Backwoods Cooking Competition and Survival Challenge 20th-21st September 2008

Again we are combining these two events into one weekend at the same location (Broadstone Warren, meet at and collect from the Ranger Car Park - next to the Ashdown Centre).

Scouts can enter either one or both of the events, as they prefer.

The cost is just £2 per Scout for the Backwoods Cooking Competition/Training; £3 per Scout for the Survival Challenge; or £4 per Scout for both events

Applications need to be submitted by no later than Friday 12th September.

A. The Backwoods Cooking Competition

This will take place on Saturday 20th September, from 8:30 am until approximately 1:30pm. The event comprises a competition, for teams of two Scouts, and a separate training session, for younger Scouts who wish to learn the basics or improve their existing skills. The cost is £2 per person for either category, to cover the use of the site.

Backwoods Cooking Competition Rules

1. the event is open to teams of 2 Scouts.

2. the Scouts must be less than 14 years of age on the day of the competition.

3. each team must cook a balanced, two course meal sufficient for two people, comprising: a. A hot main course of meat (e.g. a chop, chicken breast or fish – NOT sausages, burgers etc.) (OR a suitable vegetarian alternative), plus one hot vegetable and a source of hot carbohydrates; and b. A hot sweet course (e.g. cooked fruit of any kind).

4. Each team must also prepare and cook a twist.

5. Each team must provide their own food, hygienically wrapped, together with a menu to hand in at the start. Water will be provided on site.

6. All food is to be prepared and cooked at the competition (e.g. bring the separate ingredients for the twist, rather than pre-prepared dough).

7. The food is to be cooked over a wood fire (using only wood collected at the site).

8. All food must be ready to eat between 11:30 and 12:30pm and MUST BE PRESENTED TO THE JUDGES FOR MARKING BEFORE IT IS EATEN! (The courses can be presented separately, but must be in the right order!).

9. Any cooking utensils, other than items included on the list below, must be made from natural materials by the teams at the competition.

10. Each team is required to bring with them the following items (and no others*):
a. Two penknives with folding blades (not flick-knives, sheath knives or kitchen knives);
b. Two forks (for eating the food with after it has been judged, not for anything else);
c. Aluminium foil (if required for preparing sauces etc, but not for cooking in);
d. A small (<10cm) box of natural tinder gathered by the Scouts in advance;
e. Paper, newspaper, leaves etc. (for cooking in, if required, not for fire lighting);
f. A clean sheet of polythene (for use as a food preparation surface);
g. 1 box of matches;
h. 1 small water carrier;
i. 1 hand axe and 1 bow saw (if required, by those who are judged by their leaders to be competent in their use). (* those who are also doing the survival challenge will have extra kit (e.g. plates, mugs etc) in their rucksacks but this must not be used in the backwoods cooking competition).

Judging

The backwoods cooking competition will be judged by members of the Ashdown District Scout Fellowship. Points will be awarded for the skills demonstrated on the day (wood gathering, fire lighting, cooking, hygiene and tidiness) and for the quality and originality of the completed meals.

Training Session

Several leaders will be on hand to run a separate training session at the same time as the competition. Those wishing to do the training should bring with them all the items listed above for those doing the competition, but the leaders will explain how the food can be prepared and cooked ‘backwoods’ style, as well as how to gather wood and light / maintain a suitable fire.

Clothing

All those taking part should wear old clothes appropriate to the weather conditions on the day, and should have full waterproofs, in case it rains. Hiking boots or wellies should be worn, if possible (and only those with boots will be allowed to use axes or bow saws). Uniform should NOT be worn, as it will get into a horrible mess!) For those staying on to do the survival challenge as well, a more complete kit list is given below.

B. The Survival Challenge

This will take place from the afternoon of Saturday 20th September, commencing at 2:00pm until approximately 11:30 am on Sunday 30th September. The event comprises a competition, for teams of between four and six Scouts, who may or may not have taken part in the earlier backwoods cooking competition (those who want to do both simply turn up at 8:30 instead of 2:00pm and bring everything that they need for both events). The cost is £3 per Scout, to cover camping fees and other costs The event involves camping overnight in an improvised shelter (bivouac), and so is NOT suitable for those who have never camped before, as a Scout. It is aimed mainly at those who already have some Scouting experience and who wish to learn, and be tested on, the more advanced skills needed to survive 'Ray Mears style' in the wild. They should already know how to light suitable fires and cook backwoods style, but they will be given some training in how to construct bivouac shelters from natural materials. Those who complete both the backwoods cooking competition (as competitors) and the survival challenge, together with the required preparation in advance (see below), will have completed most of the requirements for the Survival Skills Activity Badge (check out: http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/library/hqdocs/badges/scout-activitysusk.htm ). It will be up to individual Troop Leaders, however, to cover some of the additional requirements and to issue the badges.

“Be Prepared …”

The teams taking part will need to get together in advance to do some preparation. The first part of this is for the Scouts to learn, from their Troop Leader, how to recognise, prevent and treat the effects of extreme heat (hyperthermia, sunstroke and dehydration) and extreme cold (hypothermia). This must be done before the event. The Scouts should also know the correct First Aid treatment for external bleeding and shock, the correct method of applying CPR and the dangers involved in moving injured people. These are all requirements of the badge. Secondly, the Scouts will need to get together as a team and decide what they are going to cook for breakfast on the Sunday morning and then arrange to buy the food and bring it along to the event. This can be anything they like, as long as they do actually like it and it is cooked backwoods style! By this we mean cooked over an open fire without using utensils or pans of any kind, other than a single billy (which may be used to boil water only, for hot drinks, not for any kind of cooking) and any wooden implements that are made by the Scouts at the event. (So the third bit of preparation should be to practice cooking backwoods style breakfasts before the event!)

The Challenge

Saturday afternoon will be spent constructing bivouacs and gathering wood for fire lighting on Sunday morning. In the evening there will be a widegame and a campfire. The competition begins at first light on Sunday morning when the teams and their bivouacs will be inspected to see how they have survived overnight. Further points will then be awarded for fire lighting, teamwork and for the quality, suitability and originality of the cooking, which must comprise a hot meal and a hot drink. The final part of the challenge will be to clear up so that there is no trace of having been there, and points will be awarded for how well and how quickly this is done.

Kit List for the Survival Challenge

The following kit list relates just to the survival challenge and includes many items that are additional to the things required for the backwoods cooking competition. Each Scout will need:
• A rucksack to contain all your belongings (except for team food for cooking, see below).
• Packed ‘lunch’ for Saturday evening, which should be as ‘natural’ as possible and should not include sweets, crisps or fizzy drinks of any kind.
• (Full) drinking water bottle. (Water will be available for refills)
• Warm clothes, comprising thin layers (tee shirt plus long sleeved shirt or sweatshirt, plus warm, qui