WARNING!
Remember, fire is dangerous and can get out of control very quickly. When working with fire, always have a way to extinguish it, like a bucket of water or sand. But most importantly: Do not play with fire without adult supervision! The activities in this booklet will be a lot of fun, but should be conducted outdoors with adults. www.thinkoutsideboxes.com
IT IS hot OUT THERE Dear fellow OUTSiDER, Do we have an exciting box for you! It's all about fire: fire building, fire starting, fire safety, and fire extinguishing. We believe that the discovery of fire building is one of the most important inventions to mankind. In early history, people would strike flint stones together to produce sparks, or rub two sticks together to produce hot coals through friction. Over time, people invented matches, lighters, and other sources to make starting a fire even easier. With this box, we are getting you back to the basics. The fire starter in your package is made of flint and steel so you can practice making fire with the simplicity of one tool, some kindling, tinder, and safe fire building techniques. As always, we'd love to hear about your experiences. Keep us updated via our social media outlets! Over & Out! THiNK OUTSiDE
Learn it
Try it
Live it
Why was the man fired from a calendar factory? He took a day off
This Month's Gear FIRE STARTER KIT Lightweight fire striker. Serrated edge can also be used to create fine tinder by scraping sticks. Extendable pocket bellow (see description below) One kindling log Comes in a storage bag with carabiner
TINDER TUBE Use this cotton rope to easily start a fire. Simply char one end and ignite with a spark to use as ember. When finished, simply pull rope back into the tube to exstingush the ember by cutting off its oxygen.
POCKET BELLOW Extends from 3.6 in (9.3 cm) to 19 in (48.5 cm) Use this tool to carefully add oxygen to a fire by blowing through the WIDE END of the straw into the heart of the fire. The extension helps you to keep your face away from the fire.
Kindling LOGS Several kindling logs in a small tin for easy storage and to keep dry. You only need one to get a fire started!
MAke YOUR own tinder! Your box includes 2 wax discs and cotton rounds so you can easily try out the DIY waxed cotton round activity!
THE FIRE TRIANGLE
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A fi ca re n u wi se eed th wh s O a e X ge ir to n fu YG ne re el EN ra le bu to te as e rns sta c Ox om hea , it r y lit b e t yg en usti and acts o (A ir)
Oxygen, heat, and e referred to as the "fire triangle." Without any one of them, you will not have a fire.
Fuel (Wood) To start a fire, there must be material to burn, which is referred to as FUEL. Fuel is any kind of combustible material. In the case of building a fire, it should be your tinder, kindling, and wood
YOUR MAIN SOURCES OF FUEL What is Tinder? Tinder is very dry, light, and thin material that can ignite easily. Tinder types include cotton rounds, dry grass, cat tail fluff, or dry bark from a birch tree.
What is Kindling? Kindling are smaller pieces of flammable materials, such as leaves or twigs. You can also use clean, basic paper or carton torn into smaller pieces.
Larger pieces of wood will help keep the fire going and are your sustaining fuel source.
USES OF FIRE 1
WARMTH
3
PROTECTION
One of fire's most common uses is to keep us warm. That's why campfires are so popular during late summer and fall season when it gets cooler outside at night.
A fire is typically a good source to keep animals away from you. Smoke is also a natural insect repellent, especially if you add herbs, such as lavendar or mint, to it.
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NOURISHMENT Campfires are a fun way to roast marshmallows and make s'mores. In a survival situation, fire can help you cook all kinds of food so you stay well nourished.
ide Q. If H20 is On the ins ’s at Wh t, an dr hy of a fire ? de tsi ou e th on
2
LIGHT
Historically, fire has been used to provide light. Even only 150 years ago, our ancestors used candles for light. And today, candles are good to have during an outage.
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S.O.S.
Simply seeing the smoke from fire can signal to others where you are located. Using the Morse Code you learned from your first box, you can also signal S-O-S.
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BOIL WATER
If you already received your water box, you might have learned that boiling water for at least 3 minutes is essential to get rid of any bacteria and to make it safe to drink.
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FIRE BUILDING BASICS Each year in the United States, thousand to millions of acres of woodlands and grasslands burn. Many of these fires are set by people who were careless with their campfires. Make sure you are being safe when building your fire! Don't do this without an adult! Below are the steps for learning to build a fire:
1 prepare your fire site Your fire must always be under complete control. Clean the fire site down to bare soil, sand, or rocks to a diameter of about 15 ft (or 5 m). Ground should be clear of leaves, grass, sticks, etc. Never use a site at the base of a tree or near one as the heat can kill the roots. Also avoid mossy ground to prevent fire from smoldering underground.
2 Learn about Fire building materials Tinder: Material that catches fire easily with a match or spark. As it burns it sets fire to the kindling. Kindling: Good dry sticks and twigs. Use dead branches still on trees that snap easily. “If you can’t snap it, scrap it!” As it burns, it sets fire to the fuel wood. Fuel: Good, firm pieces of wood to keep your fire going.
3 build a FIre & Keeping it going Learn different ways to build a fire and how to keep it going! This booklet shows you five of the most commonly used campfire types in detail later on. On the next page, you'll see example of a couple small fire places you can build for easy camp cooking using a pot or pan on the next page.
4 Put your fire out As soon as you are done with the fire, PUT IT OUT!! More detailed instructions on how to safely put out a fire are listed later in this booklet!
5 Leave no Trace Behind If not using a fire ring, leave no trace of your fire. After the fire is completely out, “garden” the ashes into the ground. Replace any turf you may have removed. Make the spot look like as if no one had been there.
SMALL, easy FIRE PLACES FOR Cooking The simple Threepoint fireplace, Just place three rocks of even size around the fire. Or punch three metal tent pegs into the ground.
Hunter’s Fire
Threepoint fireplace
To build a Hunter’s fire, place two large logs close enough together and build a fire between the logs, which will support your utensils. Since the fire eats up the logs from the inside, you will have to replace them from time to time.
KINDS OF WOOD When thinking about the kind of wood to use for your campfire, keep the following in mind:
Soft Wood Soft wood is made by trees that grow quickly, such as pine, cedar, aspen, and birch trees. Soft wood is good for starting fires; however it burns up quickly and does not leave good coals.
Birch tree
Pine tree
Hard Wood Hard wood is made by trees that grow slowly, such as oak, maple, ash, or hickory. Hard wood is very firm and feels heavy compared to soft wood. Hard wood burns slowly and produces good coals. It takes a good fire to get started, but can burn for a long time.
Oak tree
Maple tree
INDOOR CAMPING? If you want to pretend building your own fire indoors, you obviously don't want to use real flames. So use this fun activity to build a fake campfire inside!
You'll Need
Empty water bottle Red and orange construction paper (or color your own!)
Scissors & Tape Red food coloring Water Flashlight
iNSTRUCTIONS Cut both the red and orange construction paper into larger and smaller pieces to resemble flames. Layer the orange flames under the red flames without much overlap and tape everything down. Pour approx. 1 oz (or 25 ml) water into your bottle. Add a few drops of red food coloring and shake. If desired, place in a bowl or pot to keep stable. When it gets dark, shine a flashlight through the bottom of your campfire. The light will make your colored water glow. As the water moves around, it will seem like your fire is “dancing�. Have fun with it! Maybe even trick someone by pretending you made a real fire in your house
COLLECTING MATERIALS If you want to pretend building your own fire indoors, you obviously don't want to use real flames. So use this fun activity to build a fake campfire inside!
TINDER
Tinder can come from dry grass, cattail fluff, birch tree bark, or anything that can ignite a spark! Very thin and no longer than your stretched hand
Enough to fill a circle made by your hands
KINDLING Kindling are typically small pieces of dry, soft wood, such as pine needles or cones, leaves, or small twigs. About as thick as your thumb and as long as your forearm
Enough for an armload full
FUEL For your fuel, collect larger dry wood - enough to ensure that you always have a good sized stack next to your fire. About as thick as your wrist and as long as your entire arm
Enough for a stack as high as your shin
ALWAYS REMEMBER Below are some key rules around fire building. You may see them repeated throughout this booklet, but only because they are meant to keep you and nature safe. Always have an adult with you when you are trying to build and start a fire. Never build a fire within 15 feet of your shelter, tent, or anything else that can catch fire. Respect the fire. It gets hot, really hot, and can quickly burn you if you get too close. When building a fire, always start small and add larger pieces as the fire picks up A fire can quickly get out of control, so NEVER walk away from a fire and leave it unattended. Never start a fire in windy or extremely dry conditions. Always check your state's warnings. If you are visiting a campground, find out if they prohibit the use of outside firewood and sell their own pre-cut logs on site.
WAYS TO BUILD A FIRE As mentioned in the resource cards, there are several ways to build a fire. Below are instructions for the more common ones. Never build a fire on grass or anything that could easily catch on fire! Use an existing fire pit or a dry area made of sand or stone!
The Pyramid Start with two larger logs to build the base of your fire. Stack layers of medium sized logs in the opposite direction. Continue stacking layers with smaller logs on each layer until you've built a "pyramid." Place your kindling and tinder on top to start your fire.
2. Fun Note Did you know that potato chips make a great fire starter?
1.
The log cabin Start by placing 2 sticks of the same size parallel to each other on a concrete or brick platform. Then place 2 more sticks on top of them going the opposite direction to create a square. Continue this until it is as high as you want or about 4 inches tall. Now put tinder and kindling inside the middle and light it. When it starts burning, you can add logs to it to keep the fire going.
the teepee Collect some evenly sized, medium sticks and lean them up against each other slanted so they make a teepee tent shape. Then put your tinder and kindling inside. Finally, light the tinder and make yourself a nice easy campfire.
4. The star
3.
The lean-to Grab a large, dry piece of wood and lay your kindling perpendicular to the log, oriented into the wind. Then add some tinder underneath and light it. This fire building method is quick to assemble and can be used in many different conditions.
5.
Start building this long-lasting and low maintenance fire by making a teepee fire first. Once it is burning, place larger logs with one end towards the flames. As the logs are being burnt down, push them into the center. Or, if you dug a small hole with sloping sides, gravity will pull the wood into the center for you.
USING YOUR FIRESTARTER You are probably really excited to test out your new fire starter to see if you can build a fire. If you have read all the previous pages, you might be ready. So let's do it! Get an adult, get outside, and follow the instructions below.
STUFF YOU NEED All your fire starter supplies from your box An outdoor fire pit (in your backyard or a park) Water, so you can extinguish the fire
DIRECTIONS
1. 2. 3. 4.
Choose your fire pit and type of fire you want to build. Remember, your fire pit needs to be away from grass and any dry wood or trees. Grab one piece of your home-made cotton tinder and use your fingers to open it up as much as possible so it can more easily catch a spark. Or light the end of your tinder tube! Place it at the bottom center of your fire pit. Get your fire striker. Grasp the flint wood handle in one hand and the striker bar in your dominant one. Hold the flint at a 45 degree angle next to thetinder. Then, as you maintain pressure on the rod, swipe the strike at a 45 degree angle down the flint rod away from you to create a spark. You may have to repeat the process until the metal under the black coating is exposed. Be careful, the sparks are hot! Repeat until your tinder catches fire. Once the tinder is ignited, unroll one of your kindling logs and loosen it up a bit. Then carefully throw it on top of the tinder.
5.
As the kindling catches fire, you can start adding smaller pieces of wood. As the fire gets going, you can slowly add larger pieces of wood. If you used the tinder tube, pull it through the metal tube to extinguish and out of the fire.
A
B
C
D
E
F Read the next two pages to learn about campfire safety and how to safely put out a fire!
CAMPFIRE SAFETY TIPS As you're building your fire, it is important that you do it safely and with the following tips in mind: Build fire at least 15 feet away from overhanging branches, dry grass, leaves, basically anything that could catch fire.
Keep fire as small as possible. Surround it by rocks or use an existing fire ring.
Never leave a fire unattended. Even a small breeze could quickly cause the fire to spread.
Start with small sticks and dry twigs and leaves. A good fire builder does not need kerosene to start the fire.
Add larger sticks as the fire builds up. Dead and downed wood burns easily and should be used rather than cutting down branches.
Put the bigger pieces on last and point them toward the center, pushing them into the flames.
HOW TO PUT OUT FIRE Before you leave your fire, make sure it is completely extinguished with no chance of rekindling after you leave. Follow these simple steps:
1. Start putting the fire out 20 minutes in advance.
3.
2. Gently and gradually sprinkle water over the fire site.
4.
Stir the embers with a stick or Make sure that there is no steam, shovel while you sprinkle water heat, or noise emerging from and spread logs apart your fire site. Cover with rocks and dirt before you leave If you don't have water, put sand or dirt over your fire and stir with a stick or shovel. Make sure the dirt is clear of flammable material, such as twigs or pine needles.
DIY FIRE STARTER (TINDER) These small cotton pad fire starters are perfect to pack for camping because they are light, waterproof, and have great burning power. Have an adult do this activity with you.
STUFF YOU NEED Wax disc Cotton rounds Tweezers
Multi-tool or butter knife Foil or wax paper Microwave safe glass dish
1
2
Start by chopping the wax discs into small chips about the size of your fingernail.
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Pour wax chips into the glass dish and microwave for two mins or until wax is melted
4
Caution: It will be hot!
With an adult, safely place glass jar in your work space
5 Place cotton pad on a piece of foil or wax paper until it dries and hardens.
Using tweezers, place cotton pad into the glass dish until fully coated on both sides.
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Store your fire starters in the included bag. They are now ready for your next adventure!
DIY FIRE EXTINGUISHER What you need
1.
Baking Soda Vinegar Funnel
A glass bottle Small candle Matches or lighter
2.
Ask an adult to help you light a small candle.
3.
Fill your glass bottle with 1/4 cup of vinegar. Use your funnel to quickly drop 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda into the bottle
Hold the bottle at an angle near the candle without spilling the mixture, so that the carbon dioxide can flow out of the bottle. Watch how the flame gets extinguished!
Why does it work?
st stressful Q. What is the mo g a dragon? thing about bein
A. Trying to blow out the candles on their birthday!
Vinegar and baking soda form Carbon Dioxide, a colorless, odorless gas, which is heavier than air and can therefore put out a flame!
MYTHS You might have seen or heard of survival tricks when it comes to fire building or escaping fire. Some tips can be really useful, while others are simply not going to work.
MYTH #1 While you may see hair, fur, or feathers show up as tinder in Hollywood movies - don't believe it! Unless they are really oily or greasy, hair, fur, and feathers cannot stay lit. They can burn up in a fire, but they cannot burn on their own.
MYTH #2 Some people believe that fire doesn’t spread very quickly. In reality, even a small fire can spread fast and turn into a massive fire in just a few minutes. Therefore, follow the rules on fire safety in the booklet to ensure your fire doesn’t get out of control.
MYTH 3 Most people think that fire is what injures people. But especially in an enclosed environment, like a home, it’s the smoke that is most dangerous. Therefore, as soon as you smell or see a fire, get yourself out of the house!
"FIRE" ANIMALS These animals may not be made out of fire or be able to produce fire, but they have the word fire in their names.
Fire Ants Fire ant is the common name for several species of ants. Their scientific name is Solenopsis. Fire ants love warm weather and sunshine and avoid shady and dark areas. It hurts to get stung by a fire ant and you will feel some burning (just like it hurts when you touch something hot). Each sting will turn into an itchy white blister over the next day. Just treat it as you would treat a burn wound.
Fireflies Fireflies at night are so beautiful. During their peak season, they light up the air with their glowing bellies, which also gives them the name "lightning bug." This light production is due to a type of chemical reaction called bioluminescence (yea, say that word three times fast!). Here are two interesting facts about their glow: 1) The stuff that produces the light in their bellies tastes really bad, so predators stay away. 2) The flashing helps them attract other fireflies.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO? You are out on a camping trip with your family. It is early in the afternoon, but the air is cold, so you decide to start a campfire. You followed all the campfire safety tips and took extra precaution by starting a fire at least 15 feet away from everything in an open area with no branches hanging overhead. Everything was going great until suddenly a gust of wind comes through and blows a small piece of burning coal (also known as an ember) into a nearby field. Since it didn't rain much over the past couple weeks, the field is very dry. After a while you notice that some of the dried brush is beginning to smoke - the first sign of a fire!
FUN FACT:
Once airborne, an ember can travel up to 1 mile in the wind
At what point do you stay try to away, and when do you put out the fire?
How would you try to put it out?
Where is your safe zone? When do you call 9-1-1?
o
Q. What did the volcan say To his wife?
A. I lava you
KEEP IT SAFE When working around fire and flames, it's important to know what is highly flammable and needs to be kept at a distance from fire. Look at the reference below. Would you have guessed the flammability of these common items?
Gasoline
Flour
NON-Dairy Creamer
Oranges CItric ACID
Sulfur
Steel
Diesel Fuel
Sand
Stones
Water
HOME SAFETY TIPS Remember these rules at home to ensure you stay safe from potential fires: make sure your oven and stove are turned off when 1 Always you aren't using it for cooking. leave candles unattended. And never play with matches 2 Don't or lighters. sure your home has working smoke alarms. And keep a 3 Make fire extinguisher near the kitchen. Stay at least 3 feet (or 1 meter) away from any flammable space heater
GLOBAL FEATURE:
Uluru Australia Uluru, or more commonly known as Ayers Rock or simply "The Rock", is a large sandstone monolith in the heart of Australia's Northern Territory’s dry "Red Centre", about 280 miles (450 km) away from its nearest large town, Alice Springs. The rock is located within the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and is estimated to be around 550 million years old. It is considered one of the most prominent landmarks of Australia. Uluru is sacred to indigenous Australians. They believe it is a resting place for past ancient spirits of the region. The area around it is home to several springs, waterholes, rock caves, and ancient paintings. Many think the rock is most beautiful during sunset and sunrise, and often comment how it seems to glow like an ember
The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park also includes the 36 red-rock domes of the Kata Tjuta (colloquially “The Olgas�) formation. The name actually means 'many heads' in traditional Aboriginal language
Wildlife At first glance, it might look like that the desert landscape would be a barren wasteland with little wildlife. In contrary, the National Park features many different species of birds, mammals, and reptiles living among its plants and geological formations. Many of these animals developed unique ways of surviving in the harsh environment of Central Australia. One of the most fascinating Australian lizards is the Thorny Devil, a small lizard covered in densely packed spikes. The Thorny Devil walks with an unusual rocking motion - likely to confuse birds of prey It only eats ants, so it likes to place itself beside an ant trail for easy access. Using its sticky tongue, it can eat thousands of ants in a single day. To absorb water, it stands in wet sand or a puddle; water then runs up its legs and spreads over its body to the mouth via narrow grooves between scales. Thorny devils are light yellow and red during warm weather, and turn darker during cold weather or when alarmed.
FIND THE ESCAPE ROUTE Tim's parents just planned their family escape route in the event of a house fire. Tim's parents want to put him to the test and see if he was listening. They decide to do a fire drill at home. Help Tim through the maze and out of the house so he can meet his parents at the family safe point.
Test yourself: 1) Time your first try to see how long it takes you to find the exit when you are not familiar with the route. 2) Re-trace your steps and see how long it takes you to get to the exit when you know the route!
t ar St
One S’more Happy Ending.
End
EMPATHY: WILDFIRES A wildfire, also known as a forest fire or brush fire, is an uncontrolled fire which often occurs in wildland areas. Wildfires typically begin small and unnoticed, but spread quickly by engulfing trees, brush, agricultural fields, and homes. They can cover areas of several million acres Wildfires typically happen in the summer and fall during extended dry, hot periods, also known as droughts. With little rainfall, dried vegetation can easily catch fire. To stop the fire from spreading and to extinguish them, fire fighters are often working all day and night and are spending time away from their own family to help others. They are some of our true super heroes!
Losing your home Thousands of people lose their homes to fire every year. Fires can destroy not only their house but also everything that is in it: furniture, toys, electronics, pictures, letters, and more! Imagine how difficult it would be having to rebuild your home and replace everything in it. Always practice fire safety!
Give Thanks & Lend a Hand Use the enclosed postcard and send a thank you note to your local fire department. And next time you hear about someone losing their home to a fire, you might be able to help out by donating. To learn more about wildfires and how to prevent them, check out the Smokey Bear website: www.smokeybear.com
Death Valley National Park is at the border of eastern California and Nevada and is the hottest and driest place in North America. As a desert valley, it lacks rainfall and therefore surface water. It often sees temperatures above 100°F or 38°C To avoid the high temperatures, the normal season for visiting the park is from mid-October to mid-May. One of its most popular sites is Titus Canyon, with a ghost town and colorful rocks. Death Valley is also popular for stargazing as it has one of the darkest night skies in the U.S.
Can animals survive there? Despite its inhospitable appearance and conditions that may seem harsh to humans, Death Valley is home to many different wildlife species. These animals adapted to the heat and dryness so they can thrive in such an unlikely place. In fact, the park is home to several "traditional" species, such as coyotes, bobcats, desert bighorn sheep, various bat species, gophers, kangaroo rats, foxes, badgers, ringtails, and even some mountain lions. Some animals you may not want to encounter are the rattle snake or the tarantula whose bites are toxic to humans.