Cold-Weather Camping Training

Winter should expand your unit’s outdoor program, not bring it to an end. Okpik helps adult leaders and older Scouts develop the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills needed for cold-weather camping.

Okpik, pronounced “Ook-pick,” takes its name from the Inuit word for the Snowy Owl. Northern Tier introduced the program in 1971 to help Scouts and leaders explore winter safely and comfortably. Since then, Scouting America has used the Okpik name for its national cold-weather camping programs.

Most importantly, Okpik teaches participants to view low temperatures as an opportunity rather than a barrier. Through preparation and hands-on practice, three-season campers can develop the skills needed to enjoy the outdoors throughout the year.

Why Take Okpik Training?

Cold-weather camping offers quiet trails, new activities, and outdoor experiences that summer cannot provide. However, winter conditions also require careful planning and sound decision-making.

Small mistakes can quickly create serious problems in cold weather. For example, wet clothing, poor nutrition, an inadequate sleeping system, or dehydration can affect an entire group.

Therefore, Okpik teaches participants how to recognize hazards before they become emergencies. In addition, the course explains how clothing, shelter, food, hydration, physical activity, and rest work together to keep campers warm.

Participants also learn how to adapt an outing to changing weather, terrain, and group abilities. As a result, leaders can plan winter trips that challenge Scouts without exceeding their experience or preparation.

Who Should Attend?

Green Mountain Council welcomes Scouts BSA and Venturing leaders at every experience level. Mature Scouting youth may also attend when they are at least 14 years old or enrolled in eighth grade.

Experienced campers can strengthen their winter knowledge and learn new teaching methods. Meanwhile, leaders with limited cold-weather experience can build a strong foundation before organizing a unit outing.

The course especially benefits Scoutmasters, assistant Scoutmasters, Venturing Advisors, outdoor program leaders, and older youth leaders. However, anyone who helps plan or support winter activities can gain valuable skills.

What Does the Course Include?

Green Mountain Council’s Okpik course includes three training days and an overnight practical experience. First, instructors introduce essential concepts through discussions, demonstrations, and group activities. Then, participants apply those lessons during hands-on training.

The course uses the patrol method whenever possible. Therefore, participants plan, solve problems, divide responsibilities, and practice skills as a team.

Topics include:

• Different types of winter weather and cold conditions
• How the body gains and loses heat
• Clothing layers for changing temperatures and activity levels
• High-performance and budget-friendly clothing options
• Winter nutrition, hydration, and meal preparation
• Tents, ground insulation, and cold-weather sleeping systems
• Snow shelters and emergency shelter options
• Snowshoeing, skiing, and other methods of winter travel
• Cold-weather injuries, prevention, and first aid
• Equipment selection and packing
• Emergency planning and winter risk management
• Winter applications of Leave No Trace principles

Official Northern Tier training resources also emphasize sanitation, fire starting, patrol organization, buddy systems, and safe travel during winter conditions.

Learn Through Hands-On Practice

Okpik provides more than classroom instruction. Throughout the course, participants practice the skills they will later use with their units.

For example, participants may evaluate clothing systems, prepare winter meals, organize equipment, adapt shelters, and travel over snow. In addition, the overnight practical allows them to test their planning under realistic conditions.

Experienced instructors guide each activity and explain why specific techniques work. Therefore, participants learn how to make informed decisions instead of simply following a packing list.

The patrol method also gives participants an opportunity to learn from one another. Along the way, they build teamwork, exchange ideas, and develop relationships with other Scouting volunteers and youth leaders.

Build a Year-Round Unit Program

Okpik does not simply prepare one person for one camping trip. Instead, it helps participants bring cold-weather knowledge back to their Packs, Troops, and Crews.

After completing the course, participants can help their units select equipment, create packing lists, plan menus, prepare Scouts, and choose suitable activities. They can also explain how proper preparation makes winter camping more comfortable and enjoyable.

As a result, units can gradually expand their programs beyond the traditional camping season. A well-planned winter outing may include snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snow shelters, animal tracking, winter games, or other seasonal activities.

Most importantly, trained leaders can help Scouts develop confidence, resilience, teamwork, and outdoor skills in a challenging environment.

Okpik (pronounced Ook’pick) is the Inuit name for a Snowy Owl. The Okpik course aims to provide participants with the skills and knowledge to enjoy an outdoor experience in cold weather, to share their acquired knowledge and skills with their units, and to help Scout units extend their outing season to all 12 months of the year.