Background reading · Health and Physical Education

Everyone home safe: leadership, shelter and first aid

How a group shares jobs and decisions outdoors, and the simple survival and first aid steps that help when things go wrong.

The fifth point of the Land Safety Code is 'Take care of yourself and each other'. On a good trip, everyone has a job, everyone is listened to, and the group sticks together.

Jobs in the group

Leader: helps the group make decisions and keeps an eye on how everyone is going. - Navigator: reads the map and checks you are on the right track. - Timekeeper: watches the time against the plan and the turnaround time. - Weather watcher: notices changes in cloud, wind and temperature. - First aider: carries the kit and checks on anyone who is hurt or cold. - Tail-ender: walks at the back so no one gets left behind.

Good leaders ask

A good outdoor leader isn't the loudest person. They ask questions: 'How is everyone feeling?', 'Do we need a break?', 'Is this still a good idea?' The group moves at the pace of the slowest person, and anyone can call a stop if they are worried.

If you are lost or stuck

Stop. Stay together. Put on warm layers and have something to eat. Think about where you last knew where you were. If it's getting dark or the weather is bad, find or build shelter and stay put. It's easier for searchers to find people who stay in one place.

A simple shelter

A tarp tied between two trees, with the low side facing the wind, can keep a group dry and out of the wind. Get off the wet ground by sitting on your pack. Check above you for dead branches first.

First aid: DRSABCD

Danger: make sure you and others are safe first. - Response: talk to the person and see if they answer. - Send for help: call 111 or use a personal locator beacon. - Airway, Breathing, CPR and Defibrillator: the steps trained first aiders follow if someone is not breathing normally.

For a sprained ankle, remember rest, ice or cold water, a firm bandage and raising the leg. For a cut, press on it with something clean and cover it. For someone cold and wet, get them into shelter and dry, warm layers.

Sources and further reading

Written for Kōkiri Learn students in our own words. Check facts against the sources.

Used in: Into the Outdoors: Risk, Navigation and Leadership