We had an outstanding weekend teaching Fire craft in our BushLab. In this workshop we build on other skills taught in other seminars, workshops, and classes. The day is packed with both fire theory and hands on fire making. We were also blessed to have James Stone attend our workshop and demonstrate primitive fire techniques such as flint and steel.
Father/Son team working together to create a twig fire for warmth.
Greg from our team did an excellent session on various hobo stoves and participants made and used their own as well. I was impressed with the stoves that the group came up with and how well they worked.
We will be awarding a FireCraft skills badge. Along with that will be multiple achievement levels, Advanced and Master which will be designated by tabs or rockers (above or below respectfully). Currently a cloth patch with the award is being created by a graphic designer.
Learning to light wood shavings is essential for later advancement of the skill
The criteria for the initial badge is set and the criteria for the Advanced and Masters are being finalized this week. I guarantee the latter two will be a challenge , the master level has skills I have not even done yet.
To meet the skills criteria for the FireCraft badge participants must:
- Light 5 man-made tinders with ferro rod (ie- Cotton Ball dipped in petroleum jelly with a Light My Fire firesteel)
- Light 2 natural tinders with ferro rod
- Build a twig fire
- Build a twig fire (Self-Rescue Fire) in under 10 minutes and either boil water or have a 3 foot flame
- Build a fire using the star fire lay
- Baton/split wood using a knife
- Sharpen your knife after battoning wood
- Build a split-wood fire using ferro rod
- Build and use a hobo stove
- Char man-made and natural materials and light with a ferro rod
- Cook bannock bread on open fire
- Build and carry a combustion kit for your pack
- Using two logs, build a cooking fire
- Make feather sticks and shavings and use for a fire
- Make a lanyard or dummy cord for your ferro rod
We are looking forward to giving out this award to our participants who have earned the badge soon!
Adventure IQ 