We were planning to start introducing fire to our sessions in the Spring term but the snow this week was the perfect excuse to bring that forward. This week students have been learning how to safely use a Kelly Kettle to boil water.
Kelly Kettles have been in use for over a hundred years, originally used by fishermen before being adopted by campers the world over. A Kelly Kettle consists of a base in which the fire is lit and a steel water chamber which is built around a central chimney. This water chamber sits on top of the base, the chimney helping the draught of the fire as well providing a large surface area for heating which means you can quickly and easily boil water even in wet or windy conditions.
A Kelly Kettle is a great way to introduce fire use as it’s contained and relatively safer than an open fire. If all you are after is a hot drink it’s much quicker than building a fire. Hot drinks have certainly helped keep the cold at bay during our sessions this week.