When I choose companions for a hike, the most important quality for me is kindness. No one wants to spend a long time with a selfish person. A sense of humor is very important, as is modesty, but nothing is valued more than the ability to offer someone the first cup of tea after dinner, share food with a comrade, or help set up a tent. Kindness is the most important quality of a scout. Show your own kindness, appreciate it, and encourage it in others.
Remember – in a team, there is no 'I', but there is 'we'
In a large group, smaller circles always form. This is human nature, and there's nothing you can do about it. All you can do is try to be kind, generous, modest, and cheerful. Then you'll find that everyone wants to be friends with you because your company helps maintain a good mood and high spirits. Any military commander knows that one of the main factors for victory is high morale among soldiers. If it falls, the battle can be considered lost. Royal Navy sailors often say that "danger should be met cheerfully," and this ability greatly encourages those around you.
To maintain high spirits on a hike, each team member needs to have their own responsibility, to know exactly what work they have to do, and to take pride in it. People like being given a task—it inspires them. Everyone should have their own area of responsibility. This helps maintain normal relationships and keeps everyone busy. A military commander once wrote: "Morale is high when a soldier is confident that his army is the best in the world, his regiment is the best in the army, his company is the best in the regiment, his platoon is the best in the company, and he himself is the best soldier in his squad." This kind of pride is very useful. If you set high standards for people, they will want to meet them.
Leadership
If you are the team leader, the best way to lead people is by example. Never ask people to do something you can't do yourself. A leader must go the extra mile to ensure the safety and well-being of their people. Remember that people have not only physical but also emotional needs—take care of them and avoid hurting their feelings. The best way is to always put yourself in another person's shoes.
If you are a leader, be prepared to go to bed last, get up first, and work the hardest. People will notice this, trust you, and follow your example. Being in charge doesn't mean you have the right to shift the hardest work onto others' shoulders! Moreover, good leaders help people feel valued and unique. Adapt to the slowest member of the group and criticize less—encouragement is much more effective. Praise in public, criticize in private. Keep the atmosphere cheerful. Give people a chance to show what they can do. True leaders inspire people to great deeds.
Duty Roster
In camp or on a hike, everyone must do their part—participate in work and activities, otherwise resentment and quarrels will begin. "Idleness is the mother of all vices" is a very true saying! The best way to keep everyone busy is to divide people into duty squads.
All people in camp should be divided into groups. The group size depends on the total number of people. If the group is too small, each person will have more work; if it's too large, it will be easier for slackers to avoid work by doing a few minor tasks. The optimal group size is from five to eight people. Each squad should include people of different ages, personalities, and levels of experience. This will allow them to interact with people they might not otherwise encounter.
Once camp is set up, firewood needs to be gathered, water fetched, and food prepared. However, the list of tasks depends on your camp's conditions. People should be divided into squads and given tasks immediately after setting up camp so everyone knows what to do and when.
Camp Daily Routine
The phrase "daily routine" sounds boring, but in some situations, following it is essential. I won't tell you exactly how to organize your day in camp because it depends on the type of camp, but when planning a routine, you shouldn't forget a few things.
Time must be allocated for communal camp work, but personal time should also be set aside—this will make people more willing to engage in shared tasks. I think one hour after breakfast for camp chores is quite sufficient.
Food Preparation
The most important task is preparing food for a camp full of hungry people. The squad on kitchen duty should start early to avoid grumbling and dissatisfaction from their comrades.
Washing Dishes
No one likes washing dishes, but as mentioned above, it's necessary to maintain proper sanitary conditions: dirty plates and pots will attract swarms of flies and other unwanted guests. Decide right away whether the duty squad will wash the dishes, or if people will clean their own bowls and utensils. The group responsible for cooking, after removing pots and pans from the fire, should immediately replace them with pots of water so you have hot water when it's time to wash up.
Gear Check
In the army, recruits are required to be ready for a gear inspection at any time of day or night. And there are many reasons for this: in combat conditions, troops must be ready for any surprises. If weapons are clean and all gear is in order, soldiers are always ready to spring into action. Moreover, cleanliness and order reduce the risk of disease.
When going on a hike, we should use the experience accumulated by the military. The daily routine should include airing out tents, drying out bedding, and organizing gear. We've already talked about how germs that can cause illness multiply in damp, sweat-soaked sheets and blankets. You can't help but sweat in your sleep, so make it a rule to dry your bedding daily, keep your tent clean, and your backpack neatly packed. A morning inspection ensures that one member's sloppiness doesn't harm the health and comfort of the entire group. You can turn this inspection into a fun activity by inventing awards for the best tent or the neatest scout.
Team-Building Exercises
Military training is built on teamwork, and this is understood by all. On the battlefield, a person's life depends not only on their ability to shoot but also on their ability to work in a team. In the wilderness, you can't survive without this skill either.
In the mountains, my comrades have saved my life more than once, and I have repeatedly helped save others. Based on my personal experience, I have learned that a real team is made up of people who remain your friends in difficult times, who are honest and share their vulnerabilities with their comrades.
None of us lives on a desert island; from time to time we need the support of others, and the ability to share our feelings with others helps create strong bonds between people. People like to help each other and, for the most part, respond to calls for help. A team where people can be honest and open without fear of ridicule can move mountains.
Many times in the mountains and in small special forces patrols, I have had the opportunity to be part of such teams, and this is the main reason that drives me to conquer inaccessible peaks and serve in units deployed to the most dangerous places on the planet. It's not the danger or the adrenaline rush that attracts me, but the opportunity to share hardships with real people. That's the true magic. Harsh conditions create a strong bond between people, and where there is this bond, there is strength.
Not everyone knows how to work in a team, especially shy people, but well-organized work benefits everyone. Teamwork is taught through special exercises, but they shouldn't be too difficult. Treat them like a game. They are great for fostering a spirit of shared responsibility, which leads to victory in team sports, but there are other games that will help you master necessary hiking skills—first aid, navigation, and lighting a fire. Below are three games to practice these skills.
Plane Crash
Divide into four groups of five people each. Imagine that one of you has just survived a plane crash by parachuting out. They have burns and a broken ankle—provide first aid. Light a small fire, boil water, and give them a drink, then build a shelter where they can hide from bad weather.
Scouts
Divide into groups. Imagine you are behind enemy lines. You need to find a well-camouflaged spot for a camp. Light a fire here and cook a meal. But remember, your time is limited. When time runs out, you will hear a distant noise—these are enemy soldiers approaching. You must quickly dismantle your camp, leaving no traces that could give away your presence. After dismantling the camp, each team inspects the area, trying to find traces of other groups.
Rescue Mission
This is a very good team-building exercise that also helps master basic first aid techniques. Two people from your team go off and hide, then decide what injuries they have. The rest of the team must find them, determine the seriousness of their injuries, and provide first aid so they don't "die."
Teamwork in Practice
When Colonel David Stirling created the SAS, he came up with a simple motto by which he and his men lived and worked: self-discipline, relentless pursuit of excellence, humility, and a sense of humor. These rules are good for everyone, but especially for scouts and those who love outdoor life.
Whether you are a scout or a soldier, the main thing is that you already know how to manage yourself. No one will want to live in the same tent with a person who, upon entering, dumps the contents of their backpack right on the floor. A good scout always has their things neatly packed in their kit.
I always know where my flashlight is and, reaching into my backpack, can pull it out without looking, because every soldier knows the main army rule—"a place for everything, and everything in its place." By following it, you are always ready to get up and leave without fear of forgetting something very important if you need to quickly "disappear." And a scout won't wake up the entire tent if they need to go to the toilet at one in the morning and can't find their flashlight or boots!
A good scout always asks: is there anything that needs to be done? Is there enough firewood? Maybe the cook needs help peeling vegetables? Have all the pots and pans been washed after lunch? Offer your help yourself—don't wait to be asked. Then no one will tell stories about you, and you will be invited on hikes because you will have built a reputation as a person who knows how to work in a team. And people will want to share a tent with you and endure all the hardships of the hike together.
Next guide: The Skill of Land Navigation: Working with a Compass and Map Previous guide: Maintaining General Hygiene on a Camping Trip You can view the full list here: Survival Guides for the Mountains
