Minimize Campfire Impact

Investigate the merits of small fires and backpack stoves

Goal
Participants will experience use of a low impact fire and a backpack stove.

Time
30 minutes

Objectives
Participants will be able to:

• safely light and use a backpacking stove to boil water
• lay, light, and extinguish a low impact fire

Materials

• open outdoor area safe for fires
• backpack stove and small pot for each 6 or 8 participants
• firepan or pie tin, small wire grill, and small pot for each 6 or 8 participants
• matches
• gallon of water
• supply of tinder, kindling, and small fuel wood

Motivator

• Clean, efficient cooking means a more enjoyable camping experience.
• Being able to make a small, low impact fire means you consume less fuel and have a backup in case of stove problems.

Presentation

• If participants have not used backpack stoves, demonstrate how they work
• Divide into groups of 3 or 4
• Give each team matches and a cup of water in their small pot
• Half the teams get a backpack stove and the other half get fire-making supplies
• Explain that teams will race to boil one cup of water. There will be a fastest stove and fastest fire winner
• On your GO signal, teams proceed to heat their water

Reflection

If there is time and interest, have teams switch from fire to stove and race again.
• Which cooking type was fastest, easiest, cleanest, cheapest? Which of those matters when camping?
• Is the type of fire you built here typical? Why is it better or worse than what is normally used?
• What do you need to pack along and what do you need to find at your campsite in order to cook using either method?