Camping and camp fires

[jamessummerlin]

This is probably covered in another thread, but searching on this topic brings up pretty much everything!

My son has been on 5 campouts since crossing over, every one the troop has had. I went on a few, and am training to join as an ASM. When I was in scouting as a boy every campout we went on went something like this.

1. arrive at camp
2. setup tents
3. collect fire wood
4. make a fire ring
5. make fire and cook on it the entire time, put it out before we leave.

Now, my sons troop uses cook stoves, and I don't think he has had this type of campfire experience. I never cooked on stoves, and it still doesn't seem right to me. I remember coming back from campout with the wonderful smell of campfire on everything!

Is this new? Is this troop different? Has something happened to the campfire or do we just have to bring our own wood now?

[wagionvigil]

Low Impact ideas are taking some of the traditional scouting skills away.
All scouts must know how to build and maintain a fire. But most troops today cook on gas or alcohol stoves of some type. My old troop was proud of the small fires they would build. Uses less wood,you can actually
Stand next to it to get heat and it has less chance of geting out of control.

[jamessummerlin]

So if I am going to propose this in my current troop, will it break any scouting rules? I know there is the LNT stuff, but I haven't read that in detail. I just wonder if creating the little fire ring and all that is associated with that breaks the rules.

I just read the other thread on this in this forum. It sound like at least one troop implemented a good idea of 1 meal on every campout cooked over a fire. I like that as a good starting point.

[wagionvigil]

No it will not brake any rules. Fire Building is in the Books!

[Mrw]

Depending on what part of the country you are in and where you camp, there may be restrictions on fires. Some places we camp do not allow ground fires. We are not allowed to transport fire wood in many areas of Ohio anymore either due to the spread of the emeral ash borer insects. I am sure that the many parts of the country in extreme drought right now are not wanting open fires either.

Camp fires are great, but stoves are the only way to go in many places any more.

[scubascout]

in upstate new york, camps dont want you bringing your own wood or taking theirs because of insects

[scouter01]

I think the stove is fine since living in SoCal, there isn't too much oppurutnity for fires, and when there is, i miss a week of school. ( like last week,because of the huge wildfires.)

the fire danger is pretty high so they have to use stoves.

[spl08]

I think the stove is fine since living in SoCal, there isn't too much oppurutnity for fires, and when there is, i miss a week of school. ( like last week,because of the huge wildfires.)

the fire danger is pretty high so they have to use stoves.

This is very offtopic, but ya know, PMs are disabled so yeah.

Are you a scout or adult leader (scouter)? I only ask because you said "I miss a week of school." I realize that could mean college though, so that's why I'm asking. If you're a scout, then that makes 5 of us to my knowledge.

[LSR]

Our Council's camp is fire in the firering only (assuming there's no burn ban) Usually not a problem. I've only been there a few times when campfires were banned-for a VERY good reason that everyone respected.

Best (and cheapest) fire ring idea ever!

I was setting up my tent for Outdoor leadership skills training weekend when a parent pulled up with a trailer full of fire rings. He woked at a propane company. The large tanks have to be inspected/refurbished every so often. It's ususally not woth the money to do so and the tanks are retired. He took a cutting torch to the tanks and cut off the bottoms. The result is a shallow metal bowl about 2 1/2 to three feet across WITH FEET.

1. The are indestructable, being about 3/4 in thick steel.
2. The feet are great. One can have a steel forging hot fire and not even singe the grass underneath. Rock steady platform as well.
3. They are light. Two boys can easily move one.
4. They even (sort of....) stack
5. Cold and dead is easier. The bowl holds water. Stir the fire, and wait for the hissing to stop.
6. They do a superb job of containing the fire.

[fin24000]

My troop uses camp stoves most trips for faster cooking but EVERY scout knows how to build a 1 match or less fire and cook on it with or without a pan and I think thats in portent..... but for us its not as much LNT that stops us its just that its easer to use a stove....

[scouter01]

I think the stove is fine since living in SoCal, there isn't too much oppurutnity for fires, and when there is, i miss a week of school. ( like last week,because of the huge wildfires.)

the fire danger is pretty high so they have to use stoves.

This is very offtopic, but ya know, PMs are disabled so yeah.

Are you a scout or adult leader (scouter)? I only ask because you said "I miss a week of school." I realize that could mean college though, so that's why I'm asking. If you're a scout, then that makes 5 of us to my knowledge.

a scout. 5 of us what? and lastly

my post was on topic. I was saying which my troop uses( and why), which is relevent.

[jamessummerlin]

This is a great idea! I have an old tank in my garage right now. I think I will try to find someone who can do this for me. Thanks!

He woked at a propane company. The large tanks have to be inspected/refurbished every so often. It's ususally not woth the money to do so and the tanks are retired. He took a cutting torch to the tanks and cut off the bottoms. The result is a shallow metal bowl about 2 1/2 to three feet across WITH FEET.

[9009scoutmaster]

We try to cook on fires unless we are under a no burn which we were under for part of this summer. We usually tranpoet our own fire wood.

[WVBeaver05]

Let me put in my $0.02 worth.

First, looks to me like fires and cooking over fires are still required. (Although, admittedly, not to the extent that they previously have been.)

f. Demonstrate how to light a fire and a lightweight stove.
g. On one campout, plan and cook over an open fire one hot breakfast or lunch for yourself, selecting foods from the food pyramid. Explain the importance of good nutrition. Tell how to transport, store, and prepare the foods you selected.

Second, the first time I reviewed the LNT material it was quite a shock. The first time I was advised that a Scout camp did not permit open fires (of any type) it was a shock. However, several years ago, the first time I used a backpacking stove on a backpacking trip, it was a DREAM! No more looking for down and dead wood, finding a place for the fire ring, waiting until the fire was out, cleaning up, restoring the area to it's original state. Just, find a flat spot, light the stove, eat, pack the stove and move on. Saved well over an hour.

Short summary - use the one that is most appropriate. Teach the Scouts about both and the pros and cons.

e. Discuss when it is appropriate to use a cooking fire and a lightweight stove. Discuss the safety procedures for using both..

And, NO, let's not ever let this type of thing be removed from the Scout program!!

YiS

[Billiken]

We primarily use propane-fueled stoves/cooktops .
Although at a September campout the boys made foil dinners and cooked them over charcoal fires.

We too can not transport firewood out of our county.
Ohio is under a national (EPA) firewood quarantine because of the Emerald Ash Borer.
At the state level, our county is quarantined.
Transporting firewood out of quarantined counties is subject to a $4000 fine.

Our council camp is located outside the state-level quantine area.
No firewood may be brough in from outside the camp.
The only wood that can be brough in must be processed lumber.
(At a meeting last spring we broke up shipping pallets.)

[fritz1255]

I was a scout during the late 1960's to early 70's. We used to cook over open fires. The propane stoves we use now are a HUGE improvement. An open fire provides a very intense but uneven heat. Food was usually burned on the outside, raw inside. And don't even talk about trying to cook pancakes or eggs over wood. So much effort was spent tring to get burnt food residue off of pots and pans that little else got accomplished on campouts. At our campouts now, we always have a fire, but more for warmth and atmosphere. I also have no desire to go back to styrofoam coolers, milsurp wool sleeping bags, frameless packs, and floorless tents, but I do have fond memories.

[WVBeaver05]

Don't forget that cooking over an open fire is still required for 2nd class. (See my previous post in this thread).

YiS

[fritz1255]

Like Billikin, we do the 2nd Class requirement with foil meals over charcoal. We're also getting into dutch oven cooking plus slow-cooking chickens in a foil tent over a slow fire. We still haven't figured out a good way to cook pancakes over wood - propane still works best.