Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire How many here have.....

....have, not can....

...started a fire -intentionally - without using contemporary traditional means and methods, ie lighters or matches?

Have you done it with "emergency" methods or tools like sparkers, magnesium/flints?

Have you used older, more traditional methods involving friction for a heat source?

Have you been forced to improvise a method in some way?

Have you done it under inclement (real) conditions involving wind and/or wet and/or cold?

Have you, perhaps, saved life, or at least prevented a situation from going in such a direction that it might have needed saving?


That thread over in "Alaska" got me thinking about this. I know many people who "can" do it in theory, but many/most admit that they have never actually tried it even under controlled conditions.

What you know might save your life; what you can do has even better odds. (Of course, even better is understanding what and how to survive without fire, but fire is certainly a great 'cheat' when it comes to ease of existence and a boost to morale.)

I have been to many "Mountain Man" rendezvous, one of the contests they have there is striking a fire with flint and steel and/or a contest to start one with a bow and a stick. I have seen these guys that can start a fire faster with a flint and steel than you can with a match. Pretty impressive.

I tried it several times, always managed to strike one but sure took me a long time fussing with it.

Probably, today, not one person in a thousand that finds themselves stuck in the woods somewhere could get one started with a pocket full of matches and would likely not have any with them anyway.

Magnifying glass - under perfect conditions.

I have started fires a lot of different ways, a couple times when they were needed.

The old friction methods are tougher than it looks. Did see an interesting method a few years ago under very inclement weather and no dry burnables... lad filled a tin can with gas, stuffed wet moss on top and lit it. Wood was stacked all around the can and smaller stuff laid over the top.

The moss wicked fuel out gradually and kept it cool, drying the wood enough for it to catch and then burn well.

I have, both with flint & steel, and friction.
Not saying I'm good at it, but in a pinch, i can do it.

I've used a couple different magnesium and magnesium-flint type strikers to make fire. It was done under favorable conditions while camping with the family.

I've never tried any sort of friction to make fire - something that I need to rectify.

in scouts we teach the boys to use unconventional methods like flint and steel and tinder made from the inside of dead bark. we have tried the fire bow method with limited success. we got a smolder going after much effort but never really got a fire. them cavemen were obviously much better.

I carried a flint and steel whenever I hunted. Used it several times, just to stay in practice. I'll admit that I usually needed a bit of "char" to hold the spark, but I carried some of that, too.

I was in scouts, my boy is in scouts. We have practiced starting fires quite often, but not in emergency situations. Thank God.
I have a couple different types of fire starters in my back pack. Waterproof matches in a sealed container, a hot sparker that works one handed even when wet, magnesium stick and dryer lint in a ziplock baggy, long burning firestarter sticks.

Two thoughts worth remembering.... friction can be a challenge for sure (...learning such involves some great lessons in humility. ) ...... and gas (volatile fuel) is nowhere near the simple fire-starting 'helper' many assume it to be (two cycle oil is much better ).

With the exception of dealing with the TSA, I never apologize for carrying a stray 22 shell in my pocket. (That's not a 'bullet', it's part of my emergency survival kit! )

Thermite and white phosphorus will start fires in inclement weather quick enough.

I've done it with flint and steel, not good at it wouldn't want to (personally) rely on it.

The magnesium stick/strikers on the other hand are a piece of cake, easier than a match.

The best friction fire I ever started was in the dry grass along an Oklahoma highway when a wheel came off of my '54 Chevy at speed!

Impressive!

I have taught lots of young men and women stating wit tinder from inner bark of a soaking wet tree and using flint and steal of a Blast Match.

You are not much of a fire builder if you cannot start a fire in the soaking wet where I live.

LOL



I like that you can step, drenching wet through every stitch of clothing, onto a rain-soaked beach, and still have a fire going with them in a minutes.

It's amazing how the vocabulary of 'tinder' and 'kindling' takes on so much more meaning when conditions and methods become.....less ideal.

Speaking of "inner" bark", this reminds me of how 'useless' a good thing in one place might be in another. Having lived half my life where trees are few except as driftwood, inner bark is not something I seek. Then again the ever reliable "dry grass" I am accustomed to reaching for on the coast seems almost worthless in the interior.

Mag and stick strikers under best of conditions.

I bought a flint and steel and tried it. Easy to do with a little dryer lint.

I've never tried flint and steel other than a flint lock rifle. Magnesium and a knife blade is easy. Friction works, but it's more work than I want in a hurry up situation.

I have started fires in emergency/near emergency situations more than a few times. Spend enough time outdoors in winter here and you will get into those situations. I think in almost all my stuff like tackle boxes/gear boxes I have fire making tools. I prefer birch for getting a fire started in a hurry. Can/have make-do with alder. When it comes to making a fire when it's raining and about freezing experience has taught me to do it before I have to.

steel wool and a 9v battery work surprising well