FOREWORD
For more than a hundred years, Scouting has introduced young people to adventure and taught them the craft of outdoor living and travel. Using skills and leadership learned while camping and hiking close to home, Scouts have gone on to climb our planet's highest peaks, explore its deepest oceans, survive in its most extreme environments, and cross the heavens to walk on the moon.

The skills and commitment to enjoy the outdoors responsibly aren't just for Scouts--they are for everyone who seeks to explore, to experience adventure, and to appreciate the natural world. That's also true of this manual. It's a book of basic knowledge for safe and comfortable backcountry activities and a guide to more advanced skills for exhilarating high adventures.

Fieldbook represents the collective knowledge and experience of countless outdoor experts, mountaineers, explorers, researchers, and Scouters. We hope that you find it to be a valuable resource for your own outdoor journeys and a trusted companion along the way.