1. Be prepared
   Duty, honor, country
2. Semper fidelis
   Stay gold, Ponyboy

The Boy Scouts' motto resembles that of the Coast Guard, which is "Semper paratus" or "Always ready." The focus on preparedness shows up in Scout priorities, like learning first aid and natural-disaster preparedness.

1. chevron stripe
   class ring
2. merit badge
   Scout certificate

At present, there are more than 135 possible merit badges. These include badges in STEM disciplines and the arts.

1. edible grasses
   material that burns easily
2. material that smothers a fire well
   a dating app

It's a paradox of outdoor life: Idiots start forest fires without even meaning to, but careful campers often have to struggle to start one. Light dry stuff (grasses, leaves, etc) make great tinder, which can help a fire get going.

1. a place to make fires in a campground
   the mark left by an open fire
2. something to signal rescuers with
   a piece of jewelry that also works as a flint

Almost synonymous with "fire pit," a fire ring is a circle of sheet metal around bare ground that lets campers build a fire with minimum risk of it spreading. It's one of the advantages of staying in a campground, as opposed to open-country camping.

1. building fires
   first aid
2. orienteering
   pitching tents

Compasses use magnetism to find magnetic north, and let the hiker/camper discern the other three headings. Maps and compasses are the main tools in orienteering.

1. hiking
   navigeering
2. orienteering
   speculation

The use of maps and compasses is important to boy scouting, much of which involves being outdoors. Maps have a more complicated language than many casual users know.

1. show
   see
2. stand
   stop

The "S' is "recursive," meaning it stands for itself. But it makes sense in light of the entire acronym, which is Stop, Think, Observe, Plan.

1. mitigation
   Leave No Trace
2. reduction and reuse
   pioneering

"Leave No Trace" and "Tread Lightly" are programs that teach Scouts how to keep the wilderness wild. It's related to the old adage "Take nothing but pictures; leave nothing but footprints," though much more detailed.

1. sure!
   no, never
2. maybe, in a fire pan or "no-trace" mound

"Leave No Trace" recommends using a fire pan -- or a stove, if cooking is all that is desired. Bear in mind, fires at established campgrounds are fine, just not in open country.

1. true
2. false

Computing skills are a more recent addition to scouting. They start with simple security rules, like creating a strong password and knowing who you're dealing with online.

1. backpacking
   glamping
2. ATV'ing
   RV'ing

"Car camping" doesn't mean you literally sleep in the car; it just means you drive to the campsite and have your car handy there for storage. Backpackers, on the other hand, carry everything they need on their backs, hiking in to the site where they'll make camp. (If you were wondering, "glamping" is an unfortunate 2000s word for "glamorous camping," or camping with all sorts of luxuries).

1. true
2. false

Though a good citizen should be ready to take care of himself and others in an emergency, these are separate categories in Scouting. The citizenship category's full name is "Citizenship in the Nation."

1. using magnetism to navigate
   a form of modern-day treasure hunting
2. another word for rock-collecting
   digging trenches for trench fires

In geocaching, participants use GPS devices, including smartphones, to find coordinates and then storage containers. Often the containers just hold logbooks, which geocachers sign to prove they found the container. Boy Scouts of America offers a badge in geocaching.

1. true
2. false

Why do Scouts need to care for a Dutch oven? Because these durable, thick, two-handled pots will let you cook about anything over a fire.

1. with white vinegar and water
   with Ajax or a similar abrasive cleanser
2. take it home and put it in the dishwasher
   you don't; they just get better with use

Anyone who thinks only women are fussy about cleaning have never seen men clean and season their cast iron cookware. Want to start a fight among serious campers? Suggest scrubbing a Dutch oven with Palmolive and steel wool.

1. an old-fashioned word for setting up a tent
   rope-making
2. securing things with rope and knots
   a vigorous dressing-down by a Scoutmaster

Lashing is a skill used to make ladders, tripods, and even basic fencing. It's useful for someone who wants to spend a long time in the wild and to really be self-sufficient while doing so.

1. computer skills
   lashing
2. first aid
   advanced coffee-making

Frapping is a way of weaving a rope over-then-under (or under-then-over) two poles and drawing them tight. Urban DIctionary has a different definition: to change a friend's Facebook status, usually for comic effect, when his or her account is left unattended. We're pretty sure a Scout would never do such a thing, though!

1. another name for a Boy Scout den
   a place to stash gear on hikes
2. a small shelter during storms
   a small wilderness latrine

The digging and use of cat holes is part of "Leave No Trace" skills. "Leave No Trace" is so strict that it also recommends using natural substitutes for toilet paper, or if need be, packing toilet paper out when you return to civilization.

1. ten gallons total
   twenty gallons total
2. one quart per person per day
   one gallon per person per day

The emergency-preparedness we're talking about here is for the home, not hiking or camping trips. The Boy Scout motto is "Be prepared," and this includes being well-stocked at home, and able to help family and neighbors in times of crisis.

1. a can opener
   a citizens-band radio
2. a magnifying glass
   water sanitation tablets

None of the other items listed are absolutely essential -- water sanitation tablets, for example, are unlikely to be useful unless you live by a large freshwater source -- but a can opener is. Don't be that person who stored a week's worth of canned food and only has an electric opener, which doesn't work with the power out.

1. yes
2. no

In 21st century America, the appropriateness of introducing youths to guns is increasingly under debate. But the Boy Scouts of America, citing the history of guns for hunting and pioneer survival, maintains a program that teaches gun safety and target shooting.

1. canoeing
   first aid
2. cooking
   rock climbing

Top-roping is anchoring a rope to a secure place at the highest point of the climb. It can't be done in all situations, but allows for greater safety during a climb.

1. check the airway for obstructions
   check for a heartbeat
2. stop the bleeding
   call 911 if at all possible

The other three things are cornerstones of first aid and should be done very quickly. But don't forget to call 911 if you can -- good civilian skills are no replacement for trained paramedics.

1. bear hugging
   the Heimlich Maneuver
2. frapping
   the Overton Method

Henry Heimlich was an American doctor who invented the famous anti-choking method. It's one of the most common first-aid techniques to be taught to civilians.

1. anaphylaxis
   dehydration
2. impending heart attack
   shock

Shock can follow many different types of injuries, and can be fatal. Victims should be allowed to lie down, with their legs elevated if there are no broken bones to worry about.

1. a kind of backpack
   a high-protein snack
2. a piece of rock-climbing equipment
   a tent

A carabiner is a clasp, often oval or D-shaped, that secures ropes in rock climbing. Though small and light, a carabiner can hold more than two tons. Impressive!

1. food
   water
2. they are equally important

Of course, both food and water are important. But survival times are much shorter for a person without water than for a person without food. Which is why carrying a canteen, as well as finding a source of fresh water, is so important.

1. true
2. false

Water should never be wasted, but it can't really be conserved. Drink whenever you are thirsty, to keep your body and brain functioning the way they need to in a crisis situation.

1. yes!
2. Good grief, no!

Emergency tracheotomy is a method of saving a person with an obstructed airway when the Heimlich maneuver fails. It involves making a hole in the throat, below the obstructing object, and inserting something like a straw so that air can enter and exit. People in action movies do this with ease, but doctors warn it is nowhere near so easy in real life, and carries a high risk of severing a blood vessel.

1. two
   three
2. five
   there are no degrees, a burn's just a burn

Most people are familiar with the categorizing system of first-, second- and third-degree burns. The last kind is difficult to treat in the wild. First- and second-degree burns respond reasonably well to being wrapped in wet material and gently cleaned.

1. using a battery and steel wool
   using eyeglasses or a magnifying glass
2. rubbing sticks together
   using a flint

This old-fashioned method is popular in the movies (see "Cast Away" with Tom Hanks) but is much harder than it looks. The best idea: carry a fire-starter or waterproof matches.

1. the Big Dipper
   Leo
2. Cygnus
   Sagittarius

Polaris, or the North Star, isn't very bright or distinctive, so to find it, locate the Big Dipper. Then imagine two stars on the edge of the "cup" as an arrow (bottom to top). The dim star they point (not quite directly) at is the North Star -- which can help you orienteer in the wild.

1. Dolphin Scouts
   Navigators
2. Shark Scouts
   Sea Scouts

The Sea Scouts have "ships," not "dens," as their organizing unit. They learn swimming, lifeguarding, sailing and other maritime skills.

1. backstroke
   butterfly stroke
2. crawl stroke
   side stroke

Butterfly is a vigorous two-arms-at-once stroke that you'll see performed at swim meets and the Olympics. Considered the most athletically challenging stroke, it's not necessary for a Scout merit badge. (This is according to the national BSA site. Individual dens may vary in what they teach).

1. wearing bright clothing
   moving often, to maximize chances of running into rescuers
2. staying in one place, to maximize chances of being found
   building a fire for visibility

Moving often lessens your chances of being found. The other two options, wearing bright clothing and starting a fire, could be useful, but you don't always have the opportunity to do them. Staying in one place, though, is something anyone can do.