The making of char cloth tinder

There are many ways to light a fire and some of the basic deliver the most satisfaction. So have you ever tried to light a fire from a simple spark using a piece of flint and a steel? This should not be confused with a firesteel, one of those ferro or ferrocerium rods. When a firesteel is scraped properly it provides a shower of bright, white and extremely hot sparks to ignite a tinder bundle. Chipping away at a piece of flint with a steel by contrast creates paler sparks that are a cooler orange and far more sensitive to the tinder used.  Continue reading “The making of char cloth tinder”

Buckinghamshire Scouts – Back to Bushcraft

Scout leaders relax in their natural shelter

Scout Leaders want to be doing Bushcraft; an opportunity to learn new Bushcraft skills, sharpen up on old ones and put them all into practice.

Starting on a Saturday morning, you will be learning knife skills, fire-by-friction and other methods for lighting fires, building natural and man-made shelters. In the evening we’ll be back country cooking and sleeping out, experiencing our new shelters. The sleepover will finish after breakfast on Sunday morning. Continue reading “Buckinghamshire Scouts – Back to Bushcraft”

Explorer Scouts Bushcraft Weekend

Setting the scene for the weekend, the Explorer Scouts sat by the campfire, in the outdoor classroom, a big cargo parachute. They listened to the weekend’s itinerary and safety brief. Whilst the camp is located on a Scout site, we were a ten minute walk from the main camp. Based in a small plantation, there is a nice variety of trees and under-story, so we disappear into the woodlands, out of sight of the campers on the main site. Continue reading “Explorer Scouts Bushcraft Weekend”