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Stuff Every Survivalist Should Know

First aid, knots, navigation, fire, shelter and water: the outdoor skills a Scout learns from Tenderfoot to Eagle.

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⏱ Timed practice exam

AhaBulb practice exam: 50 questions, 50 minutes, pass with 40 right (80%).

Take it like the real thing: a countdown, no hints until you finish, then your score by topic, every miss explained, and a readiness score from your last 3 exams.

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  1. You find a hurt hiker by the trail. What is the very first thing to check?
    Show the answer

    Whether the scene is safe for you. First aid starts with Check, Call, Care. You check the scene first, because if you get hurt too, now there are two people who need help.

  2. On a hot hike, which sign points to heat stroke rather than heat exhaustion?
    Show the answer

    Temperature above 103°F and confusion. Heat exhaustion often brings cool, pale, clammy skin and heavy sweating. Heat stroke means the body is overheating: above 103°F, hot red skin, a strong fast pulse, and confusion. That's a 911 emergency.

  3. A Scout is confused, red-faced and very hot after a summer hike. What's your first move?
    Show the answer

    Call 911, then cool them in the shade. Confusion plus a very hot body is heat stroke, which can be deadly. Call 911 right away, then move them somewhere cooler and cool them with wet cloths while you wait.

All 175 practice questions

The first 50 are free, with the answer, why it's right and the official sources. The other 125 (🔒) are for AhaBulb members. Or play them as a game and track what you've learned.

Show all 175 questions
  1. You find a hurt hiker by the trail. What is the very first thing to check?
  2. On a hot hike, which sign points to heat stroke rather than heat exhaustion?
  3. A Scout is confused, red-faced and very hot after a summer hike. What's your first move?
  4. With heat exhaustion, what does a person's skin usually feel like?
  5. When warming someone with hypothermia, which part of the body do you warm first?
  6. Air is 10°F and the wind chill is -10°F. How cold can your water bottle get?
  7. Saguaro National Park advises summer hikers to drink about how much water each hour?
  8. Does "leaves of three, let it be" help you spot poison sumac?
  9. A choking adult can't talk or cough. What pattern does the Red Cross approach use?
  10. How fast should you push during chest compressions for adult CPR?
  11. If you're not trained in full CPR and an adult collapses, what can you do after calling 911?
  12. Which item does the Red Cross list for a first aid kit to protect the helper?
  13. A thunderstorm rolls in at camp. Does your tent protect you from lightning?
  14. You're caught outside in a thunderstorm with no shelter. Where should you NOT be?
  15. How deep does fast-moving floodwater need to be to knock over an adult?
  16. A brown or grizzly bear attacks you on the trail, not in your tent. What does NPS say to do?
  17. A black bear attacks you. Should you play dead?
  18. Any kind of bear attacks you inside your tent. What does NPS say to do?
  19. Should you spray bear spray on your tent or clothes to keep bears away?
  20. In bear country, which of these must be stored like food?
  21. A mountain lion is watching you. Why shouldn't you crouch down?
  22. How can feeding human food to wild animals hurt them?
  23. On a map and compass, what is magnetic declination?
  24. A regular hiking compass needle points toward which north?
  25. Why might the declination printed on an old topo map be wrong today?
  26. On a topographic map, what does a contour line connect?
  27. Contour lines on your map are packed very close together. What does that mean?
  28. What is the contour interval on a topographic map?
  29. Why do contour lines on a topo map never cross each other?
  30. On a 1:24,000 scale topo map, one inch on the map equals about how far on the ground?
  31. On a USGS topographic map, what does a green area usually show?
  32. What does it mean to orient a map?
  33. Without a compass at night, which star helps you find north?
  34. You are navigating with a phone or GPS. What should you bring as a backup?
  35. What is the square knot best used for?
  36. Which knot is best for tying together two ropes of different thickness?
  37. What are two half hitches used for?
  38. Which knot lets you adjust the tension on a tent guy line?
  39. You need a loop at the end of a rope that will not slip or tighten. Which knot?
  40. Which knot is used to begin and end many lashings?
  41. Which knot is made for dragging a log across the ground?
  42. What is a square lashing used for?
  43. Two cross-brace poles have a gap between them and must be pulled together. Which lashing?
  44. How do you keep the cut end of a nylon rope from unraveling?
  45. The fire triangle says a fire needs which three things?
  46. When building a campfire, what goes in the center first?
  47. How far should a campfire be from tents and overhanging branches?
  48. Is it OK to use gasoline or lighter fluid to start a campfire?
  49. What kind of wood should you gather for a campfire?
  50. Is it safe to run a camp stove or fuel lantern inside a closed tent?
  51. Before using a knife or axe, how big is the safety circle you clear? 🔒
  52. When whittling or cutting with a pocketknife, which way should the blade move? 🔒
  53. Which is more dangerous to use: a sharp ax or a dull ax? 🔒
  54. Picking a campsite, what should you look up and check for? 🔒
  55. Why do outdoor folks say 'cotton kills' about cold or wet trips? 🔒
  56. In a layering system, what is the main job of the innermost layer? 🔒
  57. How should you pick a sleeping bag's temperature rating? 🔒
  58. On a sleeping pad, what does a higher R-value mean? 🔒
  59. On a hot day above 90 F, how long can perishable food sit out safely? 🔒
  60. How many principles does Leave No Trace have? 🔒
  61. Leave No Trace says to camp at least how far from lakes and streams? 🔒
  62. With no toilet around, how deep should you dig a cathole? 🔒
  63. What should you do with dishwater at a backcountry camp? 🔒
  64. Leave No Trace says good campsites are what? 🔒
  65. Lost and waiting for help, how should you use a whistle? 🔒
  66. How do you flash SOS with a flashlight? 🔒
  67. On a clear day, about how far away can a signal mirror flash be seen? 🔒
  68. Lost in daytime with a safe place for a signal fire, what makes it easier to spot? 🔒
  69. What does the Hug-a-Tree lesson teach a lost child to do? 🔒
  70. In the S-T-O-P plan for when you're lost, what does the O stand for? 🔒
  71. Before a hike, who should get a copy of your trip plan? 🔒
  72. Clear skies are forecast. What should still go in your overnight pack? 🔒
  73. For Tenderfoot overnight preparation, which two kinds of gear must you show? 🔒
  74. Besides showing overnight gear, what packing skill does Tenderfoot 1a require? 🔒
  75. Whose tent must a Scout sleep in for Tenderfoot camping requirement 1b? 🔒
  76. Which ground is best for a shelter when rainwater may collect? 🔒
  77. While you wait for rescue, where should you set up a tent or tarp? 🔒
  78. For Tenderfoot 1c, is reciting outdoor ethics enough? 🔒
  79. Which camp meal jobs should every patrol member help share? 🔒
  80. For Tenderfoot 2b, which camp meal items must you show how to clean safely? 🔒
  81. Which complete tool skill does Tenderfoot 3d require? 🔒
  82. How should you clean a minor cut or scrape at camp? 🔒
  83. What can lightly cover a cleaned minor cut to help prevent infection? 🔒
  84. Which clothing choice helps prevent sunburn on a long outing? 🔒
  85. In tick country, where should you tuck your pant cuffs? 🔒
  86. Which first-aid kit item does the Red Cross list for allergic reactions? 🔒
  87. Should every hiking first-aid kit contain exactly the same supplies? 🔒
  88. Which reference does the Red Cross checklist put in a hiking first-aid kit? 🔒
  89. What should hold first-aid supplies and medications on a wet hike? 🔒
  90. Is carrying a stocked first-aid kit enough by itself? 🔒
  91. On a troop or patrol outing, when should Scouts use the buddy system? 🔒
  92. The moment you think you might be lost, what should you do? 🔒
  93. During the Think step of STOP, what should you study if you have it? 🔒
  94. What should shape the Plan step after you assess being lost? 🔒
  95. Before making a lost-person plan, what gear should you inventory? 🔒
  96. Tenderfoot safe-hiking rules must cover which settings? 🔒
  97. Where should you hike to reduce damage to the outdoors? 🔒
  98. About how thick should easy-to-find kindling twigs be? 🔒
  99. What local condition can make an open campfire inappropriate? 🔒
  100. How should you think about a backcountry campfire? 🔒
  101. Besides choosing a camp stove type, what must Second Class 2d cover? 🔒
  102. What kind of meal does Second Class 2e ask a Scout to plan and cook? 🔒
  103. Which three food-handling stages must Second Class 2e demonstrate? 🔒
  104. How long is the Second Class map-and-compass hike option? 🔒
  105. In the Scouting America beginner swim test, how far do you swim before turning back? 🔒
  106. The Scouting America swimmer test starts with how many yards of strong swimming? 🔒
  107. In Safe Swim Defense, how deep should the nonswimmer area be? 🔒
  108. Two swim buddies are in different ability groups. Where do they swim? 🔒
  109. Safe Swim Defense calls water turbid when a swimmer treading water can't see what? 🔒
  110. Swimmers leave the water for thunder. How long after the last thunder should they wait to go back in? 🔒
  111. What is the order of water rescue methods Scouts learn? 🔒
  112. Before reaching from a dock to pull in a struggling swimmer, what should you do first? 🔒
  113. What is Rule No. 1 for anyone trying to save a person in the water? 🔒
  114. Why should a rescue swimmer avoid touching a panicking swimmer? 🔒
  115. In a line tender rescue, who pulls the victim and the swimmer back to safety? 🔒
  116. Under Safety Afloat's basic life jacket rule, who wears one while boating? 🔒
  117. Who may operate a boat on a Scouting float trip? 🔒
  118. On a float trip with several boats, what does Safety Afloat say each boat should have? 🔒
  119. What are the rails along the top edge of both sides of a canoe called? 🔒
  120. On a canoe paddle, what is the throat? 🔒
  121. Wind picks up and waves build while you're canoeing. What body position helps prevent capsizing? 🔒
  122. Something gets in a friend's eye at camp. What should they NOT do? 🔒
  123. A raccoon bites a camper. How should you clean the wound? 🔒
  124. Where should you never try to remove an embedded fishhook yourself? 🔒
  125. A camper's scald from boiling water forms blisters. What should you do with the blisters? 🔒
  126. Why is it dangerous to breathe fast and deep on purpose before holding your breath underwater? 🔒
  127. In the FAST stroke check, what do you ask the person to do for the F? 🔒
  128. You suspect someone swallowed poison. What should go to the hospital with them? 🔒
  129. You come upon a car accident. What is the first of the five essential steps? 🔒
  130. In the backcountry, you send people out for help. What should they carry? 🔒
  131. Which lashing joins two parallel poles so they open like scissors into an A-frame? 🔒
  132. When finishing a lashing, what are the turns wrapped between the poles, around the wraps, called? 🔒
  133. When orienteers count paces to judge distance, what usually counts as one pace? 🔒
  134. How often does NOAA Weather Radio broadcast weather warnings and forecasts? 🔒
  135. What does a National Weather Service warning mean? 🔒
  136. You hear thunder but see no lightning. Are you in danger of being struck? 🔒
  137. At camp, a creek starts flowing faster and rising, but it isn't raining. What might it mean? 🔒
  138. At camp, why should raw meat be stored in sealed bags or containers? 🔒
  139. How should a camp cook tell if meat is safely cooked? 🔒
  140. Leaving a smoke-filled room, why should you stay low? 🔒
  141. When is the two-rescuer four-handed seat carry safe to use? 🔒
  142. For a collarbone injury, how should the forearm sit in the sling? 🔒
  143. What does First Class 7d ask you to learn about home utilities? 🔒
  144. Which events belong in a First Class home emergency action plan? 🔒
  145. Before another outing, what should you do about the trash you produced? 🔒
  146. How many essential elements does the Wilderness Survival pamphlet give a survival kit? 🔒
  147. Which pair belongs to the signaling element of a survival kit? 🔒
  148. Which items fit the water-gathering element of a survival kit? 🔒
  149. Which item does the Red Cross list for a hiking first-aid kit? 🔒
  150. Why can a whistle be better than shouting for help? 🔒
  151. What is the first of the seven wilderness survival priorities? 🔒
  152. After STOP, what is the second wilderness survival priority? 🔒
  153. What is the third wilderness survival priority, after first aid? 🔒
  154. What is the fourth wilderness survival priority? 🔒
  155. What should a survival shelter put between you and cold ground? 🔒
  156. Why choose a shelter site near usable building materials? 🔒
  157. What is the pamphlet's simplest snow shelter? 🔒
  158. How should rain gear fit to help vent perspiration? 🔒
  159. Which set gives three fire-lighting methods other than matches? 🔒
  160. In cold and snow, what does the pamphlet say to do all you can to stay? 🔒
  161. Where might you signal if a dense wet forest hides you from aircraft? 🔒
  162. When should you do necessary work in a hot, dry desert? 🔒
  163. What clothing layer helps protect you from strong wind? 🔒
  164. After capsizing far from shore in cold water, what should you try first? 🔒
  165. What should you avoid doing to an itchy chigger bite? 🔒
  166. What care does the pamphlet advise after a serious spider bite? 🔒
  167. How many common heart-attack signals must a First Class Scout tell? 🔒
  168. When treating outdoor water by boiling, what stage should it reach? 🔒
  169. How large should a ground-to-air rescue symbol be? 🔒
  170. Which direction best uses shadows on a long ground-to-air signal? 🔒
  171. Should you eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty? 🔒
  172. According to the Red Cross, what is the most common hiking injury source? 🔒
  173. What is the fifth wilderness survival priority? 🔒
  174. What is the sixth wilderness survival priority? 🔒
  175. What is the seventh wilderness survival priority? 🔒