Lighting a campfire

[Be_Prepared]

I'm looking for creative ways to light a campfire at a summer camp. The campfire ring is at the edge of the lake. In the past few year's we've used a flaming arrow, had a torch being run in, had a torch being canoed across the lake and had the instant fire, with wires/batteries.

 

Has anyone seen a good fire lighting at a summer camp they'd like to share ?

[Trevorum]

One word: explosives.

[SSScout]

A campfire is set to go ( make it non-fail!) in the ring. Each Scout is asked to bring in a GOOD dry piece of wood to add to the pile. The trail into the fire circle is lined with Camp Staff or OA . Scouts are instructed to enter the fire circle in silence. This instruction should be made to the camp unit leaders early on, and the Staff lining the trail should silently reinforce the idea by standing with "signs up". Each Sout enters the circle and throws his piece onto the pile and then takes his seat with his unit.

When all are in, the Staff trails in and stands on each side of the fire pile. The following poem is read, LOUDLY and with solemnity (no need to read the author or title, just the poem).Toward the end, some one of the Staff kneels, visibly, next to the fire pile and lights a match, which lights a torch held by another Staff kneeling by the pile, who lights the fire with it. When the fire is well lit, both stand up and the MC of the evening comes in and commences a song or Cheer. etc...

 

(("Lighting a Fire" by John Oxenham (1852-1941)))

 

Kneel always when You light a fire,

Kneel reverently and Thankful be

For Gods unfailing Charity.

And on ascending Flame inspire

A little Prayer which shall upbear

The Incense of your Thankfulness

For this sweet Grace of Warmth and Light!

For here again is Sacrefice

For your Delight.

 

Oak, Elm, and Chestnut, Beech and Red Pine Bole

God shrined HIS Sunshine and entombed

For you these stores of Light and Heat,

Your Life Joys complete.

These all have Died that you might Live:

Yours now the High Prerogative

To Loose their Long Captivities,

And Through their Long Captivities,

A wider Life to Give.

 

Kneel Always when you light a fire,

Kneel reverently.

And Grateful be

For Gods unfailing Charity.

 

YiS

 

[SctDad]

I saw one some where that said you coupd do it like this.

 

Prior to building the find, place a fountain style fire works display at the bottom. Use a model rocket igniter in the fuse part and run the wire off to the side out of sight. When the scouts gather, tell them a story about helping a small wood elf and he promised to help you when he had the chance. Then call for him. at this time have another parent off to the side start the rocket igniter and it sould light the fuse.

 

NOTE: Try this at home first, I am still waiting to try it myself to make sure that it works right.

 

Sound like it would work fine but you may want a backup

[nldscout]

5 gallons of gasoline??

[troutmaster]

While I hope the comments of fireworks and gas are said in jest, we need to be sure we do NOT use illegal and dangerous methods. Not only are we possibly breaking some laws, but we could be endangering scouts and leaders should something go awry.

 

Not sure where an arrow with a flare attached, shot on cable comes in; it too could be in the above. But, if in the right setting, it can be really dramatic (assuming it is legal).

 

Ceremonial methods using basic skills and natural tapers are always a good option. A cabin type lay built with properly positioned tinder beneath, will always light easily and quickly become a focal point.

 

Just some thoughts and mho.

 

(This message has been edited by troutmaster)

[Be_Prepared]

Than you for the many imputs and suggestions

[Bob White]

Thank you Troutmaster I was starting to worry that there was no one left who knew how to build a fire lay without liquid fuel or explosives.

 

Here is my favorite. It's an oldy but a goody.

 

At the bsae of your fire lay under lots of tinder use a car and garage device. The garage is made of (3) 2x4 about 8" in length. They make two sides and the roof of the garage. The inside of the roof you line with the strike strips from the packaging of a wood-stick match boxes.

 

The car is made of a 4" length of 2X4 that you have drilled several vertical holes in to hold a lot of wood matches. Set the match height so that the heads just touch the roof of the garage when you park the car in it.

 

In the end of the car place an eye screw and tie the end of some wire to it. Make the wire long enough to allow you to stand several feet away from the fire.

 

When it is time for the fire to ignite, simply pull on the wire for just a few inches. Unseen by the audience the car will be pulled fronm the garage into the tinder. The match heads will rub against the strike strips and ignite.

 

The fire will start as if by magic.

 

The evidence of the car and garage burn up in the fire.

[AK-Eagle]

Paging Mr. Flint and Mr. Steele you are needed at the campfire ring

 

AK-Eagle

[SSScout]

Scoutmaster Derek Flint ? Yeah, I remember him...

 

I only know Remington Steele by reputation. Used to moonlight as a Shooting Range Officer as I remember...

[bdhsnake]

a bow drill

 

if your good can be done in about 30 seconds

[Overtrained]

I accidentally started another thread without realizing this one was here.

 

These are all great ideas and I've heard of some before. Keep them coming.

[Trevorum]

troutmaster, I was only partially kidding about explosives. Certainly we want to avoid any dangerous situations. However, I've seen our older fellows safely ignite home-made gunpowder. As long as it is NOT enclosed in any sort of container it is not explosive - it just combusts rapidly and with great effect. This demonstration was the climax to a (very memorable!) troop program on chemistry.

 

[kb6jra]

I've recently heard a most hillarious story from a couple of old time Scouters on a WB course. They went to a gun shop and wanted to buy some black powder, for a fire lighting ceremony. Black powder if not confined will create a lot of smoke and enough flame to start a fire. You can use a model rocket squib to ignite it.

 

When the clerk asked about the use of the black powder, the older man looked at him sort of crazy like and said, "we're gonna blow some stuff up". Needless to say they left without the powder and had a heck of a time finding another gun shop in this part of the world.

[Stosh]

Insert 00 steel wool pad as tinder, put a long wire into the wool about 1" apart on the two open terminals. Build the fire around it as one would normally do. Wax dipped kindling will burn longer and keep the flame going as well to ignight the next level of wood. When it's time to light the fire, touch the other two ends of the wire to a 12 volt car battery. If one wishes to add a dramatic "explosion" in the fire later on for effect, toss in a pinch of iron filings.

 

Steel wool and iron filings are just about as explosive as gunpowder and one doesn't have to worry about the guys from Homeland Security showing up at your door wondering why you're buying gunpowder. Which,by the way is legal as long as the shipment is less than 25#. Our crew buys a case every other year.

 

If one wishes a dramatic fire. Start a ring of wood about 4' in diameter octagon shape around a fairly good sized starter teepee fire, and keep adding Lincoln Log (cabin) around it enclosing it into a cone shape. Then go two and two up to about 6'. The high chimney effect will draw that fire and the results should be an very intense 8-12' fire. The top logs on the chimney will actually turn to glowing embers because of the flue draft of the fire and eventually the whole thing will collapse on itself into the fire ring. Big time embers all over the place. Usually the heat will keep the boys 12-15' away so as to not worry about them, just the forest.

 

When one needs advice from from a pyro, gotta ask the pro's. Did you know that by adding flour to your gunpowder you can stretch it and still do a good job with the bang and smoke? Just a little advice for the budding arsonists out there. Yes, I did play with matches as a child.

 

Stosh