LNT is a grand goal and I strive for that - a lot more to be written about that, but not here and now.

Our District had its Klondike Derby over the weekend and as usual, I was running a station so I did not get to observe everything. However, there were two opportunities for patrols to demonstrate fire starting skills: The first patrol to arrive at each station was required to start the warming fire for the station and there was an event whose essence was to boil water.

When I was asked to run a station last week, I asked about the scoring on the fire building. I was told 10 points for one match, 9 for 2 matches, etc. I asked about other means of fire starting. Nope - just matches. Understand that I have personally successfully taught scouts from all of those troops how to use a ferrocerrium rod with char cloth and with cotton wool and I've been harping about basics to adult leaders for some time.

Despite the fact that there was no bonus for not using matches, the patrol that started the fire at my station asked if they could use a BSA sparklite instead of matches. I re-iterated "10 points for 1 match, 9 points for 2 matches,..." etc. Being clever lads, they laid a fire and with one swipe had flames that quickly had the main fuel (6" - 8" diameter logs) blazing. I gave them 10 points. (I recognized the scout as one I had taught a couple of years ago - not our troop). Afterwards I found out that 4/11 patrols had done the same thing - no matches. One or two of the other patrols took two matches, and the rest did it with one match.

Now, I felt pretty good about that. But (of course) - they were rather prepared for the event. Their pre-Klondike instructions emphasized that they would have to bring matches, tinder, and kindling sufficient to start a fire that would involve 6"-8" diameter logs as the fuel. All the patrols I saw had enough tinder and kindling to start many fires and most used all of it in the two events. Kindling was universally scraps of kiln-dried lumber split into kindling except for two patrols that used a hatchet on some indigenous firewood - one the night before and one at my station.

I'm not knocking their preparation for the events at all - but in reality, we don't lug around the equivalent of a 5 gallon bucket's worth of tinder and kindling in the woods. So while they all did great (to my happy surprise), it was artificial and did not benchmark much in the way of expedient real-world fire building skills.

Other times, other events where I had control, I have NOT allowed them to use any kindling or firewood prepared in advance - here we are, here are 3 matches, build a fire to accomplish _____. Extra matches cost points. Unused returned matches earn bonus points. Few scouts do well in those circumstances so far - some do VERY well and the others struggle - not much in the middle.

As for our troop - we're getting better. Most campouts use a DO for at least one meal and in this part of the country we never fail to at least have a campfire each night - our favorites are the night hikes. Silent and no artificial illumination, but at the 1/2 way point (chosen for suitability), I have them silently build a small fire and then we skewer bits of venison or elk, sit close around the small fire, and I quietly tell a true story/experience. Bits of toasted meat last as long as the story, fire dead out and taken care of, and we resume the hike. I believe that does more than anything else I've tried to teach them how to start a fire under "real" circumstances, but that does not give every scout enough opportunities to practice.

I've got to get back to work - hope to pick back up on this latter.

Regards,

Tom