bkale Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Ok.. With the wealth of experience on this board, I am sure to find a good idea... Our Pack is having a family campout this coming weekend.. and the vast majority of the families have never camped with us (or ever probably) before. I have a set of ashes to add to the fire that has a very long history... but wonder if anyone out there has added anything extra to the ashes to SAFELY provide a visual extra to the adding of the ashes (as if the spirits of those other campfires are rising from the fire)? Ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Skipper Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Do you mean like some powdered coffee creamer which would flare when you added it the fire? That sure would add some dramatic effect, but it should be handled carefully. (here I am being cautious and it was Boy Scouts which taught me 30 years ago that coffee creamer would flare...) I am curious to hear anyone elses take, but that may be something we start doing. Can you offer any more about these "historic ashes?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkale Posted October 14, 2008 Author Share Posted October 14, 2008 Yes.. I am indeed thinking of something that might slightly change the color of the fire or send out a small colored (or not) spark or two.. nothing dangerous... but something to grab the attention of Cub Scout age boys and their parents... These ashes were some that I just took from a Wood Badge campfire I attended over the last weekend. The final "pedigree" for them is being sent to me by a member of the staff. However, at the campfire, we did have a ceremony adding ashes from the Staff that had a "long history". Obviously, by tradition, only those that experience the campfire should share in teh ashes. Yours in SCouting, Brian Kale Wood Badge NE-IV-215 (Buffalo Patrol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnniePoo Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Have a great time! We had our pack family campout the first weekend in October, with numerous first-time campers. It went very smoothly, but I forgot to bring the ashes from WoodBadge last spring. Annie (I used to be an Owl). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Weber Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 I have seen flash powder used (by a licensed pyrotechnics person) at a Wood Badge beading. He went a little overboard, as he usually does. Too much show took away from the significance of the ashes. Now if everyone had just a little sparkle or colored smoke (Used to be an Owl and a Buffalo) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raisinemright Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 When I was a kid, my mom told me that my grandpa used to take copper screen and toss it in the fire. The copper would burn green and purple. Perhaps you could do something similar with a handful of copper shavings from a piece of pipe mixed in with the ashes. Or, a small amount of magnesuim from a fire starter block would flare hot and white for a few seconds. Some gunpowder maybe. Whichever you do, I'd be sure to try it beforehand to make sure you don't light the camp on fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pack212Scouter Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 I would avoid anything like gunpowder or even non-dairy creamer. You can get something called Funky Flames at Wal-Mart. It's a little bag of powder that changes the flames into colors, kinda subtle though. My thoughts would be metal shavings of some kind. Certain carbon shavings will look like sparks in the flames. Copper shavings will burn with color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGreyEagle Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Any thoughts on why people think throwing non-dairy coffee creamer, gunpowder, magnesium, copper shavings or funky flames on a fire is ok but think throwing a tomahawk(made for throwing) at a target is a bad idea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pack212Scouter Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 I don't think it's bad...isn't Scouting all about Fire and sharp intruments? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narraticong Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 NO, absolutely not! Scouting is not all about fire and sharp instruments. The GSS (Guide for Silly Scouts) clearly states that all outings must include fire, sharp instruments, and FAKE DOG POOP! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWOMORROWS Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 A copper pot scrubber cut into small pieces! Try it before the campout though!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanRx Posted October 25, 2008 Share Posted October 25, 2008 Funky Flames from Wal-Mart (best bet and safest route) The second being some copper filings that should turn the flame green. You'll need to practice beforehand to get the mix / amount right. I'd stay clear of any magnesium product. It burns like a welders torch. Not a good "first impression" - little johnny at his first campfire is now seeing "flash spots" in his eyes for the next two days b/c he looked directly at the mag burning. Good Luck, Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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