possible fire starter ?

[hermitman]

I was wondering if it is possible to start a fire with the help of an MRE. I know that the reason they get hot is because the water and the metal react and the electrons from the metal break the hydrogen bonds holding the water together. One of the products given off is hydrogen gas which is flamable so would it be possible to kinda close off the end a little to make the gas more concentrated to help start the fire ?:confused:?

[crashdive123]

Apparently they can. But to control the process and do it safely?????doesn't look that way. http://www.wildfirenews.com/archive/070704.shtml

[hermitman]

I had heard that an explosion can happen some kids at west point told me about that but they were putting the metal into a water bottle then water and closing the cap

[crashdive123]

The expanding gas will keep on expanding and cause the bottle to rupture. Not good (or healthy) to be close by when it does.

[klkak]

I've never tried to start a fire with one. I have taken a couple of the Tabasco sauce's and emptied them into the heater, added water, folded over the end and closed with duct tape. Then tossed it into a room full of troops and blocked the door. Improvised pepper gas.

[WildGoth]

nice Klkak was your role model mcgyver

[klkak]

I don't remember the name of the Sgt. that showed me that trick but I don't think it was Mcgyver.

[Alpine_Sapper]

We never used duct tape, but we did the same thing with pop bottles. Any closed container that's small will work. It's pretty common knowledge in the army.

[warman87]

heat cayenne up till its real hot on your stove then take it off the stove and pour water over it and it will make a kind of tear gas

[AKS]

I've never tried to start a fire with one. I have taken a couple of the Tabasco sauce's and emptied them into the heater, added water, folded over the end and closed with duct tape. Then tossed it into a room full of troops and blocked the door. Improvised pepper gas.

I haven't heard of anyone using MRE's to start a fire but I have heard of MRE bombs. I have made variations of KLKAK's pepper spray with plastic soda bottles. Threw one into a room full of marines once. Now I have to admit that this is not normally a very smart thing to do.;) This happened during a joint project in south-east Alaska. People were having things turn up missing and the marines had been bragging about how they did it and nobody was going to do anything because there were 20 marines in one room and they were unstoppable. Well, my wall locker was pried open one day while I was out and one of my knives came up missing.:mad: I was pretty upset, I love my knives... To keep a really long story only kind of long....Saw one of the marines playing with my knife, got me a partner, threw in two "pepper bombs", slammed the doors and ran.(I am foolish, not suicidal):D While the marines were in the latrine rinsing their eyes we snuck back and recovered my knife and a few other missing items. That place smelled like Tabasco for a week.