I usually have a lighter on me but I've also started carrying a ferro rod in the car and pack etc. Looking to see what you like for fire starting plugs. I've heard that cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly stored in old film canisters was a staple but the wonders of modern chemistry has me wondering if there's a better alternative. Something that starts easy, when wet, wind resistant/proof, and portable.
For backpacking, the lightest and one of the most reliable is the aforementioned vasoline cotton balls. Store them in anything waterproof. Ziplock freezer bags work great and they're very light weight. The trick, though, is the amount of vasoline. Vasoline doesn't burn, it melts. You can't light it with a match. You want it to nicely coat the outside of the cotton but be sure to keep the inside of the ball dry. To use it, pull it apart and the dry inside will light instantly with a spark. As the vasoline heats, it evaporates and the gas is what burns for 10 to 15 min. Usually 1 or 2 strikes from a striker is all it takes to get one going.
When I was just learning the tricks, I once tried to melt vasoline and soak it into the cotton. The cotton sucked it in immediately and thoroughly soaked the inside. You couldn't start those things with a blow torch. The easiest way I've found to make them is to put a dozen or so balls in a ziplock bag, add a big dollup of vasoline, and knead them while watching TV. It takes a little practice to learn how much vasoline to use. Oh - make sure the balls are real cotton. They'll have a cotton ball symbol on the bag. Some are made from synthetics and it won't burn nearly as well as real cotton. Walmart sells them in jumbo size. Those will burn extra long.
Varies with season and location. Where, and when, I hike, hunt, fish, etc varies from one extreme to the other so far as moisture thus challenge of fire starting.
When it is very dry in my area, fire may well be more risky than no-fire. Fire management is more important than fire starting. [bleep] burns explosively. I generally pack a butane lighter and a pack of "windproof" matches.
When it is wet, especially after it's been wet for a while, fire is nearly impossible. 100+ inches of rain a year .. that sort of thing. The only real solution is to not need it in the first place. That means making choices that avoid chances to get wet. Skip stream crossings. Neoprene rain gear instead of breathable barriers that can fail -and- go slow enough you don't sweat so you don't get wet from the inside. In those situations, I'll sometimes carry .. I forget what they're called, but basically they look like 1/2 x 1/2 x 4 inch pressboard sticks soaked in paraffin. I have road flares in my truck but I don't carry them into the woods. Often the wood in the forest is so wet it has to be "cooked" for an hour or two before it dries enough to burn. Fire is endothermic. Stay dry.
For backpacking, the lightest and one of the most reliable is the aforementioned vasoline cotton balls. Store them in anything waterproof. Ziplock freezer bags work great and they're very light weight. The trick, though, is the amount of vasoline. Vasoline doesn't burn, it melts. You can't light it with a match. You want it to nicely coat the outside of the cotton but be sure to keep the inside of the ball dry. To use it, pull it apart and the dry inside will light instantly with a spark. As the vasoline heats, it evaporates and the gas is what burns for 10 to 15 min. Usually 1 or 2 strikes from a striker is all it takes to get one going.
When I was just learning the tricks, I once tried to melt vasoline and soak it into the cotton. The cotton sucked it in immediately and thoroughly soaked the inside. You couldn't start those things with a blow torch. The easiest way I've found to make them is to put a dozen or so balls in a ziplock bag, add a big dollup of vasoline, and knead them while watching TV. It takes a little practice to learn how much vasoline to use. Oh - make sure the balls are real cotton. They'll have a cotton ball symbol on the bag. Some are made from synthetics and it won't burn nearly as well as real cotton. Walmart sells them in jumbo size. Those will burn extra long.
A buddy of mine comes out to the range one day and opens a Nalgine bottle full of water, pours out the contents on the concrete and I see a ferro rod and cotton ball. He pulled the cotton ball apart and on the first strike, it ignited and burnt for about 10 minutes. According to him, you need to soak the entire cotton ball and it won't matter if it gets wet.
I know a dry cottonball won't hardly light at all with a striker for me.
I usually have a lighter on me but I've also started carrying a ferro rod in the car and pack etc. Looking to see what you like for fire starting plugs. I've heard that cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly stored in old film canisters was a staple but the wonders of modern chemistry has me wondering if there's a better alternative. Something that starts easy, when wet, wind resistant/proof, and portable.
Cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly work awesome. If you pull one apart and make it very open and stringy, it doesn’t take much of a spark to get it burning. Very reliable.
For backpacking, the lightest and one of the most reliable is the aforementioned vasoline cotton balls. Store them in anything waterproof. Ziplock freezer bags work great and they're very light weight. The trick, though, is the amount of vasoline. Vasoline doesn't burn, it melts. You can't light it with a match. You want it to nicely coat the outside of the cotton but be sure to keep the inside of the ball dry. To use it, pull it apart and the dry inside will light instantly with a spark. As the vasoline heats, it evaporates and the gas is what burns for 10 to 15 min. Usually 1 or 2 strikes from a striker is all it takes to get one going.
When I was just learning the tricks, I once tried to melt vasoline and soak it into the cotton. The cotton sucked it in immediately and thoroughly soaked the inside. You couldn't start those things with a blow torch. The easiest way I've found to make them is to put a dozen or so balls in a ziplock bag, add a big dollup of vasoline, and knead them while watching TV. It takes a little practice to learn how much vasoline to use. Oh - make sure the balls are real cotton. They'll have a cotton ball symbol on the bag. Some are made from synthetics and it won't burn nearly as well as real cotton. Walmart sells them in jumbo size. Those will burn extra long.
A buddy of mine comes out to the range one day and opens a Nalgine bottle full of water, pours out the contents on the concrete and I see a ferro rod and cotton ball. He pulled the cotton ball apart and on the first strike, it ignited and burnt for about 10 minutes. According to him, you need to soak the entire cotton ball and it won't matter if it gets wet.
I know a dry cottonball won't hardly light at all with a striker for me.
I’ve been known to nuke VCBs in the microwave to get them really soaked.
Spearminted some and found that mineral oil works just as well and soaks the VCBs more easier.
cotton balls will produce a flame but it is not very hot. if you need a fire get trioxane. trioxane is a little hard to get and esbit will work as a substitute but is a little harder to light. on a rainy alaskan trip i used a dozen cotton balls in an attempt to get a fire and gave up. half a bar of trioxane got the job done.
i always have esbit or trioxane in my coffee kit and i do make coffee every day in the field rain, snow or shine. stomp a hole in the snow and light off a bar and start to heat water every time. test it before you trust it.
I want to be certain that I can get a fire started when I need to. So, I carry several types of fire starters.
I carry a BIC lighter at all times. This is usually the easiest. But they don't always work when it's cold and wet.
I carry a flint strikers (ferro rod) to light my stove. No reason to waste a match and (as stated above) BIC lighters don't always work.
I carry a couple of Coghlans waterproof Fire Sticks. They work best if you break one on half and light the ragged end. I think they sawdust soaked in paraffin and are great for starting a campfire.
And last, I also carry a box of Coghlans waterproof Matches.
Any/all of these items can be purchased at your local sporting good store.
It's fun to impress Boy Scouts using natural fire starters such as fatwood, or pine sap, or the inner bark of an aspen tree, or pine needles from a Ponderosa Pine. But those natural fire starters are often a lot of work and I carry the stuff on my list because it's easy and certain.
Cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly work awesome. If you pull one apart and make it very open and stringy, it doesn’t take much of a spark to get it burning. Very reliable.
DOANS bar, the ^ ^ cotton balls, the old tightly-rolled-newspaper-and-dipped-in-melted-paraffin thing is really good still Might have to drain a soup can's worth of fuel from your transportation if things get dicey
I want to be certain that I can get a fire started when I need to. So, I carry several types of fire starters.
I carry a BIC lighter at all times. This is usually the easiest. But they don't always work when it's cold and wet.
I carry a flint strikers (ferro rod) to light my stove. No reason to waste a match and (as stated above) BIC lighters don't always work.
I carry a couple of Coghlans waterproof Fire Sticks. They work best if you break one on half and light the ragged end. I think they sawdust soaked in paraffin and are great for starting a campfire.
And last, I also carry a box of Coghlans waterproof Matches.
Any/all of these items can be purchased at your local sporting good store.
It's fun to impress Boy Scouts using natural fire starters such as fatwood, or pine sap, or the inner bark of an aspen tree, or pine needles from a Ponderosa Pine. But those natural fire starters are often a lot of work and I carry the stuff on my list because it's easy and certain.
KC Have you used piezo lighters? I like those when I can find them (usually at a tobacconist shop). Bics are sure hard to use when cold and wet; trying to flick the wheel on the flint to get a spark.
Lotsa good info in this thread. I go a step farther than cotton balls & Vaseline, more work than anybody but a codger is likely to do but it makes GREAT fire starters.
I gather a gallon or so of fatwood sawdust and shavings. Mix a batch of 1/3 Vaseline and 2/3 paraffin (can’t remember exactly) and pour that over the fatwood sawdust when all of it is warm, maybe in afternoon sunlight. Stir till thoroughly but lightly coated/mixed.
Line a small metal cup, like a ¼ cup stainless measuring cup, with the half size paper cupcake liners, and pack it about half full of the waxed fatwood sawdust, packing it tightly. The wax/Vaseline mix makes the sawdust stick together. Then I put a cotton ball on top, coated lightly with the same mix of Vaseline and paraffin. The paraffin mix is less oily and messy, ignites quickly and burns longer.
Stuff each wafer, a little smaller than a mini-Snickers bar, into a mini ziploc. When a few strands of cotton are teased out, it will light instantly with ferro and steel, match, lighter, etc. and I carry all those, plus a few thin slats of fatwood. (We live in the wet and hunt in real rain forest). The wafer/cookie will burn hot for a minimum of five minutes, and nine minutes is the usual burn time.
I make up a pile of these starter cookies/wafers and give a handful to every family member who hunts or hikes.
Appreciate the knowledge drop gents - especially on the cotton balls. I probably would have made them look like spitwads with jelly and wondered WTF later.
I just like to have the means to make a fire when out tramping the woods or fishing some of the remote places in the UP. Never know when a Sept trip goes south because someone fell in the lake. Happened to me and my dad as a kid and that lesson's stuck with me a long time.
I carry a BIC lighter at all times. This is usually the easiest. But they don't always work when it's cold and wet.
I prefer a Zippo, for several reasons. For 1, liquid fluid will start easily at any temperature or altitude. Then, there's the little thumb lever on a Bic. You have to keep your thumb on it or it goes out. If you need both hands for the tinder or fuel, you can't keep the BIC lit. A Zippo can be lit and set down to free both hands. Fingers frozen? You can light a Zippo by pulling it across your pant leg or something. No fingers are needed. Try that with a BIC. Zippos do need to be refilled. Mine will dry out after about a week of non-use. I carry a little extra cylinder of fuel that will hold 1 refill. Or, the smallest size can of fluid is quite light weight and will refill it dozens of times if it's full. If it's half full, it will still be enough for a bunch of refills but will weigh a few oz. less.
I have a couple long neck plasma lighters that we use for camps stoves and BBQ's. Those do work great for that and can be recharged from a power pack, solar charger, or about any other source of power. Getting tinder lit with one is a bit more difficult. It'll work but will take more time. Flame works better.
On the list of "Great Chit the Human Race invented" - Zippos aren't often mentioned but they should be. Old school just works and pretty simple device.
I take a small chunk of fat wood roll it in paraffin then while warm roll it in ancient gunpowder. They light pretty easily & burn for a while. Heavier than cotton balls though.
I'll sometimes carry .. I forget what they're called, but basically they look like 1/2 x 1/2 x 4 inch pressboard sticks soaked in paraffin.
Coghlans Fire Sticks. That’s what I carry. I’ve tested them several times, even letting them get a bit wet, and they start pretty easily with a butane lighter or a match, then burn hot for a time, plenty long enough to get damp tinder going.
I carry two butane lighters, matches, and a Ferro rod.
If I’m at the point where I’m building a fire in the middle of nowhere things have probably gone wrong. I want to be able to build a fire as easily as possible under the conditions, with cold stiff fingers, in the dark, snowing, etc.
Esbit Fuel tabs. Light easy and burn long and hot. Soaking cotton balls and making some sawdust paraffin concoction is too much work and messy. During hunting season in the remote areas of the Rockies, where making a fire might mean avoiding hypothermia, I have a zippo on me and Bic lighter, Fuel tabs, waterproof matches and small candle in my pack. If it's whitetail season in the midwest tree stand, or dirt biking, or casual hiking, it's a Zippo or Bic lighter and nothing else.
A 9 volt battery and a couple inches of wire and some kinling kept in a plastic bag will get a fire going and you can keep it in your pocket for emergencies when a lighter craps out or your matches are wet.
A 9 volt battery and a couple inches of wire and some kindling kept in a plastic bag will get a fire going and you can keep it in your pocket for emergencies when a lighter craps out or your matches are wet.
I rarely build fires when hunting and have never been in a situation where I felt I had to, to prevent hypothermia or otherwise survive. Even at -40 when trapping or when spending an unexpected night on the mountain during elk season. It is just more work than it is worth to me if you’re properly prepared.
I do, however play with different fire starter because I just like to burn things in my off time. Based on my experience (both sober and……..NOT sober) the road flares are still the way to go. Unless they have been soaking in a creek (and even then, maybe) all you do is flick the cap on the flare head and you’re in business, frozen fingers be damned. No fumbling with lighters, no messy witches brew concoction to deal with, nothing. I am a believer.
I'll sometimes carry .. I forget what they're called, but basically they look like 1/2 x 1/2 x 4 inch pressboard sticks soaked in paraffin.
Coghlans Fire Sticks. That’s what I carry. I’ve tested them several times, even letting them get a bit wet, and they start pretty easily with a butane lighter or a match, then burn hot for a time, plenty long enough to get damp tinder going.
I carry two butane lighters, matches, and a Ferro rod.
If I’m at the point where I’m building a fire in the middle of nowhere things have probably gone wrong. I want to be able to build a fire as easily as possible under the conditions, with cold stiff fingers, in the dark, snowing, etc.
There are lots of similar products on the market. Before lighting one, break it in half. The fuzzy broken end will light much faster than a smooth solid end.
In nearly 60 years of hunting, I've never needed to start a fire but it only takes once to be glad you have a couple good methods of getting it done. One twisted ankle or 1 fall through ice on a frozen creek can change your whole day really fast.
I'll sometimes carry .. I forget what they're called, but basically they look like 1/2 x 1/2 x 4 inch pressboard sticks soaked in paraffin.
Coghlans Fire Sticks. That’s what I carry. I’ve tested them several times, even letting them get a bit wet, and they start pretty easily with a butane lighter or a match, then burn hot for a time, plenty long enough to get damp tinder going.
I carry two butane lighters, matches, and a Ferro rod.
If I’m at the point where I’m building a fire in the middle of nowhere things have probably gone wrong. I want to be able to build a fire as easily as possible under the conditions, with cold stiff fingers, in the dark, snowing, etc.
There are lots of similar products on the market. Before lighting one, break it in half. The fuzzy broken end will light much faster than a smooth solid end.
In nearly 60 years of hunting, I've never needed to start a fire but it only takes once to be glad you have a couple good methods of getting it done. One twisted ankle or 1 fall through ice on a frozen creek can change your whole day really fast.
I've only needed a fire 2x times in 40 years of being old enough to notice. Both were falls into water in cold temps where you needed to get warm asap. Once through the ice on a creek and once, as mentioned, my dad fell out of a boat in a remote lake, miles from the nearest person (portage a canoe in) and it was starting to snow.
I rarely build fires when hunting and have never been in a situation where I felt I had to, to prevent hypothermia or otherwise survive. Even at -40 when trapping or when spending an unexpected night on the mountain during elk season. It is just more work than it is worth to me if you’re properly prepared.
I do, however play with different fire starter because I just like to burn things in my off time. Based on my experience (both sober and……..NOT sober) the road flares are still the way to go. Unless they have been soaking in a creek (and even then, maybe) all you do is flick the cap on the flare head and you’re in business, frozen fingers be damned. No fumbling with lighters, no messy witches brew concoction to deal with, nothing. I am a believer.
Ditto. I don't get the desire to mess with small items and numb fingers when there are flares. I've had one in my pack for a really long time. Do they have a shelf life?
I am sure they have a lawyered up expiration date but have never really looked. I just buy a new 3 pack every couple of years and then play with the old ones. I have never had one not instantly light despite sitting in my pickup's toolbox and in my pack through whatever weather I come across. They are in a zip lock bag though.....
I was running a trapline in northern MN and we had a sharp drop in temp and I got in a rush to get my traps out before the river froze and turned over my canoe a long way from the road. A match safe saved my life. Birch bark burns like its soaked in kerosene, even gives off oil black smoke. The under dead branches still on the spruce tree are like fat wood. I had to swim to shore and break shore ice to get out. My clothes were nearly frozen stiff by the time I got a fire going and I stayed there until enough of my clothes were dry to hike back to the truck. It was up to -9 when I got back to camp and changed to dry gear, got a grappling hook (trap drag) to pull the canoe back to shore.
Bic and zippo lighters don't work when wet, your wet thumb on the striker wheel will stop them from working. If carry a match safe use your bic to light the stove light fires etc. save the match safe for emergencies.
I get used chew cans, cut cardboard strips, the height of the can! Cut a piece of cotton rag or heavy cotton string! Lay the string on the cardboard, rollup and put in the can. Fill the can with paraffin wax. The string is the wick, cardboard and paraffin the fuel. I ask friends to save the all plastic cans, and make ten or twenty at a time. They will burn for ten to fifteen minutes. The only time I needed to use one, i just kicked the knots out of a dead doug fir, all rotten and gray. The knots are so full of pitch, water doesn't soak in the knots. The knots once started will burn in a good rain. Road flares are in the truck, never carried in my pack, yet!! Never tried the cotton ball and boy butter thing!
Esbit Fuel tabs. Light easy and burn long and hot. Soaking cotton balls and making some sawdust paraffin concoction is too much work and messy. During hunting season in the remote areas of the Rockies, where making a fire might mean avoiding hypothermia, I have a zippo on me and Bic lighter, Fuel tabs, waterproof matches and small candle in my pack. If it's whitetail season in the midwest tree stand, or dirt biking, or casual hiking, it's a Zippo or Bic lighter and nothing else.
If you dip them in paraffin wax they become waterproof and they burn much longer too. Plus they're less messy.
Toilet paper tubes stuffed with dryer lint. Not from yer bellybuttons numbnuts
If you have small children, their clothing is by law fireproofed. Lint from their pajamas won't burn well. Collect your lint after running a load of towels.
In a pinch, and if you have them, Fritos Corn Chips work well too. The oil and the corn burn pretty good. Plus you can eat them! Way back when I started all things hunting, I decided to learn how to start an emergency fire before I needed one. Can only imagine what my parent's neighbors thought about me out in my parent's yard, in my underwear, in the cold, rain and snow trying to start a fire! Lol! In my travels, I've used all kinds of Zippo lighters, dryer lint, cotton balls with vaseline, magnesium bars, road flairs, fritos... all kinds of stuff. My favorite lighter is a Zippo style, but one of the high pressure ones for lighting cigars. Of course, if I'm flying to a hunt, that'll determine what I can bring or I'll find a place to get something once I arrive to my destination.
I did just find a new and unused, but older, sitting in the back of a cabinet, magnesium stick. If anyone can use it, please PM me and it's yours.
If I am trying to travel light a propane bottle and torch head are out of the question. Usually I would have a pack, ditty bag and pockets. Then i would have several ways to make a fire, matches (water resistant), lighter, magnesium stick and sometimes carry paste, which is heavy but does work well with the magnesium. I always carry something on my person and other items in the pack/bag. You never know what could happen and you could get separated ftom your gear. Food is important, but water is more important, typically water is available here in AK. If you're up high you might have to walk, but usually it can be found. Fire can be lifesaving as hypothermia can be deadly, I've only been in that situation once while sheep hunting and its humbling to be in that position.
In a pinch, and if you have them, Fritos Corn Chips work well too. The oil and the corn burn pretty good. Plus you can eat them! Way back when I started all things hunting, I decided to learn how to start an emergency fire before I needed one. Can only imagine what my parent's neighbors thought about me out in my parent's yard, in my underwear, in the cold, rain and snow trying to start a fire! Lol! In my travels, I've used all kinds of Zippo lighters, dryer lint, cotton balls with vaseline, magnesium bars, road flairs, fritos... all kinds of stuff. My favorite lighter is a Zippo style, but one of the high pressure ones for lighting cigars. Of course, if I'm flying to a hunt, that'll determine what I can bring or I'll find a place to get something once I arrive to my destination.
I did just find a new and unused, but older, sitting in the back of a cabinet, magnesium stick. If anyone can use it, please PM me and it's yours.
Fritos are terrible. They never last long enough to get up the trail, let alone start a fire. I'm addicted to those things.
In my 50 plus years doing all this stuff, I've needed one once. I was moose hunting up in NE Manitoba, in the Ferry Rock region. Long story short, we ran out of gas for the outboards and while the outfitter was content to play cards in the cabin until the gas showed up, I was not. We had had a bull encounter in an area not far from the cabin so I loaded up the canoe, paddled across the lake, through a little channel to another lake and then to the far end of the second lake to a rock outcropping. I got up to the top of that rock outcropping and got comfortable, fresh moose sign in the area. I settled in, got my binos out and did a little moose calling. After a short time, I was rewarded with a reply grunt from across the lake. I went back down to the canoe, loaded my stuff back in and shoved off. My mistake, didn't get settled into the canoe and rolled it right over. In a fraction of a second, I was soaked! Got back on shore and emptied out the canoe, thankfully, didn't loose anything, nothing was at the bottom of the lake. Air temperature was in the mid 30°'s, no ice on the lake but the water was cold. Soaking wet and shivering, I got a fire going and dug out my second set of clothes that were in my waterproof daypack. So at least I had dry, and eventually, warm clothes. Glad I got the fire going, warmed me, and my spirit, back up. Should have just put the wet shoes back on when paddling back to the cabin, the bottom of the aluminum canoe got pretty cold with just socks on. Amazing how fast I forgot all about the moose that grunted back at me!
Should add, started this fire with wooden matches that I kept in a metal twist top waterproof match holder and dryer lint kept in a plastic ziplock baggie. There was an abundant supply of dry kindling, so thankfully, that wasn't a problem.
I usually have a lighter on me but I've also started carrying a ferro rod in the car and pack etc. Looking to see what you like for fire starting plugs. I've heard that cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly stored in old film canisters was a staple but the wonders of modern chemistry has me wondering if there's a better alternative. Something that starts easy, when wet, wind resistant/proof, and portable.
Here's what I make. It burns longer than the equivalent amount of kerosene soaked on a cotton swab too.
Pinch of vaseline, pinch of dryer lint, and pinch of sawdust.
Roll it around and mix it all up real good.
We call it gunk. I have never had it not want to light, or never not been able to start a fire with it. Even semi-wet/damp sticks will usually dry out enough to light by the time the gunk burns out. That pinch will generally burn at least 5 minutes. And you usually don't even have to use the whole piece. I actually only use a portion of what I have and save the rest in case I need to add a little more to get the fire going, but i've never needed the whole piece.
The dryer lint when mixed with vaseline seems to wick it up pretty good. I think that's what helps it burn as long as it does. Much like how candle wax helps the wick last longer too. And the sawdust, helps it light.
I’m due to add some more cotton balls and Vaseline to my kit, but this time I’m considering mixing each cotton ball with some fine steel wool, and then coating in Vaseline. Might increase the burning temp.
Get a good 1/2" quality ferrorod or that expensive ferro barrel unit from Holland gunsmithing. Either work.
Get a Bic or two. If you need a refillable lighter forger the Zippo and go with the Exotac lighter. It holds fluid longer and is o-ring sealed. Exotac makes an good Bic cover that is quaint and excellent match cases. I have everything Exotac and it's spendy but top notch.
For not f***in around invest in those small Orion mini flares. They work.
Now for fire starters Get an old cookie sheet. Get heavy duty paper towels. Now get some parrifin block of canning wax at grocery store, you can use part of an toilet ring maybe and then a little boiled linseed oil. You can add small bit of vasline, but just a little if you feel you want. Put these in cookie sheet and melt outside maybe in an gas grill grate low heat. Lower piece of paper towel for a few seconds with some tongs and lift out after saturated.
What you get is an nice waxy material that can be folded into small squares size of a thick business card. They remind me of the child chunky books. Anyway you can carry them much easier than the messy Vaseline cotton ball bus8ness. These are solid and you open the material up fluff and scratch it a bit with a blade and it 3xposes fibers. Hit that with a Bic or ferro rod and it will burn in any weather even on a snowbank. Done it many times. I carry these in my filson tin jacket.
There are hundreds of various strikers on the market. At least half are worthless. They all have the same ferrorod but the problem is the steel in the striker. It takes a good quality, hard steel to throw a spark and many are made with cheap soft steel. If yours won't throw sparks, try a knife or anything else around the house to see if you can find something harder and sharper. The best I've found is a StrikeForce. It throws an inferno of sparks. They also make a small version called the Sparkforce that fits nicely in the worthless column. If I use the steel from the Strikeforce on the Sparkforce, it works great.
If you have a striker that won't spark, Amazon sells these steel strikers that make any ferrorod into a good fire starter. I attached one to my SparkForce to make it a good one. BAYITE STEEL
Also, don't buy a bunch of fire starter stuff and just toss it in your pack. Using it takes practice. Practice at home, preferably in lousy conditions, to learn the tricks before you really need it.
A friend bought some of this fire starter putty. You dig out a small lump and work the fibers loose so a spark can light them. Supposedly. He had it in his hot garage and the putty melted, soaking into the fibers. It's easy to start with an open flame, but very difficult with a sparker.
1. I tested dryer lint against pure cotton balls, and the cotton balls were better. Both had equal amounts of Vaseline kneaded into them inside a ziploc bag. Cotton balls ignite easier and burn better than the dryer lint I tried. I think the reason is that lint has a mix of fibers, some of which burn better than others, while the pure cotton balls ignite consistently.
2. Bic lighters and their clones have come apart into tiny pieces in my pack and pockets at times. Also, as said, they can be hard to light with cold fingers/thumb, virtually impossible if wet. I carry lighters but trust my ferro rods more, and I can use larger hand muscles which work better in severe cold.
3. Angled head piezo lighters, sometimes called cigar lighters, are shaped WAY better to start campfires. I have the REI Stormproof lighter and the cap on it is majorly in the way of igniting tinder, and often pushes it out of the way. Great ignition, dumb design.
4. Learn to pull the ferro rod rather than push the striker down toward the tinder. Puts the sparks closer to the tinder and does not scatter it.
Trick birthday candles are what I keep in my pack.
The kind that when you blow them out, they instantly relight.
Work slick as heck for starting fires.
Word of warning though, and this is from using them for years. The "trick candle" re-igniting part is only in the top 1/2 to 1/3 of them after that they are just a regular candle. But they are fantastic and they weigh nothing. Stick a few in a ziplock with a lighter and matches and you are good to go.
Screwing around with scraping flints and steels when you have frozen hands is miserable. Just light a couple candles and get stuff going.
Keeping a little stove in my pack has helped immensely.
During the late season hunt I will often stop during the day and brew up a cup of coffee or hot tea or some noodles or instant mac and cheese to warm myself up if I am getting too cold.
[Trick birthday candles are what I keep in my pack.
The kind that when you blow them out, they instantly relight.
I wish those came in larger sizes.
Here's another good one. These can be found at Walmart along with Presto Logs, etc. They're very light weight and will burn hot for 15 min. Just light the wrapper. They won't light with a striker, though. You need a match or lighter.
Drier lint. There are some problems with it. I mentioned before that children's clothes are fireproofed. If you get lint from those, it won't burn at all. Some kinds of synthetics are also hard to burn. Your best bet is to clean the filter, then run a load of all cotton towels. Pure cotton lint will burn better than anything.
I don't mess with it. Go to Walmart's cosmetics dept. and spend $1 for a bag of the jumbo cotton balls. Make sure they're pure cotton as they also sell some synthetic ones that won't burn well.
I'm a leader for a Trail Life troop. We spend a lot of time with the boys teaching them survival stuff. We never allow them to use matches. Any one can start a fire with matches or a lighter. We have them use strikers all the time to learn how to do it the hard way. We've experimented with all kinds of tinder. We've used cotton balls, char cloth, fuzzy wood, commercial stuff, jute string, and many other things. So far, by far the easiest to light with a striker that we've found is the good old vasoline cotton ball.
Mackay; Top of the morning my cyber friend, I hope you and your fine family are well.
Oh - belated Happy Birthday as well.
Thanks to you and my friend Okanagan as well as the rest of course for your input.
As I believe you and others might know, I teach the Survival/First Aid portion of the BC Hunter Safety course so it's always good to have new tricks to share.
You're right that when one is "really and truly" cold, fooling with a ferro rod and fat wood or such tinder might be too slow to be a life saver.
Since I'm me - and Okanagan can verify this as he's been to our place a couple times for visits - I tend towards being more than a "belt and suspenders" sort.
Whenever I'm hunting, in my left pocket in a plastic bag is a ferro rod, 0000 steel wool and cotton balls soaked in Vaseline. In the pack there's a pocket torch, fat wood, a magnesium block with another ferro rod, more Vaseline soaked cotton balls and a variety of windproof/waterproof matches.
Honestly Mackay, I tell the class that if I'm still mobile, they'll be able to find this little old hunter from space by the thermal signature!
Now I'll be looking in the Dollar Store for those candles too!
Thanks again and good luck on your hunts this fall.
KC Have you used piezo lighters? I like those when I can find them (usually at a tobacconist shop). Bics are sure hard to use when cold and wet; trying to flick the wheel on the flint to get a spark.
IronBender: Haven't tried piezo yet. I'll have to keep my eyes open.
Sorry I didn't respond sooner. I went on a four-day backpack fishing trip into the Sangre de Cristos.
Hot cuppa on a long cold morning elk stand. I’ve never done much stand hunting but I don’t get around so well now and my boys talked me into watching a saddle and head of a canyon one morning. It is a mile or so from a vehicle, so took a backpack stove and a pad to sit on.
We have sort of two topics going on this thread: 1. how to start routine fires (for which the majority of us will use a BIC type lighter), and 2. crisis fires when we are cold/wet/without normal gear/in high wind and precipitation/all of the above.
Like BC30cal, I take a bunch of back up ways to start a fire and almost never need any of them. Piezo lighter, Storm Proof lighter, candle, Trioxane or homemade fatwood/Vaseline-cotton fire starter, a few Vaseline cotton balls, a few thin slats of fat wood, ferro rod, strike anywhere matches --- AND a great new addition from Mackay will be the candles that won’t go out! That whole pile goes easily in a ziploc in a pocket.
I like to split old fir fatwood into thin slats 5 inches long (which fit in a plastic Costco candy jar for storage). Cut the fatwood into 5 inch long blocks then use an old knife to split off slats. I prefer slats that are paper thin on one side, for easy ignition, and 1/8 inch thick on the other side. I wrap a few slats in a paper towel, in a ziploc to carry. They burn hot and long and place flame like a super match.
The pic below is of some handy fatwood scraps, not full slats.
[quote=KC] Have you used piezo lighters? I like those when I can find them (usually at a tobacconist shop). Bics are sure hard to use when cold and wet; trying to flick the wheel on the flint to get a spark.
I've been told those are the best lighters, been meaning to buy one and try it.
I gather pine pitch and keep it in a ziplock baggie. I keep matches, wrapped in Saran wrap and sealed in more baggies. It might seem a little OCD, but I carry matches in my pack, in my coat, in my shirt pocket, and in my pants pocket. I figure I'll always have some that are dry! GD
[Trick birthday candles are what I keep in my pack.
The kind that when you blow them out, they instantly relight.
I wish those came in larger sizes.
Here's another good one. These can be found at Walmart along with Presto Logs, etc. They're very light weight and will burn hot for 15 min. Just light the wrapper. They won't light with a striker, though. You need a match or lighter.
I buy these at my local supermarket. They look like the same thing.
A few minutes ago, I tore the wrapper off of one, snapped the small block in two - which could easily be done with wet, cold fingers - and rubbed the broken ends together until I had a small pile of coarse dust. Again, should be easy even with wet cold fingers.
One strike with a small ferro rod and the dust, and the two halves, ignited with a hot flame.
A few minutes ago, I tore the wrapper off of one, snapped the small block in two - which could easily be done with wet, cold fingers - and rubbed the broken ends together until I had a small pile of coarse dust. Again, should be easy even with wet cold fingers.
One strike with a small ferro rod and the dust, and the two halves, ignited with a hot flame.
A lot of good stuff here. I tend to over do it with my fire starting kit. When I am far from the truck it goes with me. Includes a Bic lighter, a Zippo with a tiny 1/8 ounce tabasco bottle full of lighter fluid, and storm matches in a water tight container. I make fire starters from cotton dental rolls soaked in melted candle wax from old candles. These burn for 15 minutes and light easily.
Dang it! good ideas, but unless I missed it nobody posted this? Very handy.
My Strikeforce is my go-to. We’ve found that all strikers use the same ferro rod but there’s a big difference in the steel quality. Half the strikers on the market won’t throw a decent spark because the steel’s too soft.
[We’ve found that all strikers use the same ferro rod but there’s a big difference in the steel quality. Half the strikers on the market won’t throw a decent spark because the steel’s too soft.
Ditto: tested cheap and more expensive ferro rods and strikers and found the same. The rods were the same but some strikers worked and others didn't. A main difference in strikers seemed to me to be ergonomics: how easy they are to hold and get a good strike/scrape. So the striker molded to thumb and finger, the one that comes with the Light My Fire, works well on a cheap ferro rod.
Like Ironbender, I've found a piece of hacksaw blade is my basic striker now, with a two piece wooden handle taped to it that has thumb and finger grooves in it, somewhat like the plastic handled striker that comes with the Light My Fire. Two cedar slats, make a handle in a minute or two.
There’s a smaller version of the Strikeforce called a Sparkforce. It’s the same company but the steel is junk. It’s easy to hold but it just won’t throw a spark. Using the steel from the larger one on it works fine.
I generally have a leatherman multitool with me if on a real adventure. It does nothing very well but handles many tasks adequately and offers a couple tools that I would not otherwise carry with me away from my vehicle. That being said, the file blade on the leatherman makes an excellent striker on a ferro rod.
The Blast match throws a hell of a spark but the tab that holds the steel is delicate. Or so with the older ones. It can pretty much be used one handed.
While doing some fall cleaning down in my shop, I came across this way in the back of a cabinet. Don't remember buying it and don't remember how long it's been there. Packaging looks old and worn, but it's definitely been in a cool dark place for a while. If you can use it/want it, PM me and it's yours...
Always have 3 methods on me in any wilderness situation (matches, flint n steel, lighter). My ferro rod is huge being about the size of a cigar.
Locally, we had a group of 3 elderly fishermen just recently who thought they would do a downstream angling run of about 5 miles as a day trip. Might be 5 miles as the crow flies, but actual stream distance is about 15 to 17 miles. It takes a full day to traverse if one simply hikes from dawn to dusk. They were prepping for their second night out when found with no one in the group capable of starting a fire.
With tons of wood about and lots of fishing line, one would think they could have done a bow drill.
According to my neighbor who found them, they were a pretty grouchy bunch.
Several years back 4 chukar hunters got lost in a heavy and persistent fog with no means of starting a fire. We found their campsite where they had dismembered shot shells and attempted to ignite things by firing the primers into a pile of powder. Didn't work and they spent an extremely cold night in a group hug. They were found by a kid out looking for coyotes late on the second day.
Whatever one carries, it should be functional in even the most dire situations. A friend and his wife got hit with a serious summer time temp drop with wind and snow at elevation. Their hands became essentially useless. They made it to their rig and had to literally rip his pants pocket off to extract his keys. With insufficient grip, they had to put a twig through the key ring to torque the key over and unlock the door.
One's not often faced with such dire conditions, but I've had a few instances where my hands were damned near nonfunctional. The old scout motto most certainly applies.
We occasionally watch some of the survival shows, and it's amazing that many of the peacock strutting Rambo's have serious issues getting a fire started.
You can read this stuff all you want to but when things go bad, if you haven’t practiced fire building at home, there’s a good chance you won’t get it done when you depend on it.
We occasionally watch some of the survival shows, and it's amazing that many of the peacock strutting Rambo's have serious issues getting a fire started.
There’s a difference in starting a fire when you want to and starting a fire when you have to.
I recently started playing with alcohol stoves and after following this thread, I started thinking a small bottle of alcohol in my fire kit might be a good thing to have as well as a road flare.
I've never crawled up on the shore out of 33 degree water & tried a fire. But have practiced after ice storms & such. All here are correct in saying every one should practice with what they choose. Some choices can be eye opening.
And another thought... certain tools & gadgets should be on your person. Not in a pack that's in the boat or vehicle. Those supplies are useless when the pack is is gone for 1 reason or another. If certain important things aren't on your person they should just as well be left at the house.
A 1-1/2" or 2" Forstner Bit, will make some really good wood chips for tinder before you leave, place it in a low temp oven to make sure it is good and dry and seal in a bag or tin.
A 1-1/2" or 2" Forstner Bit, will make some really good wood chips for tinder before you leave, place it in a low temp oven to make sure it is good and dry and seal in a bag or tin.
Phil
Givethe kids a box of pencils and a sharpener and tell them to help Dad by getting them ready sharp.
I've never crawled up on the shore out of 33 degree water & tried a fire. But have practiced after ice storms & such. All here are correct in saying every one should practice with what they choose. Some choices can be eye opening.
After giving some thought to making fire in winter with hands so cold that it's difficult to grip anything small, I've supplemented my fire starting kit in winter with a 6"x1/2" ferro rod and half a dismantled pair of scissors with the pointy half of the blade sawn off.
What's left is about the same length as the ferro rod, the handle should be easily gripped with a cold hand, and the sharp angle on the back of the stubby blade has a burr that throws big, fat globules of burning rod material.
Speaking of starting a fire in very cold, very adverse weather conditions, if you boys and girls have never read Jack London's short story, To Build A Fire, take heed where you build your fire. A good read.
I, as almost everyone here, have always carried several ways to make a fire in adverse weather. Used it twice. Glad I had my stuff and knew how to use it.
I always carry a 'fire bag'. It's a small nylon bag with about a half doz ways to start a fire. It goes in whatever pack I'm carrying. It contains a Zippo and extra fuel, hurricane matches, a Strikeforce striker, vasoline cotton balls, and a couple types of other fire starters.
Problems with finding something that will strike one of our 'modern' anti-dopehead matchs? Here's what I use. It's a stick-on sheet of match striker paper. I cut it to size and stuck some on tongue depressors (available in Walmart's crafts section). It'll strike any match if you keep it dry. An 8.5x11" sheet will make a whole lot of small strikers to carry in packs, etc. MATCH STRIKER PAPER Here's another source if you don't like Amazon: OTHER MATCH STRIKER PAPER It can also be used to repair a paper match box that has the striker stuff worn off. Just cut a piece and stick it to the box.
The only survival fire I needed to make we didn't have any dry matched or lighters. We were on our way back from ice fishing at night when we hit a pressure ridge with our four wheeler and going in the water. We climbed out of the water fortunately with big tires on the wheeler it didn't sink immediately and we were able to wrestle it back onto solid ice somehow. Fortunately we were close to a island that had a bunch of blow downs we kicked off a pile of branches, piled them out dumped the gas out of our jiffy ice auger onto the pile and onto a rag. Pulled the wire off the auger and after a fee pulls on the auger we lit the rag with the spark from the spark plug. We had a roaring fire in minutes. A few hours later we were dry and on our way home. Very cautiously
I always carry a 'fire bag'. It's a small nylon bag with about a half doz ways to start a fire. It goes in whatever pack I'm carrying. It contains a Zippo and extra fuel, hurricane matches, a Strikeforce striker, vasoline cotton balls, and a couple types of other fire starters.
Problems with finding something that will strike one of our 'modern' anti-dopehead matchs? Here's what I use. It's a stick-on sheet of match striker paper. I cut it to size and stuck some on tongue depressors (available in Walmart's crafts section). It'll strike any match if you keep it dry. An 8.5x11" sheet will make a whole lot of small strikers to carry in packs, etc. MATCH STRIKER PAPER Here's another source if you don't like Amazon: OTHER MATCH STRIKER PAPER It can also be used to repair a paper match box that has the striker stuff worn off. Just cut a piece and stick it to the box.
I frequently use flares at work I keep the striker with the plastic top to strike matches. Much more durable than paper strikers
My name is WMR, and I like fire. Admitting it may be the first step to recovery. I hope not. I am a fatwood junkie. I hoard dryer lint. Vaseline on cotton? Oh yea. Never far from a ferro rod, I ‘ll make fires in wet conditions just to know I can.
That said, there are around 146,000 choices in commercial firestarters for outdoorsmen. They all work. Get some and carry them. They are cheap and, well, sometimes you just need a fire. Besides my trusty Strike Force, I’ll have a Bic and waterproof matches. The bigger the better. I like bushcraft but, like I said, sometimes you just need a fire.
To make a bic lighter easier to use with cold finger, pry that small chrome strip of metal between the thumb wheels off with a small screwdriver or knife.
To make a bic lighter easier to use with cold finger, pry that small chrome strip of metal between the thumb wheels off with a small screwdriver or knife.
That's why I prefer a Zippo. You can light a Zippo on your pant leg if you have to.
cotton balls will produce a flame but it is not very hot. if you need a fire get trioxane. trioxane is a little hard to get and esbit will work as a substitute but is a little harder to light. on a rainy alaskan trip i used a dozen cotton balls in an attempt to get a fire and gave up. half a bar of trioxane got the job done.
i always have esbit or trioxane in my coffee kit and i do make coffee every day in the field rain, snow or shine. stomp a hole in the snow and light off a bar and start to heat water every time. test it before you trust it.
^^ These are both of my go to starters^^ Trioxane lights fast every time and weighs nothing in the pack. Road flares for the car are a no brainer and must have.
Always been a Vaseline and cottonball guy until recently...started to carry Shoe Goo it is highly flammable and works as a fire starter; upside it also glue so it has more than one use.
Like other have mentioned in extreme cold road flares, thanks to the experiences of our Alaskan / Yukon friends for this tip.
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