cloth
dry wood
paper
string
Originally Posted by Rick
A freind of mine that was in Nam used the term all the time, he told me it ment a whole bunch, so it dawn on me what you ment once Gryff posted. I always just figured it was vietnamis, boo koo.....LOL. I mean it's not like there's anybody on here going by any weird a** names or anything...LOL!
Thanks for the links man!
Last edited by Ted; 01-16-2010 at 06:43 PM.
I'm a simple man, of simple means, turned my back on the machines, to follow my dreams.
Ted, my hand spindle is mullein and hearth is black willow. I like the softer spindle for hand drilling and ember. Bow drill I use yucca for the spindle and it is only marginally softer than mullein.
One tip is that you should be able to dent the wood with your fingernail. dents easily is good for spindle, and dents a little less good for hearth.
At least that's what works for me, I've read about folks using lots of different things so experimenting will tell you best what works, but the fingernail trick will help you determine suitable materials.
Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. Helen Keller
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Funny rendezvous story. (yeah I got a lot of them)
Friend was demonstrating the bow drill for some spectators.
Was having a tough time, for what ever reason, seen him do it a lot of times.
So as some people drifted away....he was taking a break, wondering what was going wrong, reached in his belt pouch, took out a cigarette, lit it with his Bic....never gave it a thought.
So this kid, about maybe 7-8 years old standing there says, "Hey mister, why do you just use the lighter?"
Later, I made him a little belt pouch, out of a deer's butt skin, tail hanging down to keep it closed, to carry his "primitive Bic" in.
Yeah, some things are never forgotten................
Last edited by hunter63; 01-17-2010 at 02:52 PM. Reason: splin'
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Evoking the 50 year old rule...
First 50 years...worried about the small stuff...second 50 years....Not so much
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that is just too funny hunter. LMAO
Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. Helen Keller
My Plants
My skills
Eye Candy
Plant terminology reference!
Moving pictures
The mention of paperbark had me wonder if that wasn't melaleuca and sure enough. Melaleuca quinquenervia is one of the worst invasive species we have down here in South Florida.
I'll be trying that out as a "natural tinder".
Thanks YCC. I read about the finger nail test in a Tom Brown book years ago,
never got the bow method to work till I read that book.
I got a yucca in the front yard and mullen grows all over around here too.
There's a willow in the yard too! Don't know if it's black or not ,but gonna give it a try for sure! Thanks for the info Bro!
I'm a simple man, of simple means, turned my back on the machines, to follow my dreams.
anytime, Ted. I hope you get it to work. patience and peseverance!
make sure your materials are dry dry dry!
Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. Helen Keller
My Plants
My skills
Eye Candy
Plant terminology reference!
Moving pictures
This is one of my flint n steel fire kits. Ive tested this system in every cond. here in Fla. and it has never failed to make fire.
Every condition in Florida would be sun....sun....sun....and sun, right? LOL.
Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.
I would put a few matches in that little can ?
Now That What I'm talkin bout !
Come on down for the wet season Rick. Lots of sun and humidity and rain and lightning. My area averages more than 65" a year. It rains in the nearly everyday during the wet season down here.
A small petroleum jelly and cotton balls will last months. Both are light weight and cost very little.
I used to carry char cloth, which can be made in a small tin. The cotton/jelly is far easier and faster.
Just don't forget to check the expiration date. Months can slip by before you know it.
Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.
I've always wondered why carry such a huge firekit when all you really need is a couple lighters stored here and there.
I have charcloth, tinder and stuff, but it's not really needed. It looks neat, but not needed.
Its funny that the Paper Bark tree is protected there and actively destroyed there.
I did grab some paper bark on an urban fire wood foraging trip. I wasn't overly impressed with it as a firewood. Though it wasn't properly seasoned. I peeled the bark and fluffed it with my knife. Scraping it into a fine nest. It didn't light with the fire steel. It did light quickly with a lighter.
I was using a small fire steel. But, I can light Sabal Palm fibers in a couple of strikes. About the same as a fluffed PJ ball.
It may be technique on my part or lack there of technique. I ain't any good at getting our versions of birch bark (Gumbo Limbo and Torchwood) to fire off of a spark either.
I like a PJ balls. I have never failed to get a fire started with them. I agree with the lighters. But, PJ cottonballs burn longer then most tinder I use.
Still, I use fire steel 90% of the time just to practice. I also use the small steel. Fits in my trifold wallet no problem.
My Fire starting methods
I like to use a flint and striker and for tinder I like to use cotton balls coated in petroleum jelly.
Hey, Alec, How about striking you way over to our introduction section and tell us a bit about yourself?
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ead.php?t=7813
Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.
If your wet and cold, you want a big fire kit. In the winter or in rough places, i carry dry sticks along with my firestarters so that way get a fire going instantly thats sustainable enough to slowly dry out wet wood. If your near hypothermia, the last thing you have time to do is down a deadwood tree and process it.
I like to go as primitive as possible, so my firestarter consists of chunks of fir resin and dry grass/old mans beard. The tinder fluff ignites easily and gets the resin chunks going. The resin chunks are like my primitive version of wetfire.
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