Canadians lacking outdoor skills: poll
Many would attack bears, eat toxic berries
A recent survey conducted by Scouts Canada has revealed that the average Canadian lacks basic outdoor skills.
Canada hosts an enthusiastic outdoor community, as 40 per cent of its land base is dominated by forests, though statistics revealed that from the 1,000 that were surveyed, most were surprisingly stumped by camping basics.
From accidental tent burning with hot lanterns to flood-related issues due to rain-filled tents, the majority of respondents, 39 per cent, who were asked to rate their own level of camping competence confessed that their skills are poor at best, if not outright dangerous. Only 36.3 per cent of Canadians rated themselves as “OK.”
A key finding showed that 23.2 per cent of Canadians would do the wrong thing should they encounter a black bear in the woods; 8.6 per cent said they would run, 5.6 per cent would play Metallica on their phone; 5.5 per cent would stare directly into their eyes to scare them; and 3.2 per cent would attack first.
Another 14.9 per cent simply stated they would not know what to do.
The correct thing to do, according to experts, is to slowly back away while keeping the bear in sight and wait for it to leave.
When asked which flora from a list of wild plants were safe to eat, a staggering 46.7 per cent concerningly admitted they had “no idea.”
Another 26.4 per cent went as far as to misidentify wild plants such as Winterberry and Buckthorn as safe to eat, when in fact they are either poisonous or toxic.
“We're having a little fun with this survey, but the real point is that we wanted to understand the gaps that Canadians are facing in their connection with nature and important outdoor skills, and how scouting meets that need by grounding kids in real-world experiences that prepare them for life,” said Siobhan Ward, youth program specialist and rover scout with Scouts Canada.
“When families and youth in Canada are empowered with skills to enjoy fun outdoor adventures with confidence and safety, they are also set up for success in the world as resilient, capable and well-rounded individuals.”
Almost half of those surveyed, 46.9 per cent, said that “they don't know” how to properly dry wet clothing and gear, and 36 per cent responded correctly with “wring out and drape.”
On the other hand, 7.2 per cent would make the bad choice of “placing items three inches from a fire,” 4.5 per cent would choose to flap until dry, 3.2 per cent would blow on them until dry, and 2.2 per cent would wrap in a jacket to absorb moisture.
These all may seem like rookie faux pas to the average scout who can set up their own tent in just 15 minutes. The average Canadian, on the other hand, doesn't seem confident in their ability to set up a tent no matter how time you give them.
When asked how long they thought pitching a tent would take, 35.7 per cent said they have no idea, 15.2 per cent said 30 minutes and 10 per cent said over 45 minutes. A surprising 27.7 per cent said it would take them 10-25 minutes to pitch a tent and 11.4 per cent said five minutes or less.
“We're calling on seasoned Canadian campers and nature lovers who DO know what they are doing to volunteer and help even more youth in Canada benefit from Scouting,” War said.