Do as Ray Mears does . . . . .

[Deb London]

All stuff we used to do in the Girl Guides, with the exception of foraging. Lighting fires used to keep me entertained for days and I can still name three useful natural materials to find when you need to get that fire going.

I wonder if they still allow the lighting of fires. Maybe it's no longer PC to learn how to do this.

[Blizzard]

Yes the Girl Guides and Boy Scouts certainly did all that stuff in my day.

I loved Guide Camp. Don't think they'd allow the mode of transport we used then! A furniture removal van to carry all the equipment and all the guides, with the top half of the back open so that we could wave at the cars behind.

Sleeping in bell tents where we all had our own groundsheet and sleeping bag. Every morning we had to roll up the bottom bit of the tent (it had a name but I can't remember it) to allow the air to blow through.

Being sent off in patrols on a breakfast hike with bread, butter, cheese and a frying pan. Starting our own fire to cook "fried cheese dreams" and if you couldn't manage to light a fire then you just ate it as bread and cheese lol.

We got totally flooded out one year in the middle of the night. No question of us going home, the farmer moved us into his farm buildings and we stayed for the remainder of the week, it seemed to make it even more fun.

Surely the Guides and Scouts still do some of this sort of thing today?

[faz]

how old is this thread

[Deb London]

It's had a new lease of life.

Until this morning I hadn't realised that little girls were taught bushcraft too. I was just called Guiding back then, and I never connected the two. I tried to find out if they still did the same things, but the manual seems to be online and members only.

We never had fried cheese dreams though (what are those Blizzard?). We had seemingly endless kebabs. Bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms. Presumably cooked on a stick over a metal grill (so not totally Ray Mears). Don't think we had those raw, but I think we were allowed a match. So we cheated.

Anyway, my point is that I'd like to know if school kids these these days are encouraged to develop any bushcraft skills.

[Blizzard]

Originally Posted by faz

how old is this thread

It's quite interesting when an old thread gets a new lease of life. Debs mention of Girl Guides gave me a warm rush of happy memories which was a lovely start to New Years Day

[Blizzard]

A fried cheese dream is like a cheese sandwich but the butter is on the outside of the bread (the cheese in the middle) so that you can fry it on both sides and the cheese melts in the middle.

I think we were allowed three matches.... and I'm sure I can remember cheating by having my own box of matches just in case lol.

Got to dash, elderly dog looks like he needs a pee .

[animartco]

The main idea of bushcraft is not lighting fires but eating natural DIY food. Lighting a fire to heat a tin of baked beans is pointless and silly. Bushcraft is -first catch your meal, and then learn to prepare it, before you think about lighting your fire and cooking it. And when you've eaten you clear up after yourself.
For anyone in East Kent who likes the idea of dispatching preparing and eating their own, but wants to start the easy way I have a selection of FREE tasty young cockerels I want to get rid of. Any takers? PERLEEASE!? They are driving me and the neighbours mad with their crowing.

[nigel_b]

Originally Posted by Deb London

It's had a new lease of life.

Anyway, my point is that I'd like to know if school kids these these days are encouraged to develop any bushcraft skills.

We do a "shelter-building" day at our local school.

The problem with trying to define bushcraft is that it is different things to different people and can be as contentious as big cats if you aren't careful.

In my view bushcraft is sustained and sustainable survival in open country using minimal tools.

(and I'm not doing what Ray Mears does, he doesn't live off seaweed and limpets for certain.)

[Scubapauly]

I have permission to use a small piece of woodland where I live. It's great to be able to sling the hammock and sleep out. Last time I stayed there were around 30 fallow deer to greet me when I woke up Obviously the snoring doesn't bother them lol