Camping
challenges
add spark
and variety
to life in the
woods
By Allen Macartney
E
XPANDING OUTDOOR SKILLS fast and adding
variety to your outings is an appealing idea, and
here’s one way to do it: Every time you go camping or
canoeing, focus on one new advanced skill.
Taking on this kind of challenge will boost your
outdoor enjoyment by preventing staleness settling
over what should be an adventure. And it could expand
your comfort level in the woods.
A word of caution though: Don’t try expansion
without a foundation. If you’re new to camping, take
short trips by canoe or on foot to ground yourself in
fire-building, hanging tarps, handling gear, before
tackling these ideas. Don’t head off with a weak grip on
how to light fires, handle heavy rain, or fix a blister –
these are the basics. And have a Plan B, so if the
challenge is too much, or something goes wrong, the
trip won’t be ruined.
CHALLENGE #1 | USING FIRE-STEEL
Don’t light your camp stove or campfire with a
lighter or matches. Instead, learn to use fire-steel.
Fire-steel is a special, short metal rod that, when
scraped against a knife or other piece of steel, will
produce sparks with a temperature of 1,650 degrees
C. When a spark drops into the camp stove burner, it
will instantly ignite. And when it drops into dry
kindling, you can coax it into a flame. But it takes
practice. And more practice.
You may never need matches or a lighter again. Even
if you’ve dumped out of your canoe in a lake, just reach
into your soggy pocket and haul out that fire-steel
when you’re ashore. Wipe it dry and it’ll send a shower
of screaming hot sparks into your tinder bundle.
CHALLENGE #2 | CARVE A CAMP SPOON
by taking dry pieces of cedar (Home Depot sells them)
with you. Then sketch out a rough outline of a spoon,
sharpen your knife, and carefully carve a spoon. While
you’re at it, you could whittle several spoons, forks and
even camping chopsticks.
CHALLENGE #3 | CONVERT A TARPAULIN
INTO A TENT
Try this in fall when most of the bugs have left.
Tie a cord about one metre above the ground
between two trees, and hang your tarp (it should
be at least eight by 10 feet) over it. Stake down the
corners and sides firmly. The finished product
should look like a traditional pup tent. Its low
profile will limit wind blowing underneath and
billowing your tarp upwards. Finish by laying down
a smaller tarp as the tent flour, followed by your
regular camping mattress, and sleeping bag. Then
… sweet dreams.
CHALLENGE #4 | IDENTIFY AND EAT TWO
TYPES OF WILDERNESS FOODS
Late summer and early fall is ideal for berries and
acorns. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and
strawberries make an excellent addition to pancakes
or French toast. Acorns? Yes, food for