Be Prepared Time-tested advice on emergency preparedness. An official publication of the Boy Scouts of America

Each year hundreds of outdoor enthusiasts find themselves in an unexpected outdoor emergency. They get lost, injured, or stranded. Cut off from the rest of the world, they have to depend upon their survival skills to survive.

For most people, thanks to modern communications such as cell phones, satellite messengers, and personal locator beacons (PLB), it is merely a sobering two- or three-hour adventure. However, for some who did not take the proper precautions before they left home or do not have survival skills, it can end in tragedy.

J. Wayne Fears uses his Army and Air Force training to make sure that everyone in the outdoors remembers the Boy Scout motto "Be Prepared." His practical advice offers help with:

• How to build a fire
• How to purify water
• How to identify common edible plants and mushrooms
• How to signal for help
• How to build simple shelters
• Practical navigation skills
• And so much more

Since 1910, the Boy Scouts of America has helped build the future leaders of this country by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun. The BSA is committed to training youth in responsible citizenship, character development, and self-reliance through participation in a wide range of outdoor activities.