Using alternate ways to start a fire might be enjoyable for him.

 

Since this is his first time just let him experience it, enjoy it. Make smores, bannock etc... Lots of time yet to teach him, doesn't have to be a school outing everytime.
Oh yah GHOST STORIES a must.....

 

If you've got a clear night, show him how to find Polaris, the north star.

^^^^^
What he said!!!
If he doesn't already have his own knife....present him one on this trip.
I still have and remember that day my dad gave me my first knife!

I would go with these 3. Just let him have a good time with guy's he can look up to. Give your nephew a hug and tell him welcome back, from all of us here.
________________
"FIRE IN THE HOLE"

 

I'm taking my step son on his first "camping" trip. It's not really camping (tents, cots, coleman stove, driving in...etc...) , more like a guy's weekend with one of my brothers and nephew who just got back from Afghanistan. Essentially just a welcome back for my nephew.

However I want to take advantage of the time since my step son has never been camping before. It's only going to be 1-2 nights tops (depends on my work). The only thing firm is going to be making rabbit stew with 1 of the rabbits my brother raises.

I'm thinking of maybe working on a squirrel pole or teaching him how to make primitive shelter.

Just looking for suggestions, the step son is 13 and is a complete novice.

Of course its camping, just because your not 'roughing' it does not detract from the fact that you are camping.

As someone said, don't 'teach' this trip (or the next) just let him enjoy being outdoors; making bannock is good, take some smoked bacon to go with the rabbit and get him cooking it (not much is better than the smell of bacon to build up an appetite)...the bottom line is to make the trip enjoyable and don't forget the beer

Have a great time :thumb:

 

Fire and knots. Easy, fun, and immediately useful.

 

I'd use a tent the first time out.. Throwing a kid into bushcraft head first is not a way to introduce them to the outdoors. Let him make the decision to sleep on the ground after the first trip out.
My youngest was hell to break in to the outdoors, he's much better now but I had to go easy on him.
He hated everything lol!

 

In scouts we would make camping trips fun for the boys so by the time they got to boy scouts they were ready to learn new things.

 

Teach the importance of making a fire and distilling/boiling water..........the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west....I get adults atving in my rural area that are stunned to learn that..

 

If you've got a clear night, show him how to find Polaris, the north star.

 

There are some cool Apps out there for stargazing that will move with you as you look at the night sky.

 

I agree with post #3. Just take him and let him have some fun. No real hardcore teaching, just show him things and let him go at his own pace. Maybe show him or talk him through a campfire. But no pressure, just experience. You might give him a piece of kit like his own SAK or Mora and demo safe knife skills.

 

^^^^^
What he said!!!
If he doesn't already have his own knife....present him one on this trip.
I still have and remember that day my dad gave me my first knife!

 

Yep, a knife or multi-tool is a must have.

 

fishing line, rubber snake = good times!

 

Dakota fire pit. I don't have a boy unfortunately, but I enjoyed showing my gf how to make a dakota pit once. She really got into it. I think the key is to know how to do these skills yourself, and do them, and enjoy doing them, and the child will be inclined to show an interest in what you are doing. That's how kids learn.

A snare pole is not very fun or imaginative, but if you know how to make more complex primitive traps that can be a lot of fun to do and teach a kid. And they can see it in action when you test it, unlike a squirrel pole (unless you happen to catch something the next day).

 

It's his first time, he doesn't need to know how to be Bear Grylls. He just needs to have fun so he has a second time.

Az

 

It is easy to overwhelm the novice. Do not make him feel puny. A 13 year old kid with a good attitude needs to gain some confidence. I would focus on the group nature of camping where everyone helps. Give him some positive reinforcement for being part of the team. You can show him stuff after he gets used to sleeping outside and everything that goes with it.

When I was younger, I wore at a couple of wives and girlfriends by giving them too much too soon.

 

OK, we could have some fun with this one!

 

+1 for making it fun. Animal track ID, fire making with safe placement and extinguishing, camp and personal hygiene, maybe a walk about with a map and compass.

 

make it fun, give him a basic slingshot to practice with under supervision. Not to take live game of course, just to hit some rocks on a stump form 15 yards

 

Fire building with magnesium block shavings and a spark -- kids see it as magic, and teach him knife safety and to whittle spears for roasting marshmallows on or larger as walking sticks.

 

When my daughter was 6, we went on our camping trip. I wanted to make it fun and interesting so I brought along some plaster of Paris and some cardboard strips. We made castings of every paw and hoof print we could find. Nineteen years later, she is still at it , has a great living room wall display and has fiancee that is really into it.

My little girl camps and casts whenever she has time to !

 

I agree , just make it a fun week end trip and "let","Don't make" him watch how you do things .
If he shows an interest in something ,let him take it as far as he wants to . He's foreign to this atmosphere .some city kids take time and some take off.
Your group will all have an influence , just let it flow naturally.
I find that if "I'm" too anxious, it can take the fun out of it.
Be safe and have fun.
Find your self a vintage boy scout hand book ,something from the 50s he can look at if he's interested .
If you are going to show him how a compass works , be the one using it regularly as an example ,and not just a one time event. have a map and orient your self to the land scape and your position and where camp is going to be and where the way out is . do is "as a matter-of-factly", not as a demonstration.
Kids watch the way we do things, more than what they are told.

 

On a Scout outing as a boy, the Scout leader set up two stakes that were 100 yards a part. He had all of us boys step it off to see how many paces we had to take to reach the 100yd mark. He then mard a little treasure map using yards and directions on the compass. We went out in teams of two and winning teams found four silver dollars under the three rocks that were stacked on top of each other.

Nowadays, everytime I am pacing off some yardage I think about those simple lessons and that fun time.

Whatever you come up with, be sure to make it fun with no pressure. I'm betting he will enjoy himself.



Tex

 

Agreed, make it fun/interesting for him to "want" for the next trip!


Also, please tell your nephew..........."Thanks"!!!!!!!

 

My brother (nephew's dad) and I showed him plenty of love (even though sometimes love hurts ) while we were out there. I even brought him a bottle of Glenfiddich since he had his 21st birthday while over there.

 

There are all kinds of things you could show him.

How about igniting a petroleum soaked cotton ball with ferro Rod.

How about fishing and catching his first fish.

How about tying a ridge line between two trees throw a tarp over and make a pup tent.

I would suggest things that are EASY for him to succeed at.

If he experiences too much failure in the beginning he may give up before he has a chance to have success.

I don't know how open the family is to the Boy Scouts but get a Boy Scout manual and teach him to be an unofficial Boy Scout if he can't be a real one.

 

So has the trip taken place and how was it?
One down, a thousand to go.

 

Pick up an old Scout handbook and let him look through it. Lots of cool stuff to learn.

 

^^^ What Don said. Let the kid at least give an indication of what he is interested in learning.