"Gentlemen, [ . . . know] your engines!"

Knowing your way around an engine is not only fun but it is also a important component of safety.  Keeping engines in good working order is critical for vehicles as well as for smaller engines, such as those found in landscaping and other tools.  If you want to be a "grease monkey" check out the Automotive Maintenance Merit Badge requirements to learn more about engines, maintenance and safety.  The Merit Badge will help you gain confidence as you help out with yard work, when you start driving or if you just have a general interest in engines and machines.  Be safe, increase your knowledge and most of all have fun!

Intentional combustion.

There are many ways in which machines, both simple and complex, help to make everyday tasks more manageable.  Simple machines include the lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plane, wedge and screw.  Complex machines are merely assemblies of many simple machines as well as purpose-specific parts designed for how the machine is intended to be used, such as bar and chain assemblies for a chainsaw or a long crankshaft and gearbox for a weed trimmer.  Chances are good that you have already seen simple and complex machines at work today such as a weed trimmer, chainsaw, lawnmower or automobile.  Watch the video above to get a brief introduction to a two-stroke engine's combustion cycle then consider how it is implemented in a device that you have used.

Force via rope.

There are many knots that Scouts will find useful but there are a special few which allow for variability that makes them especially good to know in camping situations.  The "Trucker's Hitch" is one such knot and it is especially useful for tasks such as securing guy lines for tarps and shelters.  Since this knot requires the working end to be doubled-back through a fixed loop (similar to a pulley) such as a "Directional Figure-Eight" or a "Slippery Hitch" it allows for the application of extra force on the standing end of the line.  Watch the video to see one way this hitch can be tied.  Try finishing the "Trucker's Hitch" with a "Taut-line Hitch" to allow for control over the line tension, a "Slippery Hitch" (as show in the video) to allow for a quick release or "Two Half Hitches" for the most security.

Flipping out.

What do you get when you combine Pioneering, Mechanics and a bit of mad science?  A catapult!  Think for just a second about how you would design a catapult.  How many poles and lashings are needed?  Where are the friction points?  How is it controlled?  What about anchorage?  How will it be powered?  What are you launching, how far and at what angle?  What simple machine is responsible for operation of a catapult?  Something that seems intuitive, like a catapult, actually involves quite a bit of design and engineering if it is to operate accurately, repeatedly and most of all safely.  Here is a fun task: Draw up a design a simple catapult using as few parts and lashings as possible.  Just remember, "Don't shoot your eye out!"

Mechanical advantage.

This month's theme is Mechanics which, in a way, can be thought of as "advanced pioneering."  Mechanics relies heavily upon a working knowledge of engineering and physics.  Understanding the six basic machines (the lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plane, wedge and screw) as well as how they can work to your advantage will help you in designing and constructing everything from simple camp projects to more complex builds such as bridges and towers.  With a good foundation in simple machines and strong skills with lashings the rest is limited only by your designs and imagination!  Check out the image above to learn about a simplified form of a square lashing called the "Japanese Square Lashing."  To learn more about simple machines you can check out this link to see a good book on mechanical fundamentals which should be available in your local library.

Cooking is not the same as baking.

Baking is a sensitive subject - no really, it is sensitive.  Cooking usually allows much more freedom for changing flavors with spices, flexibility in cook times and some freedom over temperature.  Baking, on the other hand, does not.  However, this should not make you apprehensive about baking but rather it should help you focus on the recipe and details such as temperature, time and precise measurement.  Baked goods, from breads to cakes, are especially delicate in that they are leavened (risen) products that use either yeast and sugar or baking soda and salt.  Leaved products also usually take more time as there are stages at which the dough or batter must rise before being baked (this is almost always the case when using yeast and sugar).  You can take comfort in the fact that basic baked goods are no more technically difficult, in principle, than basic cooking.  If you pay close attention to details, like those listed above, you will be well on your way to making quality meals and baked treats.

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Hobo Bread
(Adapted from cooks.com) 

STEP 1: 
2 cups raisins 
2 cups boiling water 
2 tablespoon butter 
2 teaspoon baking soda

Pour boiling water over raisins, baking soda and butter. Let sit in refrigerator for 8 hours.

STEP 2: 
2 eggs, beaten 
2 cups sugar 
1/2 cup nuts 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
4 cups sifted flour

Stir all ingredients into raisin mixture from STEP 1 until thoroughly blended.  Pour into greased and floured loaf pans or 3 pound coffee cans (1/2 full).   Bake at 350F for 1 hour.  Remove bread from loaf pans or coffee cans to let cool.  Makes 1 loaf.

Simplifying the camp kitchen.

There are many ways to simplify your cooking gear as well as decrease its weight.  Titanium or aluminum kitchenware, simple stoves without pressurized fuel bottles and canister stoves made of lightweight materials are just some examples of the ways that your camp kitchen can become simpler and lighter - which should be especially useful when working with a limited backpack volume or hiking for extended distances.  Although many of the ideas above will simplify your camp kitchen they may come at some cost with regard to a loss of control over cooking temperatures.   For example, a MSR Dragonfly stove has two adjustments for flame control and can thereby simmer foods while a system like the Esbit solid fuel stove cannot - one stove offers cooking control while the other is lightweight and simple.  Take your cook system into consideration when planning your next hike and use it along with your ingenuity to plan meals that will fill your stomach while not being too much of a burden on your back and joints.

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Tin Foil Dinner
(Adapted from cooks.com) 

Aluminum foil

Make a double layer of aluminum foil approximately 12 inches in length.

1 medium onion, sliced

Cover the central area with 1/2 of the sliced onion. 

5-6 large carrots, cut in long thin slices

Put 1/2 of the sliced carrots on top of the sliced onion. 

1 large potato, cut in long thin slices or small cubes

1 hamburger patty, 1/4 to 1/3 lb. patty 

Next put 1/2 of the sliced potatoes on top, then the hamburger patty.  Add the other 1/2 of the potatoes, carrots and onion.  

Salt and pepper

Add salt and pepper to the top of the layered ingredients.

Fold the aluminum foil and crease the seams firmly so that the juice/steam doesn't escape while cooking.  Bake at 350 degrees or grill until hamburger is done and vegetables are tender, approximately 45-60 minutes.  Be careful when opening as steam can rapidly escape and cause burns.  Serves 1.