Fires & Cooking Scoutcraft Badge

Fire and cooking are some of the most enjoyable and useful Scout skills. In the Fires & Cooking Scoutcraft Badge, you'll learn how to choose the right firewood, build, and safely manage cooking fires, prepare tasty outdoor meals, and use camp and hiking stoves with confidence. You'll also plan balanced Patrol menus, care for your campsite and equipment, minimise waste, and leave every campsite better than you found it. By the end of the badge, you'll be ready to help your Patrol prepare safe, enjoyable meals on any camp or hike.

Badge Requirements

Use Fire Safely
1. Explain two common causes of veld or bush fires or fynbos fires and describe how these fires can spread.
2. Before lighting a fire, demonstrate how you would prepare a safe fireplace and the precautions you would take to prevent the fire from spreading.
3. Demonstrate how to safely manage a fire while it is burning and how to completely extinguish it using water or sand.
4. Explain when a fire extinguisher should be used and describe the PASS method (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep).
Use Cooking Stoves Safely
1. Demonstrate the safe use of either a camp gas stove or lightweight hiking stove, including checking the stove and connections before use, lighting it safely, controlling the flame, turning it off and allowing it to cool before packing it away.
2. Demonstrate how to safely disconnect the stove and gas supply (where appropriate) or safely replace the gas cartridge or cylinder where applicable, and clean, pack and store the stove after use.
3. Explain when using a camp gas stove or lightweight hiking stove may be more suitable than cooking over a wood fire.
Choose the Right Firewood
Collect and burn three different types of wood commonly found in your area. Where possible, use wood from alien tree species where this may be done legally and responsibly. Demonstrate the burning properties of each and explain which type you would choose for different cooking tasks, such as quickly boiling water or cooking over a steady fire.
Build and Light Cooking Fires
1. Build two different basic cooking fire lays and one advanced cooking fire lay. Choose from examples such as teepee, log cabin or star fire for the basic fire lays, and trench, altar or reflector fire for the advanced fire lay. Explain when each fire lay is best suited for cooking.
2. Using either only two matches or a ferro rod (fire steel), light one of your fire lays.
Plan a Patrol Menu
1. Identify common dietary requirements (for example vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher, food allergies and food intolerances, religious or cultural requirements.) and explain how they affect menu planning for your Patrol.
2. Find out whether any members of your Patrol have specific dietary requirements and adapt your menu where necessary.
3. Plan a balanced one-day camp menu for your Patrol consisting of breakfast, lunch, and a three-course supper. Include at least one meal that meets a specific dietary requirement.
4. Calculate the quantities of food needed for your Patrol and estimate the total cost using prices from a local store.
5. Present and discuss your completed menu with your examiner. Explain how your menu provides a balanced diet, describe how the meal you adapted meets the relevant dietary requirement, and explain how you accommodated any dietary requirements in your Patrol.
Cook Outdoors
1. Build a camp fireplace suited to the natural surroundings. Light a fire and prepare the following for your Patrol or a group of at least four people:
  - Porridge
  - A one-pot stew containing a suitable combination of meat and vegetables, or a vegetarian stew containing suitable vegetables and other appropriate ingredients.
2. Construct a conservation stove before the practical assessment with the badge examiner. Demonstrate your completed stove to the examiner and safely use it to boil water and prepare a hot drink.
3. Using the conservation stove and either a lightweight hiking stove or camp gas stove at the same time, boil equal quantities of water and prepare a hot drink.
4. Compare the two methods and explain when using a gas stove or conservation stove may be more suitable than cooking over a wood fire.
5. Prepare and cook either a damper or a twist over a campfire.
Camp Kitchen Skills
Demonstrate the following practical camp kitchen skills:
1. Food Storage and Hygiene – Safely store food during camp to prevent spoilage and contamination by insects, animals, and the weather. Explain how good food-hygiene helps prevent food-borne illness.
2. Kitchen Safety – Demonstrate how to prevent accidents in a camp or indoor kitchen, including safe knife handling, the safe use of hot cookware, and good hygiene practices.
3. Measuring Ingredients – Accurately measure dry and liquid ingredients using suitable scales, measuring cups and spoons.
4. Table Setting and Etiquette – Correctly set a table for a camp or indoor meal and demonstrate good table manners.
Leave Your Cooking Area Clean
After preparing a meal, demonstrate how to clean your camp kitchen and cooking area. Apply the principles of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle by:
- Separate and dispose of waste responsibly.
- Cleaning and storing all cooking equipment and utensils correctly.
- Completely extinguishing the fireplace and leaving the cooking area clean, safe, and ready for the next user.
Care for Patrol Equipment
Demonstrate how to care for your Patrol's cooking equipment by completing the following:
1. Clean, inspect and safely store your Patrol's cooking equipment after use.
2. Check cooking equipment for damage, excessive wear or missing parts, and explain what action you would take if any equipment was found to be unsafe or unserviceable.
3. Demonstrate how to safely pack cooking equipment to help prevent damage during transport and storage.

Recommended Age Range: The Fires & Cooking Scoutcraft Badge is recommended for Scouts aged 11 to 14 years. The badge introduces essential core skills of outdoor cooking, fire craft, camp hygiene and meal planning through practical, hands-on activities suitable for younger Scouts. The practical tasks build confidence while remaining achievable during normal Troop camps and hikes. It provides an excellent foundation for later adventure, survival, and expedition badges without requiring advanced cooking techniques.

Badge Examiner: Training and examination for this badge should be conducted by a suitably qualified individual who has relevant experience or formal training in the specific field of expertise being assessed.

The ideal examiner is an experienced Troop Scouter, Assistant Troop Scouter who is competent in outdoor cooking, fire craft, and camp safety. The examiner should be familiar with SCOUTS South Africa's outdoor programme and assess the badge during normal Troop camps or outdoor activities, ensuring Scouts demonstrate practical skills safely and confidently in realistic camping situations.

Note to the Examiner:

Wherever possible, assess this badge during normal Troop camps, hikes, or other outdoor activities.
Emphasise practical demonstration rather than theoretical knowledge, allowing Scouts to demonstrate competence through authentic camp cooking and fire craft.
Requirements do not need to be completed during a single assessment and may be achieved over more than one camp or outdoor activity.
Alternative cooking methods or equipment may be used where appropriate, provided the Scout demonstrates the required skills safely and to the same standard.
Throughout the assessment, ensure that Scouts consistently apply safe fire practices, good food-hygiene, environmental responsibility, and Leave No Trace principles.
Ensure that fires are only lit where permitted and that all relevant fire restrictions, landowner requirements, and local regulations are followed.
Where menu planning and cooking involve dietary requirements or food allergies, assess the Scout's understanding of how these requirements have been safely accommodated in the planned meal.
The emphasis of this badge is on safe, practical outdoor cooking and teamwork rather than culinary expertise. Scouts should be assessed on sound planning, safe working practices, efficient use of equipment and their ability to prepare suitable outdoor meals for their Patrol.

Safe From Harm: Whilst completing the requirements for this badge, Scouts must not be placed in hazardous or dangerous situations under any circumstances. All activities must comply with SCOUTS South Africa Safe from Harm framework and be supervised by responsible adults. Participation should offer meaningful learning or service experiences while ensuring the Scout's safety and well-being at all times.

Badge Requirements in printable PDF format

Fires & Cooking Scoutcraft Badge (PDF)

Next Steps - Where This Badge Leads

Completion of this badge is required for the following Scoutcraft and/or Interest Badges:

Cook Scout Interest Badge

Last Update

August 2026

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