Matches & lighters

[kenk]

Understand that it has been a long time since I was in Boy Scouts (20+ years), but while surfing for on-line camp packing lists from the many fine troops that are out there, I kind of surprized to find that matches and lighters were one of the items that was forbidden - like firearms and sheath knives - and that matches/lighters will only be provided by adults as needed.

 

I found a lot of troops referring to the ten essentials, but then they must assume a few of those are left home.

 

My how times have changed. While I understand and have experienced myself the mischief that Scouts can get into with matches and lighters, it seemed odd to me. When I was a Scout we were taught to ALWAYS carry three items: a knife, a compass, and dry matches.

 

Are there any troops out there that still have their Scouts carry matches or the modern equivalents (lighters)???

[Bob White]

Sure, lots of them. There is no BSA policy or recommendation that I am aware of against matches being carried by scouts.

 

Lighters are another matter. I consider those as chemical fuels and that means they require adult supervision and controlled storage.

[acco40]

Matches are one of the "required" items that we have the boys bring (sadly, most don't), just like a personal first aid kit. The flint and steel, steel wool and battery, and even the two sticks are popular however. I always have drier lint pack away somewhere. Recently, I had my boys empty our the contents of my paper shedder (cheap kind, got for free at a Best Buy rebate deal or similar consumer electronics store).

[scoutingagain]

We have no prohibition against matches or lighters. The scouts are expected to use them responsibly, as they are expected to use all equipment. If it is observed theitem is being abused or used in a dangerous way, an adult will step forward and confiscate the item. It's usually a lighter, not matches that are a problem.

 

I like BW's interpretation of lighters though.

 

SA

[EagleInKY]

Boys are supposed to have matches, but like acco, ours seldom have them.

 

The only lighters are the large ones we use for starting stoves and ones belonging to a couple of smokers in the group.

[AggieScouter]

Matches are a must-have in our troop. We have never had any real trouble with them, although a couple of years ago one of our scouts used his matches to light the spray form an aerosol can of bug spray (even though aerosol cans are forbidden at campouts). The resulting flamethower was impressive, but very dangerous. Besides the flamethrower danger, cans have been known to explode while doing this, causing loss of fingers & hands. We took away the scout's firem'n chit for several months, during which he had to give a class on fire safety to the entire troop. He was also suspended from campouts for a couple of months.

[Eamonn]

I don't have a problem with matches. I have seen lighters misused by Scouts - Nothing that "That Look" doesn't fix.

Some school districts view a Lad having matches or a lighter on his person as owning smoking materials. You might want to warn the Scouts and their parents, so they don't take them to school and end up in hot water.

Please before we have six pages about the rights or wrongs of this you might want to talk to the school board.

Eamonn

[Twocubdad]

Western civilization slips yet again. Of course Boy Scouts should be able to carry and use matches. I was surprised by my Webelos last year that none of them had any idea how to strike a match. Forget lighting fires, we had to have lessons on match lighting.

 

I guess I'm a bit more lienient on the lighter question. A small Bic lighter doesn't contain enough butane to really do much and would dissapate pretty quickly even if the lighter were open. An old-style lighter which needs to be refilled with lighter fluid may be a different matter.

 

Not too long ago I would have had more of a problem with lighters from a philosophical standpoint than a safety one. We use to take great pride in building a two-match fire. Using a lighter somehow seemed like cheating. But I changed my mind recently after really learning how the pioneers used flint and steel to build a fire. I always thought the old timers would grab a piece of flint off the ground and wack it with the back of a knife. That only results in a dented knife. Prior to the invention of matches, folks carried elaborate fire kits with specially tempered steel strikers, sharp pieces of flint, charcloth and a tin to make more, flax tow or some other type of tender. I figured that if the pioneers carried all this gear to start fires, what's wrong with taking advantage of the current technology and use a lighter?

[red feather]

I help with wilderness survival and emergency situations in our troop. I recommend that the scouts and scouters have 3 methods of lighting a fire. Usually matches, "bic" lighter and steel wool and battery. Matches are the first choice to try, but you probalby can't carry the number of matchs that a lighter represents. The steel wool and battery will get a fire started in most damp situations.

 

Proper tender is important also, once again the recommendation is to carry 3 kinds. The most common is pine or wood shavings, next is cotton ball and vaseline mix, then the old standby char cloth with the mean to make more. ( metal altoid can with a small hole in the top and extra unburnt jean material). Small magnifying glass is useful with char cloth when the sun is out.

 

Home made fire starters, using paper egg carton well, sawdust and wax, with a bit of wick works well also.

 

sorry, but a favorite subject of mine.

 

Have not heard of any sort of BSA rule that bans matches and lighters. Urban legend?

 

yis

[scouter659]

Like many of you have said we allow matches but we don't like lighters. And it's also true that most of the boys don't bring them anyway. We do, however, issue matches to Patrols when we train them on and they cook with lightweight stoves. We actually also teach match lighting techniques because, believe it or not, a lot of boys aren't accustomed to that. We see many of them strike the match and watch as it goes out before reaching an igniter. So in our Junior Leader Training course when we teach things like dual fuel stoves, we also teach them the proper way to strike a match and cup their hand to keep the flame lit all the while making them understand that, like a wrench, a match is a tool. Bottom line is I also agree that the idea of it not being allowed truly may be urban legend.

[LPC_Thumper]

When we form new scout patrols we give them a fully equiped patrol box. This box has everything except food in it. I mean it has soap, and wash tubs, and dishes and glasses, and pots and pans. It has a propane stove and a can of propane. It also have a dutch oven and 10 pounds of charcol. I mean it has everything. In the box is a box of wooden matches.

 

On their first campout, which is just the new patrols. If you are an older scout, and aren't on staff for this campout you can't come. We go over everything from how to pitch a tent, take care of your sleeping bag, clean a dutch over, what the camp inspectors are looking for, dish cleaning tips, we do it all. In fact our adults on this campout cook for them (on other campouts, they will cook for themselves, and the adults take care of our own).

 

We teach the concept that there are results of one's actions. We allow them to play with small fires in fire rings (the ones that are already in the camps of course). They know when they leave this over night that we're serious about these things being tools for fun, they also know that we will let them have the rope they need to hang themselves. So far it has worked for us.

 

Good Luck & Happy Scouting

[kenk]

This morning I talked with one of the leaders of the troop that my Webelos are most likely to join (based upon history), and indeed that troop does not allow Scouts to carry matches or lighters. He said they were strick about it. He specifically mentioned the boys' potential discovery that fire and aerosol insect repellents do wild things together.

 

He said that they do provide the long-type of lighter for lighting stoves/fires, but those are in the patrol gear.

 

From my searches on the internet, I think forbidding matches/lighters is more common out there than the replies on this forum suggest.

[AggieScouter]

Why does the BSA have a Firem'n Chit (which allows the bearer to carry matches and build fires) if units ban matches? Does this apply to a certain age group? How about 17 year old Scouts? Are they old enough to be trusted?

[Twocubdad]

Question: what is a better choice for a survival kit, 12 or 15 matches in a waterproof container or a butane lighter?

[AK-Eagle]

I normally carry a weather proof butane lighter in my pocket. But I keep waterproof matches in a sealed container in my survival kit.. They wont run out of fuel.

 

YIS

Phil