Fun with Matches

Looking around today....came across as couple of tips.....
I do realize that these day, unless you start a fire with a Ferro rod, or flint and steel, bow drill, fire piston or fusel lens you aren't a true survivalist, bushcrafter or mountain man....

Then the is the Bic, Zippo, or as we have seen lately the trench lighter.....or even road flare.

But some people do use the old tried and true fire starter......The match.
Invented to make it easier to start a fire,... light a lamp, candle, stove, pipe, cigar, or cigarette.

For years people used the strike anywhere match....until the nanny society decided we couldn't be trusted with these evil and dangerous....resulting in the safety match....Available in big and little wooden form or the small books used to be given away at any gas station, store, saloon

They work just fine until you don't have the box, or box gets worn, and most likely ....wet and destroyed.

Found these vids today they may help get past that problem.....
I have not tried these out personally .....YET

Paper matches....
http://survivial-training.wonderhowt...-cover-264918/

Wood


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DyVKPSm0ic

Just an FYI and open to discussion

Pretty cool share. I have seen a version of this on a tv show, I forget which one. They rubbed two sticks like a fire plow until there was smoke. While the board was still hot, the match was struck on it and it ignited.

All in all, a good idea. Still would prefer the strike anywheres........

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Originally Posted by natertot

Pretty cool share. I have seen a version of this on a tv show, I forget which one. They rubbed two sticks like a fire plow until there was smoke. While the board was still hot, the match was struck on it and it ignited.

All in all, a good idea. Still would prefer the strike anywheres........

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Think is was Fat Guys in the Woods....Creek Stewart .....

Think of the simple wood match as having fuel that won't evaporate, and as the easy literally instant fire that it is...

...I used to dip them in wax for water proofing, and put a bunch of them with two or several striker boards cut from their container box inside some container that will float - sealed well with air in it for example (which is a water proofing redundancy too, and would be needed for the striker boards anyway). You want to be low tech yet extremely reliable, don't know what would beat this by much. A disposable lighter may come to mind, but it's just that I personally hate those. Don't like holding the little things in my hand and flicking it.

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Originally Posted by WalkingTree

Think of the simple wood match as having fuel that won't evaporate, and as the easy literally instant fire that it is...

...I used to dip them in wax for water proofing, and put a bunch of them with two or several striker boards cut from their container box inside some container that will float - sealed well with air in it for example (which is a water proofing redundancy too, and would be needed for the striker boards anyway). You want to be low tech yet extremely reliable, don't know what would beat this by much. A disposable lighter may come to mind, but it's just that I personally hate those. Don't like holding the little things in my hand and flicking it.

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Real early on......in the free book matches days (don't know if they still give them away any more ?) I would tear the inside cardboard out of the cover...kinda roll up the 20 paper matches....roll the up in the cover with the striker board on it tuck it in a pill bottle.

Still have some that I had done that with, many years ago, I still have in jacket pockets....

Now on the other hand I also have sealed pill bottles with the small wood matches and striker boards pack in....left them in my port-a-potty blind, and they got soft damp and didn't light.

Gonna guess they suffered from condensation by being left in the blind year around?

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Originally Posted by hunter63

Real early on......in the free book matches days (don't know if they still give them away any more ?) I would tear the inside cardboard out of the cover...kinda roll up the 20 paper matches....roll the up in the cover with the striker board on it tuck it in a pill bottle.

Still have some that I had done that with, many years ago, I still have in jacket pockets....

Now on the other hand I also have sealed pill bottles with the small wood matches and striker boards pack in....left them in my port-a-potty blind, and they got soft damp and didn't light.

Gonna guess they suffered from condensation by being left in the blind year around?

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They still gave away free books until 3 or so years ago. can't confirm after that on account of I quit smoking so I need matches much less frequently.

Back in the day if you asked for an ash tray at a bar they handed you a nice clean glass ashtray with a fresh book of matches with the bar name on the cover. Usually they had one located at each spot at the bar.

Same for hotels and motels, when you checked in the room had several clean ash trays each with a book of matches.

I may be the only person left that keeps book matches on hand here at home. I keep two or three 100 packs for the "just in case" situations. Of course I also have about 500 tea light candles in big plastic bags for emergency use. It really is easier to light a Coleman stove, gas burner or even candles with a match than with a lighter.

And thought the trusty ferro rod is great for starting the campfire it leaves something to be desired for lighting candles and kerosene lamps.

Started using them newfangled NATO windproof matches since the Old Strike anywhere's have gotten to hard to find. Old Sailor trading habits are hard to break, I've traded Zippo's with unit logo's all over the world for some really cool stuff. Seems that every plastic bic I've stuck in my pocket came up cracked when I wanted to use it. Perhaps this Old Navy Dog is just too Old to learn some new tricks.

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Originally Posted by hunter63

Think is was Fat Guys in the Woods....Creek Stewart .....

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I think you are right. That is what I was thinking but didn't want to give bad info. Too bad they didn't come out with more. I liked the show and Creeks down to earth mentality.

I would have a blister on the end of my index finger. That hurts just to watch.

with enough practice you can light a match on a window pane, well our matches in South Africa anyways;
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Originally Posted by M118LR

Started using them newfangled NATO windproof matches since the Old Strike anywhere's have gotten to hard to find. Old Sailor trading habits are hard to break, I've traded Zippo's with unit logo's all over the world for some really cool stuff. Seems that every plastic bic I've stuck in my pocket came up cracked when I wanted to use it. Perhaps this Old Navy Dog is just too Old to learn some new tricks.

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I can say that I hae never had that happen....
Fluid leak out in the years between hunting seasons, or in truck consul, maybe a couple.......never broke any except the one I ran over with the power lawn mower.
That was kinda exciting.

I think most people automatically assume that lighting a fire with matches is super easy. For the boyscouts of old, the one match fire was the standard. However, it isn't as easy as people think. You do have to understand the match and how to use it properly.

In a safe area, I have been known to give the scouts a large box of matches and tell them to "play" with them. This is how you learn what works and what doesn't.

In my younger years I even dented a few Zippo's in my pocket. But now that my days of wearing PF Flyers are over, and I can no longer run faster or jump higher than all the other kids on the block, perhaps it is time to reassess the use of bic lighters? I'm pretty sure I won't be doing any rope tricks, nowadays it would be more common for me to fall off a ladder or the roof, so I guess Father Time has a way of modifying how much fun you can have with matches. (Don't expect to be lighting the Kudlik anytime soon either)

Anything you have to hold the flame... Down.... to light....matches may be a better choice....?

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Originally Posted by hunter63

Anything you have to hold the flame... Down.... to light....matches may be a better choice....?

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Just as long as it ain't "3 on a match"!

Dexterity/temperature has a little to do with that also hunter63. Them tiny matches get to be hard to hold after exiting the water on to an Arctic beach. There where times when the day/night flare seemed a little too small to get a good grip on. Dump a canoe into some 34 degree water and little matchsticks on the beach become a much greater challenge.

Don't know if it was 34 degrees or not...and was only in Wisconsin......but you are correct the water that isn't ice, can still be 33 degrees....

Falls under the "J**** C**** this cooooold.

You know, one thing I never hear about in anyone kit is a bees wax candle end...1-1/2 long...
Get that stubby piece lit,... out of the wind and pile in twigs....works pretty well.

Say, you didn't carry those Bic's in your back pocket.....did ya?

We just saved all the candle ends from the candle lanterns at rondy......tuck in fire kit of just a pocket....

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Originally Posted by hunter63

Don't know if it was 34 degrees or not...and was only in Wisconsin......but you are correct the water that isn't ice, can still be 33 degrees....

Falls under the "J**** C**** this cooooold.

You know, one thing I never hear about in anyone kit is a bees wax candle end...1-1/2 long...
Get that stubby piece lit,... out of the wind and pile in twigs....works pretty well.

Say, you didn't carry those Bic's in your back pocket.....did ya?

We just saved all the candle ends from the candle lanterns at rondy......tuck in fire kit of just a pocket....

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I prefer the triple wicked sealed tin bees wax candles, the stick style has more of a tendency to snap or break.

Forward port survival tin, forward starboard get out of jail currency, aft port miscellaneous (bic/Zippo/etc.) Only so many pockets in a pair of BDU's hunter63.

I usually just use the power of my mind focused through my chi to ignite whatever fuel sources are around me. Those strike anywhere matches would be nice too though.

Man I hate it when that happens....had a guy that said he could....
But got tired of waiting for him....to "get the signal ".... so just use my Bic to light my smoke.....beside it much quieter.....no KunFoo noises.