Back garden bushcraft with junior...

[SimonM]

SWMBO took our daughter out, leaving me with Mini-me for about an hour over lunch. I asked him what he wanted to do and he replied "Light a fire" - chip off the old block!

So we set up in the garden - I split some kindling and he lit the fire using a ferro rod and a cotton wool ball with vaseline on.

We decided to cook some pasta and make a brew - no point wasting a fire! It also meant I could get my new 16cm Zebra billy dirty!

Mini-me made the fire, made me a brew and cooked lunch without close supervision from me, sadly he also ate lunch with out me!

Just have to train him to wash up after himself now!

Simon

 

[Lasse]

Sounds like a great time with his dad

 

[brancho]

Great moment to have with your Lad.

 

[Sniper]

I bet you a very proud dad right now!

 

[Ozhaggishead]

Very cool!

 

[DoctorSpoon]

Excellent! My kids are 11 and 14 and they still like to light a fire and cook their tea in the garden, but they can now do it themselves and fetch around all their mates to join them. The lads are always impressed seeing my 14 year old daughter wielding an axe. Training them to wash up afterwards is however still an uphill battle and, no, putting the pots down for the dog to lick out doesn't count

 

[drewdunnrespect]

well trained squire you have done a marvelous job along with doc spoon

 

[SimonM]

well trained squire you have done a marvelous job along with doc spoon

Time spent with family is never wasted IMHO, in fact, it is its own reward!

Simon

 

[redneck]

those memories will stay with him forever, the perfect way to bond with your children

 

[SimonM]

I was due to go out to the woods tonight, but life got in the way again so I'm stuck at home. Mini me said "Never mind Dad, we can light a fire in the garden again". They have a way of cheering you up don't they?

Anyway, I decided to move his skills up a notch tonight. He shaved a maya stick to make his own maya dust...

Then used the ferro rod to ingite the dust (his first time on natural tinder) ...

Then we transferred the fire to the fire bowl of my Kelly Kettle and fed it a llittle...

The look on his face says it all...

I almost feel better about not going out tonight!

Simon

 

[drewdunnrespect]

all looks good fun

 

[drewdunnrespect]

all looks good fun

 

[Bodge]

Nice post Simon M and jnr M
you just cant beat a fire

Bodge

 

[Scrumpy]

I think it's great how the little'uns are happy to play at our game, my lad most days when I pick him up from school doesn't want to play with his DS or watch telly, he wants to go for a wander and get a fire going, we have a quick brew and get back in time to get SWMBO's diner cooking. We are working on getting SWMBO to eat in the woods to save us walking back home but this is proving challenging to say the least.....

 

[SimonM]

Next skill for Mini-Me wil be traditional flint and steel with char cloth. I have steel number two winging from Mike Ameling as I type so he will have his own soon.

Simon