Posted: 11/6/2008 5:22:45 AM EDT
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So I have alot of tools I have bought over the years to make fire. While I have used most of them at some point its been quite some time since I really used anything but a lighter to make a fire.
I used a Swiss Fire Steel Last night and another sparking tool of unknown origin last night to start practicing some alternative fire starting meathods again. One of the fire starters I grabbed was my old stand by in scouts dryer lint. Holy Crap that stuff leaps on fire like it has gasoline on it when a sparker hits it. That was too easy so I thought okay lets think of some stuff that I might have in my pack so I grabbed a square of toilet paper Boom same result as the dryer lint. Tonight I am going to go out and find some natural fuel to practice on, but as good as the dryer lint worked with the sparker I think I would just use the old scape your jeans with your knife to make lint trick to get my initial fire bundel going. I used to do that when I used matches and it worked like a charm. Anyone using Fire Pistons to make fire? I have used the bow meathod twice and thought it took too much effort, but in a jam I should probably practice that as well. What meathods have you guys perfected and what do you use in a jam to start your birds nest when you use a flint and steel meathod. Sidenote I am going to make some char cloth tonight as well to practice that again its been over 10 years since I have used it. |
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Hey man
I carry lots of means to start a fire. A Road Flare works Trick Birthday candles (the relighting kind) Cotton Balls and Vaseline Trioxane Tablets (I usually have some of these in my kit) Sawdust and Parafin with a wick in it, moulded in a paper Egg carton. Tea Candles (typically candles need a flame to light but if you tear off a tuft of lint or cotton ball and stick it on the wick you can start it with a spark easily) I try to practice different methods but I like the bow and drill method. For primitive fire methods this one seems to be sure fire. Tinder Bundle from Cedar Bark, dry grass, dry wood shavings (you DO always carry a knife no?) Gather your fuel before you start building a fire, and do it in the DAYLIGHT so you don't have to gather wood in the dark! Remember tinder is tiny, kindling is twigs, fuel is larger. Don't try to feed it too fast. Here is a shot of what I usually carry on my person. The broken Bic Lighter has about a half inch long flint so they regularly out last their fuel supply, in the butt of the lighter I carry a cotton ball with vaseline on it as tinder. The Gerber Strike Force has a compartment in it where you could store any number of items for fire starting, Cotton/PJ, Lint, Commercial Tinder (wetfire, tinder quick, or the old tinder that originally came with it) 
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The strike force is the other striker I was using last night. I have a blast match somewhere but its lost in the gear somewhere, that thing is insane.
I had never considered a lighter flint as a meathod thats a good idea. I dont have any concerns about fire construction I use to win all the awards back in the day for fastest fire starting and construction. That part I have down pat but the primitive fire starting meathods are something I really want to focus on. I wonder what the life expectancy of that swedish fire steel is? its alot narrower than many of the other tools out there. I do always have a knife with me I think I am going to try and shave the inside of bark tonight, as it will probably be the only thing dry and try to get that to ignite. On your lighter you have what looks like a cut out dog tag? what is that for? Thanks for chiming in 
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I use several methods and fire piston is one of them. The one thing I use with pistons and sparking devices is 'char' , never leave home without it. It stays hotter longer and allows you to 'blow' more heat into your tinder. It can be used to ignite other things like wet-fire and cotton balls eaiser IMO too. Fire making in WA state can be a challenge sometimes...
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I figured after our gulley washer we had here last night that trying to make fire today with what is drenched outside would be a great exercise.
We sure were spoiled in scouts we always had hemp rope with us to make a birds nest. I am going to try and get away from that and focus on what I can use to start fires with that I will find here in MO I watched a video where a British guy was using resin from a Douglus fur to start fires but honestly that looked like cheating that stuff lit on fire like diesel! I think we have these in MO but I dont think they are that common. Anyone know if they are common in the midwest? |
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Quoted:
On your lighter you have what looks like a cut out dog tag? what is that for? Thanks for chiming in It is a Dog Tag.... 
Wrapped around it is a length of Safety Orange Engineers tape. (about 3 yards for trail marking or what not) Wrapped around the Lighter is a length of Black Electrical tape. Part of a dogtag chain mini survival or "Safety Kit" check your IM |
| You guys are a bad influence! I started practicing with my magnesium fire starter last week. Each time I let the dogs out in the backyard I'd spark up a vasoline coated cottonball. Got real good at it where I could light it on the first try until the blisters on my fingers hurt too much! Since I had one good hand I went out and bought a BlastMatch. Now I can start fires with one hand while the blisters heal on the other. I just checked my pockets. I now carry two Bic Lighters, a BlastMatch, two pill bottles with vasoline coated cottonballs, a pocket knife, a Spyderco folding knife, a Glock 17 round magazine, a magnesium firestarter on my keychain, a AAA penlight, and don't forget the SureFire 6P and spare Glock 26 magazine along with a Glock 26 on my belt. I don't think the men who stormed the beaches of Normandy carried as much as I do. Now I have to go out and buy a good belt to hold up my pants with all this crap in it. I have to stop hangin' out here so much! |
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Dryer lint is really great stuff as mentioned in the starting post.
TP takes sparks like mad for sure. Most evergreen trees make resin of some sort. Fatwood comes from LongPines in the carolinas and it's the resin that makes it burn so well. Also, in a pinch, frayed chopped up paracord with some natural fibers, like dried grass can get a nice hot fire going. Paracord burns hot and it'll stick to anything when burning. it won't take a spark alone, it needs tinder with it. I got a 4" x 1/2" diameter fero-rod and that thing is great! Gives off lots of sparks with each stroke. The small diameter firesteels say 3,000 strokes, some larger ones say 5,000, mine said it was rated at 15,000 strokes.
Try using a piece of hacksaw blade for the stirker. snap off a piece and use the hole in the hacksaw as a lanyard loop. The hacksaw blade is carbon steel, so it really helps produce more sparks than mild steel. You can even fashion the piece of hacksaw blade into a mini knife blade by grinding the teeth down to a sharp edge, so it has dual purpose as small knife edge. If you grind it to an a point it can be fastened to the end of a wooden spear, for even additonal usage. For pure survival technique, it's always good to try with natural tinder alone. And like mentioned above, on a rainy day, or moist day its very tough. If you can make dry tinder on a wet day, and get a fire going, then you really have a leg up if things go wrong and you find yourself in a survival scenario. |