heatstroke: __________________________________________________________________________
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Heat exhaustion: ______________________________________________________________________
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Frostbite: ____________________________________________________________________________
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Dehydration: _________________________________________________________________________
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Copyright 2012 - U.S. Scouting Service Project, Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Hiking
Scout's Name: ________________________
Sunburn: ____________________________________________________________________________
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Sprained ankle: _______________________________________________________________________
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Insect stings: _________________________________________________________________________
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Tick bites: ___________________________________________________________________________
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Snakebite: ___________________________________________________________________________
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Blisters: _____________________________________________________________________________
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Hyperventilation: ______________________________________________________________________
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Altitude sickness:______________________________________________________________________
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2. Explain and, where possible, show the main 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.
Leave No Trace, _________________________________________________________________________________
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Hiking safety in the daytime ________________________________________________________________________
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Hiking safety at night, _____________________________________________________________________________
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Courtesy to others, _______________________________________________________________________________
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Hiking - Merit Badge Workbook
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Hiking
Scout's Name: ________________________
Choice of footwear, _______________________________________________________________________________
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Proper care of feet and footwear. ____________________________________________________________________
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3. Explain how hiking is an aerobic activity. ______________________________________________________________
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Develop a plan for conditioning yourself for 10-mile hikes, and describe how you will increase your fitness for longer
hikes. _________________________________________________________________________________________
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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.
Destination(s):___________________________________________________________________________________
Map routes: _____________________________________________________________________________________
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Clothing and equipment list,
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Items for a trail lunch.
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Hiking - Merit Badge Workbook
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Hiking
Scout's Name: ________________________
5. Take five hikes, each on a different day, and each of at least ten continuous miles. Prepare a hike plan for each hike. *
Hike 1
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Hike 2
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Hike 3
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Hiking - Merit Badge Workbook
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Hiking
Scout's Name: ________________________
Hike 4
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Hike 5
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6. Take a hike of 20 continuous miles in 1 day following a hike plan you have prepared. *
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Hiking - Merit Badge Workbook
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Hiking
Scout's Name: ________________________
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.
Hike 1
Dates ______________________________________________________________________________________
Descriptions of routes covered, __________________________________________________________________
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Weather, ___________________________________________________________________________________
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Any interesting things you saw. __________________________________________________________________
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Hike 2
Dates ______________________________________________________________________________________
Descriptions of routes covered, __________________________________________________________________
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Weather, ___________________________________________________________________________________
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Any interesting things you saw. __________________________________________________________________
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Hiking - Merit Badge Workbook
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Hiking
Scout's Name: ________________________
Hike 3
Dates ______________________________________________________________________________________
Descriptions of routes covered, __________________________________________________________________
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Weather, ___________________________________________________________________________________
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Any interesting things you saw. __________________________________________________________________
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Hike 4
Dates ______________________________________________________________________________________
Descriptions of routes covered, __________________________________________________________________
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Weather, ___________________________________________________________________________________
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Any interesting things you saw. __________________________________________________________________
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Hiking - Merit Badge Workbook
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Hiking
Scout's Name: ________________________
Hike 5
Dates ______________________________________________________________________________________
Descriptions of routes covered, __________________________________________________________________
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Weather, ___________________________________________________________________________________
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Any interesting things you saw. __________________________________________________________________
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20 Mile Hike
Dates ______________________________________________________________________________________
Descriptions of routes covered, __________________________________________________________________
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Weather, ___________________________________________________________________________________
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Any interesting things you saw. __________________________________________________________________
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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 merit badge requirements 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.
Requirement resources can be found here:
http://www.meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Hiking#Requirement resources
Hiking - Merit Badge Workbook
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Attachment (NOTE: It is not necessary to print this page.)
Important excerpts from the Guide To Advancement, No. 33088:
Effective January 1, 2012, the Guide to Advancement (which replaced the publication Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures) is
now the official Boy Scouts of America source on advancement policies and procedures.
[ Inside front cover, and 5.0.1.4 ] Unauthorized Changes to Advancement Program
No council, committee, district, unit, or individual has the authority to add to, or subtract from, advancement requirements.
(There are limited exceptions relating only to youth members with disabilities. For details see section 10, Advancement for Members
With Special Needs.)
[ Inside front cover, and 7.0.1.1 ] The Guide to Safe Scouting Applies
Policies and procedures outlined in the Guide to Safe Scouting, No. 34416, apply to all BSA activities, including those related to
advancement and Eagle Scout service projects. [Note: Always reference the online version, which is updated quarterly.]
[ 7.0.3.1 ] The Buddy System and Certifying Completion
Youth members must not meet one-on-one with adults. Sessions with counselors must take place where others can view the
interaction, or the Scout must have a buddy: a friend, parent, guardian, brother, sister, or other relative or better yet, another Scout
working on the same badge along with him attending the session. When the Scout meets with the counselor, he should bring any
required projects. If these cannot be transported, he should present evidence, such as photographs or adult certification. His unit
leader, for example, might state that a satisfactory bridge or tower has been built for the Pioneering merit badge, or that meals were
prepared for Cooking. If there are questions that requirements were met, a counselor may confirm with adults involved. Once
satisfied, the counselor signs the blue card using the date upon which the Scout completed the requirements, or in the case of
partials, initials the individual requirements passed.
[ 7.0.3.2 ] Group Instruction
It is acceptableand sometimes desirablefor merit badges to be taught in group settings. This often occurs at camp and merit
badge midways or similar events. Interactive group discussions can support learning. The method can also be attractive to guest
experts assisting registered and approved counselors. Slide shows, skits, demonstrations, panels, and various other techniques can
also be employed, but as any teacher can attest, not everyone will learn all the material.
There must be attention to each individuals projects and his fulfillment of all requirements. We must know that every Scout
actually and personally completed them. If, for example, a requirement uses words like show, demonstrate, or discuss, then
every Scout must do that. It is unacceptable to award badges on the basis of sitting in classrooms watching demonstrations, or
remaining silent during discussions. Because of the importance of individual attention in the merit badge plan, group instruction
should be limited to those scenarios where the benefits are compelling.
[ 7.0.3.3 ] Partial Completions
Scouts need not pass all requirements with one counselor. The Application for Merit Badge has a place to record what has been
finished a partial. In the center section on the reverse of the blue card, the counselor initials for each requirement passed. In the
case of a partial completion, he or she does not retain the counselors portion of the card. A subsequent counselor may choose not
to accept partial work, but this should be rare. A Scout, if he believes he is being treated unfairly, may work with his Scoutmaster to
find another counselor. An example for the use of a signed partial would be to take it to camp as proof of prerequisites. Partials have
no expiration except the 18th birthday.
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