Our next Outdoor Skills class is Thursday, October 29!
This month we’re learning two more most useful outdoor skills: starting a fire and cooking outdoors.
Imagine being out in the wilderness with no microwave, oven, or kitchen. How would you prepare a hot meal? What if you didn’t have matches or a lighter? Could you start a fire using just a fire starter and materials you find around you?
We’re going to find out!
We’ll be practicing fire starting, learning how to use different types of camping stoves, and cooking with Dutch ovens. We’re even planning to make cheesy potatoes and peach cobbler!
Read: My Side of the Mountain
Continue reading from “I Meet One of My Own Kind” through “Frightful Learns Her ABC’s”.
That includes these chapters:
- I Meet One of My Own Kind
- The King’s Provider
- The First Man Who Was After Me
- I Learn to Season My Food
- How a Door Came to Me
- Frightful Learns Her ABC’s
As you read or listen, pay particular attention to how Sam finds, prepares, and cooks his food.
Think about this question:
Could you actually do what Sam does?
Explore: Bear Grylls Survival Skills Handbook
Take a look at:
- Fire Making (pages 36–37)
- Fire Starting (pages 38–43)
- Cooking with Fire (pages 44–48)
- Camping Stoves (pages 49–51)
As you read, think about the different ways you can start a fire and cook outdoors.
Come to class with one fire-starting or outdoor cooking tip that you learned from the book.
Try This at Home
This week, go outside and see if you can find three types of materials you would need to build a fire:
- Tinder: Small, dry materials that catch fire easily.
- Kindling: Small sticks that help a fire grow.
- Fuel: Larger pieces of wood that keep a fire burning.
Can you find good examples of all three?
Think about what would happen if the materials were wet. Would some materials work better than others?
You don’t need to actually start a fire. We’ll practice that together in class!
Come Prepared
Bring your Outdoor Skills Kit. Make sure your name is clearly marked on your bag and your gear.
For this class, especially make sure you have:
- Your flint and steel or magnesium fire starter
- Work gloves
Also bring your Bear Grylls Survival Skills Handbook.
Dress to be outside, working around fires, and possibly getting dirty. Wear closed-toe shoes and avoid loose clothing that could get near a flame.
Come ready to build fires, experiment with different cooking methods, and enjoy some good food!
