***ZS Homework*** Build a Fire
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- TheLastRifleMan
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- Location: Watching the Border in Flint, Mich.
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I've not hardly mentioned this, but I do a lot of Living History, Rendezvous, Treks, and even a Portage now and then (that's why I don't post much in the summer). My primitive firemaking skills are something I'm rather proud of. Just last weekend I attended the TeTonkaHa Rendezvous in MN and all my fires were lit with flint and steel. I also have a magnifying lens and various other things in my fire kit. I used to trade for charcloth, but now I have a firepit in the backyard and make my own. By the way- don't use your kitchen stove to make charcloth. Trust me.
There's a certain mushroom/fungus that grows on trees that can be dried and used as a coal source for both lighting a fire and carying a ember with you. We call it tinderconch. There's also guys who make giant homemade sulfer matches called Spalls that you light off of your charcloth. They burn hot as a mutha. I can't remember much detail of it right now, but I will look through my notes at home and find more info about it to post.
Also, if you absolutely suck at making a matchless fire, carry a wad of steel wool and a 9v battery in your BOB. When you have your tinder ready, touch the wool across the battery terminals and it will instantly flame. But batteries weren't intendet to be used as firestarters, so be carefull.
There's a certain mushroom/fungus that grows on trees that can be dried and used as a coal source for both lighting a fire and carying a ember with you. We call it tinderconch. There's also guys who make giant homemade sulfer matches called Spalls that you light off of your charcloth. They burn hot as a mutha. I can't remember much detail of it right now, but I will look through my notes at home and find more info about it to post.
Yes, and they work very well. I'm currently in the works of making one. I will gladly share directions on how to build one if anyone wants.Towanda wrote:Has anyone tried a fire piston?
Also, if you absolutely suck at making a matchless fire, carry a wad of steel wool and a 9v battery in your BOB. When you have your tinder ready, touch the wool across the battery terminals and it will instantly flame. But batteries weren't intendet to be used as firestarters, so be carefull.
Are you prepared? Good. Then help someone else do the same.
DocSimon aka The Pie Army Field Marshall wrote:..PIE IS FOREVER....POWER TO THE PIE!
- Kilo 07 Delta
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Glad I'm not the only one who has heard of fire pistons. I tried one on my camping trip last year and everyone in my camp thought I was a loony. I also learned that Burt's Bees lip balm makes excellent fire piston grease -- it's made mainly of beeswax and lanolin and the tube is pretty handy. One of the things I do on my annual week-long campground camping trip is try various new (to me) firestarting methods or get more proficient with old ones. This year it was magnifying glass and Swedish firesteel, using (for the first time) unraveled jute twine for tinder. I've put a ball of jute twine in my permanent car kit and carry some in my purse now.
The Scouts around here are not allowed to use anything liquid to start a fire any more. At all, very strictly enforced.UBCS-One wrote:When I was a kid I went on a scouting trip for a weekend. Rained like hell when we arrived and the Scoutmaster, 2 assistants and 4 assorted parents were unable to coax a fire into life. After about an hour the Scoutmaster gave up and asked who had Scout Juice. Us always prepared types manager to produce about 11 cans of lighter fluid and soon had a nice little blaze going.
My usual method of fire-starting involves asking the wife to do it, as I really suck at igniting flames with out large quantities of petroleum products. Does that count as an alternative method?
We went on a very wet campout with them. After watching them screw around for half an hour I offered to let them use a road flare and a spare tire. Now THERE is a good fire. These folks that get lost out on some lonely road in the woods (in their car) baffle me with their lack of ability to signal for help.
mu ha ha ha
behold my celebrations tin of doom
behold my celebrations tin of doom
Very nice! I made something like this out of a small tuna can, cardboard, and wax many years ago. They work pretty well for light cooking, heating water, and emergency heat/light. Of course they are waterproof. But mine were merely flammable...Orion wrote:mu ha ha ha
behold my celebrations tin of doom
