Braving the frigid winter weather, more than 300 area Boy Scouts gathered to gain hands-on survival experience during the Winter Survival Camp. The camp was held Saturday at the ISU outdoor classroom and the Armory.ISU Army, Marine and Air Force ROTC divisions taught the 329 attendees to build fires, acquire food, administer first aid, build shelters and navigate on land in the harsh elements of Iowa winters.”Never give up, never surrender!” the boys shouted.Half the camp was held indoors and half was taught outdoors, so the scouts could experience firsthand how to survive.Four stations were set up outdoors, each one focusing on a different survival skill demonstrated by cadets.Retired Lt. Col. Herb Strasser, district chair of the survival camp, said the camp has been held for about 15 years.”These boys attend from over 30 counties across Iowa,” he said. “Hopefully, this is a fun way for them to learn survival skills in a hostile environment.”Tom Rosenberry, Scoutmaster from Des Moines, said actually being outside lets the Scouts apply the knowledge they get in classrooms.”This camp is beneficial because it reinforces skills that the boys knew subconsciously,” he said.Lee White of Ankeny said the camp teaches the boys more than just survival skills.”This is a good time to get out and spend time with my son,” he said. “The instructors are good, and the boys get to look up to role models.”White’s son, Andrew, said he enjoyed the camp.”It’s pretty fun,” he said. “I really like the Air Force room. It’s pretty comfy.”The Boy Scouts said they felt more prepared to handle emergencies in the winter.”It’s pretty cool,” said Gabe Schive, a Scout from Marshalltown. “It’s important for me to know these things, and it makes me feel better if I was stranded somewhere.”Herm Lenz, assistant Scoutmaster of the Scouts in Martensdale, said the camp also allows kids to develop leadership skills.”This allows the ROTC kids to lead, and it also shows different ideas as far as survival or common sense,” he said.Steve Anderson, Scoutmaster of the Marshalltown group, said the camp helps boys mature and learn to work together.”It’s all really for our own enjoyment and benefit,” he said.Although the camp teaches the Scouts many skills, it is only a small portion of training they receive over many years, Strasser said.”You don’t learn everything in one weekend,” he said. “This is just part of a long-term process.”