Scout firecraft ideas please

[georann]

Hi
I'm due to be organising this weeks scout activities and I was planning on doing some fire related things (we have quite a few new ones with little experience but our older scouts are quite skilled already). I was going to do some basic introduction of rules about fires, building fires, let them have a go with a range of fire lighting techniques (ferro rod, flint and steel, bow drill etc), and perhaps also do some feather sticks with half so we could break up the numbers and swap over half way through.

Only problem is it just started raining and looks like it may continue for a few days (we meet on Tuesday nights). Ok this doesn't prevent us doing the feather sticks as I already have wood etc, but has anyone got any other fire ideas that can be done indoors? Failing that any other good backup indoor ideas?

Thanks
Dan

 

[Mesquite]

Any of the actual fire starting techniques can be practiced indoors...

For instance flint and steel onto charcloth and then into a small tinder bundle to blow it into a flame. For safety just have a metal bucket to drop the tinder bundle into.

Ferro rod is the same or onto vaseline impregnated cotton balls, just have the cotton balls on ali foil pie dishes

Glycerin and potassium permanganate indoors might be a bit interesting as that gives off a fair bit of smoke if I remember rightly

 

[udamiano]

Why not put up a simple tarp, to keep the lads and lasses dry, and then do a piece on fire lighting in wet conditions, that would be a skill well worth learning especially in the sunny uk climate.
Explain how to split wood down until you reach the dry bit, explain how to build an alter fire to keep it off the wet ground, demonstrate a simple fire cover to protect the fire In its initial stages, than get them to build. A covered wood store to keep and protect your wood supply. That should keep you occupied for a few sessions

 

[georann]

Good idea with the splitting for dry wood etc. Fires indoors may be possible, im just thinking of smoke alarms

 

[Mesquite]

Good idea with the splitting for dry wood etc. Fires indoors may be possible, im just thinking of smoke alarms

If you use sisal as your tinder there isn't that much smoke so you ought to get away with it

 

[addo]

Once you have done the flint and steel, firesteel, bowdrill and you move onto feathersticks, teach them about knife use and sharpening so they can really get into the making of the sticks and bowdrill sets.

Try lighting candles and feather sticks with the firesteels if the group are already doing well and need to move on. Go outside in the rain and try to gather tinders from the dryest places that also dry in the pocket over a few hours and let them then practice next time on those tinders. A tip for feather stick making, gathered wood is difficult for most new knife users. Prepared pine is your friend

 

[Trojan]

Or take it to the extreme and still do fire lighting in the rain to show it can still be done what ever the weather!

 

[georann]

Yea its still an idea, just don't want to crush the hopes of some of the new ones!