N's scout meeeting

N's Boy Scout meeting tonight sounds like a lot of fun. The boys are breaking down by patrols to have a fire starting contest. Here's the description:

Patrols will compete to see which patrol can build a moderate sized fire first. The objective will be to build a fire that will burn through a piece of string hung across the fire pit. The string will be no more than 24 inches above the ground. Each patrol will be given 10 matches and a striking pad.

Guidelines and restrictions include:

· No commercial fire starter.

· No flammable sprays/liquids or liquid-soaked materials (rubbing alcohol, gasoline, aerosol sprays, etc).

· No paper products (paper plates, paper towels, cardboard, newspaper, toilet paper, etc.)

· No lighters.

· Fire must be relatively organized and not scattered.

· Keep the area around the fire free of flammables (leaves, wood, etc.)

· Be safe. Don’t be careless. If it feels wrong, it is wrong.

Essentially, what is allowed includes:

· Wood

· Matches

Bring in a bag of your independently collected materials to the lake. I suggest organizing the materials into separate Ziploc bags (kindling in one bag; tinder in another bag; firewood in a large paper bag; etc). Matches will be supplied as well as the string and posts for the objective. Water will also be available on-hand for cleanup and all participants will help clean.

Have fun and be safe.