Skills

Fire  'Fire is a good servant but a bad master' Again in our Movement we teaches how to light and put off fire, not that we want all our members to be firefighters, but we want them to learn how to utilize it for their greater benefit. We also want all our members to be prepared like our motto to tackle any situation that may arise through an outburst of fire. So here we go!!!! Try only under adult supervision. Starting FiresFuel for the FireCampfire LaysLight Your FirePutting Out Your Campfire To have FIRE, you need to have Three Key Elements: FUEL - something to burn, such as wood, paper, grass, or clothing. AIR - actually oxygen is needed, but that's part of the air. HEAT - a catalyst to start the fuel and oxygen combustion. Knots "Knots are made not tied" Scouts and Guides are taught knotting not that we want them to be adroit but most importantly to train them to be useful. Knots are basically made for various purposes and as such there is no knot that is not useful. Be sure you practice it whenever you get time and put it into practical used to ensure the success of your knowledge. Tip: A good knot is one that is easy to tie and also easy to untie and will not come out unless it is untied. Timber HitchThumb KnotDouble Sheet BendSheet BendSheepshankRound turn and two half hitches Rolling HitchReef KnotFisherman's knotFigure of Eight knotClove HitchBowline Knot Campfire Cooking Cooking over a campfire is one of those things in life that you just can't explain to someone that's never done it. Everyone knows of the toasted, melted, burned, dropped in ash and wiped off marshamallow treat loved by kids of all ages. But, even better is the smell of bacon or cobbler or beans mixed with the smoke from burning oak or pine. You can't bottle that smell! And, the taste! You've got to try real campfire food to appreciate it. Stuff that you'd dump in the trash at home is a delicacy in the wild. OK, so I've convinced you that you've got to go start a fire and cook something. How do you do it? Well, here's the more common ways to cook on a campfire. Each method has its place and anyone you ask will tell you their favorite. Try them all and broaden your culinary delights. Cooking Styles On a Stick: This is the most common way of cooking at campfires for kids. Stick a hotdog on a stick, give it to the kid, and let him cook. It's a great way to warm up simple food like that, but it is also a useful way t o cook individual servings. Pros: simple no tools easy to regulate cooking by changing position of food Cons: only a few foods can be cooked this way people tend to destroy environment collecting green sticks often lots of wasted food due to dropping and burning all those hot, pointed sticks and flaming marshmallows can be dangerous Food Suggestions: Marshmallows Hotdogs Pig on a Stick Bannock - bread dough wrapped on stick   On a Grill:  Just like barbequeing on the gas grill at home. Pros: cook any barbeque food simple to use easy to see how cooking is going Cons: heavy, dirty grill to pack  Food Suggestions: Hamburgers, hotdogs, steak, the usuals Shish-kabobs   In Foil: Wrap up your food, toss it in the coals, and wait awhile. Everyone gets to put their own meal together just the way they want. Pros: cook pretty much anything simple individuals get just what they want lightweight  Cons: easy to mix up who's is who's challenge to remove meals hard to tell when food is done tend to have burned waste dirty foil to pack out    In Coals: Forget the foil, just put the food right in the coals. Pros: fun simple no tools lightweight  Cons: not really a lot you can easily cook this way easy to ruin food be careful when removing food   Food Suggestions: Egg in Orange Peel Coat an egg or potato with a layer of thick mud paste and cook it. Ears of corn soaked in water first    Cooking without Utensils: Meghalaya way Rice: If you have to cook rice without any utensils, then follow the steps below: Take a bamboo vessel (make your own by taking a bamboo big enough and cut off one end of the node and leave the other) Fill it with 3/4th water and filled pre-washed rice Stuffed the rice grains properly with a stick. Close the mouth with some leaves clean one, please or find some banana leaves they will do just fine. Put the vessel inside some wood fire charcoals and let it cook slowly. Wait for about 30 mins. and turn the it frequently to avoid being burned. After 30 mins. walla! Your Rice is cook. Egg: cooking or baking an egg without utensils is also as easy. Take an egg, cover it with mud Pierce the poles with a pin, this will prevent the egg from exploding Roast it in wood fire and your egg will be ready after 5-7 mins. Chapatis/Bread: Cooking these stuff is also as simple as lighting the fire itself: Take the flour and mixed it into a dough in some plastic bag Seal the bag for some time, while you light your fire Over the fire, lay a clean stone and let it get heated, this will take about half an hour, thus you may always start by lighting the fire first. You can get pretty good stones from rivers and they are particularly smooth and will not crack on heating. When the stone is hot enough, take a small lump of dough flattened it on some polythene bag or slapped it on your palms Lay it on the stone, turn when one side is cook and your bread/chapatti is ready Try this: Making tea: This will take lots of practices and time to master the skill Light a tripod fire and let it burn nicely till only embers are left, big firewood will serve the purpose well. From the tripod, suspend your polythene over some height, pre-add tealeaves and sugar. Go for your stalking and when you are back your tea is ready. The secret of this method is Ignition temperature. As long as the polythene bag has not reached its ignition temperature it will not burn down, the same theory applies to paper also.