Duke of Edinburghs Bushcraft for Girls - Sanity check please!

[Zodiak]

A brilliant initiative - all power to your elbow!

A couple of things, though, born of experience. How long are your sessions?

I presume that you'll be doing some basic carving with them (pegs for their shelters, pot hangers, etc.), do make sure that you have a really comprehensive kit with you at all times.

Finally, if you've got sixteen of them, see if you can't persuade some other member of staff to help out. With that number, a second pair of eyes is a real asset and actually makes the sessions more than twice as safe.

Thanks,

Training sessions are only an hour, because I am using teh technology workshops and thats when the technicians go home.

My own first aid kit is huge and has all sorts of things that the school would not approve of, but then my last FA course was actually for expedtion leaders so we got shown how to use stuff I wouldn't normally touch.

They will be making their own pegs as part of the knife training session, and maybe something decorative if the weather closes in during the weekend

I already have two other members of staff, mainly because there are mainly girls going but they are going to sleep in the barn and until yesterday assumed the kids would be too! I don't think they really understand what this is about.

One of the technicians will be helping with sessions that invlove making stuff.

Z

 

[Glen]

Instead of buying 8 Mora's, why not buy 16 of these and save some money to boot.

(No conection with the company yadda, yadda, yadda).

As they're going to be making the sharpening kits I'd have thought high Carbon Steel Moras might be better as they're easier to sharpen than Stainless Steel.

 

[Zodiak]

Does it say what they are?

Lazysod said that he could easily get a spark, so I just sort of assumed they were carbon.

I have also been looking at various opinels on e-bay and they would certainly fit the bill.

 

[LazySod]

The knives in my post are Stainless, but now you mention Opinels ..... that's another great option.

 

[Glen]

Does it say what they are?

Lazysod said that he could easily get a spark, so I just sort of assumed they were carbon.

I have also been looking at various opinels on e-bay and they would certainly fit the bill.

The BlackSpur knives are Stainless Steel, I got a couple last year specifically to practise sharpening and rehandling. ( the tang is about half the handle length and quite thin if anyone's interested ) and the long bevel does lend itself well to a keeping a nice steady angle for honing. For the, almost no money, cost a geat little knife, the non slip handle is very good in that respect but I wanted to try different style and thickness handles so cut one up.
Another reason to get the Moras for this situation
The sheath is another matter very easy to stick the tip of the knife through the end by a good few mm and not even notice till you catch yourself on it later.

I think Opinels are probably a bit too thin to learn on, too easy to roll the edge, possibly also the width of the blade is small might lead to more likely accidentaly finger cuts with fingers slipping over the front edge.

Moras have not such a long bevel but it's enough and the carbon ones do sharpen a little easier than the stainless. Personally I'd be tempted to get the carbon Moras and patina them ( overnight in white vinegar ) which will give a darker surface which is nice to see comming off of the bevel while learning and can show up if the ends are being dragged or rolled more easily than if the metals already shiny. It also gives the new learner a sense of acomplishment as they can see the edge polishing up.

 

[Zodiak]

Well blow me down with a wet kipper if our local shop didn't have obne of the balckthorn knives in his "bargain bin" for £6, so not so much of a bargain, but I bought it anyway.

I will compare it to my Mora this weekend but with a huge pile of marking to be done, it isn't going to be an exhaustive test

 

[Zodiak]

I know its bad form to add to your own reply but I have just thought about groundsheets!

I expect they will be using roll mats as they will have them for their expedition but thats not really enough for most teenagers sleeping bags if the ground is already wet.

I was wondering if I should give them orange polybags to sleep in too or maybe a bit of plastic to go under the roll mat.

I did think about buying soem mini hammocks but that would blow the budget and would mean spreading everybody out much further which would probably freak out the female teachers who are still coming to terms with the fact they might have to sleep in a tent

 

[UKHaiku]

Just my 2p worth, but it sounds quite ambitious for 1hr sessions, considering the numbers involved - maybe worth considering 1.5/2 hours?

 

[Zodiak]

Just my 2p worth, but it sounds quite ambitious for 1hr sessions, considering the numbers involved

It's not ideal but we have to be done by 4:30 otherwise I need a second member of staff and a trained first aider. It would seem my StJohns Ambulance Adult certificate and First aid at work is not as good as the two day course that the secretaries go on. Don't get me started on that one