Firewood Tricks

Early Spring can bring spectactular family time!  The following tricks for finding and gathering dry firewood are extraordinarily practical and work great when approached as “games” that children and parents can play together.

1. “Squaw Wood” – Though the term Squaw Wood is sometimes in question, generally this refers to dry branches that can be found at the bases of evergreen trees.  The boughs and uppers branches of the trees tend to protect the Squaw Wood from rain, making it an excellent choice for kindling.  One game, that works especially well in a predominately deciduous forest, is to have children scan the hillsides for evergreen trees.  From a distance they stand out really well.  Dry Squaw Wood can normally be found there.

2. Pitch Stumps – Pine stumps often consist of hardened sap, called Pitch or Fatlighter, which is highly flammable.  Any easy way to find the Pitchwood is to simply kick a stump.  Once the rotten wood falls away, the Pitchwood normally remains, as it is much stronger.  I like to make shavings from the Pitchwood to use as tinder.  Often it can be split into kindling as well. Once children start to look for these stumps as a game, they will start to notice them everyone, even when they are not looking for Pitch specifically.  *Of course, supervision is necessary if children are using cutting tools as part of the game.

3. Cedar Stumps – These are sought for ease of use.  Cedar is very easy to split into kindling, and long pieces work well for making shavings for tinder.

4. “Standing Dead” – The split wood of standing-but-dead trees is a great place to find dry firewood (assuming the top of the tree is not broken and hollow to allow water to seep in.)  This technique is more advanced, as a saw, ax, or large knife is often needed to split into the wood.  Again, fine shavings can be used for tinder, with long, thin pieces being used for kindling.

The ability to find firewood is a valuable skill, and the “games” listed above will help you and your children to hone the skill.  The warm fire at the end of the game is the best reward!

Water filter

A variety of events can contaminate ordinary, working sources of water.  For example, rainstorms, or even worse, hurricanes, can pollute tap-water that is normally clean.  In other cases, a pond or puddle may be used as a water source.  With a little improvisation these problems can be remedied, allowing for better-tasting, better-smelling water.  NOTE:  This type of filter will NOT purify water, but is meant to be used in conjunction with a purification method (boiling, iodine, bleach, etc ….)

The figure above illustrates a three-stage water filter built out of a tripod and porous cloth.  This simple device is highly effective in cleansing drinking water.  I have seen a version of this constructed out of a plastic milk jug that washed up on the beach (a large, plastic soda bottle would work as well.)  In this case, the bottom of jug was removed with a knife and a piece of cloth was placed over the jug’s mouth.  The inner layers of the filter were the same as in the image: charcoal, sand, and grass.

Projects such as this water filter can also make for great fun on family outings and camping trips.  Again, ensure that the water is PURIFIED before drinking it, and experiment with filters such as this one to improve the look and taste.

Oma's muesli repen

In dit recept zijn marshmallows het sleutel ingrediënt. Het zijn prima tussendoortjes.

Bovendien zijn ze licht, bederven ze niet en zijn ze gemakkelijk uit het vuistje te eten. Bereid ze vervolgens het recept hier onder of rooster ze op een spiesjes boven het kampvuur.

Voor 12 repen Bereiding: 10 min

3 eetlepels margarine

280 gram marshmallows (een pak)

300 gram gemengde noten en rozijnen

100 gram cornflakes of geplofte rijst

250 gram muesli

Thuis:

Smelt in een grote pan de margarine en voeg geleidelijk de marshmallows toe.

Verwarm zacht tot het mengsel volledig is gesmolten.

Roer er de noten, rozijnen, cornflakes of rijst en muesli door en meng alle ingrediënten.

Giet het mengsel op een bakplaat en spreid het gelijkmatig uit.

Laat het 15 minuten staan en snijd het dan in repen.

Verpak elke reep in aluminiumfolie.

Je kunt ze het best binnen vier dagen opeten.

Smakelijke haverkoekjes

Deze smakelijke koekjes zijn zelfs gemakkelijk onderweg te maken, want je hoeft ze niet te bakken. Het enige wat je moet doen is het één en ander mengen en wat water koken.

Voor 12 koekjes Bereiding: 12 minuten

2 eetlepels boter of margarine

25 gram chocolade melkpoeder

150 gram havervlokken

2 eetlepels poedermelk

snufje zout

3 eetlepels pindakaas

70 gram suiker

Thuis:

Verhit 50 ml water in een grote pan. Voeg boter en chocolade poeder toe en breng aan de kook. Voeg de rest van de ingrediënten toe, behalve de suiker, en meng goed.

Vorm er balletjes (ongeveer 12) van, druk ze plat op een plaat en bestrooi ze met suiker. Verpak ze in luchtdichte zakjes en bewaar ze op een koele donkere plek.

Ze blijven ongeveer een week goed. Wil je ze langer bewaren, leg ze dan in de koelkast.