Chapter II
EMERGENCY SURVIVAL SKILLS AND EQUIPMENT
Through performance evaluation the applicant will demonstrate the ability to:
6. Boil water over an open fire.

    Everyone's heard the old lament: "I can't even boil water".   Well, in Search and Rescue, everybody has to be able to boil water and do it over an open fire that they built  themselves.  In this chapter, we'll take a look at some methods of boiling water.  When we are done, all concerned should be able to boil water.

     The GIs of WWII were famous for using their helmets for heating water for shaving.  They were reputed to be able to whip up a pretty nice mess of scrambled eggs when the opportunity arose. 
    The point being, of course, that being resourceful is the first need in finding a container for cooking.  And the ability to boil water is sorely needed to make a hot meal in the woods.   Boiling water is the only surefire (pun intended) way to purify it.

Carrying a can of something -- your favorite food is nice -- (Mine is corned beef hash) gives you a meal in your pack that can't go bad and a most useful container for boiling that precious water.  

Figuring out how to place your container of water over your campfire is often the trickiest part of the project.

    Having a length of wire wrapped around the can in your pack allows you to use one of the methods shown here.

Placing the can on rocks or stones works well too.

Just be careful of shale and wet river rocks.

They can explode in a hot fire.

What You Need:

What To Do:

1. Fill the paper cup three-quarters full of water. Place it on a stable surface in the fire area  BEFORE THE FIRE IS LIT
2. Build a fire under the paper cup. Soon the part of the paper cup above the water level will burn off, but the cup below the water level will stay intact.
3. When the temperature is hot enough, the water in (what is left of) the cup will boil, but the cup will not burn.

What's Going On?
Remember the book FAHRENHEIT 451 by Ray Bradbury?  Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which paper ignites.
And like Guy Montag the fireman whose job it was to start fires... Well you're not going to burn books we hope but with a little work you will get to boil water in a paper cup.

The temperature necessary to ignite paper is far higher than needed to boil water. Although the fire is hot enough to ignite the paper cup, the heat energy is absorbed by the water, causing it to boil. Wherever water is in contact with the cup, the paper will not burn. 

Boiling an egg over an open fire

You are stuck in the woods, all alone, with nothing except a knife, an egg, a packet of matches and a days walk between yourself and any kind of civilization, and the dark of night is coming fast. What do you do?

First of all, make a campfire (I have already placed you in the middle of some strange woods with an egg, so assuming that you know how to kindle a fire should not be a big deal). Now you have to cook your egg - this is the tricky part. Of course you could eat it raw, but you would have to be one of 
(1) extremely hungry (2)Quite hungry or (3)out of your mind. In either case, if boiling it is an option, it is always the better one. 

To boil your egg you will need something that can hold the egg and water as well. Don't bother looking for a casserole or deep pan or anything like that - chances are you won't find it (leastways not in my forest!). And trying to make one out of natural materials is a waste of time and energy. Instead, try this slightly different approach:

Get some moss or thick grass or similar. Dip it in water (Yeah, there are lots of lovely small streams running cheerily all through my forest) so it is soaking wet. Now poke a small hole in one end of the egg with your knife. Do this by twisting the knife slowly around while its point is pressed lightly to the top of the egg, this way you should be able to make a nice little hole without breaking the egg. Why you are doing this? So the egg will not break \ explode when it gets heated later. 

Once this is done, wrap the wet moss around the egg and place it right next to the fire if the fire is still roaring, or (preferably) in the fire if it is almost burned out (i.e. in the ashes that are still warm). Because the moss is wet it will not burn well, and the water in it will help boil the egg. You should turn the egg now and then to make sure it is boiled on all sides - often the top of the moss will be quite cool while the bottom is hot. If the moss burns, you can always replace it with new wet moss. Just make sure you cook it long enough; This will take several more than the three minutes it takes to cook an egg in you kitchen at home. 

Now just make sure your egg is well done, and enjoy your meal. Serve warm with fresh roots, leaves, and berries. 
By an Anonymous Woodsman who prefers to stay that way.