Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Firesteels

Yes, I know that but some others reading this might be scratching their heads wondering what kind of off-season workout program he uses so he can casually tote propane cylinders in the backcountry.

I think I've owned all of them and I have found they all work very well. Including the older style ones that are contained in a block of magnesium.

I have also found using a knife works a lot better than any of the strikers they usually come with.

I light fires with them regularly but that is almost always with some form of easily ignited fuel (lint, cotton balls, esbit tablet, dry moss, etc.) If I were shivering to death and all I had were some pine shavings and small tinder, I'd be using a match or a bic.

I know the argument is that they can work in "all conditions" but the reality is (as previously stated) a bic seems to work in all conditions as well. And I have found waterproof matches to be pretty goddammn waterproof. Not to mention I keep my fire making stuff in a plastic bag anyway. So if I do happen to fall into a lake, I should be fine regardless.


Travis

For serious backpacking, I use the 20lb propane cyl off my camp trailer. Keeps the knees limber, you know.

Yeah, they work fine, right up until they break.

There must be something wrong with the ones I have. They keep working.




Travis

Of course. A little creative ciphering can be useful at tax time, too. Right?

Have you ever jumped out of an airplane?

I don't think so.

Should I?




Travis

If you haven't, you don't know squat about backpack hunting.

Understood.

I'll GFM now.




Travis

Plan A - waterproof matches

Plan B - Bic lighter somewhere in pack.

I've never got past Plan A.

Firesteel - extra weight.

If you were truly squared away, you would have already taken care of that.

Last year we elk hunted out of a CO drop camp in 12" to 15" of snow with a poorly vented (worn out) wood stove. Everything was wet and starting fires in the stove was a real challenge. My hunting buddy and I are not new to using wood stoves but this one was nearly worthless. Once we got a fire started it nearly smoked us out of our wall tent. This year we have our own SO 6-man tipi with a SO large Ti stove. I will carry a Bic lighter or two but based on the potential for wet weather, this year we will be better prepared and will carry a (magnesium and flint) Survivor Fire starter.

I got a firesteel based on all the talk about them on this damn forum. I got the Firesteel 2.0 scout and have only used it to make sparks. It's pretty cool.

I also have and have used the Mg block with a sparker built in - also pretty cool and works well.

I got the firesteel mostly because I subscribe to the "at least 3 ways to make fire" rule. I usually overdo that one.





Here's a tip for anyone that is not satisfied with the spark shower from a sparker unit.

Use a piece of old hacksaw blade.



It's way better than a knife because it's very hard. Not strong, but hard, which is what is needed to get a spark shower.

ironbender;
Good evening to you sir, I hope this finds you and yours well this warm August evening.

One of the interesting things I find about forums like this place is that a few of us have arrived at similar conclusions working at the question independently.

I'm speaking of using a chunk of hacksaw blade for a spark scraper here - I discovered that it will shred chunks of magnesium off the block in fine style about the same time....

When I'm teaching the survival night of our BC Hunter Safety course I'll pull out my day pack and show the class it's contents. When I say that unless I'm struck unconscious or become paralyzed - if I'm ever stuck up on the local mountains they'll spot the fire I've built from any satellite.

In my pants pocket during season I carry a Light My Fire steel, along with 0000 steel wool and cotton balls that are soaked in petroleum jelly.

The pack has a pocket torch, waterproof and windproof matches, regular wooden strike anywhere matches and the above mentioned magnesium block.

As others have noted, the ferro rods indeed work best with some tinder much better than others. I've found that fatwood dust, petroleum jelly soaked cotton balls and steel wool and dollar store twine chopped fine works well with them.

There are a bunch of youtube videos comparing the different ferrocerium rods - some with different results - so I'm not sure one is better than another really.

I've played with some offshore ones as well as the Light My Fire one I carry and can't see a whole pile of difference.

Lastly I try to start a few fires every year with a ferro rod, even if it's in the wood stove, the prevailing theory being if I really need to use one someday I'd better be able to do it by the numbers so to speak.

Anyway that's all I've learned about fire starting so far sir, but as it's a bit of a hobby with me like as not I'll continue experimenting as long as I'm able.

Hopefully that was useful information to someone out there tonight and all the best to you and your family this fall ironbender.

Dwayne

Lots of guys use dryer lint for tinder. However...if you have small kids at home, you'd better give the lint a try before you leave home. Federal law requires all children's clothing to be treated with a fire resistant coating. Your lint might be fireproofed.

Highly recommended combo for value and effectiveness...

http://www.amazon.com/Light-Fire-FireKnife-Stainless-FireSteel/dp/B007BO9G1W