Camp Fires

[rjcluvvt]

Im on staff for our councils summercamp and we do 3 campfires a week. Different program areas are responsible for campfires. Most of the time aquatics will make a decent fire, but Scoutcraft outshines all (go scoutcraft). I have read about pyramid fires aka top down fires where the fire is lit on the top of a prebuilt fire and burns down, creating a fire that will last constantly burn with out being fed for an hour and a half. I have never actually done this and I have once seen it implicated though it failed miserably. Someone lit it at the bottom thus creating an awesome 15 second bonfire. I was wondering if anyone has done this before with grreat success because i would like to try thi when camp starts back up

[Eagle1973]

You ought to be creative in how you light the fire too. Let me know if you are interested on how we did it in the olden days.

[EagleBeaver]

You are describing a "council fire" I think.

See http://www.rangers.asn.au/resources/councilfires.htm for a picture, but I'd not recommend the method they explain to light it.

It is like a logcabin fire and has large logs on the bottom, working smaller logs up and closer together so it looks like a pyramid. You can make platforms of logs periodically up the stack so the burning wood that falls piles there and burns its way through.

If made well, they can last a long time.

 

Paul

[rjcluvvt]

Eale I am actually interested in ways of lighting the fire, we do several "fire lighting" skits, such as Indiana (Name of the Couselor), who has to find the holy fire lighter, and then there is our Commisioner skit, most of the skits are getting old so anything new would be appreciated

[Eagle1973]

In the old days, when fire was still new, we started with an Indian Chief (happened to be our Lodge Chief) arriving to the final Friday night closing campfire in a canoe paddled by two braves. (this is especially cool if your setting is along a lake like ours was, if not feel free to improvise ;-) )

 

In his hand was a small bundle of kindling that formed a torch. The torch was wired with lots of wooden matches wrapped in Nicrome wire that got hot from a small battery that the Chief had hidden.

 

After the appropriate speech to the "Great Fire Spirit", his torch would burst into flames, then he would light the 12 smudge pots that backlit the stage as everyone recited the Scout Law and then the camp fire.

 

After a few times, that wasn't good enuf. We, the behind the scenes piros, got more elaborate to the point where the Chief's torch would light, but all he had to do was point at the smudge pots and camp fire, and the Great Fire Spirit would do his thing.

 

We had contingencies if something didnt light off as expected. Which only happened once.

[rjcluvvt]

sounds like something that can be done for the wedenesday/parents/ OA campfire