Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills (IOLS) is a hands-on, overnight training for adult Scout leaders that covers the fundamental outdoor skills needed to lead a troop.

Designed to mimic the "Scout through First Class" experience, it focuses on learning by doing.

Core Training Areas

• Camping & Cooking: Site selection, tent setup, and Dutch oven or stove cooking.
• Navigation: Map and compass work, including finding your way in the woods.
• Pioneering: Tying essential knots and building structures with lashings.
• Woods Tools: Safe handling of knives, saws, and axes.
• Outdoor Ethics: Practicing "Leave No Trace" principles.

The Bottom Line

It’s an overnight "crash course" that ensures you are confident enough to teach youth how to survive and thrive in the outdoors. It is a required certification for Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters to be considered fully "trained."