Fire Starter Info.

[tater03]

Has anyone on here actually been able to do this? I remember trying this years ago at a class at a summer camp. I have no clue how people get this to work? I must not have the patience.

[Chris]

It is one of the easier ways to make fire. Compared to rubbing sticks together using flint to spark is super easy. They even have flint "lighters" that take any guess work out. In fact I'd rather have one of those than matches because matches can get wet or ruined.

[mamab]

I think we tried that when I was a Girl Scout leader. I never had any luck with it, but I have seen people that have done it. I think it must be an acquired skill, and it must be practiced often to keep the skill.

[echos]

Useing flint is very diffcult. I used it in girl scouts, and the leader was terriable at it.

[vicki2]

LOL ..it's like we all tried it once. I, too, tried it in Girl Scouts. We managed to get a fire going, got a badge, and after that, I never tried again!

[Appleman]

You need charred cloth in order to catch the sparks. Without it it's VERY difficult. Just heat the cloth without burning it, and it will turn black. I make some every once in a while and save it in an airtight plastic bag. Charred cloth makes the job much much easier.

[Chris]

I saw that charred cloth trick on an episode of survivorman, it was neat.

By the way, these are the lighters I was talkign about:

http://www.uniweld.com/catalog/accessories/flint_lighters.htm

You squeeze the sides together and inside the dish at the end the flint sparks.

[Bowcatz]

I make a charcloth oven from two tin cans. One is a soup can (small) and the other is a vegetable can (a little bit larger). I drilled a small hole (1/8") in the bottom of the smaller can. This opening will be pointing up when the oven is in use.

I put the 1 inch by 2 inch pieces of 100 percent cotton t-shirt into the smaller can and turn it over and put in inside the larger can. It is critical that the cans are set up so the small can is inside the larger can and the hole in the bottom of the smaller can is pointing up so the smoke can escape. I set it on the fire source.

When the smoking from the small hole has stopped and the occasional flames out the top, too, I know the cloth has charred. I pull it out of the fire and set it to the side to cool.

Don't open the can till you can pick it up with bare fingers. If it feels too warm, leave it alone a little longer to cool further. If the pieces of cloth are entirely black, it's done. If there is a hint of brown to the cloth, put the cloth back in the small can and put the small can down inside the larger can and put back on the fire for another fifteen minutes.

I've noticed that 100 percent cotton t-shirts (thin fabric) ignite easier with smaller sparks than thicker fabric like denim jeans. The thicker charcloth burns hotter, but you'll need a hotter spark source to make it ignite. I use a steel made from an old file that casts small, but numerous sparks, so I use the thinner charcloth with it. My magnesium bar with the manmade flint casts very heavy sparks and when used with natural flint, sets the heavy fabric charcloth to burning easily.

Once the charcloth is ignited, place it in the center of your tinder bundle and fold the tinder bundle around it. Blow gently at first on the charcloth to create a larger burning ember to ignite the tinder bundle. Blow as hard as necessary to ignite the tinder bundle once the charcloth is glowing brighter from the gentler breaths. When the tinder bundle is flaming, place it under a pile of dried sticks to start the beginnings of your campfire. You can use the burning tinder method to light reed-bundle torches, too.

I am currently experimenting with charring the dried, pithy centers of plants like dog fennel, poke weed, elderberry and such to create a charred material from natural sources. The pith of the poke plant is delicate after being charred, but will burn a tiny ember. I would drop the burning charred pith into a tinder bundle of shredded cedar to ignite it. Shredded oak leaves were a little bit too hard for the charred pith to ignite right away.

http://www.geocities.com/bowhunter154/welder-lighter.jpg

The welder lighter Chris is referring to is easy to use. I've seen welders create really big sparks when attempting to light a welding torch by squeezing and releasing it several times quickly. Should set charcloth ablaze quickly. Great for folks with handicaps who need to light charcloth or make a lot of sparks fast.

[tater03]

Thanks for the tips. I had no clue that they had flint lighter out now? I am glad to see it wasn't just me that couldn't get the hang of it.

[stella7]

Do you know how to make a light or light a fire the old fashioned way?You can simply get two stones and rub them together and then you can put some sticks whenever you see some little fire or a piece of paper to catch the fire.Then it will be finished.

[trick-r-treat]

Yeah, but how easy is it to do that - isn't it very time-consuming and tiring? I guess if you didn't have a choice, it's good to know.

[trick-r-treat]

Another way to start a fire is by using a glass or a piece of mirror to catch the sun's rays and direct it to paper or even dry leaves to catch fire.

[rubybeetle]

Reminds me of all the fires I've started as a kid using a magnifying glass. :)

[mamab]

Yes, my kids are fascinated with magnifying glasses! They definitely are useful for starting fires. Unfortunately, they don't always use their noodle when deciding to do so. :( I guess on a cloudy day, you could always rely on the old flint trick to start that fire.

[rubybeetle]

I must admit I've never been successful at lighting a fire this way. Even in my childhood pyromaniac days. :D

[taiarain]

This page has a video on starting a fire using sticks:

http://wm.kusa.gannett.edgestreams.net/news/1154388092457-07-31-06-spangler-4p.wmv

If it doesn't work, go to www.stevespanglerscience.com, videos, friction fire.

I'm planning on trying this in the spring. If I can do it, I want to use it for starting campfires. I'm all about impressing the family. ;)

[donny h]

I've played around with some of the alternative fire starting methods, the bow drill seems easiest IF you have a piece of cord, dry wood, and low ambient humidity.

I carry a magnesium fire starter in my survival kit, along with an trioxane fuel bar, I'm confident that with those two items I can start a fire in a storm, even if the available firewood is wet.

[Tangent210]

I can do it pretty much all the time in all weather, It took me a good couple of days to get good with it. It's definitely something you have to practice at and likely don't be good at right away. It's useful though. I carry a little bit of it in an emergency kit. Water proof matches have made it pretty obsolete to carry but there is still a time when it can be used. Plus it's fun!

[mamab]

Thanks for the info about the charcloth. I'd never heard of that method before.

[Tangent210]

Bow drills and friction fires are VERY difficult to make. I wouldn't expect to be succesful on your first couple of tries and it can make a grown man in good shape extremely tired trying. I've been making fires like this for many years and even I have trouble getting them going. It's a general pain to do so I don't do it as often as I should to be great at it but I wouldn't say it's easy, even for people who are professional outdoorsmen and survivalists.

[Wolf Creek]

I feel the same way bow drills are hard work before you see the first puff of smoke. A piece of magnesium and a fuel source makes it pretty easy. I'm not sure that is to far from a Zippo lighter. Those who can start a fire with the things you find in the woods is still a lost art. Heat,Air and Fuel make fire easier said than done.

[taiarain]

I don't think it's the easiest way to do it, but it's definitely one of those generally useless skills that could come in handy in a difficult situation.

[reviewer]

I guess this is one of the things I tend not to worry about - I doubt I have the strength to use the bow drill, and I carry lighters when away from civilization.

[tater03]

I tried years ago to do this and I got nowhere. I am not sure but I just don't think I was patient enough. Would be a great skill to have though.

[Bowcatz]

I experimented today with the small magnifying glass on the whistle, compass, and thermometer gizmo from Coghlan and discovered I can light charred cloth and charred punk wood with it by focusing the magnified rays of the sun into a pin point on the charred cloth or charred punk wood. This might be handy if the small magnifier can't get a tinder bundle to stay lit. May not sound like much, but if I lose the usage of my flint and steel, I now have a reliable backup to build a fire as long as the sun is shining. I've also discovered today that when using charred punk wood break the bits into toothpick wide pieces or smaller and ignite them first. Place these smaller burning bits on top of a larger piece of charred punk to get it going. Place the larger piece of charred punk into the tinder bundle and blow on it like you do charred cloth. Burns hotter than charred cloth, IMHO.

[whitewolf]

The reflector around a flashlight bulb can also be used to start fire. Just sick the tinder in the hole and reflect.

[rugby_nut]

always carry rubber with you if you are going to be making fire beacause it always burns when its wet so if you cant get the tinder going use the rubber i tend to use a inertube from a bike tyer

[ace]

Does anyone have any ideas for how to build a primitive shelter if you don't have a tarp??

[Chris]

You don't need a tarp, you can insulate yourself from the weather using brush/branches/vegetation in place of a tarp.

[rugby_nut]

the best thing to do is put the dead vergertation on your shelter 1st to insulate it then put alive green vegitaion on top of that 2 keep it waterproof

[woodsey]

you guys may have covered this subject before i joined,if not i beleve fire is one of the most important things to prepare for,in my pack i always keep 1 film canister full of vasaline soaked cottonballs,1 canister full of 4-0 steel wool both work great. woodsey......:

[illinia]

i have found that charcloth is easyest to make in a shoepolish type can with a small pin hole in the top of the can cut your peices of cloth place them in the can and place it in the fire when smoke stops comming out the cloth is done use a cotton based cloth . quartz works better than flint and I use a nailset as the striker. hope this works

[illinia]

try kero instead on a peice of clean cotton cloth it starts fires well and can be used as light lube and rust inhibiter plus cloth can still be used as field dressing

[BSM]

I just bring along a bic lighter or two. Simple, reliable, and they can be used for quite a long time before they run out. Especially if one banks their fire at night to re-use the coals in their morning cooking to conserve the butane in thier lighter. I've considered bringing a chunk of flint to use with my knife as a backup, but I haven't bothered yet. Not exactly the best attitude to have when considering survival, but I'm just being honest.
BSM

[owl_girl]

I can if the wind isn’t blowing to hard. I did it a couple of times and used charred cloth, which works pretty good. But I’ve never don it without charred cloth. In substitute I’d try dried cattail fluff or something.

[survival scout]

Flint and steel is the best way to start a fire due to the fact that you won't run out of materials like you would with matches. For best results with the flint and steel things like charred cloth, and other things like it that will start up very easy. A very handy thing to do is to get the flint that also has magnesium attached to it.

[bear]

I have one of the little boy scout spark sticks. I have had more luck using dryer lint than anything else to catch a spark.

[wolf]

Lint is the best tinder for me. You don't really need a lighter for sock lint, pocket lint, belly lint, just need one spark from anything to light it.

[WildGoth]

a really tough way to make fire is to use a magusium lighter after a while it gets easy but other wise it is pretty hard anyone know of any other ways to make fire that are cool

[illinia]

Try fine steel wool and a battery

[wolf]

Using flint without magnesium is hard... unless you have lint. It's by far my favorite tinder. It will go up in flames in less than 30 seconds if you have flint and steel, so I completely agree with bear.

[moses1moses]

shoe lace, lopped around around 2 sticks, grab both ends and pull up one at a time repeatedly, friction=fire, i put wood fiber under, and lint,

[kid]

shoe lace, lopped around around 2 sticks, grab both ends and pull up one at a time repeatedly, friction=fire, i put wood fiber under, and lint,

how do you do this is there a link i can get to see pics??

[FVR]

Is there any other way to start a fire? When you first start with flint and steel it can be a pain.

Altoids cans with a little pin hole through the top. Cut up a t shirt into little squares and put them into the altoids can. Stick the can into the fire, leave until you don't see any smoke coming out of the teeny hole. Needs to be a teeny hole. Pull out and let cool.

What works great for steels are the old American made files. Break a piece of file off, about 4 iches, Wear Safety Glasses, then get a rock, any hard rock and just hit the side of the file. You will get the hang of it, then when you can make a spark, stick the char cloth under it and strike away.

It'll catch eventually.

I have many prim. style steels and the old file ones work the best. As far as rocks, you would be surprised how many rocks throw sparks.

If you find an abandoned birds nest in the woods, works great to start fires. Put the char under it and just lightly blow.

Caution, don't ever try this with two like rocks as you can cut your fingers pretty bad.

[Redneckboyscout]

Are you talking about ferrocerium or actual flint? Ferrocerium is what lighters and mechanical sparkers use. It's alot better and easier than actual flint. Just remember when you're striking it, it's the steel that flakes off and creates the sparks, not the flint or ferrocerium. So the harder the steel, the better the sparks.

Has anyone tried a magnesium bar?

[Go_army2]

you can make charred cloth also by puting it in the fire to just in a tin can like an alltiods can or some of that nature with a hole in it and wait until its done smokeing after that then you wait till its cooled down (lay thehole on the ground so the stuff inside dont get burned and start a fire) then nice charred cloth all and ready! :)

[FVR]

I'm talking real live mother natures rocks. You would be surprised at how many will throw a spark.

Had one of them magnesium things once, think it got old as it just did not work when I tried to use it. It was over 5 years old. The flint and chert I use is hundreds of years old, maybe even thousands.

I will be trying a few dif. kinds of punk wood and a really thick cotton tubed wick. I found a great dry rotting old tree during hog season, will be venturing back sooner or later.

[wolf]

Magnifying glass

[Wolfgange]

Hey guys, im new and i think its really hard to use the bow technique. I've tried like 15 times.

[WildGoth]

yeah i tried the bow techinque it is tough by the way anyone how to remove spinters i got some from the wood

[wolf]

it took me 300 long tries to perfect the bow drill

[WildGoth]

geez i cound't get it to so much as charocal

[silver fang]

the best tender is used will be (wool with kero)
u just need simpel things:
1-wool
2-kero
3-a good closed contaner (to keep the wool wet with kero)

[Rambo]

i prffer chared cloth. just 1 spark and it will take off. easy to make to

[WildGoth]

a really good way to turn a match into a gaint fire is by useing a axe deroendt spary can i now have one in my survail kit

[Musubi420]

I try and keep multiple ways of starting a fire on or near me when I venture outside for example in my pockets I keep a lighter, mag/flint thingy in my vest more lighters, fresnel lens, water/wind proof matches, petro/cottonballs, paper and more of the same in my bag. guess I just like FIRE

[Woodland]

I carry a Bic and also a magnesium starter in my daypack. I think the fire steels look pretty handy. I used to have a flint and steel set fom my black powder days and it worked really well with dryer lint.

[marberry]

my zippo uses flint lol flint is the easiest thing to use. all ya have 2 do it scratch steel to it an it sparks, i have this wyrd machine that i squeze the trigger and hundreds of sparks come out the end , i have no idea what it is or where i got it but i love it

[owl_girl]

my zippo uses flint lol flint is the easiest thing to use. all ya have 2 do it scratch steel to it an it sparks, i have this wyrd machine that i squeze the trigger and hundreds of sparks come out the end , i have no idea what it is or where i got it but i love it

I think that’s magnesium flint your talking about. Have you ever tried the flint you find in mother nature?

[marberry]

you mean banging rocks together? only whem i wana catch squirrels lol (theyr attracted by the sound of rocks rubbing together) i dont know much about flint though so i might have...

[owl_girl]

Magnesium flint is easy and good to have. Natural flint is just a smooth gray rock that natives made knives and arrow tips from. I’ve started fires with Natural flint but magnifying glasses and Magnesium flint are the easiest lol.
http://www.beg.utexas.edu/mainweb/publications/graphics/chert400.jpg
This video is the best instructions on how to use natural flint
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzeY1usbiVk&mode=related&search=

When you hit the flint with the steel your trying to cut the steel with the flints sharp edge. When you get it at the right angle at the right speeds the metal shavings fly off as sparks.

Oh and the squirrels, if its red squirrels they are so territorial if they hear a gray squirrel though gray squirrels are three times their size the reds are after them like vicious dogs. The big grays are so scared of them. I heard if a red catches a gray he’ll bite his balls off to get rid of the competition of them multiplying I don’t know if its true though.

[marberry]

lol thats prty vicious, i usually go for the greys , theres more meat on em and if you hang a live one up by the tail as bait youv got a chance to catch a weasel , you know how thoes guys love killing there food, cause if they hear a trapped squirrel they come running lol

[marberry]

i carry a glass bottle of my special emergency fire starter, it makes a big hot fire quick , its actually alot like napalm but is great to start fires in rainy conditions

[sh4d0wm4573ri7]

flint and steel is a very reliable method but only if done with a good tinder such as char cloth, tinder fungus works great as well but must be very dry yet not crumbly dry. And actually spark comes from the metal yes unless useing ferrocerium where as the rod is actually producing the spark magnesiium is ok however is hard to keep together in wind and burns very hot and fast. i use flint steel char cloth and ceder wood chips is simple to get fire in wind or any weather except torrential rain .

[sh4d0wm4573ri7]

get yourself a good fire piston from like wilderness solutions incredible even soaking wet will produce a coal with charcloth or tinder fungus is also kind of fun to produce a fire so easily without matches lil practice , right tinder = fire most everytime

[RobertRogers]

What is your favorite fire making tool? Matches? Metal Match? Bow Drill? other?

[Dark786]

flint and steel work the best for me

[owl_girl]

Magnifying glasses work in seconds.

[sh4d0wm4573ri7]

flint n steel and magnifying glass is very good but i must admit iam fascinated with the age old fire piston have yet to find something more reliable

[Dark786]

i always cary a bic lighter those things are asome

[THE-HUNTSMAN]

:) As for being able to make a fire when needed, I always carry a mag stick with striker. I learned to do this while in the military (retired after 22 years). I have taught other friends that like to hike and camp how to make a fire. They all have used the mag stick numerous times when nothing else would work. My mag stick is with me ALL THE TIME!!!! I also carry other survival items at all times.

[Tony uk]

I like the old ways of doing it, like the Bow and Drill, also i use the battery way aswell :)

[Tony uk]

I think the bow way is the easyist to do if you dont have anything else but mostly i use a flint to light a quick fire

[Tony uk]

I think this is the easiest way to make a fire and for that I always use this method whenever I can

[Tony uk]

I carry a steel match, Flint, Sometimes a lighter

But it like to make it as reall as possible, say you where planing a walk threw the moutans and be back by daylight, you might bring food/water but i dought that you will bring things to start a fire with and thats where you need to know your stuff

[LtAttiic]

i keep a magnesium stick, about 4 disposable lighters, a zippo, some steel wool(for use with flashlight), a fresnal lense, matches, waterproof matches, windproof matches, and several candels. i guess i just find comfort in knowing that if need be, i could cremate a frozen elephant.
i still need a ferrocium rod, too...
as for the axe, i find WD-40 works better.

[sam30248]

I keep a zipo and 10 books of matches. And a fire starter at ingles stores called fire starters, 4 for 2.00 they wark real good at hunt camp

[mbarnatl]

Bic lighter and Spark-Lite firestarter.

[marberry]

zippo lighter and napalm lol

[Sarge47]

In the October 2006 issue of "Backpacker" Magazine Les Stroud was one of three survival experts asked what essential piece of equipment he would never be without. His answer was a butane lighter to start a fire. I always carry several methods, including lighters and water-proof matches. The magnesium flint stick is so good that the US Air Force includes it in their pilots' survival kits.
I also have the military flint wheel and the Gerber Strike Force...Ya never know!

SARGE.

[paul vs wild]

Flint By Far Waterproof And A Hell Of Alot Of Strikes

[WildGoth]

i'm looking for a new firestarting tool so anyone have any ideas

[Sarge47]

i'm looking for a new firestarting tool so anyone have any ideas

Go to your local Wal-Mart & pick up a Magnesium block with flint rod for about 6 bucks, throw in another dollar and buy a water-proof match safe. Ask you mom to save her dryer lint for you and fill a qt. size zip-lock bag with the stuff.

[WildGoth]

i haven't tried it with dryer lint but i've done with it the magnesium bar

[Sarge47]

i haven't tried it with dryer lint but i've done with it the magnesium bar

The dryer lint is just a great tinder to help start a fire.

[Rocky789]

There was actually a review of the best firestarters on the market on some website (cant remember what the name of it is) but they said the easiest to use and light a fire was the blastmatch but the most durable and reliable was the swedish firesteel which is made by light my fire (which I have and I never go in the woods without it).

[Sarge47]

In the October 2006 edition of Backpacker Magazine they did a gear test of several fire starters, including the "BlastMatch", which only got 3 out of a possible 5 stars. This little baby could work one-handed because of an internal spring that would allow you to shower your tinder with sparks by pressing against the ground or rock. The StrikeForce got better reviews, however, the company that offered them,Survival, inc., had apparantly closed their doors when I visited their web-site. I haven't checked this one out yet, but it seems that if you go to www.wildwoodssurvival.com/survival/fire you can learn to build your own bow drill.

[ATough]

magnesium flint stick is what I use.

[ATough]

to make the dryer lint better rub it in petroleum jelly. the will burn ten times better.

[LiL' bunny fufu]

lol,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[LiL' bunny fufu]

jelly hahahahaha

[ATough]

yep jelly. and to make it better flammable jelly.

[Sarge47]

yep jelly. and to make it better flammable jelly.

Pet. jelly is good with cotton balls as a fire starter as well. However you need cotton balls that are 100% cotton. 0000 steel wool can work as well. I like Ron Hood's tip on how to use it with a Mini-Mag-Lite to start a fire.

[NatureboyAlec]

Hey guys. I really want to start making fires easier than with a magnifying glass lol. I'm tired of waiting to hike on sunny days:). Ive heard that Flint and Steel works really well, so I was wondering if this would work:

http://www.amazon.com/Swedish-FireSteel-Army-Model-Oak/dp/B000GPCQEW/ref=pd_bbs_sr_5/105-0271098-1786852?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1185495803&sr=8-5

Is it really flint and steel? Ive heard that they sell things called flint and steel but they actually work differently because they use magnesium.

Also, could somebody show me how to use this product to make fire?

Thanks guys!

[NatureboyAlec]

So this stuff really works? And I also heard that it works when wet - is this true? Thanks man

[owl_girl]

That’s not flint that’s magnesium flint, but both work Magnesium flint actually works better then natural flint that you fined in the wild, but with practice you should be able to use both.

[spiritman]

It sparks just as much when IT is wet, the trick is getting dry tinder to light

[Strider]

Ok, lotsa people say they;ve tried it once, maybe twice. To get the hang of it you have to practice a lot. I can do it pretty well, and it has come in handy. I've usually used this method if I have time on my hands because it is fun and the more you do it, the better you get. It is pretty simple... all you gota do is get something like a cotton ball that lights easily. Then, spread it out and have some really small brush nearby... get the cotton ball going by holding one piece at an angle and striking downwards with the other, hitting the cotton each time. Once its going, just build it up... it takes practice to become a pro, though... as a beginner it is really frustrating.

[FVR]

Made a flint and steel fire just this afternoon up on the creek. Caught the spark on the char just fine, now getting the little stuff to fire was a bit diff. but finally got a little flame.

Ya see, I forgot my tinder, so I had to use what nature had and it was all wet. Had a major thunder storm last night. Usually in dry weather, two shots with the flint on my striker and wham, insta fire.

Next time, will not forget the tinder.

[Fog_Harbor]

I use the Firesteel and vaseline soaked cotton balls almost exclusively, one spark will light the cotton, and it burns long enough to nurture into a fire without too much hassle. Also, the vaseline keeps the cotton 'dry' so moisture is not a problem.

[Strider]

I've used flint before, and it does work pretty well. This example with the pics you gave looks like magnesium... it lights really quick and burns even faster, but extremely hot. It gets white hot in a matter of seconds and is actually quite a pretty sight. but it burns really fast. overall, flint and steel work, but it takes a lot of practice to be able to get a whole fire going with it. :)

[Fog_Harbor]

The firesteel is great, and does work when wet. I use vaseleine soaked cottonballs as tinder - one spark and you've got fire.

[FVR]

Ahhh, good trick.

Thanks.

[Strider]

That's cool, Fog_Harbor- never thought of Vaseline on the cotton balls...

[Fog_Harbor]

Pet. jelly is good with cotton balls as a fire starter as well. However you need cotton balls that are 100% cotton. 0000 steel wool can work as well. I like Ron Hood's tip on how to use it with a Mini-Mag-Lite to start a fire.

I've done it with both, but I prefer the cottonballs by a long shot.

[Fog_Harbor]

I carry a lighter and tinder with me, but I always have the Firesteel too, just in case. Wet lighters don't work - wet Firesteels do.

[Strider]

The magnesium firestarter works great and can start a fire anywhere. Or, get some flint (magnesium flint maybe) and a knife and do it that way works great anytime, if you know how to do it. :) PS cotton balls are great tinder!!!

[aviator survivalist]

well i got afew of those flint sticks from somewhere in nevada i dont remember where though.. i tried afew out in teh backyard and i had very very dry tinder but what do you know... got totaly screwed... nothin. i got alot of sparks but no fire..

[spiritman]

well i got afew of those flint sticks from somewhere in nevada i dont remember where though.. i tried afew out in teh backyard and i had very very dry tinder but what do you know... got totaly screwed... nothin. i got alot of sparks but no fire..

The easiest thing for me is just rolling up a big ball of dead grass, big enough to catch all of the sparks. The rolling makes it soft with smaller fibers. Only takes one stroke usually but if you want it to actually burst into flame do a few quick ones.

[owl_girl]

well i got afew of those flint sticks from somewhere in nevada i dont remember where though.. i tried afew out in teh backyard and i had very very dry tinder but what do you know... got totaly screwed... nothin. i got alot of sparks but no fire..

You weren’t using the right tinder. All its suppose to do is spark, that’s all it takes if you have the right tinder. Try practicing with some good char cloth, it’ll work I promises.

[tfisher]

I am getting confused, Is the Magnesium flint you are discussing a Ferrocerium stick?

[tfisher]

I have used Ferrocerium sticks with success using Cotton, Cotton mixed with petroleum jelly, dryer lint, cattail down, charcoal cloth, dandelion fluff, magnesium shavings,cedar bark shavings, birch bark shavings(almost powder), steel wool and jute fiber. These all worked well. Using dry grass is a little harder, you do have to break up the fibers very thin and small and has to be super dry.

Using Actual Flint(natural rock) and steel; Charcloth does work the best for me but I have had it also work with, steel wool, cotton and jute fiber, or at least that is what I have had the best success with.

[Strider]

This is possible. I use this method a lot usually if it's all wet. It's easy once you get the hang of it and it makes you look good in front of other people if you can do it, lol. :)

[FVR]

tfisher,

I'm talking about mother natures flint, I prefer coastal plains chert. My striker is made from an old steel horseshoe. American made files work great.

[tfisher]

Thanks FVR......I kept seeing mentions of Magnesium flint. I have seen the magnesium bars with a ferro rod attached.

[man.vs.wild]

dryer lint is good to use cause it lites fairly easy but the flame it produces last a long itme but is verry small but it is verry easy to make fire with it

[nell67]

Fire Starters










Use pine cones covered with wax.**

Pack charcoal in paper egg cartons and tie shut. When ready to use, just light the carton.

Put a piece of charcoal in each section of a paper egg carton. Cover with melted wax.** Tear apart and use as needed. You can also use sawdust, dryer lint or Pistachio shells instead of the charcoal.

Take 100% cotton balls and thoroughly rub Vaseline into them. Keep in a ziplock bag.

Newspaper cut into strips(3"-4" wide). Roll up and tie with string. Cover with melted wax.**

Use lint from your dryer as a fire starter.

Bundle about 10-12 Diamond brand "strike-anywhere" wooden kitchen matches together with waxed dental floss. The heads of the matches should all be pointing in the same direction. Generously soak the buddle of matches (except heads) in melted paraffin wax** to waterproof and to provide a long burn time. Dip heads lightly only to waterproof them. Simply strike on flat rock to ignite.

Cut a cotton cord into 1" lengths and soak in melted wax.** Let dry and store in empty film container or ziplock bag.

These are called candy kisses. Use the small 6" emergency candles and wrap them up in waxed paper. Tie/twist both ends of the waxed paper to seal in the candle (looks like a salt water taffy candy). Light an end when you are ready to start your fire.

Cut waxed milk cartons into strips to be used as kindling for your campfire.

Stuff paper towel or toilet paper rolls with paper.

To get your charcoal pieces ready quicker, use a charcoal chimney.

Newspaper crumbled into a ball

Use dried pine needles

Soak a piece of charcoal in lighter fluid. Coat with wax.**

Use small condiment or "sample-size" cups. Add a long wick to each cup and fill with melted wax.** You can also fill them with sawdust.

Stack of small pieces of cardboard covered in wax**

Waterproof your matches by dipping them in wax** or coating them with clear nail polish

Use cotton string about 3-4" long, put in wax paper bathroom cup with about an inch hanging over the edge. Fill cup nearly to the top with saw dust and pour melted wax into the cup. The saw dust will compact and become waterproof. The extra string length is a wick to start burning the starter, but can also be tied to another starter string through a pack loop to carry outside your pack. - Submitted by C. Berman

Keep a plastic "twister" type of pencil sharpener handy. It's great for shaving kindling (especially if wood is damp)

Use wooden ice cream/popsicle sticks. Keep them in a watertight container.

Take an empty toilet paper roll and tie some tissue paper onto one end with some twine. Fill roll with sawdust, cotton balls, etc. Tie the other end as you did the first one, but leave some string hanging out. Put candle wax on the string.





* Never use liquid igniters on your campfire. Example: lighter fluid, gasoline etc.



** When melting wax, only use a double boiler set up. Melted wax can easily ignite. Have a fire extinguisher handy in case of emergency.

[glocker36]

Once you have the char cloth down, ALL of the fire starting methods work better. Remember, the char cloth will not catch fire, just form a coal that you put into your tinder bundle and blow into flame.

Using char cloth, I have done the following successfully:

1. Traditional flint and steel

2. Magnifying glass

3. Bottom of a soda can

4. Eye glass lens

5. Flashlight (hold the char cloth where the bulb goes and the lens will focus the light on the char cloth and boom, you have a coal that can be blown into a fire.)

I also use a Blast Match in my survival kit, which is a ferrocerium bar with a built in striker designed for one hand use, which will ignite almost any tinder without char cloth on the first strike.

I almost never use matches anymore. I have bought most of my fire making supplies here, the Owner, Tom Laskowski is a good guy that really has great products. Just check out firemaking under the on line store.

http://www.survivalschool.com/

[spiritman]

The LIGHT from the flashlight!? Bulb heating up? The electricity from the socket? I've never heard using a flashlight before.

[Sarge47]

The LIGHT from the flashlight!? Bulb heating up? The electricity from the socket? I've never heard using a flashlight before.

In a couple of his videos Dr. Ron Hood demos on how to start a fire using two small pcs. of snare wire, a mini-mag flashlight, and OOOO steel wool. Pretty cool!:cool:

[glocker36]

Actually, you are using the sun's energy, sorry, I wasn't clear on that. You take your flashlight and take off the lens and remove the bulb, then take your char cloth and insert it into the back of the reflector to about where the bulb filament was.

Then you just tip the lens to help focus the sunlight on the char cloth. It works best with one of those lantern style flashlights with the bigger reflector, but I have gotten it to work with the smaller 2 D style flashlights too. Now I keep a piece of char cloth inside the tail of all of my larger flashlights just for this purpose.

The only tinder that I have gotten to light is the char cloth, but you can get a coal in just a few seconds once you get good at it. Add that to your tinder bundle, blow and poof, you have fire.

[WildGoth]

i have used a torn t-shirt and dosed it in bug spary it went up in flames the moment i lit it with my lighter

[carcajou garou]

I use wooden matches a lot but do carry several layers of firestarters:
wooden matches
ferro rod
butane lighter
piece of flint
a top socket of antler for a fire drill/leather lace (as a pendant)
They are dispersed among my belt pouch, day pack, pockets, neck.

[carcajou garou]

The photo is of a swedish firesteel.. actualy a ferrocium rod (man made product)
It produces a hotter spark than a true flint.

[carcajou garou]

Use the dried out catail fuzz.. keep it expanded and it will start up like a flare, I keep some in a waterproof container with me all the time.
I use the strike force as mentioned above, great tool.

[WildGoth]

a have been looking for a flint stricker for ages like a flint bar i never have seen a good one if anyone has any website with flint strikers plz help

[smokelessfire]

just look at any of the numerous sponsors on the bottom of the page lol. tons of survival kits, and flit and steel kits.

[ATough]

abay. they have some good ones, and you get a flint.;)

[HOP]

Owl girl I like the video I saw a similar on from sweden that has the char cloth on top of the flint as well.
I have taken an idea from a forum where you modify a spark type lighter that ataches to a gas latern and it realy works well.
I saw some thing interesting in wilderness way charred catail fluff made the same as charred cloth but using cattails.

[survivalhike]

Though carrying tinder might be cheating if you are using a couple of rocks rather than a store bought flint striker, I do know of a very efficient tinder that can be carried. If you take a piece of aluminum foil about 6"X6" and place a cotton ball that is soaked in vaseline on the corner, you can fold the foil into a small flat square with the cotton ball and petrolium jelly locked in the center so it won't leak on your gear. When you want to use it, cut an X shaped hole through the foil exposing the cotton ball, bend back the foil corners (made by cutting the X shape) until they are vertical, pull up a few fibers of the cotton ball, and hit it with your flint striker. These will burn like a candle for anywhere between 2 and 10 minutes depending on how far open you pull back the cuts. A great fire starter.

[survivalhike]

Just go to www.froogle.com and type in "magnesium flint" and you will see tons of good ones pop up. I have a keychain model that has a sepearte striker all in a nylon case with a key ring. It's started more conversations than fires so far, but that will soon change.

[Samaritan]

Dryer lint is great, so is char-cloth. For emergencies I carry a small vial of powdered magnesium...just in case. This stuff will burn just about anything ! Steel and flint are old reliables that take practice but will produce dependable results. Good Luck.

[WildGoth]

ok i will try that

[eddiec]

I carry a magnesium fire stick(they work great) and I carry a flint pistol. It's just like the strikers that you can get at a welding supply store, but the pistol actually shoots the sparks out acurately. If you can find one, I'd definitely get one. They are well worth it...

[smokelessfire]

i have tried powerful magnifying glasses with zero luck. can anyone tell me how to make a fire with a magnifying glass? maybe dried fine grass is not the right tinder? help a newb!

[owl_girl]

i have tried powerful magnifying glasses with zero luck. can anyone tell me how to make a fire with a magnifying glass? maybe dried fine grass is not the right tinder? help a newb!
The magnifying glass doesn’t have to be that strong. Try some dried tinder fungus, you should get a good coal with that really fast and easy.

[U.S.Marine2111]

Now i'm new to this, but it seems to me that perhaps a magnifying glass is not the best option as you're rather reliant on the sun? No sun, no fire, right?

[owl_girl]

Now i'm new to this, but it seems to me that perhaps a magnifying glass is not the best option as you're rather reliant on the sun? No sun, no fire, right?
True…I wouldn’t recommend it in the rainforest.

[Sarge47]

Now i'm new to this, but it seems to me that perhaps a magnifying glass is not the best option as you're rather reliant on the sun? No sun, no fire, right?

No matches? No Butane Lighter? Then it's flint and steel for me, dog. I've had no luck with a mag. glass, unless it was using it to find my lighter.:rolleyes:

[owl_girl]

No matches? No Butane Lighter? Then it's flint and steel for me, dog. I've had no luck with a mag. glass, unless it was using it to find my lighter.:rolleyes:
Really? I thought they were easier then flint and steel, I can get a coal in a couple seconds with a magnifying glass but it takes longer for me with flint and steel.

[Fog_Harbor]

I carry all of them in my kit, why waste emergency supplies if you can use a lighter. I carry a magnifying glass too, because why waste your emergency supplies if you can use the sun. If the sun isn't out, then you go to plan B, or C.

I'm a BIG believer in redundancy.

[Sarge47]

Really? I thought they were easier then flint and steel, I can get a coal in a couple seconds with a magnifying glass but it takes longer for me with flint and steel.

Then where are you when I need you?:rolleyes:

[owl_girl]

Then where are you when I need you?:rolleyes:
I’m in this little box called “your computer” :D

[U.S.Marine2111]

True…I wouldn’t recommend it in the rainforest.

I didn't grow up in a rainforest (Illinois), it rained there too! :D Alaska, don't you have really prolonged periods of darkness? :p But the redundency concept is a good one, I would definitly have a backup source if I was using the magnifying glass.

[owl_girl]

I didn't grow up in a rainforest (Illinois), it rained there too! :D Alaska, don't you have really prolonged periods of darkness? :p But the redundency concept is a good one, I would definitly have a backup source if I was using the magnifying glass.
Alaska’s daylight hours were sort in the winter but we still had plenty enough to use a magnifying glass unless your thinking of the northern region of Alaska up by the Arctic Circle. but I was is southern region of Alaska. We also have rainforests in Alaska which I lived in :D. Where I live now there is more sun then rain and on a sunny day it can be the fastest way to make a fire. But of course I’d have a backup, I would never suggest relying solely on a magnifying glass or solely on anything for that matter. Always have a backup

[Sarge47]

Alaska’s daylight hours were sort in the winter but we still had plenty enough to use a magnifying glass unless your thinking of the northern region of Alaska up by the Arctic Circle. but I was is southern region of Alaska. We also have rainforests in Alaska which I lived in :D. Where I live now there is more sun then rain and on a sunny day it can be the fastest way to make a fire. But of course I’d have a backup, I would never suggest relying solely on a magnifying glass or solely on anything for that matter. Always have a backup

I carry a mag. glass (MG) on my Swiss Army knife. I tried to get a fire started using several different types on a hot, very sunny day; no clouds anywhere. After what seemed quite awhile I didn't even get the slightest bit of smoke, but then I was using "dryer lint". 2 or 3 strokes on my flint rod and "poof!" Flame! Maybe I lack patience, it's why I'm such a lousy fisherman in the "spin-cast" arena.:eek:

[owl_girl]

I carry a mag. glass (MG) on my Swiss Army knife. I tried to get a fire started using several different types on a hot, very sunny day; no clouds anywhere. After what seemed quite awhile I didn't even get the slightest bit of smoke, but then I was using "dryer lint". 2 or 3 strokes on my flint rod and "poof!" Flame! Maybe I lack patience, it's why I'm such a lousy fisherman in the "spin-cast" arena.:eek:
Maybe you’re not concentrating the light enough. You should hold the mag glass so that the beam of light is at its smallest and brightest point so its concentrated like a laser. If you hold the mag glass to close or to far the beam will be too wide and faint and won’t be hot enough. If you got it right and you hold your hand under it for a few seconds ( probably less then 5 ) it should burn you, then you know the beams concentrated enough.

I’m going to practice more with my flint and steel.:D

[Sarge47]

Maybe you’re not concentrating the light enough. You should hold the mag glass so that the beam of light is at its smallest and brightest point so its concentrated like a laser. If you hold the mag glass to close or to far the beam will be too wide and faint and won’t be hot enough. If you got it right and you hold your hand under it for a few seconds ( probably less then 5 ) it should burn you, then you know the beams concentrated enough.

I’m going to practice more with my flint and steel.:D

I fried an ant with it, does that count?:confused:

[playball]

but what if you have no tools like wooden matches,
ferro rod,
butane lighter,
piece of flint, lighter, tinder, magnesium flint stick, Firesteel ,batteries, Magnifying glasses than what do you do

[Sarge47]

but what if you have no tools like wooden matches,
ferro rod,
butane lighter,
piece of flint, lighter, tinder, magnesium flint stick, Firesteel ,batteries, Magnifying glasses than what do you do

I either haven't left the house or I'm dead. These items are with me as long as I'm wearing clothes. That's what the motto "Be Prepared" means.:rolleyes:

[owl_girl]

There’s other methods. Here’s some demonstrations by Ray Mears
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaHNWaBmNJU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn9GmxWvABk&mode=related&search=
I haven’t tried the bow drill method yet but its on my list of thing to learn.

[scabbyota]

Magnesium flint stick and bic lighter.

[Baxter]

have yet to be successful using the bow drill, and hand drill....lots o'smoke but no ember..argh. hoping to get a fire piston soon and try that out. but i mainly use a mag. flint stick.

[sh4d0wm4573ri7]

look up a blastmatch its the best one goin can be used with one hand in case your injured

[mbarnatl]

look up a blastmatch its the best one goin can be used with one hand in case your injured

This is the best one I ever used. I got mine here (http://www.lifeviewoutdoors.com/store/survivalgear/sincwg0415-bx.html).

[Sarge47]

look up a blastmatch its the best one goin can be used with one hand in case your injured

get it cheaper than the above site mentions...here!

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

;)

[mbarnatl]

There is alot of places cheaper than I ordered from. You have to do a search for price comparison. I ordered mine with other items and got a discount. You have to shop around to save.

[LadyTrapper]

I am in awe at you guys and gals using the primitive ways of making flame. I look forward to learning how-to here.
I have to be honest and say it has been always a match or lighter and a "trappers snowball" (para-wax covered length of string rolled into a ball)for tinder. This is so light and you can keep quite of few in your pocket.

[sam30248]

a lighter or a bunch of matches and a good bundle of tender

[warrigal]

G'day.
First up a butane lighter.Then Matches. Finally a Swdish fire steel and a Pencil Sharpener. Dead standing ( dead standing means a branch that has died but isn't on the ground) sticks. Feed throught the pencil sharpener produces excellent tinder. If that doesn't work ( or things are getting desparate) A tampon and lipbalm. A Tampon is sterile cotton wool ( that remains dry in the packet) Lip balm smeared over the opened tampon then tease some of the fibers out hit it with a shower of sparkes from the fire steel. I've had that combination burn strongly for 90secs. Use that to light strips of rubber. It can't get wet, burns fiercly weighs very little.
If all else fails Trioxoline scrape the surface to get alittle pile of dust then sparks.
Carl
If all else fails

[HOP]

a blastmatch with petrolem saturated coton balls for when i ned a fire right now regardless of winf rain or other adverce conditions I also carry several other methods to make fire

[sh4d0wm4573ri7]

guess I'm a fanatic,, lol I usually have bic,blastmatch,strike force,flint-n-steel,fresnal lense,fire piston,scout firesteel,some chaga,charcloth(tshirt or cotton balls charred)and some red ceder tinder. Don't always carry em all but they are always available if I'm out and about. 30 days without food,,,,,,,,,3 days without water,,,,,,,,,,,3 hours without heat hmmm lol

[dilligaf2u2]

Zippo, Bic, book of Matches, Fire Steel. Flint and Striker, The M37 flame thrower works 90% of the time. Brisk rubbing two pilgrims together works 10% of the time.

Don

[RobertRogers]

Yes, it is always best to have more than one method with you in case one fails

[Axe]

I carry several items, butane lighter, magnesium flint stick,water-proof matches and couple of small pieces of bicycle tube (2"x2") burns hot and long enough when needed as a starter when tinder/ kindling etc is damp/wet...

[dilligaf2u2]

As long as I have my carbon steel knife and/or stricker, I have fire. Flint or quarts and what ever tinder I find has worked well many a time.

MRE matches will work even if they have been wet and dry out. A pack in my wallet for the just in case times.

Mag stick on my EDC knife sheath. 2 Zippos and a butane lighter on my key ring.

I hope I am covered!

Don

[warman87]

these might be a good adition to a mini kit
http://www.bestglide.com/tinder_card_info.html

[MCBushbaby]

Seems a lot like char cloth but with microfibers instead of carbonated cotton.

[WildGoth]

save yourself some money and buy yourself some achcol patches i use them so great lights pretty quick

[trax]

save yourself some money and buy yourself some achcol patches i use them so great lights pretty quick

I never thought of that! That's one of the coolest and most basic ideas I've seen here yet!

[flandersander]

Do any of you guys and gals know what a metal match is? Ic that none of you prefer one and i was just wondering what it is. As for me though, i use a fire piston and mag flint.

[Nativedude]

This is a "Metal Match." About $2.50. See the Boy Scout crest on the handle? Available wherever they carry scouting supplies. :D

[flandersander]

Again. What does it do? Does it scrape metal off the knife? Or is it the same as a flint?

[Smok]

anyone use a peace of bicycle inner tube to start a fire with as the smoke is black it is good for a signal as well ..

[flandersander]

i keep a magnesium stick, about 4 disposable lighters, a zippo, some steel wool(for use with flashlight), a fresnal lense, matches, waterproof matches, windproof matches, and several candels. i guess i just find comfort in knowing that if need be, i could cremate a frozen elephant.
i still need a ferrocium rod, too...
as for the axe, i find WD-40 works better.

What the heck is a ferrocium rod?

[Rick]

I carry a blastmatch and wettinder. I like the onehanded operation of the blastmatch so I can use it even if I get hurt. I won't go anywhere without either. Lint is like manna from heaven. Good stuff, too. Once you start a fire using lint you'll never forget to clean out the dryer vent again. That stuff goes up like gasoline.

For those of you that use a BIC, don't toss it once the butane is used up. You still have a spark maker.

A ferrocium rod is an alloy of rare earth metals (predominantly cerium and lanthanum) and some hardening materials (predominantly iron oxide). It works like a flint and striker. The "flint" in a lighter is usually a ferrocium rod.

[owl_girl]

I must be doing something wrong with the lint thing. I keep hearing everyone say how good it is but when I tried it with a magnifying glass it just burnt a hole right through it. No flame.

[Rick]

Hey, Owl Girl. Here's a video about starting a fire with a cotton ball vs. dryer lint.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn1OGGTO7NM&feature=related

It's a bit goofy but shows you the difference. By the way, if you have a fireplace or a wood stove you can stuff a used toilet paper roll with dryer lint. They make a heck of a fire starter for the fireplace.

[Rick]

Blastmatch and WetFire. works in the rain.

Metal matches are usually nothing more than a Ferrocerium rod. The metal comes off the match. If you strike it, you'll see a bright shiny scape on the rod (as opposed to the striker). The next time you go to use it you'll find the shiny mark is probably gone because it oxidizes so quickly. You can actually use anything that is harder than the rod and sharp to strike it. A knife blade works but so will a rock or a piece of glass! It's actually a pretty cool trick if you have a real Ferrocerium rod. Practice it at home and the next time you're around the campfire with some buddys, show 'em how easy it is to makes sparks with a piece of glass you just "found". They will all laugh at you but when you make sparks it blows them away. It has to be SHARP and hard to work. Like the broken bottom of a soda bottle. Just don't cut yourself up in the process.


I thought you all might get a kick out of this insane flashlight for firestarting.

http://extreme-geek.blogspot.com/2006/11/fire-starter-flashlight.html

[Sarge47]

Again. What does it do? Does it scrape metal off the knife? Or is it the same as a flint?

Check this site out and scroll down!

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

[Nativedude]

Fire bow and drill are my favorite. I always carry my 5" 8x glass magnifying lens with me too. I like starting fires that way when the sun is out. It requires no physical strength to do. Just pin-point a sun beam into a pile of dry tinder and in a few. . .poof, you have fire!

[explodingearth]

how do i use this piece of flint for fire? i think i should break it until i get kind of a sharp piece but i dont want to damage it until im sure of what to do with it. also what can i use as a makeshift striker?

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/explodingearth/myphotos/Picture002.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/explodingearth/myphotos/Picture001.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb294/explodingearth/myphotos/Picture003.jpg

[trax]

Hit it with the first rock you see, or try the backside of your knifeblade. Did you get sparks? There ya go

[owl_girl]

Yes make a good sharp edge (it doesn’t have to be so sharp it will cut you) and for a striker you could probably use a horseshoe. On post # 24 I posted instructions on how I do it.

[Nativedude]

To strike a spark with flint you have to have steel with a high carbon content. Stainless and some tool steels will not make a spark with flint. 1095, 5160, D2 (just a few examples) have enough carbon in them to make a spark.

Stainless (420, 440, etc.) will not produce a spark. Axe and hatchet heads do work though! ;)

[FVR]

A good striker is any American made file. Grind down the striker edge as to not eat too much of your rock.

I use to make up flint and steel kits years ago and sell them at the diff. arts and rock shows. Basically it was an Altoids tin that I had thrown in the fire to burn the paint off, popped a little pin hole in the top, using the tin I would make up some char, put a little piece of leather over the char and stick in a piece of chert and a 1.5" x 2" horse file.

Would show them how to strike it and make a fire with the kits they just purchased. Worked out well as I found a great deal on old horse files at a yard sale.

Always had alot of men and boys around my booth, while the ladies checked out all the girly stuff.

[Borelli]

Flint and steel fires are really easy

what you need to do first is find dry (dead grass) feild grass. or dry juniper bark, after you have foraged enough of this bundle it tightly

next make what is described in another thread as fuzzsticks or feathersticks

now gather small sticks and logs(enough for however long you will be staying there for

another material that i love to have is dry rotted wood, as when it is broken and rolled in your hands it will turn to a sawdust like powder( i like to call dry rotted wood "Rotwood") How about you guys heelp me market that word as it is my newest coinage

now to make the fire

take your bundle of tinder and place it on the ground where you want the fire to be. throw some of the powder from the rotwood on the bundle. Take you flint and angle it adjecent to the bundle, now take your knife or striker and scrape itn along the flint just right so that the spark lands in the bundle do this until you make a flame, after the flame is large place the fuzzsticks onto the tinder bundle, now if you want you may place chunks of rotwood on the bundle, now place slightly lager sticks onto the flame let it brn for tirty seconds then go to larger sticks ...keep increasing the size of the firewood until you get to the desired size log.....congrats, hopefully you've done it. if not dont get discouraged just try again


Dom Borelli

[Borelli]

Maybe you’re not concentrating the light enough. You should hold the mag glass so that the beam of light is at its smallest and brightest point so its concentrated like a laser. If you hold the mag glass to close or to far the beam will be too wide and faint and won’t be hot enough. If you got it right and you hold your hand under it for a few seconds ( probably less then 5 ) it should burn you, then you know the beams concentrated enough.

I’m going to practice more with my flint and steel.:D

If you are useing a lense to make fore you must have the beam of light at its focal point( the point at wich all light that passes trough a lense is consentrated at) place the focal point on a piece of rotwood and get an ember going placce the ember in a fire nest and sqweeze the ember inside the nest...blow on it until you get a flame.

[corndog-44]

It's easy to be caught by surprise by severe weather conditions. And in certain parts of the country, blizzards have been known to occur as early as October and as late as April. If you are caught off guard in the backwoods by a blizzard when away from a shelter, the ability to build a fire could save your life. Here's how to get that blaze going in the most severe weather.

Step One...Head for timber. Any tree you can get to will help. Try to find a tree with a protective well or hollowed out area around it. That means that it will provide some protection from the storm.

Step Two...Dig or stamp down the area. This will give you a place to build your fire, and give you further protection.

Step Three...Get an adequate fuel supply. It doesn't do any good to build a fire if it will only last for 10 minutes. If you can see trees with dead branches that are within reach, this is your best bet for a fuel source. You can probably break off some of these branches without needing an ax or saw.

Step Four...Build a platform. Green branches are the best for this, since they won't burn as quickly. Lay some of your branches side by side, and then make another layer on top of these. This will give your fire a good base and keep it from burning down to snow level too soon.

Step Five...Gather fire-starting material. Break small twigs off of dry branches, and use lichen from trees if it's available. You need as much of the small stuff as possible to give your fire a good start. Don't waste your precious matches until you're really prepared.

Step Six...Form a windbreak. Whatever you can do to block the wind is helpful. If you happen to have a piece of plastic and some rope, building a windbreak is the best thing you can do. If possible, pile up snow and pack it down to form a wall.

Step Seven...Build the fire. Make a little tepee with your kindling material. Light your match, cupping it carefully in your hand, and then light your twigs and whatever other dry, small material you've found. Keep protecting your fire from the wind and continue to add larger and larger material to your fire without smothering it.

Step Eight...Add a ring of rocks. If there are rocks near by, these are helpful to trap the heat of your fire so you can stay warmer and keep your fire going longer.

Be prepared before you go. Most people do not stand much chance of starting a fire in a blizzard unless they have matches or a lighter with them in case of emergency.

It's important to stay as warm and dry as possible. Hypothermia is one of the most imminent dangers you will face when caught in a blizzard.

[Rick]

I hope you don't mind if I disagree with you. I've been in some blizzards that, I promise, you would not get a fire going with a flame thrower in a lumber yard. When the wind is howling and the snow is blowing visibility drops to near nothing. Sometimes a lot lower. Finding any fuel source would be lucky at best and you'd waste tons of valuable calories trying to find any.

You're main concern is obtaining some shelter from the wind. That's the quickest killer in a blizzard. Whether that's in the form of the protective well beneath the tree you described above or some simple snow wall that forces the wind up and over you if you happen to be on a broad open plain. You have to find some break from the wind. A snow cave if the snow is deep enough, a snow trench or even the snow wall. Between that, your clothing and your survival gear you should be able to wrap up and hunker down out of the wind until the storm blows by. Being partially buried by the snow will even provide additional insulation from the wind.

I'd be interested to hear from our Canadian friends. I'll bet they've been through this a time or two.

[corndog-44]

Rick, I don't mind if you disagree with me especially if you can back it up. Remember back beginning Wednesday January 25, 1978, when Indiana was paralyzed by a snow storm that came to be known as the Blizzard of 78, the worst blizzard on record for our Hoosier state. I lived in Carroll County when the storm hit and I was out in the woods with a fire that I started during the storm. I had about 3 days of supplies with me so I made it through without freezing any body parts. Rick, Here's a little reminder how the blizzard was.

When the blizzard ended early in the morning of the 27th, several Indianapolis snow records were set and have yet to be broken. The 15.5 inches of snowfall was the most for a single storm. The 20 inch maximum snow depth during the storm was the most ever recorded on the ground. The 30.6 inches of snow for January 1978 was the most for any month in Indianapolis history. Maximum snow amounts from the storm reached 20 inches over parts of Central and Southern Indiana and up to 40 inches over parts of Northern Indiana.

The weight of the snow caused several factory and warehouse roofs to collapse. The roof of a school near Muncie also collapsed and a Shelby county man was found dead in a snow drift between his house and his office. The Indianapolis International Airport was closed as 350 travelers became stranded in the terminal for three days along with pilots, other airline employees, airport workers, and the staff at the National Weather Service.

Blizzards are defined as storms with sustained winds or frequent gusts above 35 mph combined with considerable blowing or drifting snow reducing visibilities to under a quarter mile for three hours or more. The Blizzard of 78 easily matched these criteria.

Like the "Perfect Storm," this blizzard began as two unrelated low pressure areas, one in the Northern Plains, the other in the Gulf of Mexico. Gulf moisture and arctic air collided over Indiana near midnight on the 25th as the two systems merged.

On day one, January 25, a heavy snow warning was issued at 430 am and was upgraded to a blizzard warning at 345 pm that afternoon. The day began with five inches of snow on the ground. Only one inch was added by 7 pm, but by 10 pm, snowfall became heavy. Arctic air blasted in just before midnight with frequent gusts above 35 mph creating blizzard conditions. These conditions continued unabated for the next 24 hours.

On day two, just a half hour after the arctic front blasted through, the Indianapolis International Airport was closed due to whiteout conditions. At 3 am, the blizzard produced peak winds of 55 mph. Temperatures dropped to zero that morning. Wind chills remained a bone chilling 40 to 50 below zero nearly all day.

The governor declared a snow emergency for the entire state the morning of the 26th. Snow drifts of 10 to 20 feet made travel virtually impossible, stranding an Amtrak train and thousands of vehicles and weary travelers. During the afternoon of the 26th, the Indiana State Police considered all Indiana roads closed.

Nearly every Hoosier who experienced the Blizzard of 78 has a story to tell. It certainly was one for the records, one to remember for Hoosiers.

[Rick]

I lived in Illinois at the time. Remember it well. Perspective is everything. While it shut just about everything down, I'll bet our AK and Kanuckistan friends went, "Pfffft, 15.5 inches. So?" I was at Steven's Pass, Wa one year right after they opened the pass. They had about 460 inches or so on the ground. 460 inches! I told 'em that was God's way of tellin' 'em they shouldn't live there.

[corndog-44]

Rick....Changing the subject now, aren't ya!

[Smok]

You boys talking snow here in the Cailf. Serra's snow is not measured in inch's but in feet :D and I am kidding :D

[corndog-44]

I'm not talking about snow, Rick is...he changed the subject :D. I'm talking about starting a fire in a blizzard.

[Rick]

Wait a minute. Who went into the whole Blizzard of '78 thingy? I just followed up. My point about the Steven's Pass comment and my request of our Kanuckistan friends was starting a fire in a blizzard? I should have stated it better.

Road flares for starting a fire in a blizzard. Now that we are back on track.....

[wareagle69]

i don't even get excited for that, ah the good ol days i too recall the storm of 78 living in the snow belt it was fun for me, anyhow, i think we can all agree that we all have different strengths and weaknesses,so

as you all know i always advocate being prepared, if you are planning on doing a jaunt into the bush look at the weather channel first. now i know those yahoos are never right so lets move on, pay attn to the weather around you, ok now lets say you were so engrossed at mushroom hunting that you were unaware of the weather or the big bear behind you, so lets say the storm starts, what's your first decision? do you head for the truck or look for shelter. shelter must be first you want out of the wind. hopefully you have dressed properly or brought suitable clothing in your pack. i mean really have you learned anything from this site. so lets say you was a good student and you brought proper clothing, did ya tell anyone where you where headed?

ok so we have shelter if dressed properly we can survive just the way we are as long as we r out of the wind it won't be to bad, if it was that cold it wouldn't be snowing, now would be a fun time to practice making a fire should be enough wood around, let's see what it takes to make a fire go in a blizzard then when we get back we can go to wareagles thread "what i learned today" and tell everyone the joys and sorrows of starting a fire in a blizzard.

always be prepared...

ps when we do our wolfpack gathering i vote that corndog and rick pair up..

[Rick]

Okay, Wareagle. I forgot my good clothes, my survival kit is still in your truck. We're too far out to go back. Here I stand fat, dumb and shivering. The blizzard rages all around us. My only hope for survival is your knowledge. Tell me how to start that fire.....no, you can't kill me off. It would be cheating. Besides, my wife already has dibs on that.

[nell67]

Okay, Wareagle. I forgot my good clothes, my survival kit is still in your truck. We're too far out to go back. Here I stand fat, dumb and shivering. The blizzard rages all around us. My only hope for survival is your knowledge. Tell me how to start that fire.....no, you can't kill me off. It would be cheating. Besides, my wife already has dibs on that.

mmmm smart woman:D(j/k)!

[wareagle69]

ok obviously i found you in this condition because you would have not gone into the bush with me so ill prepared. a quick scout around shows a blown over pine tree with large roots and some dead fall around i have given you my jacket and a space blanket to stay warm covered the shelter a little more with some dead fall and brought the branches in to start a fire, now seeing as how this is an emergency i'm using my flare to start a quick hot fire so my city slicker friend doesn't die on me here, how's you extremities warm? can you feel them? no i won't kill you i wanna watch you wife do that or maybe she'll kill me for saving you hows you life insurance policy.

[Rick]

See, Corndog, I tried.

I was hoping for what you would use during the high winds to start that fire, Wareagle. How to go about using flint and char cloth under those condition or whatever your first choice would be. But NNnnnnooooooo. You followed my lead and went for the easy joke.

Insurance is good enough that I sit with my back to the wall, thank you.

[wareagle69]

if out in a blizzard and i want to play then i will try a primitive way, if i think that it is a survival scenariio then i will not waste precious time i will light the flare and get warm..

always be prepared...

by the way. were you out hunting for the mushrooms that we discussed when this storm came up. what time of the year is it? what shrooms were ya looking for..

[Proud American]

He's right Rick light the flare, but do you bring a flare with you every time you go out? Since I live in So Cal not goin to think about Blizzards so how do you lite one with flint n steel

[Rick]

Actually, I stopped the car to take a picture of this mother bear and her cubs. They were soooo darn cute. I wanted a really close shot but they walked the other way so I followed them then got lost. Why don't you Canadians put signs up out there in the wilderness? I mean, wouldn't that be so much easier to find your way around? And, Mr. Wildlife Rehabilitator, why wouldn't that momma bear pose for a family photo? Pretty rude to her southern neighbor if you ask me.

[Proud American]

O BTW i ask with the memmory of the story "To Start a Fire" by Gary Paulson, so im serious(er)

[nell67]

WE he asked you to save his life and now he's complaing about how you go about it???He's the one sitting there freezing his a$$ off,no wait,you already gave him your jacket AND a blanket not to mention built a shelter around him,I think you were right with the flare,but if he keeps complaining, hand him the char cloth and the flint and tell him go for it......then you jump back in your truck crank the heater up,drive to the nearest town and leave directions to his location at the local law enforcement agency,then go home to the wife and a nice hot cup of coffee,geesh even men can only take so much complaining.:D

[Rick]

Proud - I was just joking for Wareagle. Lighting a fire and finding a shelter in a storm is a really serious thing. Corndog did a nice write up to start the thread and I offered another alternative to starting the fire. That is make certain you are properly dressed and know how to make a shelter under those conditions.

I don't carry a flare in the wild. I do carry Wet Fire Tinder and cotton balls soaked in vasoline. I also carry a BIC lighter, steel match, and water proof matches. (BIC lighter may not work in extreme cold!).

Most blizzards, at least the ones in lower elevations and/or in the Midwest where I am, don't rage on for days. They are almost always associate with a storm front moving through so the duration is more in terms of hours. (I know Alaska and Canada can be much different). Being able to hunker down with your survival blanket or a sleeping bag inside some other protection (beneath an evergreen, snow cave, etc.) or some other protection will get you through the worst of it.

Nothing can replace proper planning, being prepared and using good common sense.

By the way, you did exactly the right thing. If you don't understand something or we have confused you with our banter, then ask. It's important to get the right information.

Anyone else feel free to join in.....

[Rick]

Jeepers, Nell. (sniff) Now look what you did.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/parenting/images/300/baby_crying_closeup.jpg

[nell67]

Jeepers, Nell. (sniff) Now look what you did.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/parenting/images/300/baby_crying_closeup.jpg

Rick, should I call 9-waaa-waa for ya?? No need to go cryin dude but I gotta tissue if ya need it!:D

[Rick]

9-waaa-waa.....that's too funny.

[Proud American]

Thanks Rick (sniff) such a true friend, to bad wareagle left you out there to freeze now whos goin to help the newguy?

[nell67]

yea,Rick, we use that one on the kids at the store all the time,shuts them up real quick LOL!

[nell67]

Thanks Rick (sniff) such a true friend, to bad wareagle left you out there to freeze now whos goin to help the newguy?
Dont worry Proud,I doubt WE would leave Rick out there to freeze,he is a better man than that LOL, now me on the other hand...if the guy can complain more than I do then ....maybe (j/k) I couldnt leave anyone out there like that either.

[wareagle69]

i like zippo lighters very good in a wind although the only time that i used them is when i go to the bush seems the fluid goes away to fast. cotton balls and vaseoline also asr in my kit. takes less than ten seconds for a cotton ball to burn up and over a minute with vaseoline.

contrary to what ppl think bears don't just hang around waiting for you then smile at the camera, they can't tell the difference between a camera lens and a scope, although i tried teaching that to norm..

[Rick]

I doubt there is anything more rugged than a zippo but than nice little burning sensation on your thigh after you fill one up made me get rid of mine. They do lite under just about every circumstance though, except being out of fuel.

[nell67]

i like zippo lighters very good in a wind although the only time that i used them is when i go to the bush seems the fluid goes away to fast. cotton balls and vaseoline also asr in my kit. takes less than ten seconds for a cotton ball to burn up and over a minute with vaseoline.

contrary to what ppl think bears don't just hang around waiting for you then smile at the camera, they can't tell the difference between a camera lens and a scope, although i tried teaching that to norm..

I used to carry a zippo WE,carried in my jeans pocket for about a day but the fluid like you say,it leaks out and it burned the skin on my leg,so I carried it in my fanny pack but lost it the woods.

[wareagle69]

i learned to carry my zippo and fluid in a plastic bag also same with my honing oil

[corndog-44]

See, Corndog, I tried.

I was hoping for what you would use during the high winds to start that fire, Wareagle. How to go about using flint and char cloth under those condition or whatever your first choice would be. But NNnnnnooooooo. You followed my lead and went for the easy joke.

Insurance is good enough that I sit with my back to the wall, thank you.

Rick I appreciate your effort. All jokes aside... a blizzard, no matter the depth of the snow or the geographic area will kill. Wonder how many people will die this winter? Knowing how to start a fire in a blizzard is critical...just knowing how is not enough, a person needs to have the ability.

[trax]

15 inches, 20 inches, 6 feet ...whatever. The North Pole is a desert, less than eight inches of precipitation a year...think there's blizzard's there? bet your *** there's a reasonable facsimile to theme.

Shelter first, fire second. See at the end of that last sentence? That's a period. What keeps a fire burning once it starts burning? Fuel and oxygen. Warm air moves up, cold air moves down (remember WE's chimney adventure?) If you build a fire outside in the cold and you are exposed at all (no wind protection) that fire will help you freeze to death. It's going to suck cold air in from all around itself, you'll get colder and add fuel to the fire..which will make it suck more cold air in. You're between the cold air and the fire and most of the heat generated is moving....straight up.

Also bear in mind what was said about the real weather conditions, it is f****ng difficult to get a fire going in blizzard conditions. You guys have been discussing one of the potentially most fatal survival situations. When you're eyes are starting to ice shut and your hand is trembling badly enough to put out the match or whatever you're lighting with. There's good advice here, and in reality, you do the best you can, but remember it looks way easy on the forum, not so much out in the bush.

Two most important things I can think of right now to watch for in the outdoors in sub-Arctic or Northern temperate conditions.

1. Sundogs...it looks like a little tiny slice of rainbow on each side of the sun or a little tiny copy of the sun on each side of the sun. Temperatures are going to go down. I remember once working in northern Saskatchewan and temps were in the minus 30's and 40's. I saw sundogs and thought "Oh he**, how much colder can it get?" Shouldn't have asked, -55 the next morning.

2. Heavy, slow moving gunmetal grey clouds, sudden change in wind (direction and or speed) and barometric pressure. Blizzard's coming, stay indoors.

[trax]

People keep expecting me to actually do my job around here and it makes me miss things I meant to write! Idiots!

An important point...when you're eyelids are frosting shut and it hurts to breathe and your trembling trying to get that fire going...fear is going to set in. If it doesn't your a psychopath incapable of feeling fear and good for you, we're better off without you anyway. How much fear sets in, and how much control you give up to it is up to you. It's worse if there are other people counting on you. WE's advice...be prepared, proper clothing, some kind of shelter for windbreak, those things are essential, they are of paramount importance. If you have other people with you, make them help. Two people? One makes shelter one makes fire, three people? shelter, fire, gather more fuel, etc. Everyone stand around in a nice tight circle when the fire's being lit. Alone? Know exactly what you want to do next and move quickly, it'll offset the panic.

[Rick]

I was in AK once and it is was colder than billy hel*. I told the local I thought I was having a heart attack my chest hurt so bad. Frosted lung, he told me. We got inside and warmed up and I was fine. I guess it's similar to frost bite but on the inside. From breathing super cold air. Damn bad stuff, I know that.

[trax]

If it's so cold that your nose hairs freeze...stay indoors

If you try to whistle and can't....stay indoors.

A scarf over the mouth and nose will prevent the lung thing that Rick described, for awhile anyway. When I was a kid I used to run cross country, summer and winter.

If you're a smoker, it's going to hurt your chest a lot more than a non-smoker (your lungs create liquid in their little sacs trying to defend themselves from the pollutants, liquid gets cold and starts to freeze, ouch!)

if you see polar bears moving south....speaks for itself.

[Rick]

Trax, If I'm close enough to see polar bears moving south...I'm gonna be movin' souther...fathster...I mean faster.....speaks for itself.

[trax]

You're reminding me of that old story..."don't have to run faster than the bear, just have to run faster than you...." LOL.

[Two Rivers]

Lint is readily available provided your clothes are dry. By simply scraping your pant legs or shirt with a knife will roll off a steady supply of lint.

[Gray Wolf]

now to make the fire

take your bundle of tinder and place it on the ground where you want the fire to be. throw some of the powder from the rotwood on the bundle. Take you flint and angle it adjecent to the bundle, now take your knife or striker and scrape itn along the flint just right so that the spark lands in the bundle do this until you make a flame, after the flame is large place the fuzzsticks onto the tinder bundle, now if you want you may place chunks of rotwood on the bundle, now place slightly lager sticks onto the flame let it brn for tirty seconds then go to larger sticks ...keep increasing the size of the firewood until you get to the desired size log.....congrats, hopefully you've done it. if not dont get discouraged just try again

Just want to add, make sure you don't smother the fire, fire needs oxygen.

Rotwood For Sale :D

[Rick]

Here is a link to a nice article about 7 primitive ways to make fire. I have to admit, I had never seen a pump fire drill before:

http://www.fieldandstream.com/fieldstream/outdoorskills/photogallery/article/0,13355,1546757,00.html

[Jay]

The pump drill is new to me too. It certainly looks like it would work. Keeping the spindle steady might be a problem. Must try it out. Its great how you can learn something new every day!

[corndog-44]

Rick thanks for the link. I liked the pics. I've seen the pump drill around, never tried it though. A problem with these types of articles that I see is that they make it out that all one has to do is get you a slab of wood and a stick and follow their pics and have-ho at it and presto you got an ember. They don't say anything about how dry the wood has to be in order to get an ember.

This is what the article said about rock striker:

"Rock Striker
An ideal tool for starting a spark-based fire, the striker should be made of flint for best results. If you can’t find flint, look for quartzite, which is much more common and is hard enough to strike sparks from steel."

Wonder how many people would recognize quartzite if they saw it?

Just my 2-cents on this subject.

[Rick]

I read an article once in which the author said when he was child his father showed him
how to make a bow drill but was unsuccessful in creating an ember. He finally did it twenty five year later. Few people can say it took them that long to actually make an ember. I thought he was pretty funny. I've tried and tried and I'm still only successful about 1/100. My dad always said the most important thing in fishing was how you held your mouth. I'm beginning to think the same thing about make fire with sticks.

[RobertRogers]

Yes, I think the pacific islanders used them for centuries

[Nativedude]

Here is a link to a nice article about 7 primitive ways to make fire. I have to admit, I had never seen a pump fire drill before:

I've tried the pump fire drill method, and it didn't impress me! :(

While the pump fire drill does work, it is a very slooooow way to make fire. When the drill reverses its spin it stops the friction of the direction it was going and has to start making friction in the opposite direction. As soon as friction starts in that direction the drill stops and has to start spinning back in the opposite direction. Long story short; it is better to just use the drill with your hands than the pump drill method. Plus it expends a lot of energy and is a lot of work (for little results) making the disc that fits around the drill. JMHO. :cool:

[Rick]

Native Dude. Your humble opinion ranks high. IMHO.

[Gray Wolf]

You would think if the Iroquois invented the Pump Fire Drill, with all that extra work and materials, that they would have figured out that the Two-Man Friction Drill (almost the exact same principle) was so much easier, faster, and needs less time and materials. I decided to try (always like trying new ways) the Two-Man Friction Drill with a neighbor, it worked fast, and I mean fast, to get a good ember. But I like making a fire by myself. Maybe the Iroquois did too... Still the Pump Fire Drill, was an over kill... IMHO

[Rick]

It looks to me like it's a one handed operation. Maybe it was invented by a one handed guy.:rolleyes:

[Gray Wolf]

It looks to me like it's a one handed operation. Maybe it was invented by a one handed guy.

If that is for one handed Native Americans, they may be the first to abide by the ADA. Then again why so much work, someone else would have to build it for them, and you could put a flint stone on the ground, braced by another stone, branch, or between the knees, and strike it. Nice thought though.

[Rick]

GW - Never place ANYTHING between your knees and try to strike it, The thought alone conjurs up more agony that I care to dwell on. The loss of a knee cap would be bad enough but there are other things that could be in the way, if you know what I mean.:rolleyes:

[Tony uk]

Thanks Rick, You Own :D *Gives A Thumbs Up*

[sh4d0wm4573ri7]

I lived in MN from 1961 - 2005 ,, Hunted , fished , hiked , camped , backpacked all the way up into canada through the BWCA I've seen some blizzards,, as for lighting a fire lol well I'm still here shootin off me mouth ,,, lol

[Jay]

[QUOTE=Rick;15283]Here is a link to a nice article about 7 primitive ways to make fire. I have to admit, I had never seen a pump fire drill before:

Rick, I tried it out. Used an old arrow shaft 20"long with a small metal flywheel.
Spins well once you get the hang of it. only problem is it doesnt create an ember. could not even char the baseboard. the problem is that you cant bring any weight to bare on it. also the spindle has to have a very sharp tip to strart with. otherwise it jumps all over the place. once the tip had worn down it starts to bind. Tried the same spindle in a bow. Got a nice ember in under 2 minutes. so its not the baseboard or spindle wood. Looks like I'm doing something wrong. may be I'll try a heavier flywheel. Any ideas or suggestions???

ps:
Our traditional gold and silversmiths use a similar thing as a drill. They hammer a nail into the tip of the spindle, cut the head off and sharpen it. they use it to create designs in jewelery.(Drilling out parts of the design)

[Rick]

Jay - The only suggestion I would have is a BIC lighter. I've never tried the pump drill method and I'm no good at making fire with two sticks of wood. I've tried and I just don't seem to have the knack.

I would think the heavier the fly wheel the more centrifugal force would be generated and the more downward force would be required to turn the fly wheel. That's just my thoughts.

Your comment about the drill being used for metal makes you wonder if that might have been the original intent and the drill was later adapted for fire making.

[Rick]

I've seen many of you mention that you've purchased a Swedish firesteel for use in your survival kits. They run about $14+ for the small one. I just thought I'd let you know you can still pick up the Boy Scout Hot Spark Fire Starter for $2.49. Here's a link:

http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?cat=01RTL&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=CAMPING&c3=CAMPEQUIP&c4=&lv=3&item=01167

You'll have to register on the BSA site to purchase it. Or you should be able to purchase them at your local BSA store.

[Rick]

As far as I know they are the same. There might be some difference in the mish metal but a sparks a spark in my book. If I can save $12.00 to make it, so be it.

[Sarge47]

If'n you're in a hurry, Wal-Mart sells the Magnesium Block with flint rod for $6.:cool:

[RobertRogers]

If'n you're in a hurry, Wal-Mart sells the Magnesium Block with flint rod for $6.:cool:

The mag block works well.

[Sarge47]

The mag block works well.
& you got you're "fire-starter" right with your flint rod!;)

[Rick]

But you can't carry the mag bar in your pocket and you can a metal match.

[Sarge47]

But I've had the BSA flint break off in my pocket. the block gives it stability.:cool:

[Rick]

I have mag blocks in my other kits. If the BSA match breaks, I'll just replace it with another $2.49 metal match!

[Beo]

I use this fire kit, always does me right.
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/6889/firekitrf0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Flint, char cloth, striker, and tow all held in a tin in a raw hide bag.