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The National Outdoor Award program recognizes Scouts for some above-average participation in challenging outdoor activities. A combination of merit badges, rank, and activities qualify Scouts for hiking, aquatics, camping, adventure and riding awards.
The five National Outdoor Awards badges recognize a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout who demonstrates knowledge and experience in camping, hiking, aquatics,riding, or adventure. Scouts earning the National Outdoor Awards badges have demonstrated that they are knowledgeable, safe, and comfortable in the outdoor activity covered by the badge.
National Outdoor Awards badges may be earned in the following areas:
Camping
A Boy Scout or Varsity Scout may earn the National Outdoor Badge for Camping upon successfully completing the following requirements:
- Earn the First Class rank.
- Earn the Camping merit badge.
- Earn two of the following three merit badges: Cooking, First Aid, Pioneering.
- Complete 25 days and nights of camping—including six consecutive days (five nights) of resident camping, approved and under the auspices and standards of the Boy Scouts of America—including nights camped as part of requirements 1 through 3 above.
- A gold device may be earned for each additional 25 nights of camping. A silver device is earned for each additional 100 nights of camping. The Scout may wear any combination of devices totaling his current number of nights camping.
Hiking
A Boy Scout or Varsity Scout may earn the National Outdoor Badge for Hiking upon successfully completing the following requirements:
- Earn the First Class rank.
- Earn the Hiking and Orienteering merit badges.
- Complete 100 miles of hiking or backpacking under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America, including miles hiked as part of requirement 2.
- A gold device may be earned for each additional 50 miles hiked. A silver device is earned for each additional 200 miles of hiking. The Scout may wear any combination of devices totaling his current number of miles hiking.
Aquatics
A Boy Scout or Varsity Scout may earn the National Outdoor Badge for Aquatics upon successfully completing the following requirements:
- Earn the First Class rank.
- Earn the Swimming and Lifesaving merit badges.
- Earn the Mile Swim BSA Award.
- Earn at least one of the following merit badges: Canoeing, Kayaking, Rowing, Small-Boat Sailing, Whitewater. Complete at least 25 hours of on-the-water time, applying the skills that you learned in the merit badges.
- Complete at least 50 hours of any combination of swimming, canoeing, kayaking, rowing, small-boat sailing, or whitewater activity under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America, including time spent in requirements 2 through 4.
A gold device may be earned for each additional 25 hours of aquatic activity. A silver device is earned for each additional 100 hours of aquatic activity. The Scout may wear any combination of devices totaling his current number of hours of aquatic activity.
Riding
A Boy Scout or Varsity Scout may earn the National Outdoor Badge for Riding upon successfully completing the following requirements:
- Earn the First Class rank.
- Complete at least one of the following:
- Cycling merit badge; or
- Horsemanship merit badge and any combination of 10 hours of riding on a stock animal
- Complete 200 miles of riding activities, either on a non-motorized bike or a stock animal, under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America, including the miles in requirement 2.
A gold device may be earned for each additional 100 miles of riding. A silver device is earned for each additional 400 miles of riding. The Scout may wear any combination of devices totaling his current number of miles of riding.
Adventure
A Boy Scout or Varsity Scout may earn the National Outdoor Badge for Adventure upon successfully completing the following requirements:
- Earn the First Class rank.
- Complete the Wilderness Survival, Search and Rescue, or Emergency Preparedness merit badge.
- Complete 10 of any combination or repetition of the following adventure activities under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America:
- A backpacking trip lasting three or more days and covering more than 20 miles without food resupply
- A canoeing, rowing, or sailing trip lasting three or more days and covering more than 50 miles without food resupply
- A whitewater trip lasting two or more days and covering more than 20 miles without food resupply
- A climbing activity on open rock, following Climb On Safely principles, that includes camping overnight
- Earn the National Historic Trails Award
- Earn the 50-Miler Award
- Attend any national high-adventure base or any nationally recognized local high-adventure or specialty-adventure program
Items under 3 may be repeated as desired. A single activity that satisfies multiple items may be counted as separate activities at the discretion of the unit leader. Similarly, a single activity that doubles an item in may be counted as two activities at the discretion of the unit leader. A gold device may be earned for each additional five activities. A silver device is earned for each additional 20 activities. The Scout may wear any combination of devices totaling his current number of activities.
Information on the National Outdoor Awards at BSA.org
We awarded these at the most recent Court of Honor.
I’m struggling to understand the purpose of these awards. They were earned by older Scouts who don’t have any room left on their uniform. The requirements are complicated, so it isn’t obvious what the patch means. Also, the rockers don’t seem equivalent. Ten high adventure activities but only 25 nights camping? Is this Venturing-lite? Plus, the patch seems busy with loud colors. It is hard to read if you aren’t familiar with it.
Compare this to the Scouts Australia camping and walkabout (hiking) patches. A small square patch with a tent or a hiker and a number. A glance at a uniform and you know that Scout has 100 nights camping and a 150 km of hiking.
I’ve been working on the camping one. I have 55 nights so far, and I’m planning on finishing the merit badges for it next summer.
We’ve had several Scouts earn their Camping, Adventure and Hiking segments with Gold devices. Right now we have a question in with National to find out if the Silver devices come at 100 or 125 nights of camping, 200 or 300 miles hiking, etc.
Also, we’ve noticed the requirements for the Aquatics segment seem much more demanding than any of the other four areas–2 Eagle required merit badges PLUS Mile Swim PLUS a watercraft merit badge AND 25 hours on-water time, along with another 25 (for a total of 50) hours on/in-water time. Most other areas require a couple merit badges and then time spent in that area’s activity. Seemed a bit of overkill, comparatively, for the Aquatics segment to us.
We had two scouts apply. It took two tries for the scout center to understand what they were applying for since no one else in the area had put in for it.