Scouts – Survival Camp

This weekend our Scouts held a Survival Camp. The Scouts arrived Saturday morning ready for a busy weekend of Survival skills. First job was to put their tents up, unfortunately due to the strong winds and the added wind chill they couldn’t use the hammocks as had been planned.

So once they had sorted tents it was on to fire lighting. They are given a fire steel for the start of their own survival kit and set about trying to get a spark form it, it’s not as easy as they think! They start trying to burn a piece of cotton wool before moving on to lighting a small fire and keeping it going for 20 minutes.

It was then lunch using the Trangia’s before starting to prep for that nights dinner. The menu had said Game Stew, if only they knew what as coming! They sorted the stock and the vegetables before moving on to the meat. Gadget and Point 5 had a little chat about game with the Scouts before producing the first meat for the stew, 2 packets of Venison steak courtesy of Tesco (other supermarkets are available). The Scouts seemed happy with this, also didn’t have a problem with the fact that Gadget hadn’t been able to get any Wild Boar. Some not so happy when the first Rabbit appeared from Gadget’s magic bag, head, legs and fur still on, swiftly followed by another two.

The Leaders had expected at least one passing out, a couple of “I’m going to be sick” and maybe a complete refusal to go anywhere near it. They wasn’t prepared for the rush of hands wanting to start chopping them up! The Scouts removed legs, heads and tails whilst Coach and Gadget skinned them. So the Game Stew currently had Venison and Rabbit in it, what would be next? This time Gadget pulled a couple of  Pheasant’s from the magic bag, again swiftly followed by another 2. Having seen a recent video of a Pheasant being prepared by turning it upside down standing on it’s wings and slowly pulling it’s legs Point 5 had to try. The first attempt didn’t work too well it just sort of fell apart but the second was almost there. The meat was removed from the 4 birds and added to the Stew that was then left over the fire for a couple of hours.

As the Stew would be a while it was decided to have an afternoon snack, Survival Camp style. Gadget again managed to pull something from the magic bag, this time producing 15 Wood Pigeons. All the Scouts plucked a Wood Pigeon, some even named them! before removing the breast meat, frying it with some onions and putting it in a roll. Yes, an afternoon snack of Wood Pigeon Burger. Eventually it was time for the Game Stew (Venison, Rabbit and Pheasant), a few were not sure but once they had tried it soon changed their minds, it tasted amazing.

Aidan and Tom left us for a couple of hours to attend the Kent Scouts Chief Scout Gold Award Presentation, well done to you both, but they soon returned (think they did it to get out of the washing up!). Scouts had time for a quick game of man hunt before hot drinks and bed.

Sunday started with the Scouts frying their bacon, egg and fried slice over a fire before making Survival Bracelets out of paracord (Scout’s, Lucy lasted about 2 hours before making one). Those that finished first then set about boiling water in a Kelly Kettle. What a great bit of kit it is the water boils in no time. Lunch was Rice & Big Soup before packing up and heading home. Before they left they grabbed a Rabbits foot and Pheasant feathers to go with their fire steels and survival bracelets as memories from the camp.

Nothing went to waste, the Rabbit skins are now drying ready for rabbit fur woggles.

We have a few pictures but had issues with the lighting as the generator was playing up so not as many as normal. Due to the lack of lighting there were a few things that we didn’t get to do, they’ll just have to wait for the next Survival Camp!

Well done Scouts (Tom, Aidan, Shaun, Oliver, Cameron, Olivia, Jacob, Lauren, Jasmine & George) for the way you handled Saturday afternoon, you all stepped up and had a go at whatever was asked of you.

On behalf of Point 5, Radar, Coach, Gadget, Dan, Gizmo and Carl, thank you Scouts you made it a brilliant camp, roll on the next one!

Note: Slideshow contains pictures of Rabbit & Pheasant being prepared for the pot.

If you mouse over the picture area it pauses the slideshow.