Carving Strap Drill Kits

Today was a beautiful day in the woods! It was nice to see the sun after so much rain this fall. We gathered for an opening circle and played a lively game of Bob the Weasel. After a fun new game called Coyote Steals Fire, we hiked up to our campsite to eat snack.  

Now that our bodies had moved and gotten food, we started our main activity of the day: carving strap drill kits with a partner.

A strap drill is used to make a friction fire with two people. One person presses down on a stick fit in a hole on a board, while the other person pulls back and forth on a strap wrapped around the stick. With a lot of hard work, this friction generates a coal, which can be used to make a fire.

After lunch, we tried a fun challenge where we split into six groups. Every group got a green pepper and a raw egg. The groups had to work together to light a fire and cook the egg and the pepper as quickly as possible. It was a lot of fun and the eggs were delicious! 

Next, we headed down to the parking lot and played a fun game called Foxtails. We ended the day with a closing circle where we all shared something we learned today. 

—Josh, Theresa, and the FOREST counselors

Flying Deer Nature Center