fuzzsticks

**Rick** · 11-22-2007, 08:58 PM

Man, Trax. You are so on the money. If I asked either of my boys to start the fire and went to gather wood then came back and found them whittling I'd probably loose it. Just goes to show you. Another new trick for this old dog.

**corndog-44** · 11-22-2007, 10:04 PM

A fuzz stick, feather stick, fire stick or a sliver stick...whatever you want to call them is used as a kindling, not as tender. If your kindling is damp a fuzz stick comes in handy.

**Beo** · 11-24-2007, 12:11 AM

Originally Posted by trax

Do you have any idea how much fun a slow leak can be??

Oh of course you do, I forgot about 'Cindy' folded up neatly in her case in your trunk.

Yeah, and she don't mind the cramped seat, and don't bleat or blither like some nag eaither, just can't stand that damn plastic smell

**Tony uk** · 11-24-2007, 02:12 PM

I make them up here loads, Everything is damp in the woodlands unless its summer and we have had any sun, i think that they are quite reliable but i put something else on top of a medium pile of them, Maby a bit of steel wool or A cotton ball dip in a flamible liquid like kero to make sure i can get them going

**nell67** · 11-24-2007, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by Beowulf65

Yeah, and she don't mind the cramped seat, and don't bleat or blither like some nag eaither, just can't stand that damn plastic smell

hhhmmm dont nag huh??? better hang on to her!

**Borelli** · 12-02-2007, 04:29 PM

The author named Bradford Angier (or somthing like that) is what is being refered to here. In his book "Basic Wilderness survival skills" he calls them fuzzsticks.
Yes i have used them before with excellent results. Expecially when all the nearby tinder was soaked on the outside. When wood is wet on the outside that does not mean that the entire log, stick, ect is wet...the center of it may be dry. And after that dry tinder is on fire you can dry out wet tinder resulting in more fire.

Dom Borelli

**Rick** · 12-02-2007, 05:57 PM

This one is new to me. I've never seen or used one before. Do you make them up at home before you go, while you're in the field or both depending on your need?

**Borelli** · 12-02-2007, 06:08 PM

I always make them in the field, Otherwise you get a buch of mess on your other stuff that you are carrying. I make them simply by makeing a bunch of slices into the same spot, then cutting all the slices off creating a peice of wood with a bunch of curls on it. or you can cut curls into a log and burn it like that.

Dom Borelli

**Borelli** · 12-02-2007, 06:09 PM

Usually wood is dry in the center so there is always a way to make them

**Rick** · 12-02-2007, 06:55 PM

I've always just split my wood to get a dry inside. I carry a Ghurki so splitting small stuff isn't a big deal. I like the idea of the fuzzstick. It seems like it would be pretty quick and easy to make up. I'll have to try that on my next outing. Thanks for all the info. One more thing you guys have taught me.

**Sarge47** · 12-02-2007, 08:43 PM

With all the posts on "fuzz sticks" I checked my library and found five books, so far, that mention them. Not always as a "Survival" aid, although it can help there as well, but as an aid to starting a campfire. Here's where I found them.

1.) "Fieldbook for Boys & Men", 1969, Boy Scouts of America. pg. 86.
2.) "Complete Book of Camping", 1961, by Leonard Miracle with Maurice Decker;
pg. 327.
3.) "Survival in the Outdoors", 1972, by Byron Dalrymple; pg. 196.
4.) "The SAS Survival Handbook" 1999, by John "Lofty" Wiseman; pg. 269.
5.) "Camping & Wilderness Survival": The Ultimate Outdoors Book", 2001, by
Paul Tarwell (his 1st book); pg. 126.

Guess the idea's been around for awhile, huh?

**Two Rivers** · 12-08-2007, 02:05 AM

Lint in your pockets ? Heck I keep my lint in my belly button

**Gray Wolf** · 12-08-2007, 11:50 PM

If I'm going to use a firesteel and it's raining and all the wood is wet, I'll use a wetfire cube, it works in pouring rain. You can light it while it's floating in water and it will keep burning. After I saw the picture of that I had to try it, and it does!!! It burns at over 1300 degrees. It will dry your tinder.

http://www.ultimatesurvival.com/prod...ct_line_ID=157

**toasta** · 12-13-2007, 12:48 AM

Originally Posted by Two Rivers

Lint in your pockets ? Heck I keep my lint in my belly button

man, that's just nasty.
and it will be really oily

i keep mine in my toes

**hermitman** · 01-30-2008, 02:50 PM

I have used them after a rain to get the fire to the dry part of the wood.

**wareagle69** · 01-30-2008, 03:06 PM

actually just made my first one today, i tried first with my leatherman not very comfortable to carve with next with my fixed blade buck much better.

**RBB** · 01-30-2008, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by corndog-44

Do you make and use these very often?

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Once or twice in my life. They had them in the boy scout hand book when I was a kid. Mostly, we have enough birch bark around to make them superfluous.