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View Full Version : What is your favorite type of fire or how to light it



wolf
04-23-2007, 09:16 PM
mine is probably the star fire or lazy man fire

owl_girl
04-24-2007, 02:16 AM
I use a magnifying glass though I’m still experimenting what materials I can start on fire this way and what I cant. Next I’m going to try cattails.

illinia
04-25-2007, 07:11 PM
all in all I think the reflector fire is best for camp.Star fires work great on the trail and I tend to build them more than any other type,but for a warm nights sleep I go with a reflector.

lovegettinlost
04-30-2007, 08:39 PM
I enjoy a nice propane gas fire with marshmellows, but when I'm not at home, I also like the reflector fire, adn the option of making it elongated and placing 2-4 stones near the coals and then placing them two on, two otehr throughout a cold night. I don't knwo what a star fire is but I shall find out. My favorite way to light it is new and too easy but for an emergency is the magnesium stick with a striker, worsk very well.

wolf
05-06-2007, 05:05 PM
A star fire or lazy man fire is when you have 4-10 poles of wood being fed into the fire in the shape of a star. Have about six inches of the wood inthe fire at a time once the end of the poles were burned push them another six inches until the poles are gone. Very long lasting fire

FVR
05-07-2007, 08:24 PM
To start use flint and steel. Have not quite perfected the bow yet. Fav. fire has logs on the far side about 2' up so as to direct the heat my way. Stack of wood at arms length so I can just tip or throw on in the fire to keep it going.

Used mostly when it gets chilly.

Any fire is a good fire.

marberry
05-30-2007, 04:29 PM
i use my zippo , i carry a lil napalm on me incase i need a big fire fast and kerosene works well 2 lol

Tony uk
06-10-2007, 06:24 PM
I use a metal match to light mine and i just build a simple fire with what ever i have on hand :)

kiamichisavage
06-11-2007, 09:13 AM
The trench fire! Regardless of the wind it makes it easier to light. I'm adept at flint and steel, one match, but, prefer my Bic!

spiritman
06-14-2007, 03:52 AM
I just get a simple satisfaction from starting a fire with flint and steel, makes me feel... uh... warmer?

FVR
06-14-2007, 09:14 PM
I had a little secret at the rendezvous for making fire with wet wood. I would start the fire with flint and steel and make a little kindling fire out of a shaved pine stick.

Then I would add "magic wood."

Magic wood was little chunks of hardwood soaked in diesel and then left out to dry. They always wondered where my stinky wood came from.

Tony uk
06-15-2007, 05:43 PM
Lol, Do you think unleaded fule would have the same effect ?

FVR
06-15-2007, 11:30 PM
NO!

Diesel is more of an oil. Diesel engines combustion is not from ignition or spark but rather heat from the cylinder. Diesel does not ignite as fast since gas' ignite from their fumes.

Diesel however will burn alot longer.

Tony uk
06-16-2007, 07:18 AM
Thanks For The Info :D

I thought of soaking the wood in some kind of flammable oil before but they always never really worked that well :(

sh4d0wm4573ri7
06-23-2007, 06:29 AM
unless the fire is for warmth we just make a small tepee fire with a reflector for cooking , marshmellows etc. Made either with strike a light and char or fire piston and chaga. read somewhere = white man make big fire sit far away, indian make small fire sit close lol . we like small fire for fuel economy and I suppose because we are lazy about finding fire wood.

LiL' bunny fufu
07-09-2007, 12:40 AM
i like a fire by magnizeium fire starter and bow but im not very good at bow

Sarge47
07-09-2007, 02:29 AM
I use matches or a lighter unless I'm out of matches or lighter fuel, or just experimenting. The fire would depend on the purpose. I use a small fire in a shallow hole for a cooking fire. For a "council fire" I want something big but not so big I'm in danger of burning down the forest. A signal fire is a different matter altogether. Three fires set in a triangle is a distress signal.

flandersander
11-10-2007, 09:31 PM
What the heck is a METAL MATCH? I assume it is the same as a flint but I have no clue. I have looked on ebay and google and even asked a local survival expert and still don't know.

Nativedude
11-10-2007, 09:59 PM
This is a "metal match." About $2.50. See the Boy Scout Crest on the handle? Available at most places that stock scouting supplies.

flandersander
11-11-2007, 01:00 AM
Ok but whats it do? Is it the same as a flint or does it shave off the knife? I really am clueless about this.

Nativedude
11-11-2007, 09:54 PM
You use a knife blade or sharp edged piece of metal, hacksaw blade, etc. to strike a spark into your tinder,

dilligaf2u2
11-12-2007, 09:20 PM
I stole this off another sight! I feel they will not mind sence we are all freely sharing information!

Trench Fire
Perhaps one of the simplest possible fires, the name suggests it all. Dig yourself a trench around 1m by 30cm (3 x 1 ft) and around 30 cm deep (1 ft). Place a layer of rocks on the bottom of the trench. Now build your fire on top of the rocks.By placing the rocks on the bottom, they will absorb and hold a lot of the heat. Even once the fire has died down the rocks can be used as a 'grill'.For general cooking you can use the pot rod holders in the camp gadget section, or a simple wire mesh across the trench with all your items on top, or even a spit placed across the trench.

Yukon Stove
This takes a very large effort to build, but once built it can burn almost anything. Dig a circular hole around 24cm (9 inches) deep with a channel on one side leading down to it. Place rocks all round the outer edge of the hole and build them up into a funnel shape, gradually sloping inwards. Remember to 'bridge' over the channel you made. Towards the top of the funnel make the rocks 'open out' again.Now seal all the rocks with earth. You now effectively having a sealed, insulated chimney creating a good draught to maintain the fire.To start it working, light your fire in the channel so that you can see what you are doing. When the fire has caught and is going well push it down the channel beneath the chimney. To contain to fuel the fire, drop the wood in through the top of the chimney. You can control the rate at which the fire burns by opening or closing the top. This fire will leave little ash and will burn for a long time before it needs clearing out.

Hangi MethodI
have not tried this one myself. Apparently it is a way of cooking without utensils by heating stones. Dig an oval shaped hole with rounded sides around half a metre deep (20 inches) and place kindling at the bottom. You then lay logs across the hole, then another layer of logs that lay at right angles to the previous layer. You intersperse the logs with stones around fist-size. Continue to build up layers this way until you have around 5 or 6 layers, topping off with stones on the very top. When you set the kindling alight, the logs will burn heating the stones above them, until eventually they all fall down into the pit. Then you remove the embers and ash. Hangi MethodNext you place your food on top of the hot rocks (meat in the centre, vegetables towards the edge). There must be gap between the food and the earth.Now lay saplings across the pit and place leaves etc on top of them, covering the lot with earth. This will keep the heat in and act like a pressue cooker.After one and a half hours remove the cover and you will find your meal cooked to a treat.Sounds like a good thing to try at the next scout camp!

Metal Box Oven
A very common contraption, I'm sure most of you have heard/seen/ tried this one before. A large food tin or metal box makes an excellent oven (preferably with some sort of hinged lid). The door can open sideways, or even downwards to rest upon a pile of rocks to make a shelf to bring your food out onto. Even without a metal box you could try to make a clay dome.Basically all you have to do is stand the box on some rocks (so that you can light a fire beneath it to heat the oven). The trick is to build up insulation around the oven by covering all round with earth and rocks. Be sure to leave a small gap at the back of the oven to let the heat and smoke from the fire move around. Similarly you will need to push a small hole for a chimney at the top of the back part. Once finished you have an oven that can be used much like the one in your home.

Boiling
I think its clear that you will need a container to cook in boiling water. Pots and cans are ideal and you can use the gadgets to help make dealing with them easier. However if you want to cook without these (backwards man style) then the only two containers that I know to be of use are the birch bark ones (again in the gadgets section) and a length of bamboo.To cook in bamboo, find yourself a stem and angle it across the fire by supporting one end with a forked stick. Water can be poured down the end and will eventually boil.If you have no containers at all you can use the Hangi method and simply place the water in the pit. Make sure the pit is well 'sealed' unless you just want the water to drain away!

Grilling
Is a nice simple way of cooking. It requires a support of some kind, normally a wire mesh rested on logs/stones across the fire. However, any rocks that have been heated by the fire can be used as grilling surfaces, or you could skewer your food and rest it across the fire.For the backwoods-man style, make yourself a mesh from very green sticks weaved in-and-out around themselves (aim for a 'tennis racket' type shape by using a strong forked green stick as the frame). You can place your food on the mesh, or you could even include the food within the mesh. A good example is to place a piece of fish within the mesh and weave around it.Back to Top

Roasting
The easiest method to roast meat is to skewer it on a spit, and place it across the fire by supporting either end with forked sticks driven into the ground. The fat itself will help cook the meat so be sure to turn the meat occasionally to get the fat running over the surface. You must be careful to roast the meat slowly. A quick fierce fire will simply roast the outside, sealing the meat meaning the inside will be very undercooked (and hence dangerous to eat). Or at the very least, cut off the outer flesh to eat and let the inner flesh carry on cooking.

Baking
Will need an oven of some description. There are many different types but they are all largely similar in design. Baking is suitable for tough meat and for root vegetables. You can use an oven to cook most of your meal at once.

Frying
Again we mostly use some container (metal) to fry within. It is possible however (although I can't say I have tried it!) to fry certain foods by placing them on a large leaf which contains some oil. Apparently banana leaves are ideal to fry eggs on, although not exactly common in this country.

SteamingSteaming
Is an excellent way of cooking fish and green vegetables. You need to suspend the food in the steam from boiling water. The simplest way to do this is to make holes in a can and then suspend it within a larger can (or resting it on some stones placed in the bottom of the larger can). Cover the outer can so that no steam is lost, but do not completely seal it or the pressue will build up and it will explode! For the backwoods-man style steamer, find yourself a suitable bamboo length that has several 'sections'. Make a small hole between the sections of the bamboo (this is the most tricky part to do!) making sure the hole is big enough to let water flow through to the bottom. As before rest the bamboo across the fire by propping with a forked stick. Pour the water down so that it fills the lower section, and place your food in the top section. Make a (loose) lid for the top and the steam produced will cook your food.

Hobo Stove
To make this you will need an oil drum of some description (5 gallons would be sensible for a small fire). Simply make holes at the bottom of the drum and the sides, and cut your self a 'door' towards the base end. Leave the top of the drum sealed for cooking (you may want to make a few holes on one side at the top to let the smoke out).Start the fire inside the drum and stoke it through the door. If the drum is placed on a ring of stones or similar the draught underneath the drum will keep the fire burning well. Cooking can take place upon the top of the stove (and it will keep you warm too, just what the 'Hobos' use it for).

Don

Sarge47
11-12-2007, 11:15 PM
Ok but whats it do? Is it the same as a flint or does it shave off the knife? I really am clueless about this.

that's right, just strike it with the back edge of your knife, or use the little piece of steel they include with it. I have one, but prefer the "Strike Force". "Balst Match is also cool. Check out some of this stuff.

http://www.wisementrading.com/firestarters/flint.htm

Scroll down the page and you'll see various options.;)

Beo
11-13-2007, 01:15 PM
Flint and steel in a shallow ditch lined with rock, using cattail fluff and dried moss (always keep some in a tin) and feed with logs once started and throw in some ceder chips for a nice smell, this is just a good ole fashioned way I prefer, sometimes if i'm teaching I show the bow drill but it can be iffy at best, still working on it, never been to fond of it as it can take time from other camp duties. Although for cooking any open fire is great.