Tracking, Observation, Signalling and Estimation
What the exam tests
Reading trail signs, remembering what you have seen, sending a message accurately and solving simple field measurements.
Tracking and observation
Trail signs are built from sticks, stones and grass and must be conspicuous: an arrow shows direction, a cross means 'not this way', a circle with a centre mark means 'gone home' or end of trail, and pebbles or notches can count paces to a hidden message. Read signs together with the ground - footprints, bent grass and dew give direction and elapsed time. Kim's game trains observation: study a tray of objects, then name them from memory.
Signalling
- Morse: dots and dashes by flag, torch or whistle. S = ..., O = ---, so SOS = ... --- ...
- Semaphore: two flags, each arm at one of eight positions; letters are pairs of positions. Rest is flags crossed low in front; numerals are announced by a numeral sign before the digits.
- Ground-to-air: cloth strips, bodies or smoke forming a letter or symbol.
Estimation
Pace length = distance ÷ paces; walk a measured 100 m, count paces, and you have a personal scale. Heights by shadows use similar triangles. River width can be estimated by a right-angle or compass-bearing walk along your own bank.
Worked example
A 2 m pole casts a 3 m shadow; a tree casts 21 m. Tree height ÷ pole height = tree shadow ÷ pole shadow, so height = 2 × 21 ÷ 3 = 14 m. Show the ratio, keep units identical and state the assumption: level ground and the same sun angle for both readings.
Traps
- Using a circle for 'this way'.
- Sending SOS as three dots only.
- Comparing shadow lengths taken at different times or in different units.