An Old Tradition Extinguished?

[Eamonn 61]

Sad to say I will miss yet another Gilwell Reunion this year.

This event has always been a lot of fun and I try to cross the pond to be there.

I keep in contact with "The Guys" mainly via E-mail.

This week we talked about the reunion and somehow got to talking about Campfires and cooking over wood fires.

Back in "The Day" When I was a Scout and even as a Adult Leader, we cooked almost exclusively on wood fires. There was a propane stove for emergencies and for the leaders early morning tea. But cooking over a wood fire was camping.

It now seems that the wood fire is on the way out.

A friend send me this poem, which I thought you might enjoy.

To A Bewildered Boy Scout.

Farewell to the campsite fire

The hawthorn twigs that sparked it up

Which kindled in you strong desire

For brackish tea from chipped tin cup

And toast too toasted, or nor quite

Though relished in the flickering night

"Environmentel studies find ..."

Etectera, drone- you know the rest

And this should all be kept in mind

In future there will be a test

While parents drive you in the car

For safety's sake, to where you are

The poisoned cloud, the forest blaze

Among the many awful sights

Which fog our allergenic days

And dog our neurasthenic nights

The campfire. It could be to blame

Akela, hang your head in shame

And as you're here let's dwell a while

On health and safety issues first

With Scouting in the modern style

As death-traps go, a fire's the worst

Beware the woodsmoke in your hair

Carcinogens are lurking there

A campfire was a filthy thing

Which Mr Baden Powell strove

To sit you round and make you sing

How cruel of him. Now light the stove

Observe the small blue flames are pretty.

Sing now and forget the city.

Ging-gang gooligooligooli....

Watch it.

Eamonn

 

[OldGreyEagle 5]

Progress, aint it grand?(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

[Eamonn 61]

I have to think about that!!

Eamonn

[Overtrained 10]

I recently was camping with my sister and brother and their families. We also had some mutual friends and their families. When it came to cooking, the boys (who are scouts) all new how to cook on the campfire.

 

There are still some embers out there that keep this tradition burning.

[acco40 95]

Second Class still has the requirement that on one campout, plan and cook over an open fire one hot breakfast or lunch for yourself.

 

In the age of "immediate" everything, few boys have the patience to cook over an open fire. Finding wood is usually a lot easier than finding propane out in the wild! I believe it is important for the boys to know how to light and make use of a fire.

[LauraT7 13]

We have many adults in our troop who really push minimal camping and leave-no trace.

 

I agree with the intent - but young boys want the romance of facing things on their own - at least PRETENDING that they are facing the wilds on their own! and building a fire against the elements is a part of that romance...

 

although our boys all know how to build a fire - they have done most of their cooking over a stove - and do not plan the time, nor have the patience to cook over a fire. Most of our campouts are so jam packed with activity - they simply do not have time to hang around camp tending a fire and slow cooking things.

 

Still, when they planned a great campout last winter - where they built their own shelters and decided to use stoves only, no fires - they learned quickly - that fire is not only heat - it is entertainment! When dark falls at 5:00, and there is nothing to do in the cold dark after supper but go crawl into your sleeping bag to keep warm - it makes for a L-o-n-g night!

 

 

 

[blade1158 11]

A little over a year ago I re-entered the fray after a decade or so away and have been more than a bit dismayed at some of the garbage that has come down from the national Scouting mount and Leave No Trace is definitely on the pile. It is disturbing evidence of the influence of the extreme environmentalist movement on Scouting. The environmentalists have been allowed to frame the debate so that if you oppose them on any point or present them with any data contradicting their own, you are labeled as one who loves dirty air and water and rejoices every time a flower gets trampled under foot.

 

Teaching respect and proper stewardship of the environment is a necessary thing, environmental extremism is another matter, one that must be opposed with facts. The mondern environmental movement has less to do with clean air, clean water and fuzzy animals and more to do with socialism and the indoctination of youth. Not building or cooking over an open fire is just a symptom of the disease.

[OldGreyEagle 5]

Which points of Leave No Trace do you think is bad or not needed? I am not saying you are wrong, I just would like to know

[packsaddle 753]

I doubt that the campfire is in imminent danger. We still use wood on most trips even if we have to bring it with us. However, I have no problem with 'leave no trace' but some of blade1158's objection may be a matter of degree. At its heart, I think, 'leave no trace' is an expression of the Golden Rule. People coming after us should be able to see a wilderness as it was when we arrived. No stumps or litter. Whether fire rings or latrines carry this too far depends largely on individual circumstances. I have no problem with that.

[Overtrained 10]

If you get all the materials on "Leave No Trace" you will see that it discusses "High Impact" areas. This means our campsites with fire rings and tent spots along with heavily used trails.

 

The philosophy says to use these and not create new ones for one time use. The best example of this I've seen recently is Philmont. They use existing trails and campsites on most of the programs because to blaze a new trail would, in that enviroment, leave a permanant mark. That is why we can still see the Santa Fe trail all these years later.

 

I know of one unit that only uses dutch ovens on their trips. They have the aluminum light weight for backpacking too.

 

Those boys cook at home too.

[willysjeep 10]

The problem with LNT is that most people implement it either all or nothing. You can make a fire and make it so the site will heal within a few years, or you can make a stealth fire over some sand on a tarp and have no evidence at all. I live where there is no great massive high impact areas. Everywhere in the Hiawatha national forest is not too terribly impacted, but it's durable! If you dig a large enough pit for a fire and only go through the topsoil, keep the fire somewhat small, and replace the topsoil afterwards, watering it to boot, you have in effect put some nutrients back INTO the soil. The big thing to keep an eye on is that the grass next to the pit doesn't get scorched. If you do this on flat land and in well drained soil there is little erosion threat, and by all means you can do it and leave no trace, atleast in N. Michigan. Here, taking every word of LNT as the gosple is a royal PITA and often doesn't accomplish anything. No way I will EVER pack out a tube of poop or anything similar, just because it would do no good whatsoever where I live. I take LNT with a grain of salt and remember the outdoor code more. Be conservation minded....not preservation minded necisairily.

 

I am also sad that open fire cooking is so uncommon. From the ammount that I have done I really enjoy the satisfaction i get from it. One time it actually saved the day on a hike. Somebody forgot any oil or butter for the pancakes so there was no way to keep them from sticking in the pan. I had the chef pour some batter into my mess kit frying pan. I cooked it like normal over some coals, only when it came time to flip it I just proped the pan up next to the fire and let the top brown off. I'd eat it right from the pan, even though it was stuck a little it still tasted fine, and I didn't have to choke down scrambled pancakes.

 

Another time my patrol was really down in the dumps half way through summer camp. We were having major morale issues. The commisairy had given us these thin stakes to fry for lunch, but instead of fry them I sugjested (I was PL at the time) to roast them over the coals. We sort of made it a project, and it got everybody working a little and not just sitting around gettin bored. It was just diferent enough to perk up some spirits and salvage the day, and week.