I've seen "fat wood" in the Orvis catalog. Costs slightly less than 24K gold.
He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice.
Hmmm...I've never encountered a high concentration of pitch in Douglas Fir stumps. Does logging prevent this from happening? Logging is the sole source of stumps in the area I hunt. No fires or trees dying of old age.
I burn about six cords of wood a year, sometimes more. That means my axe sees a lot of the insides of our wood. I do find pitch pockets in some fir and sometimes run into some bigger pockets whenever I try to split spruce. I will save some for you. I have a big spruce that fell in a wind storm two years ago. I will start bucking it up in a couple of weeks and see what I can find.
I thought it was a commonly found, abundant source of burnable fuel.
In my original post, I mentioned that the big problem in wet weather for me is to find enough fuel to sustain a fire. Fire starting materials are carried easily enough, but finding enough dry wood is always the challenge. It doesn't sound like I can readily expect to find enough pitch pockets/pitch wood to depend on using it the next time I want to make a fire.
I am afraid it you were to rely on finding pitch in our part of the country you would have about a 80% chance of ending up dead. However a couple fifteen minute flairs will increase your chances of getting something to burn. I do miss Central Oregon when it comes to building a fire. Shredded juniper bark will start a fire in the worst of conditions and in the desert finding wet wood is harder than finding dry wood here.
Where is a source to find the road or railroad type flares?
Railroad flares AKA Fusees..
Extra long burning flares. Good for signaling or lighting backfires. You can probably find them in a truck stop, or on line. I have a stash from my fire service days..
Originally Posted by captain seafire
I replace valve cover gaskets every 50K, if they don't need them sooner...
In the video it shows using two hands. It is not hard to open and use with one. If you ever hurt a hand in the woods the one handed fire starter could make a huge difference. In my part of the world the wood is almost always wet so it will take more than just a match. Sometimes a hundred pound propane bottle and a tiger torch is almost adequate.
I carry a Blastmatch. It can be used one handed and puts out more sparks than anything else I have seen. Blastmatch
I checked some reviews on Blastmatch and many seem to think that it's too fragile. I ran across this video comparing it to Strikeforce. I've never used either so I have no 1st hand comments but this one appears to be of stronger construction although it's larger and definitely not 1-handed. I think either would just be personal preference as they'll both work well.
There are lots of 'mini' firestarters on the market. They market to those who want everything to fit in the smallest possible space. However, try using a mini with frozen hands. When you need a fire fast and furious, you don't need to be fumbling with something so small you can't grab it. You need one large enough to get a foot on if necessary. Small isn't always better.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
I won the flint and steel fire making contest at a rendezvous last December with a time of 30 seconds from first strike to burning a string in two that was stretched 12 inches above my fire lay. I use chared cloth for the flint and steel method.
I like to use the bow and drill method when I don't have chared cloth because that makes a large hot coal that will ignite dry grass or other type of tender.
Other methods I have used include a magnifying glass, magnesium-match, fire piston, steel wool and 9-volt battery.
When I pack supplies for an outing where wet weather is expected I take a Zipo lighter and a fire starter I make with paper cup-cake liners filled with saw dust or dryer lint and candle wax. That thing is easy to light and burns hot and long enough to ignite wet kindling.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke 1795
"Give me liberty or give me death" Patrick Henry 1775
I checked some reviews on Blastmatch and many seem to think that it's too fragile. I ran across this video comparing it to Strikeforce. I've never used either so I have no 1st hand comments but this one appears to be of stronger construction although it's larger and definitely not 1-handed. I think either would just be personal preference as they'll both work well.
There are lots of 'mini' firestarters on the market. They market to those who want everything to fit in the smallest possible space. However, try using a mini with frozen hands. When you need a fire fast and furious, you don't need to be fumbling with something so small you can't grab it. You need one large enough to get a foot on if necessary. Small isn't always better.
Thanks for the video. Interesting and well done comparison. I have not tried the Strikeforce but I have used my Blastmatch in below zero conditions and was able to use it one handed.
I think what is most important in my part of the world is dry tinder and enough of it to burn long enough and hot enough to get the nearly always soaking wet wood we have in the Pacific NW. Then it has to be small enough that you will never take that first step into the woods without it.
I think it may be time to restart my old "Never Go Into The Woods Without" post.
Another thing about the Zippo...or at least the lighter fluid. It works great for priming a Svea stove or it can be squirted on tinder to get a fire going if you don't screw around too long. It dries fast.
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ― George Orwell
It's not over when you lose. It's over when you quit.
