Campcraft
Campcraft is an activity at Birch Rock where campers learn how to use knifes, how to make fires, and other survival skills. It is one of the most popular activities at camp. Campcraft has four badges instead of the usual three most activities have. There is the Junior Badge, Senior, Advanced, and Ranger. Along with badges, a camper can earn his Knife, Fire, and Ax Rights at Campcraft. Campcraft is taught on the waterfront at Injun Joe's.
Contents
Knife Rights
With his Knife Rights a camper can keep a knife in his cabin and, with a counselor's permission, whittle during free time like second rest period or Cabin Night. Campers with their Knife Rights may also bring their knives on trips. For a camper to earn his Knife Rights he must show skill with a knife and have knowledge of proper knife care and handling. The steps to getting your knife rights are:
- Carve a feather stick (a thick stick with the bark removed and "feathers" cut into it so it can be used as kindling)
- Learn how to sharpen a knife
- Memorize the "4 Alwayses"
- Take the knife rights test
If a camper has his Jr. Campcraft Badge then he only needs to take the test to get his knife rights back. The Advanced badge bestows permanent knife rights. If a camper irresponsibly handles a knife then his knife rights will be revoked.
Fire Rights
Fire Rights allow you to build fires when they are needed around camp. Campers without their Fire Rights are not allowed to work with fire outside of campcraft.
Steps to earning your Fire Fights:
- Learn the basic theory of fire (heat, fuel, oxygen)
- Light a fire in 20 minutes with one match and keep it going well for another 40 minutes. A camper is only allowed one log for this test, the rest has to be foraged sticks. This is the main part of earning one's fire rights.
- Clean a fire pit
- Do the small fire rights oral test
As with knife rights, fire rights can be revoked and they need to be re earned every year unless you have your Junior Campcraft Badge in which case you can do a small oral test to get them back. A camper with his Advanced Campcraft Badge never needs to re earn his fire rights.
The Badges
Jr. Campcraft
The Junior Campcraft badge is the first Campcraft badge. It consists of three badge parts.
- Fire rights
- Knife rights
- Knowing four basic knots: the bowline, clove hitch, figure 8, and sheet bend
Senior Campcraft
- Natural Cordage
- Senior Knots
- Shelter Building
- Fire test using a magnesium block rather than a match
- Survival 101
Advanced Campcraft
The Advanced Badge is the third of the Campcraft series. It was the ultimate badge in Campcraft until the Ranger was reintroduced in 2005. With his Advanced badge a camper gains the permanent right to use an ax, a knife, or fire when at camp. Ax rights, while they are the 3rd Campcraft "rights" a camper may earn, are hardly ever used on campus. Experienced campers may sometimes use an ax on canoeing trips. The badge parts for the Advanced badge are as follows:
- Shelter building
- Axe Rights
- Chopping
- Splitting
- Sharpening
- Flint and steel fire
- Advanced knots
- Coal burned bowl and spoon
- Survival 201
Ranger
The Ranger is the fourth and final Campcraft badge.
- Main article: Ranger
