Fire by friction history was made by ‘World Champion Fire Starter’ Eagle Scout Dudley Winn Smith from Independence, Missouri who held the record for starting a fire using a bow and drill. The 1937 book Games and Recreational Methods for Clubs, Camps and Scouts, C.F. Smith, records his winning method. I have tried this out and it works! “When the starter said ‘Go’ I drew my bow back and forth with long complete strokes....
South African Scouter Peter Le Roux maintains the excellent Ropes and Poles blog. Here’s a recent post on expanding the use of pioneering projects: Pioneering projects are great fun to build, and there is a good sense of accomplishment that can be achieved, but I’m always looking for a pioneering project to be a bit more useful in the long term. When I was a Troop Scouter, if a Scout proposed a project, I always looked for another angle beyond just building something ‘because we can’ ....
Pioneering tower challenge; build this tower using this sketch. Send me a picture of the result! It won’t be easy, certainly, but is it possible? You may want to refer to this book for a little help.
I was introduced to huevos rancheros or “rancher’s eggs’ by one of my Scouts (Jesus Torralba) nearly twenty years ago when Jesus was our grubmaster for a cabin camping trip. Since then it’s been one of my preferred camping breakfasts. A lot of recipes call for toasting whole tortillas and serving whole fried eggs on top of them, but I like this version (where the tortilla is torn up and sauteed with onions) much better....
photographs by Liesl de Weerd click to see full-sized image This pioneering sculpture was created by a Scout named Ruan from 1st Horison, a Scout group on the West Rand near Johannesburg in South Africa (map below). Ruan is working towards Springbok Scout – the highest rank in Scouts South Africa, like our Eagle Scout. One of the requirements for Springbok is a construction project (there’s also a service project)....
Our latest ScoutCircle presentation featured Derek Hansen, Scoutmaster and hammock camping guru. If you are curious about hammocks and how Scouts can use them take the time to watch the presentation. Derek is a great speaker and shares all of the basics in this presentation; here’s the resources mentioned: Hammock Forums Derek’s website The Ultimate Hang Derek’s hammock suppliers list Derek’s book The Ultimate Hang on Amazon (available as a Kindle E book)
The bottle sling knot has been around for centuries. This ancient method of forming a sling for the neck of a jug or bottle this knot was described in detail by the Greek physician Heraklas in his first century book on surgical knots and slings. The bottle sling can be used to create a handle for a container with a slight flare or collar. In a doubled form known as a hackamore it can also form an improvised emergency bridle for a horse; the central parts acting as a bit, the knot’s outer loop on the muzzle, and the other passing under the jaw....
This tip comes from Field & Stream Magazine via Pinterest: Use straws to store salt, pepper, and spices for camping trips. Heat one end of a clear plastic straw with a lighter, then crimp it with your fingers or a multitool. Fill the straw with the desired seasoning, and repeat the process on the other end. Just snip off one of the ends when you’re cooking, and reseal it when you’re done....
Here’s my latest overview of the endless permutations of the humble patrol box, chuck box, or camp kitchen. We use the Rubbermaid Action Packer to house our modest patrol cook kits. I know some of you don’t care for car camping or big patrol boxes. I find the different solutions folks come up with for setting up a kitchen in a campsite fascinating. Grub Hub Camp Kitchen – the epitome of engineered camp kitchen rigs....
‘Bannock” is a name for quick flat bread that originated in Scotland and was adopted by most Native Americans, voyagers, mountain men and pioneers. With a minimum of fuss and bit of practice anyone can bake a bannock loaf in a frying pan or wrapped around a stick. Bannock is simple, cheap and always welcomed after along day of paddling or hiking. Bannock Base (this recipe can be increased, just keep the proportions right....
If you are headed out into the wild and run into a real gully washing, frog-strangling rainstorm here’s ten more tips for camping in the rain that should help you get through the storm in style (the first ten tips are here.) 1. Poncho on a stick Umbrellas are under-rated camping accessories. When conditions are right I much prefer an umbrella to rain gear. A big, sturdy, golf umbrella for car camping and a lightweight collapsible model for hiking....
Any good outdoorsman knows how to make a fire in the rain. Once you’ve mastered the skill of building fires when the weather is dry you’ll want to hone your skills for starting a fire when the weather goes bad. The infographic explains a few strategies for getting a fire going when you have nothing but a match and no fire starters. I always carry fire starters but I won’t use them unless it’s absolutely necessary, I’ll save them for an emergency or when it’s otherwise impossible to light a fire without them....
What are Scouting Skills? Can you throw some things in a pack, step off the road into the woods and live comfortably for a few days without getting lost? Can you build a fire, lash a tripod together, set up a shelter, cook your food, stay warm and dry and leave no trace of your presence when you leave? If the answer is yes then you possess what I would call some basic ‘Scouting Skills’....
Published by Scouts UK with a forward by Bear Grylls The Outdoor Adventure Manual is packed with practical Scout skill tutorials ; tents and camping, fire, food and cooking, tools and gadgets, knots and lashings, navigation, first aid and survival, and more. Skills are explained step-by-step with photos and illustrations that really bring them to life. I’ve read a number of ‘how-to’ books that I suspected were written by people who had not actually tried out what they were describing....
Here are my favorite astronomy tools for showing Scouts the night sky. Get out and look at the stars the next clear night you are out camping, you don’t have to be an expert or particularly knowledgeable to have a great time finding constellations and doing a little stargazing. With a little research you’ll now when and where to look for satellites or meteor showers. It’s worth staying up late or getting up early to see them if you can....
My first impression of the Lansky Blade Medic was a little cynical. Another knife sharpening gadget? No thanks. As a professional woodworker I have sharpened hundreds, if not thousands, of blades, chisels, knives etc. over the years. I’ve shown a couple of hundred Scouts how to use and sharpen a pocket knife and I’ve tried out many different sharpening methods. The Lansky Blade medic features two ‘crock stick’ sharpening tools, one in ceramic, one in carbide....
The constrictor knot is a way of making a secure, temporary or semi-permanent binding (it’s a good temporary whipping for a rope, closing a bag, or holding a punch of poles together.) A close cousin of the clove hitch the constrictor knot adds an additional crossing of the ends under the full wrap. It’s easy to learn with a little practice. Once drawn up tight the constrictor knot jams and may have to be cut to release it....
There are many ways to start a fire, and every experienced camper will have their own favorites, but here’s my list of top ten fire starters: Good strike-anywhere matches are increasingly difficult to find. I stock up on my favorite brand (Redbird from Eddy Match in Ontario) when we are in Canada for our canoe trips. Here’s another brand at Amazon with good reviews if you have trouble finding them elsewhere....
If you are travelling in bear country follow these ten ways to avoid bears: Keep your cooking areas and sleeping areas separate (100 yards or so is the rule of thumb). Hang food and items with strong odors (ie, toothpaste, bug repellent, soap, etc.) at least 10 ft above the ground or use airtight, bear-proof containers. Don’t wear clothing with cooking or food odors to bed. Be clean – wash dishes, and people in the cooking area well away from the sleeping area....
On our high adventure canoe trip each crew packs and cooks food for a group of five to nine Scouts. Our menu is a combination of freeze dried and grocery store food that keeps the cost reasonable while providing good nutrition and good eating. After making adjustments to our menus and the kit we assembled to prepare it over two or three years we developed a pretty well tuned approach. Our cooking gear packs down into two basic packages – a cook box that we fondly call ‘Tidy Cats’ and a bag of cook pots....