Winter Training: The BSA does not yet offer standardized training for winter camping. As a result, courses vary greatly from Council to Council. For the purposes of this Website, winter training may be divided into two types:
 | Okpik Training: "Train the Trainer" programs intended to train Scouters and older Scouts how to conduct Troop or Council-level Training for Cold Weather Camping. Good Okpik courses require multiple weekends of theory and practice. |
| Cold Weather Training: Entry-level courses that teach Scouts and Scouters how to camp safely in the snow, or in other local conditions below 50 degrees. Cold Weather Training is often offered a month or two before a Council's "Klondike Weekend." These courses are short, requiring only a day or a weekend to complete. Some Councils use the term "Okpik," but this is considered by many trainers to be a disservice to the term. |
Winter Programs: For our purposes, a "Program" is a collection of winter activities united with a theme. These can be recreational or educational, and can be planned on a Troop or a Council level. Common examples might include a Winter Troop JLT, or a Council Klondike Weekend.
Please note that some of the programs offered here are examples of traditional Scouting history, and will have to be adapted to conform to "Leave No Trace" guidelines and the safer winter camping methods currently taught in the Winter Training programs, above.
