SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 71: Dry Wet Clothes Beside a Fire Safely

Wet clothing can make you cold and uncomfortable outdoors, particularly when the weather is windy or temperatures drop. A campfire may help dry damp clothing, but placing garments too close to the heat can scorch fabric, melt synthetic fibres or start a fire. This challenge is about understanding how to manage the process safely rather than rushing to get clothes dry.

Your Challenge

Set up a safe demonstration of how to dry a damp garment near a properly managed campfire, showing that you understand safe distances, supervision and the risks of overheating clothing.

Complete this challenge only where fires are permitted and you have a suitable, established fire area. If you cannot safely have a fire, use an unlit fire area or practise with a safe alternative heat-free drying setup.

What You’ll Need

• A damp, washable garment, such as a cotton cloth
• A suitable clothesline or drying rack positioned well away from the flames
• A properly established campfire in a permitted fire area, if conditions allow
• A bucket of water or other appropriate means of extinguishing the fire
• Suitable outdoor clothing and footwear
• A watch or timer

Do not use clothing worn by someone who is cold or wet during this exercise. Keep a warm, dry change of clothing available, and never use a fire as the only way to manage someone who is becoming dangerously cold.

Take the Challenge

Step 1: Check whether a fire is appropriate

Before lighting anything, check local rules, landowner permission, weather conditions and the risk of spreading fire. Do not light a fire during a fire ban, in strong winds or in a location where it could spread to dry vegetation. Use an established fire area and keep suitable extinguishing equipment close by.

Step 2: Prepare your damp garment

Wet a small cloth or garment and wring it out thoroughly. It should be damp rather than dripping. Keep it away from the fire until your drying arrangement is ready.

Step 3: Set up a drying area

Use a stable drying rack or line positioned well away from the flames and sparks. There is no single safe distance for every fire, so follow the fire area’s guidance and keep the garment far enough away that it cannot be reached by sparks or excessive radiant heat. Do not suspend clothing directly over the fire or lean it against a hot stove, pot or fire guard.

Step 4: Place the garment carefully

Hang the damp garment so air can circulate around it. Keep sleeves, straps and loose fabric from blowing towards the fire. Never leave clothing unattended while a fire is burning, and do not allow anyone to move the garment closer to speed up drying.

Step 5: Monitor the drying process

Check the cloth regularly from a safe position. Feel it only after moving away from the heat and ensuring it is safe to handle. If you notice scorching, a burning smell, smoke or melting fibres, move away from the heat and deal with the situation safely. Do not reach across the flames.

Step 6: Compare the results

After a short period, compare the dampness of the cloth with how it felt at the start. Record whether it has begun to dry and note how the distance from the fire, airflow and weather may have affected the result. You do not need to dry it completely to complete the challenge.

Step 7: Leave the site safe

When finished, remove the garment and extinguish the fire completely using the appropriate method. Check that the fire is out and cold before leaving the area. Never leave a fire unattended.

Check Your Results

Ask yourself:

• Did you choose a suitable location and check whether a fire was permitted?
• Was the garment kept clear of flames and sparks?
• Did you remain with the drying setup throughout?
• What signs might indicate that clothing is becoming too hot?
• Why is airflow useful when drying damp clothing?
• How would you help someone who was becoming dangerously cold?

Remember that a fire is not a substitute for putting on dry layers, getting out of the wind and rain, and seeking appropriate help if someone is showing signs of hypothermia.

Complete the Challenge

To complete this challenge, you must:

• Prepare a damp garment for the exercise.
• Set up a stable drying arrangement at a safe distance from a permitted fire, or demonstrate the setup without lighting a fire.
• Explain how you would monitor the garment and prevent scorching or ignition.
• Record what you observed about the drying process.
• Explain why a fire must never be left unattended and must be fully extinguished afterwards.

How to Submit Your Challenge

Submit your evidence

1. Go to your SGUK member profile.
2. Open Social Activity.
3. Upload a photograph of your safe drying arrangement to the activity wall. You can use an unlit demonstration setup if you cannot safely light a fire.
4. Add the hashtag #SGUKChallenge71.
5. Share it for verification.

Include a brief note explaining how you kept the garment away from the flames and monitored the setup. Never move clothing dangerously close to a fire just to produce a photograph.

Challenge 71 Checklist

Want to Push Yourself?

Research the other ways to dry clothing outdoors, including wringing garments thoroughly, improving ventilation, using a sheltered drying line and changing into dry layers. Compare their advantages with fire-assisted drying and consider which method is safest in different weather conditions.

What’s Next?

If you haven’t completed SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 70: Make a Signal Mirror, you can try that challenge next. You can complete SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenges in any order, so choose whichever skill you want to develop.

Once you’ve shared your evidence and it has been verified, the SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 71 is complete and the completed challenges figure will be updated on your profile.

Learn. Practise. Master.

That’s what the SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge is all about.