Frydenlund's Ideas for Camporees

Collected and Edited by David Frydenlund (last revised in 2013)

Fire Building

Survival Fire Starting

This is a timed event. The objective is to ignite fire starters using a variety of methods. A fire starter, for this event, is a cotton ball which has had a dab (think size of a pea) of petroleum jelly rubbed into it. Methods for starting the fire might include matches, magnifying glass, battery (9V), magnesium fire stick, Scout Spark Striker, flint from a lighter, flint and steel, fire bow, fire piston, smoldering coal. Tinder provided might include cotton balls, fine steel wool, dryer lint, char, dried grass.

In a full version of the event, for Venturers or older Scouts, the event would involve: Preparing the fire starter by rubbing the dab of petroleum jelly into the cotton ball. Selecting a method (including appropriate tools and tinder), create flame and apply it to the fire starter. This is repeated serially or in parallel for as many methods as the event organizers want to test. As a team contest, parallel efforts should be encouraged with each participant doing a different method until the Patrol had succeeded in setting fire to all the required fire starters. Fastest time wins.

Fire Building

This is a timed event. The objective is to build a fire and accomplish a task as fast as possible. This event can be varied according to the setting and needs.

The typical tasks are to: Burn a string. Boil water. Hard boil an egg. Cook a pancake. Burst a water filled balloon. Only burn a string and boil water can be made truly objective end points. It is common with burn a string events to have two strings. One marks the top of any materials in the fire. The other, higher string, must be burned through to stop the clock. In boiling water, a measured amount of water, typically either a half or full cup, must either reach a rolling boil or be boiled away. Time stops when the judge deems the condition has been met.

A good contest is to provide the patrol with three (or less) one foot lengths of kiln dried 2x4, two matches and a hand ax. Using those items plus their pocket knives, and nothing else, they build their fire. Another good variant, if fire wood can be collected locally, is to start the clock and let them collect and prepare all the materials necessary for the fire.

The event can be made easier by letting them provide tinder from their ten essentials or to let them use food (such as potato or corn chips) as part of the process. Things can be made harder by not allowing the use of matches. Things can be made very hard by making them build the fire under a "cooling mister" fed by a hose to simulate a drizzle.