Firestarting Help!

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Originally Posted by hunter63

Plus 1
That's what in my kits....and pockets....

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I like wooden matches, but Bics are alright. Do you like the Bic minis?

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Originally Posted by Zack

I like wooden matches, but Bics are alright. Do you like the Bic minis?

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Bic minis are what I carry and have been for years. I've never been let down by them.

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Originally Posted by Zack

I like wooden matches, but Bics are alright. Do you like the Bic minis?

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Yeah....but any will work well.

I like the Bic mini cause it takes up less room in the pockets and kits. Just a personal preference.

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Originally Posted by natertot

Bic is the primary way to go in my book. I carry one in my pocket non stop and whenever I am out "in the woods" I keep a spare in my fire kit along with matches, fatwood, cotton balls, fero rod, and candles. Bic is what gets used most of the time. The other stuff mostly gets "played with" and is reserved for problem moments.

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Plus 2. I was taught at a young age to carry a lighter, even though I didn't smoke at the time.
And when I quit smoking this year (one of my resolutions), I'll still carry a lighter in my pocket.

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Originally Posted by MrFixIt

And when I quit smoking this year (one of my resolutions), I'll still carry a lighter in my pocket.

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Best of luck. That is a tough task. Hunter quit, I am sure he could tell you all about it.

IMO, Primitive fire making knowledge has it's place. In reenactments for example. Experts can demonstrate how the early native Americans, Mountain Men, and other earlier pioneers made fire the old way. Also, if one has no other recourse and is in desperate need of a fire, then primitive methods are a great alternative. However, the thing to remember is that progress made things easier and more fool-proof.The conservation of energy is paramount in any survival situation. Expanding/wasting energy to start a fire when it would be much quicker and easier to use a lighter or a match is not wise. "Be Prepared" is the Scout motto and if you take that to heart then you should be okay...:cowboy:

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Originally Posted by natertot

Best of luck. That is a tough task. Hunter quit, I am sure he could tell you all about it.

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Yes still quit....was a year on December 11th, 11:32 A.M............Still a smoker, just haven't smoked anything.....
Took major surgery........and don't want to do it again.

Still carry BIC's in everything, feel naked if I don't.....kinda a "Well I'm not gonna light a smoke, but I could if I had to"....some mag bars and ferro rods........Full kits in bags and vehicle's.

Best of luck on quiting....figure I saved about $5000 last year...That could be a lot of guns......

There is nothing easy about not smoking. I quit on 6/7/89. I figured that was a date I could remember.

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Originally Posted by Zack

Another thing I need help with is natural tinder selection. I think I found some fatwood, but I'm not sure. Does anybody have ant advice for finding it, as well as other natural tinder?

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Have you tried Birch bark,plant fluff from cattails, bullrushes, dandelions, inner bark from cedars, cypress, oak, grape vine? The key is to process the tinder down so that you have small fibers and shavings.

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Originally Posted by Batch

Have you tried Birch bark,plant fluff from cattails, bullrushes, dandelions, inner bark from cedars, cypress, oak, grape vine? The key is to process the tinder down so that you have small fibers and shavings.

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You can also make fuzz sticks!...:cowboy:

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Originally Posted by Batch

Have you tried Birch bark,plant fluff from cattails, bullrushes, dandelions, inner bark from cedars, cypress, oak, grape vine? The key is to process the tinder down so that you have small fibers and shavings.

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I have tried cattail fuzz and birch bark. I used the birch bark to catch and hold the flame from jute twine, which in my case burns very hot and very quickly, but I could never get the bark to catch a spark itself. I have had issues getting cattail fuzz to take a spark, but when it does, it goes like a thin stream of gasoline. It won't burn long enough for me to get secondary tinder on it. Have you got any advice?

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Originally Posted by Sarge47

You can also make fuzz sticks!...:cowboy:

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Back in the days when we had to chase the dinosaurs out of our Scout meetings, we learned to make "feather sticks". I suppose that we're talking about the same thing? Anyway, they worked well with matches, but I've never tried one with a ferro rod, I think I smell an experiment...

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Originally Posted by Sarge47

You can also make fuzz sticks!...:cowboy:

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I find that I can process and get a much more efficient fire lay by just processing the wood down to the size I need to get a fire. If you google one stick fire or one stick fire drill you'll see the basic technique. Which works really great when there is no dry tinder to be had. If your using a ferro it might help to shave a little powder using the squared off back of you knife or machete.

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Originally Posted by Zack

Also, does anybody have advice about a striker?

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I went to my local big box hardware/home improvement store and bought one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YIWB9W/...SIN=B004YIWB9W
I wrapped some duct tape around one end for a handle. It's small enough to allow you to place the ferro rod into the tinder and scrape it with short strokes to ignite it. It's a bit pricey but it works...the best imo. Or you can grind the spine of your blade at the point to do the same thing. I did that to my IZULA II and it is my go to knife when working with a ferro rod.

This product works magic with a ferro rod too: http://www.amazon.com/Corona-AC-8300...tool+sharpener
I used a similar tool to sharpen the spines of all my bushcraft knives... good luck. Practice, PRACTICE, practice.

DomC




Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by Zack

I learned a couple of things on a recent primitive overnight camping trip. The first was that I need help making fires. I've mastered the art of one match fires and I'm ready to move on to more primitive methods. I bought a ferro rod on ebay, I was excited to use it, and decided that this would be a good opportunity to do so. I bird-nested some jute twine, wiped some pine sap into the wad of fluff, and used the back of my knife to spark the ferro rod. I got a shower of sparks into the bundle, but it didn't go. I tried, and tried, and tried. Nothing. Does anybody have anybody advice?

Another thing I need help with is natural tinder selection. I think I found some fatwood, but I'm not sure. Does anybody have ant advice for finding it, as well as other natural tinder?

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it sounds like you need some char cloth or some chaga to get spark going when using a flint and steel or ferro rod, get a spark going and put the spark in the birds nest and blow lightly into it till in bursts into a flame, have your bone dry tinder ready and put the flaming nest under it. keep adding larger and dry wood as the fire gets going.

Gas works, I mean gas and a tin can. A small can works good tuna or something similar. Pour a 1/2 inch in the bottom of the can and light it up, the gas will vaporize and burn,should burn for 5-10 minutes long enough to get some wood started. You can see the can in the pic.Will try to post a pic.
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/k...ps80dce283.jpg

char cloth works great 1 spark and its burning

More like one spark and you have an ember.

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Originally Posted by rhill1212

char cloth works great 1 spark and its burning

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Little bit more to it than that......