Fire Safety Before Starting, think about: What is the purpose of the fire? Cooking or campfire? How big a fire do you need? (Too big is unnecessary and wasteful of fuel.) What are the weather conditions? What are the fire restrictions? How much time do you need to plan for fire to burn until cooking stage?

Site Preparation Is the site cleared for at least a 5 foot around fire ring? Do you have a circle of rocks, bricks or logs around the fire as a safeguard? Is your fire on a base of dirt or rock and not built on a pine forest floor? Is the wood supply close at hand (so as not to leave the fire unattended)?

Fire Rules Do you have a bucket of water/sand and shovel at the fire site? Have persons with long hair or loose clothing pulled it back securely? Have you reminded the girls not to reach across a fire? Have you remembered not to burn poison ivy or sumac?

Fire Types Your menu usually determines the type of fire you'll start. Don't waste fuel by having a fire larger than necessary. Fires need 3 vital factors: oxygen, fuel, and a source of heat. Campers have a slogan: "Flames for boiling. Coals for broiling." Don't be an over-anxious cook. Let your fire burn to the right temperature for cooking. Don't waste your flames; put on your kettle for dishes to absorb that heat.

A-frame	"A" shaped sticks to lay tinder across (used to start other fires and good for containing a teepee fire).
Lean-to	One stick to lay tinder across; better in wind because it is lower (used to start other fires).
Teepee	Concentrates heat in one spot; provides a quick hot fire to boil water or soup; good for hanging kettles above.
Crisscross	Produces good cooking coals; place teepee starting fire in center and build crisscross abound and above.
Log Cabin	Produces good cooking coals or a long lasting campfire. Build like crisscross but put logs only on the outside edges.
Hunter	Good fire for a small amount of cooking. Place fire between 2 logs angled so that pots can be balanced on logs. Heat is concentrated.
Trench	Similar to hunter's fire but fire is placed in a ditch and logs are inside trench; also a concentrated fire.
Star	Logs are placed in a star formation or spokes of a wheel. Also called lazy-man's fire because you keep pushing longer logs into the center.
Vigil	Roll two logs close together. Raise them off the ground a couple of sticks for draft. Place a third log on top, also supported by a couple of draft sticks. The fire will burn a couple of hours untouched.
Reflector	Built against green logs or rocks. Good for baking or roasting in a reflector oven.
Charcoal	Charcoal briquettes are good for windy and wet conditions, when fuel is scarce, and does not flame up so there is less danger of getting out of control. Use firestarters to start charcoal. NEVER use liquid firestarters!!!! Remember to have good ventilation at the top and bottom.

Wet or Windy Weather Suggestions Lay a bed of dry wood on the bottom of a wet fire ring; build fire on top of this. Wet wood can be added a few pieces at a time after fire is burning well. If you use a tarp to protect your fire from rain, be certain it is high enough and the fire small enough. Tarp can also be used as a windbreak. Charcoal is often helpful and safe in wind/wet weather.

Firestarters The use of any LIQUID as a firestarter is strictly BANNED!!! You may use homemade firestarters that use paraffin wax. The first two make use of cardboard egg cartons. You tear off segments of the waxed carton. Place strategically around your wood. Light the cardboard. Two or three segments are sufficient to light a fire. A box of paraffin wax can be bought in grocery stores, in their canning section, or in hardware stores. You can save and melt down bits of old candles for these firestarters, too. You are also permitted to use briquettes of Matchlight charcoal as a firestarter. There are many more types of safe firestarters than what I have listed here. Save the cotton lint from your dryer from drying cotton towels and sheets. Please do not use lint from other fabrics (polyester, nylon, etc.) because they emit unsafe fumes. Save empty cardboard type egg cartons. Do not use the foam type egg cartons! Stuff the cotton dryer lint into each pocket of the egg carton. Pour melted paraffin wax over the lint. Save empty cardboard type egg cartons. Tear one carton into little pieces and stuff into the pockets of another egg carton. Pour melted paraffin wax in each pocket. Save the cotton lint from your dryer. Tear a sheet of waxed paper, about 4 or 5 inches. Place dryer lint on the waxed paper. Roll up and twist each end closed. Make bundles of about a dozen or so stick matches. Tie each bundle with string. Dip each bundle into melted paraffin. The string will become a wick for lighting. The Diamond match company makes an excellent product called SuperMatch Fire Starters. The product looks like ground up cardboard pressed with wax into a stick, with a match tip on one end. The box has a built in striker. The firestarter lights immediately and burns for 12 minutes. They can be used to light wood fires or charcoal briquettes.

Putting Fires Out Leave your campsite, including your fire area, in better condition than you found it. Burn paper but not plastic or foil. Leave firewood for the next group. SLOWLY sprinkle your fire with water until the fire is dead out; stir and turn logs over. Make sure there are no red coals or hot spots left. Do not immerse rocks in water; they may explode. Your fire is out when you can safely lay your hand in the fire ashes. Clean out fire site when it is cold; scatter wood ashes in woods. Dispose of charcoal ashes in garbage.

Camp Dishwashing As soon as you have finished cooking, put water on to heat for dishes. Dishes are done at the campsite just as they are done at home except that you use 3 buckets instead of a sink; washing, rinsing, and sanitizing. Scrape dishes thoroughly and wipe with a paper towel to remove food. Wash in warm water and detergent. Rinse thoroughly in clean hot water after washing. Dunk in a dunk bag by one of the following methods; -Immerse dunk bag in boiling water for 2 minutes. -Immerse dunk bag in warm water and bleach (1/4 cup per gallon water)  for at least 2 minutes. -Immerse dunk bag in warm water and Diversol (4 tsp. per gallon water)  for at least 2 minutes. Hand dunk bag on line to air-dry. Pots, pans and serving dishes re washed by the clean up patrol after the individual dishes are finished. Dispose of dishwater by sprinkling cooled water away from campsite, trails, or water sources. Strain out all food scraps and dispose of in garbage.

Dutch Oven Cooking Ideal for frying, roasting, baking and stewing. Cook with either dry heat or moist heat. Lid can be used for shallow frying pan. Use pit cooking, coals, briquettes, or a trench fire. Cast-Iron Do not scrub a cast-iron Dutch oven with soap and water (it will rust). Cold water on the hot cast iron Dutch oven might break it or warp it. Place a dirty Dutch oven over fire to burn off remaining food, then wipe with an oiled paper towel, or if your oven at home has a self -cleaning temperature, use that for cleaning a cast-iron Dutch oven. Aluminum Aluminum Dutch ovens can be cleaned with soap and water. Aluminum Dutch ovens can melt if subjected to prolonged, extreme heat. You may also use a Dutch oven as a kettle and hang it over a fire. Charcoal Briquettes with Dutch Ovens If you are using charcoal to make coals for a Dutch oven, the following chart will help. Place coals on top of Dutch oven and underneath. Leave a two-inch square between briquettes.

Size Oven	Bottom	Top
8"	4 - 6 coals	6 - 8 coals
10"	6 - 8 coals	8 - 10 coals
12"	8 - 10 coals	10 - 12 coals
14"	10 - 12 coals	12 - 16 coals
16"	12 - 16 coals	16 - 18 coals

When using more than one Dutch oven, stack them in order to save briquettes. Bake items in the lower ovens and fry in the top one.

Hand Thermometer method for testing coals

Place palm of hand at place where food will go over coals for broiling, or in front of reflector oven for baking. Count "one and one," "Two and two," and so on for the number seconds you can hold your hand there. Move your hand to find the temperature you want.

Seconds	Heat	Temperature
6 to 8	Slow	250 F - 350 F
4 to 5	Moderate	350 F - 400 F
2 to 3	Hot	400 F - 450 F
1 or less	Very Hot	450 F - 500 F

Uncommon Measurements
1 open fistful = 1/2 cup	8 oz. can = 1 cup
Five-finger pinch = 1 Tbs	#2 can = 2 1/2 cups
Four-finger pinch = 1 tsp	#2 1/2 can = 3 1/2 cups
Two-finger pinch = 1/8 tsp	#303 can = 2 cups
One-finger gob = 1 Tbs	#10 can = 13 1/2 cups
16 Tbs = 8 oz liquid or 1 cup

Servings Guide

Chopped meat: allow 1/4 lb per person

Hot dogs: allow 1 1/2 per person; 8 - 10 per lb.

Chicken: 1 piece per younger child; 2 pieces or 4-6 oz per older child/adult

Bacon: approximately 15 slices per lb

Tuna fish: 6 1/2 oz can = 3 sandwiches

Bread: approximately 22 slices per large loaf

Peanut butter: 18 oz jar = 16 servings, 2 Tbs per serving

Butter/Margarine: 1 lb = 32 servings or more

Tomato sauce: 8 oz can = 3-4 servings

Carrots: = 8-10 per lb.

Celery: 1/2 bunch cut into sticks serves 8-10 children

Lettuce: 1 medium head serves 8-10 children

Pineapple: 8-10 slices per large can

Apples: 3 medium = 1 lb.

Sugar, brown: 1 lb = 2 1/4 cups

Sugar, white: 1 lb = 2 cups

Flour: 1 lb = 4 cups

Rice: 1 lb = 2 cups = 8 cups cooked

Noodles: 1 lb = 6 cups = 9 cups cooked

Macaroni: 1 lb = 4 cups = 9 cups cooked

Spaghetti: 1 lb = 2 quarts cooked = 7 - 1 cup servings

Graham crackers: 1 lb box = 64 squares = 32 servings

Marshmallows: 1 lb = 55-60

Cocoa mix: 1 lb serves approximately 15

Orange juice, frozen: 1 - 12 oz can serves 8 children = 6 oz servings