Hey guides! sorry for this late post on firelighting but here's more information and tips on firelighting that'll be useful the next time we have fire lighting :)
Safety checks before fire lighting (SAFETY IS ALWAYS FIRST):
1.
Pail of water to douse fire
2. Newspaper and trash bag for rubbish and residue
3. Check equipment and area ard
- Are there any cracks on the handle close to the blade?
- Is the blade firmly attached or is it unstable?
- Is there sufficient space for fire lighting? Consider: number of people, number of turfs, overhanging trees/branches
- Ensure that there is two cangkul dist between whoever is turfing and observer. Observers should be at least one meter away from turfer.
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| This scenario should never appear: If the cangkul is not in good condition, inform the seniors instead of just leaving it there. Also, the position of the cangkul is wrong. |
4. The blade of the cangkul MUST beEMBEDDED INTO THE GRASS WHEN NOT IN USE.
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| Your cangkul should ALWAYS be placed in this manner when NOT IN USE. |
5. Hair should be neatly tied up, accessories off.
Steps for firelighting:
1. Prepare for turfing, ensure that all safety precautions are taken care of.
2. Lay out the punk, kindling and twigs that you have collected on a newspaper in order of size
3. Use your master hand to grip the top of the cangkul (nearer to blade) and your other hand to be below the master hand in a comfortable position but do not hold the cangkul right at the end.
4. Use your body weight to turf, not your back/arms. We need the swinging action so that your cangkul can go deep into the ground.
5. You should be turfing a square that is just slightly bigger than the cangkul blade such that the cangkul can fit into the depression.
6. Each time you swing the cangkul into the ground, try to lift up the ground a little and loosen the piece of land.
7. When the piece of ground is ready to be taken out, swing your cangkul in one last time and then try to shift the cangkul under the turfed piece of land and then lift it up. The piece of land that comes out should look like a 'cake' instead of many separate pieces. This is so that when you place is back into the ground, it will look like it wasn't dug up before.
8. After which, continue to turf the sides of the depression such that you create a perfect square and make the surfaces more even. Then, remove the soil in the depression using your cangkul and place it on another piece of newspaper.
9. Now that you have removed the piece of land, you are ready to start the fire! Lay some thick twigs at the base of the depression as the soil might be wet.
10. Shape punks(leaves from casuarina trees, a.k.a. maomao) into a nest and place it above the twigs.
11. Light the nest of punks. Stay low when lighting the matchstick. After the matchstick has caught fire, wait for awhile so that the brown part of the matchstick has caught fire before you place it at the bottom of the nest (this is so that the fire can spread from the base to the top)
12. Wait for the fire to spread, you can attempt to light more matchsticks to start more fires. After the fire gets bigger, throw in the kindlings and twigs in random directions.
13. If the fire is dying out, blow in strong, short breaths, after the fire has revived, throw in more twigs and continue to blow until the fire is stable. Do not blow against the wind direction as smoke will get into your eyes and the fire will be burning in your direction.
14. Only resort to using punks when the fire is not rescuable anymore. Note that punks are used to start fires while twigs and kindlings are used to maintain the fire.
15. Place two pieces of thick, stable wood on top of the pit, parallel to each other.
16. Rest your messtin on top and COOOK
17. Continue to feed the fire to keep it going
18. Enjoy your food with your patrol mates :D (and the patrol-less four -hint-) heheh
19. Pack up. Sprinkle water over the embers and ensure that the fire has completed died out. Also ensure that all the white embers have turned black. Leave the embers to cool for awhile while you pack your surroundings. Clear all your mess tins and utensils and wash them (DO NOT CLOG UP THE SINK)
20. Use the cangkul to dig up those embers and debris. Place it in a newspaper and throw it away.
21. Place the things you have removed from the ground back into the ground. Remember that the first that was dug up is the last to go back in, vice versa.
22. Jump on the area that was dug up and try to make it look flawless :D
23. Ensure that your area is completely clean and that there is no more food particles left behind.
OKAY THAT IS ALL :)
FIRE LIGHTING IS COOL AND FUN AND ITS A WAY OF SURVIVAL IN THE WILD ;) ALWAYS RMB TO DO IT SRLY AND THAT SAFETY IS ALWAYS NUMBER ONE.
If you still have any questions, feel free to clarify your doubts with any of the seniors.
Sec1s and 2s, please ensure that all of you have your own mess tin by the next activity :) It is sold at any of the army shops :D (eg. safra, army shop at pasir ris bus interchange thr, etc.)
LOOOOVELOADS
bingpeicl :)
