In his book “Deep Survival” (2003), author Laurence Gonzales offered the following “Rules of Adventure”, which are certainly applicable to the planning and conduct of Scouting’s outdoor program:
(1) Know what you are doing (have you taken all applicable training and obtained the necessary technical skills?);
(2) Obtain relevant information (have you learned all necessary facts about the anticipated venue, weather, etc.?);
(3) Learn from others’ mistakes (have you researched any problems that prior adventurers may have encountered when doing the same activity? See the “teachable moments” blog discussion!);
(4) Have humility (don’t be overconfident!); and
(5) When in doubt, rethink the plan or stop the activity (don’t ignore any warning signs, and quit while you are ahead if need be!).
All good rules to keep in mind . . .