Scouts Victoria - Bushwalking Team

10/06/2026

Congratulations to everyone who completed the Extremely Difficult Untracked Arid Course at Killawarra last weekend.

The Arid course features a real deep-dive into off-track navigation. One key skill covered is "ranging" or "leapfrogging" a bearing. In featureless terrain (such as open snowfields, deserts, heathland) one person stands on the compass bearing some distance ahead while the navigator stays behind. The navigator then directs them left or right until they’re exactly on the bearing. The group walks to that person and the process is repeated.

Find a full list of our upcoming courses here:
https://scoutsvictoria.com.au/activities-events/activity-teams/bushwalking/

03/06/2026

How are you at estimating distance?

When your GPS battery goes flat, reception drops out, or you simply want to confirm your location on a map, one of the most reliable navigation techniques is pace counting.

Step 1: Work Out Your Pace Count
- Find a measured 100-metre distance (e.g. athletics track).
- Walk at your normal bushwalking pace and count every time your left foot hits the ground.
- Repeat a few times and average the result.

Step 2: Set Up Your Pacing Beads
A standard set of pacing beads usually has:
- 9 lower beads
- 4 upper beads

Each lower bead represents 100 metres.
Every time you reach your pace count (for example, 62 paces), slide one lower bead down.
After 9 lower beads, pace out one last 100 metres (1 kilometre), reset the lower beads and slide one upper bead down.

Step 3: Estimate Distance Travelled
Imagine you've counted 7 lower beads and 2 upper beads.
That means you've travelled:
2 km + 700 m = 2.7 km

Pace counting is particularly valuable when:
✅ Following a bearing through bushland
✅ Locating a track junction or checkpoint
✅ Navigating in poor visibility
✅ Checking that you haven't overshot a feature

Your pace length changes depending on:
- Uphill or downhill travel
- Thick scrub
- Heavy packs
- Fatigue

We cover this skill in all three of our our Extremely Difficult Untracked courses:
https://tockify.com/scoutsvic/detail/440/1780581600000

27/05/2026

The Extremely Difficult & Untracked - Alpine weekend covers snowshoeing, navigation in alpine environments, snow camping, emergency shelters and much more.

This module is one of three components that make up the Extremely Difficult Untracked Environments Course.

Eligibility: leaders and rovers who have completed the Difficult Tracked Environments Course.

31/07 - 02/08

https://tockify.com/scoutsvic/detail/816/1785420000000

20/05/2026

Do your scouts all have good quality wet weather gear?

It might seem obvious, but new hikers need to understand that hiking can mean many hours out in the elements. A well-fitting, breathable waterproof jacket with a hood is essential.

Consider holding your “gear-check” night a week or two before their first hike. If their raincoat’s not appropriate, they’ll have plenty of time to source another.

Your scouts should know:
1. Without rain protection we can quickly become cold and uncomfortable, and risk hypothermia.
2. Raincoats are mandatory for any scout camp regardless of the forecast.
3. Puffy jackets, disposable ponchos and soft shell jackets are not suitable wet weather gear.

Equipping a new hiker can be an expensive business, but a good raincoat is definitely worth the investment.

17/05/2026

Congratulations to all the 1045 scouts who descended on Tallarook State forest this weekend for ScoutHike. Although it was beautiful weather on Saturday the rain arrived Sunday morning and delivered some very wet and muddy conditions.

When you review the event in the coming days, be sure to ask your scouts what they would do differently. What did they forget? What did they bring with them but didn’t need? Could they have prepared better? Did they get any ideas from other participants?

If you would like to build your own skillset to help better prepare your scouts for bushwalking, take a look at our events page for upcoming courses. We cater to all skill levels.

11/05/2026

ScoutHike is almost here! How are your scouts with grid references?

When they board the bus, Patrols are given a map and list of grid references. That evening, they need to plot all the points on the map and plan their route. The next morning, their work is checked before they depart.

Here are two key errors we often make when learning grid references.

Eastings & Northings in the wrong order.
Remember, we go “Down the hall then up the stairs”, meaning we plot Eastings first, then Northings.

Counting from 1 instead of 0.
Grid squares are divided into ten columns and ten rows (100 smaller sub-grid squares). These subdivisions are numbered 0-9, not 1-10. It’s very common to forget this and count the first row as 1, which shifts the plotted point by one subdivision.

A romer is a fantastic tool for learning this skill. It’s a transparent scale tool used to accurately estimate tenths within a grid square. You simply align it with the grid lines, then count across and up the required number of sub-divisions.

Romers are cheap to buy, but if you have access to a laser printer you can buy some acetate sheets and print them at home.* Your romer must match the scale of your map. Here’s a 1:30,000 version we made.

https://bit.ly/435VnKB

Officeworks will print these for you too - just make sure they print it at 100%, not "fit to page".
*Do not use an inkjet printer.

10/05/2026

Thanks to everyone who joined us for the Difficult Tracked Environments course at Lal Lal this weekend. We covered on-track navigation, triangulation, food, equipment, weather and much more.

What makes these courses so special is the incredible depth of knowledge and experience of the participants. Even highly experienced hikers tell us they learn something new each time they attend a course.

The next time this course will be run is 24-25 October.
https://tockify.com/scoutsvic/detail/810/1792760400000

28/04/2026

Keeping your hiking group together is critical for ensuring everyone is safe and has an enjoyable hike. On ScoutHike, teams check in to every activity point and sleep point. If the wrong number of team members arrive at check-in, emergency procedures begin.

Scouts should develop the habit of assigning the key hiking roles:

Leader: sets the pace and keeps it realistic for the whole group—not just the fastest walkers.
Navigator: keeps an eye on the route so no one misses turns or ends up off track.
Whip: makes sure no one gets left behind and warns if the group is stretching too far.

Scouts should know:

1. The slowest person sets the pace.
2. Regroup at junctions or key points.
3. Communicate often—don’t assume everyone’s fine.
4. Nobody is ever left behind to catch up.

22/04/2026

Do you prefer to “Be bold and start cold”?

ScoutHike is just around the corner and on chilly mornings, scouts can be reluctant to remove outer layers before departing the sleep point. With the exertion of carrying a pack, they soon get hot and start to sweat.

This can be a problem, especially if they are wearing cotton which retains moisture. When they stop to rest they can get cold, or in extreme circumstances hypothermic.

Your scouts should know:

1. Layering is better for managing temperature than a big single jacket.
2. Wicking materials like polyester or wool are best (avoid cotton).
3. It’s always ok to ask to stop to manage layers.
4. Keep a fleece easily accessible for breaks or activity stops.

“Be bold, start cold” is a handy reminder to consider shedding a layer before heading off. You’ll soon warm up with exertion and be better able to minimise sweating to keep clothing dry.

08/10/2023

VicMaps has had an update

Vicmap has released a substantial upgrade to the Vicmap Viewer app. It has addressed most of the issues with the old app and now provides an easy way to obtain/store Vicmaps for use with navigation apps like Avenza on smartphones. We have attached the letter to Bushwalkers and Factsheet from Vicmap....