The Wilderness Survival merit badge is one of the most interesting projects to undertake. This merit badge covers the whole range of Scouting skills and experience. On the Wilderness Survival Outpost that used to be offered at our summer camp, the only gear allowed was a pocket knife. This is extreme camping taken to the limit. Learning to make due with what you have in the field, can be very rewarding. When someone who has been trained in the art of survival hikes down a trail in the woods, they see many things differently than most people. There is an abundance of edible plants, material for shelter and firebuilding, natural geological patterns that offer wind and rain breaks. Tracks of animals can tell you what lives in the woods as well as where the safest sources of water may be obtained.