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Description

Primitive Firelighting Demo & Practise Scouts / Explorers. Good with smaller groups / 3-way bases.

Resources

Access to Woodland. Firelighting Tools* (1 each or min 1 per pair) eg Ferro Rods with scrapers, Tinder eg Birch bark sheets*,
Gloves. Firebuckets. 1st Aid Kit / Burn Kit

* (Optional. Typically there is not time for more than one firelighting technique but the session can be adapted)
* Dep on method chosen: Flint & Steel, One-match, Wet-Day fire,
* Dep on method chosen, local availability. Could also forage for or provide tinder bundles, Fatwood, Clematis / other bark, etc etc

Simple Food to cook (eg garlic bread, bananas, chocolate buttons!)

Instructions

Intro (Interactive chat) 15 mins
• Scouts with notebook?
• Fire in context; Historical, Practical  Survival Priority
• Fire Triangle
• 6 Methods Ignition: Chemical (match) Sparks (2), Friction, {Solar (mag), Electrical (batt), Compression eg Fire piston}
• Tinder – Kindling – Fuel – discuss good example sources / species. And What to avoid.
o Tinder – Deps whether your ignition gives you Spark > Ember (2-3) vs flame (loads). Concept of Tinder bundle
o Kindling – Examples.
o Fuel - for quick vs slow fire. Choose. Avoid
• Importance of PREP & TIME.
• Fire Warms 3x

Walk Out to Gather – Practical 20 mins (In practise within 2hrs get the Scouts to collect only kindling, have Fuel / Tinder available
• Identifying, Choosing
• Processing – sep. piles, storage
• Environmental impact
• Dangers & Hazards: Heat / Burns / Splinters form wood. No throwing. No handling once burning, Burn only wood.

Fire Lay(s)
Demo Ignition 10 mins then Each individual preps own fire 30 mins + Cooking 15 mins
• Platform
• Demo Birch Bark Prep & Ferro Rod ignition
• Safety Check. Prox but Space. Protect. Time! Nurture. O2 vs fuel balance
•  Scouts in Pairs to try Ferro-rod. Cotton Wool on hand if birch bark fails
•  Fun cooking / campfire snacks

Post Fire Briefing / Discussion Points if time (generally not in a <2hr session)
• Demonstrate Alt Methods: Single Match, Flint & Steel
• How Starting Lay Different with flame source of ignition
o Principles. & Shapes: Haystack/Lean-to/ A frame/tipi.
o How much to build up before lighting? OR Use faggots (show?)
o Feathersticks (show?)
• Alternative Tinder to catch spark : Horse hoof fungus, KAC fungus, Fatwood. + Man made: Firelighters, pocket lint, wax paper, candles, Charcloth
• Tinders for tinder bundle: Dry grass / Bracken. Fibrous plant materials eg inner bark chestnut / downy seed heads
• Windy / Rainy Conditions. (NB wet wood 3x resources)
• Macro-Lays: Star / Long log / Council

Tags

• Bushcraft
• cooking
• fire

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