Firestarters

[hip55]

This Aurora Magnesium Fire Starter looks pretty good -

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/6603/amfs.jpg (http://img705.imageshack.us/i/amfs.jpg/)

http://www.campingsurvival.com/aufistflstan.html

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCAdffOuVm0

Anyone try one of these?

Other recommendations?

[Flame]

[KevDen2005]

I have gotten a fire going using a Light My Fire. Of course the stuff you are trying to catch on fire has to be dry....heavy rains will prevent the use of it...I have also lit a fire with this using the dry shavings of the inside of bark off a tree (during the rain storm)

http://www.rei.com/product/737335

[pickenup]

9 volt battery and steel wool.

[KevDen2005]

9 volt battery and steel wool.


Make sure it is 0000 Steel Wool, I haven't tried anything else but was told it wont work, so I never risked it

[jerrymrc]

Make sure it is 0000 Steel Wool, I haven't tried anything else but was told it wont work, so I never risked it

Ya put enough voltage to any steel wool and it WILL become a giant flashbulb. I have first hand knowledge of this. :)

[StagLefty]

RAT(ESEE now) fire kit-Misch metal flint,storage for tinder,button compass,and survival tips on cylinder. Good item with some practice striking.

[KevDen2005]

Ya put enough voltage to any steel wool and it WILL become a giant flashbulb. I have first hand knowledge of this. :)

Although I probably shouldn't...I would like to know how much voltage we are talking about here...

[Luck]

[Colorado Scott]

That Aurora looks nice! I have a few mag starters but not that nice. A couple of mine have wooden handles and are crudely made but they work great. I have used steel wool and a battery but never in the field, only practicing at home.

Overkill but I always carry three or more methods of starting a fire including one of my several Colibri windproof lighters and a fire piston. Fire is life, right?

I also keep an emergency fire starter kit (that I made) in every vehicle, hunting pack and bug out pack we own. The fire starter kit is made up of a mag starter, a few boxes of strike anywhere matches, strips of news paper, a mini fire starter log and a 35mm film case filled with cotton balls soaked in Vaseline. Everything is enclosed in a vacuum sealed food saver bag to keep moisture out; each method of starting fire is kitted in it's own seperate bag and everything together weighs a little over a pound.

Whatever method anybody chooses to carry and use they should be sure to practice at home and when sitting around in camp at your favorite campsite. If you can't start a fire at home there's no way you'll get one going under duress in an emergency situation.

[Troublco]

RAT(ESEE now) fire kit-Misch metal flint,storage for tinder,button compass,and survival tips on cylinder. Good item with some practice striking.

I was looking at these too. Might be a nice addition to the BOB. When it comes to making fire, I figure more is always better!

[Irving]

Whatever method anybody chooses to carry and use they should be sure to practice at home and when sitting around in camp at your favorite campsite. If you can't start a fire at home there's no way you'll get one going under duress in an emergency situation.


I've mentioned it before, but I've had some road flares riding around in my trunk for over a year and have still never used one because I live in an apartment. I almost lit one Friday and just hung out on my porch with it, but I realize I don't know if the flares are water proof or not.

Anyone have any experience with a road flare? How can I put it out in a hurry if I need to? Cut it? Water? Mud? Dry leaves and a bird's nest?

[KevDen2005]

Don't know, every time I have used a flare I let it burn all the way out.

Something else I carry is a film canister of carbide. Carbide works great for those wet situations.

Someone already said it and it sounds like overkill but I also carry about 3-5 forms of fire building...

I like to carry:

1. Strike anywhere matches in waterproof container
2. Light My Fire fire starter
3. Lighter that is clear to see how much fuel is left
4. 9V battery and steel wool
5. Vaseline soaked cotton balls
6. Candles are good, you can buy a bag full of the small tub candles for pretty cheap


Just some things I like to carry that I can think of off the top of my head. I know there are other things that I have used and carry but can't think of them right now. I like to carry any combination of several things just to make sure...

[cowboykjohnson]

what are some good fire pistons out there? these things have always got me curious and seem like they work forever.

[Backinblackrifles]

I LOVE My fire piston go to wildersol.com they have a good selection and are great quality just pricey but how much are frost bitten fingers and toes worth?

[KevDen2005]

Just watched the video, that's pretty neat.

How pricey are we talking about?

[cowboykjohnson]

I LOVE My fire piston go to wildersol.com they have a good selection and are great quality just pricey but how much are frost bitten fingers and toes worth?
A lot more than one would think until it's about to happen. I'm pretty convinced that you get what you pay for. Thanks for the info.

[7.62x39(4)life]

a little science before you set your apartment on fire STUART! Road flares contain strontium Nitrate and oxidizer that supplies the oxygen needed for the fuel to burn... so you are not going to be able to put it out with dirt or water... to put out a flare you grind the burning surface against the pavement. In general water is a bad idea on a chemical fire.

[Irving]

Thanks for the post. That is exactly what I suspected, and the reason I didn't light it. For the record, I wasn't going to do it inside the apartment.

Sounds like you put it out just like a cigar. Thanks again.

[theGinsue]

I've never heard of fire pistons before. Those are amazing firestarting tools.

[SA Friday]

bottle of cotton balls soaked in vaseline, a small magnifying glass, cheap lighter, and a smallbag of corn chips. GTG.

[gnihcraes]

I carry the 0000 steel wool, magnesium fire starter in all vehicles and camping gear... works well. I wonder how vaseline and steel wool work together? :)

[SA Friday]

I carry the 0000 steel wool, magnesium fire starter in all vehicles and camping gear... works well. I wonder how vaseline and steel wool work together? :) I could see using a small piece of steel wool and a 9v battery to light the vaseline/cotton. Give it a shot and let us know how it works.

[theGinsue]

and a smallbag of corn chips. GTG.

What are the corn chips for? To give you a snack while you're lighting the fire?

[hip55]

What's the vaseline for? Is it flammable?

[SA Friday]

vaseline burns really nice.

the oil in corn chips burns really nice.

burnin stuff is almost as much fun as blowin stuff up. [Tooth]

[Colorado Scott]

burnin stuff is almost as much fun as blowin stuff up. [Tooth]

Ha!

[KevDen2005]

I carry the 0000 steel wool, magnesium fire starter in all vehicles and camping gear... works well. I wonder how vaseline and steel wool work together? :)


What kind of magnesium fire starter do you carry. I only ask because I used to carry the kind where you had to scrape off the magnesium and then strike it. If you haven't practiced doing that I certainly would. I actually used to just keep them filed down and keep the shavings in a 35mm film container.

[SA Friday]

Any firestarting material is going to work as long as you know how to use it and practice using the materials. Ultimately, you should learn and perfect as many ways you can find on how to start a fire. The knowledge of the various ways, the materials needed, and the skill to use them is much more important than which Mg firestarter is the best. Lets face it, you could have a propane blow torch to start a fire, but if you don't recognize it's value or the knowledge on how to use it, it might as well be a rock.

Test this. Take your wife out back, show her a disassembled hand torch (one with the knob and no electric starter) and a lighter and see if she can tell you what it is and figure out how to use it. I suspect 1 in 2 can't do it.

[Irving]

Test this. Take your wife out back, show her a disassembled hand torch (one with the knob and no electric starter) and a lighter and see if she can tell you what it is and figure out how to use it. I suspect 1 in 2 can't do it.

That's true, but I'm not Kevin's wife!

[KevDen2005]

That's true, but I'm not Kevin's wife!


Well it wasn't because of a lack of asking on my part!!!

[gnihcraes]

I use these from any of the local retailers:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41GMBKVXPRL._SS500_.jpg

And I'm sure my wife can use the propane torch. She's helped with many home projects, she's no expert by any means with hand tools and power equipment, but will get it done if needed. I've had her use the fire starting tool shown above, just so she knows how it functions, just like the guns and anything else. Do the same with your kids and any of their friends, show them how stuff works, let them try it once, that's about all it takes. You don't need to make them professionals at everything. They'll remember later on when it counts. I'm sure this is how I've become to do most things for myself, watching brother, father and grandparents do it for themselves for years. People are amazed when you show them a remodeled bathroom or something you've done, WOW! They think you're some prodigy or something. Heck, look around the web, read a book, watch a tv show, check out the hardware store and do it. But I guess that's just how we were raised. Not much we can't do or figure out.

little off subject but... :)

[Irving]

Okay, I did an experiment tonight.

I tried to start a fire with a cotton ball, Vaseline, and an empty Zippo lighter.

I couldn't do it, but I learned some stuff.

-I was under the impression that since Vaseline is supposedly flammable, that it would be easy enough to light with just the sparks from the empty Zippo. Vaseline IS flammable, but I couldn't light the cotton ball with just the sparks. I had to use a match.

-I ended up just lighting the Vaseline covered cotton ball with a match. The flame caught and it burned tall and strong. Out of curiosity I took a dry cotton ball and held it to the burning Vaseline one. It IMMEDIATELY burst into flame, so fast that it actually burned me. I set them down next to each other.

-The dry cotton ball caught on fire immediately and was totally burned out in approx 15-20 secs.

-The Vaseline covered cotton ball made a very strong, tall (about 2-3") flame that lasted for what I estimate was nearly two minutes.

-Since the dry cotton ball caught on fire so easily, I figured I'd try to light a third one with just the sparks from the lighter. I couldn't do it.

Summary: Vaseline burns long and strong. A GREAT way to start a fire would be to use a Vaseline soaked cotton ball, as it acts like the wick of a candle, burning off the oil (Vaseline) instead of the cotton of the wick. Dry cotton balls catch fast but also burn fast, and low.


If I end up doing another experiment, I'll post about it. I was going to take a video of the burn times of each cotton ball, but who wants to watch a cotton ball burn for two minutes? Maybe I'll make a short one.

[SA Friday]

In order to ignite something with a spark you have to have one of two things; have a burnable material that has a very low flash point or enough easily combustable tinder to bed and smolder the spark. Vaseline won't do either of these. It takes direct flame. Maybe steel wool with a 9v battery would get it to flash over, but I've never tried it. Charcloth is great with sparks and once you get a little tinder going, then the vaseline cottonball is your easy-street to kindling going.

[Aloha_Shooter]

Boys Scouts used to teach making their own non-toxic firestarters and canned heat.

For the firebugs, take 2-4 sheets of newspaper folded normally (along the spine). Roll up tightly -- should be approximately the thickness of 1-2 thumbs. Tie closed 1" in and at 2" intervals with cotton twine -- I use square knots. Leave a good 2-3" piece of twine dangling from the knot. Cut midway between the twine so you have approximately 2" segments tied shut in the middle. Hold by the "fuse" (that 2-3" piece you left hanging from the knot) and dip into melted paraffin wax. Let wax soak into newspaper -- I forget how long this takes but it's not long. Drip drain and then dry/cool/harden on a clean piece of newspaper or waxed paper.

For the canned heat, take a clean dry tuna fish can (or similar size can). Cut corrugated cardboard in strips as wide as the can is tall so you can lay them inside the can and see the corrugation from the top. The strips should sit just under the lip of the can. Fill the can with the strips, preferably laying them down in a spiral coil for best density without packing the can. Pour melted paraffin wax into the can until it just hits the top of the corrugated cardboard (don't go over the top of the cardboard or it will drown the flame when it melts).

Both of these are very portable, light, easy to make and non-toxic. You may want to throw them in a plastic bag during very hot weather.

[jerrymrc]

Let me give ya something to think about. cotton balls/dryer lint with Vaseline is great and works very well. Why not go two for one?

If you are going to use cotton balls why not use the triple antibiotic ointment on them? Still a petroleum based product that lights very well but if ya get a scrape on the way to light your fire you have part of your first aid kit right there.

Just a thought. ;)

[gnihcraes]

these work well, i've got several...http://beprepared.com/product.asp?pn=CL%20C700 (http://beprepared.com/product.asp?pn=CL%20C700)

[7.62x39(4)life]

Stuart I think you are a Pyro....[Flame]

I have made a Suvival stove out of a tuna fish can filled with rolled up cardboard and then I filled it with molten candle wax. the cardboard acts like the wick of a candle... it was really sooty.

[GreenScoutII]

Test this. Take your wife out back, show her a disassembled hand torch (one with the knob and no electric starter) and a lighter and see if she can tell you what it is and figure out how to use it. I suspect 1 in 2 can't do it.

My wife used my MAPP torch to carmelize creme' brulee...[ROFL1]

Since you brought up propane/MAPP torches, a guy can light anything on fire with a MAPP torch. Its come in handy on remote job sites more than once in the winter time. I doubt very many non plumbers frequently have one in the vehicle though. That brings me to something I bring when hunting or camping. Sterno fuel. Great fire starter even when your kindling is a bit wet. It is a bit bulky and heavy, but its very reliable.

[Limited GM]

Wow...never thought of vaseline as flameable. Thank God I never self ignited as a teenager. [ROFL1]

[Irving]

Oh yeah, I made sure to wash my hands a few times before I tried lighting the cotton ball. It'd be just like me to catch myself on fire, so I took some extra precaution.

[sniper7]

gasoline soaked cotton balls work really well!

i always carry around a small travel sized shampoo bottle full of rubbing alcohol (stuff you get at wal-mart for under $1) when i am camping/hunting. it is perfect in the twist of shampoo bottles (which i have near unlimited access to due to work), they don't leak, very light and can get small tinder started in no time and help get larger pieces of wood to catch on fire as well.

[Beprepared]

Found this interesting. Similar to the FIREBUG mentioned above.

http://primitiveways.com/waterproof_fire_starter.html

[hollohas]

Okay, I did an experiment tonight.

I tried to start a fire with a cotton ball, Vaseline, and an empty Zippo lighter.

I couldn't do it, but I learned some stuff.

-I was under the impression that since Vaseline is supposedly flammable, that it would be easy enough to light with just the sparks from the empty Zippo. Vaseline IS flammable, but I couldn't light the cotton ball with just the sparks. I had to use a match.

-I ended up just lighting the Vaseline covered cotton ball with a match. The flame caught and it burned tall and strong. Out of curiosity I took a dry cotton ball and held it to the burning Vaseline one. It IMMEDIATELY burst into flame, so fast that it actually burned me. I set them down next to each other.

-The dry cotton ball caught on fire immediately and was totally burned out in approx 15-20 secs.

-The Vaseline covered cotton ball made a very strong, tall (about 2-3") flame that lasted for what I estimate was nearly two minutes.

-Since the dry cotton ball caught on fire so easily, I figured I'd try to light a third one with just the sparks from the lighter. I couldn't do it.

Summary: Vaseline burns long and strong. A GREAT way to start a fire would be to use a Vaseline soaked cotton ball, as it acts like the wick of a candle, burning off the oil (Vaseline) instead of the cotton of the wick. Dry cotton balls catch fast but also burn fast, and low.


If I end up doing another experiment, I'll post about it. I was going to take a video of the burn times of each cotton ball, but who wants to watch a cotton ball burn for two minutes? Maybe I'll make a short one.

If you pull the Vaseline covered cotton ball apart the surfaces where the two halves were previously attached will now have lots of very small fibers rather than the smooth jelly covered surface on the outside of the ball. It should look furry or fuzzy. On the fuzzy part is where you want to direct your flint and it will ignite. No flame needed.

[Irving]

Great tip, thanks!

I'm going to put some Isopropyl rubbing alcohol (70%) in my penny can stove tonight to see how it compares to the lighter fluid.

Why? Just because 16oz of Rubbing Alcohol costs $.99 and 4oz of Zippo lighter fluid costs $1.99.

Well, I started before I even pushed "post reply" and already the experiment is a failure. Apparently 70% alcohol is not nearly enough. I can't get it to burn any where except for the main fill hole, and you'd even have trouble lighting a cigarette from that. Well, that was a good lesson to learn before I needed it.

[henpecked]

Great tip, thanks!

I'm going to put some Isopropyl rubbing alcohol (70%) in my penny can stove tonight to see how it compares to the lighter fluid.

Why? Just because 16oz of Rubbing Alcohol costs $.99 and 4oz of Zippo lighter fluid costs $1.99.

Well, I started before I even pushed "post reply" and already the experiment is a failure. Apparently 70% alcohol is not nearly enough. I can't get it to burn any where except for the main fill hole, and you'd even have trouble lighting a cigarette from that. Well, that was a good lesson to learn before I needed it.
*********************************************
try this
Get a metal coffee can
put a whole roll of toilet paper in it..(not unrolled)
soak with Isopropyl rubbing alcohol
light it
you can use the plastic coffee can lid to extinguish when done

[Irving]

That just sounds like trouble (fun).

[henpecked]

It actually work well.........

[hollohas]

Great tip, thanks!

I'm going to put some Isopropyl rubbing alcohol (70%) in my penny can stove tonight to see how it compares to the lighter fluid.

Why? Just because 16oz of Rubbing Alcohol costs $.99 and 4oz of Zippo lighter fluid costs $1.99.

Well, I started before I even pushed "post reply" and already the experiment is a failure. Apparently 70% alcohol is not nearly enough. I can't get it to burn any where except for the main fill hole, and you'd even have trouble lighting a cigarette from that. Well, that was a good lesson to learn before I needed it.

Denatured alcohol is by far the best fuel for a soda/penny can stove. It doesn't cost much either…find it in the paint section at walmart or homedepot.

I know we are now getting into the hobo stove thread but they are along the same lines so here it is anyway. You've seen the penny can stove online where they pre-heat the can top by burning some fuel on the top first. This serves two purposes. First, and most important, it heats the liquid fuel inside the can and turns it into a gas. The gas increases the pressure which makes it exit the holes like they are jets and makes your stove more efficient. Another way to pre-heat it is to cut the bottom of a tuna can off and set your soda can stove on it. Put a few drops of fuel on the tuna can and light it...to me this seems to pre heat the stove better. The second purpose is more obvious in that the burning fuel on top lights all the holes. Even with the tuna can method, the flames will jump from the base and light the holes in your stove.

Denatured alcohol readily turns into a gas, which is important to get the best burn, it doesn't have any water (water not good for fire), which rubbing alcohol does and it burns clean so you won't get that black stuff on the bottom of your pot.

And as you seem to be having as much fun with this fire stuff as much as I do...be careful with the denatured alcohol...you might not even know it's burning unless you're in a dark room because the flame is damn near invisible. If you can't see any flame, don't hold your hand over your stove to check...

[Irving]

Thank you for that great information. I probably should have put that last experiment into the other thread. Maybe Marlin can move those posts over there. Head over to the other thread for a fuel related question.

[StagLefty]

*********************************************
try this
Get a metal coffee can
put a whole roll of toilet paper in it..(not unrolled)
soak with Isopropyl rubbing alcohol
light it
you can use the plastic coffee can lid to extinguish when done

We did this in Scouts for an emergency heater-pull out the cardboard insert. Be careful while it's burning-flame is just about invisible.

[Irving]

I completely missed out on Boy Scouts. Is there a Boy Scouts for adults? Well, besides enlisting I guess.

[Krasni]

From my boy scout days... simple 1,000 strike flint & steel with a zip lock bag of dryer lint (only takes about a fanned out quarter size of lint). Tender/Kindling as appropriate. I've had a bag of lint tucked in my go bag for years. It regularly burns homes down, highly flammable. (Lint, not MY lint)

May have already been mentioned, eyes crossed on page 3. ;)

[Ranger]

I take a lot of pride in my fire starting. I make batches of char cloth and keep some in every emergency bag I have, from there I use my Fire Stick and throw a spark on the the char cloth, bury it in pine needles or dead grass or whatever and work like a dog to get it going. Last resort, magnesium (only if very wet or very cold).

I also have a really cool fire piston that I use from time to time as well. Other tools: make my own wax/sawdust/egg carton firestarters, cotton balls in Vaseline, dryer lint, sawdust by itself, fire bow, heavy praying - whatever it takes!

Fire starting is an art for me, I really love trying every possible way to do it. Did the 9 volt plus steel wool a while ago, that was pretty impressive!

[StagLefty]

+1 on cotton and petroleum jelly-cheap and can carry a lot in a small container.

[Ranger]

+1 on cotton and petroleum jelly-cheap and can carry a lot in a small container.

Actually, aside from a fire bow, this is my least favorite method. It's great if you have a flame and want to keep it going for a while, but not so easy to simply drop a spark on it and have it go - the char cloth is the best method for me, then if it's wet out and I need a bit more staying power on that flame then the petroleum jelly cotton balls are a welcome sight.

[BigBear]

Firestarters?.. Let's see. Bob. Likes to use a good soaking in kerosene before lighting from his zippo... Oh wait, you mean we aren't talking about arsonists?... crap... Let me go lock my doors.

[StagLefty]

Actually, aside from a fire bow, this is my least favorite method. It's great if you have a flame and want to keep it going for a while, but not so easy to simply drop a spark on it and have it go - the char cloth is the best method for me, then if it's wet out and I need a bit more staying power on that flame then the petroleum jelly cotton balls are a welcome sight.

I have an ESEE fire kit that has a misch rod-just messing around the other day with it and 1 spark lighting with cotton/pj balls.I like them because once lit they give you a good enough burn time to get your tinder going and build from there.JMHO [Beer]

[Irving]

I didn't like the dryer lint because it didn't seem as flammable as the cotton balls. I guess I could try it again though.

[StagLefty]

Dryer lint was my preferred method until I started using cb/pj-with the cotton soaked with pj if you pull it apart so you have fibers sticking out it will light real easy. Dryer lint doesn't seem to have the fibers needed to me.Fibrosity
If Sara can make up words so can I.[ROFL1]

[Krasni]

I try to collect the lint from all cotton loads, if that helps. I will have to experiment with the cotton balls/vaseline.

[Irving]

Okay, so I was watching Man, Woman, Wild tonight and they started a fire with a 9 volt battery and steel wool in about the same amount of time as it would have taken with a lighter. Just the other day I found a fist sized wad of steel wool near my tool box.

So I got out an old 9 volt I knew I had and the steel wool. Using the battery, the steel wool, and some toilet paper, I just CAN NOT get a spark to catch the toilet paper. I tried for so long that the battery became very hot and I set it down so it wouldn't blow up in my face. I managed to char the toilet paper at one point, but no flames. Any tips?

[Irving]

I've given up on the Steel wool + 9 volt battery for now (made two honest attempts). I just lit the TP with a lighter to warm my hands and boost my spirits (that's what my survival book says!).

So I went outside and got my budding bug out bag. I broke a branch off the bush outside my front door, took a wooden dowel from a broken chair, and set to making a fire bow. I had a knife and some paracord in my BO bag. For the first attempt, I've done pretty well; after I got the hang of everything. I managed to get a lot of smoke and stink up our house, but no coal yet. I think the piece of wood I've been using is starting to rot because it is way dry and soft. I'm going to go get a piece of pine fire wood from outside and try again.

Trying all this fire stuff is great! Thanks for the idea to finally try the firebow Ranger!

[Irving]

Hey, I'd also like some input on carrying a couple of shotgun shells in your bug out bag for use as fuel for fires. The idea is that a shotgun shell is sealed, but plastic so you should be able to cut/pry it open with a knife and dump the powder out. Some .22lr would be a lot smaller and easier, but I don't plan on carrying pliers with me.

Anyway, I've never lit gun powder, so I wonder if it is way too volatile and would be a waste of time or what? Kind of like keeping some black cats in your BOB or something? Just an idea that I had. The other thing I was thinking, is that you still have to have a way to light the powder, so it might be redundant to have.

[StagLefty]

Okay, so I was watching Man, Woman, Wild tonight and they started a fire with a 9 volt battery and steel wool in about the same amount of time as it would have taken with a lighter. Just the other day I found a fist sized wad of steel wool near my tool box.

So I got out an old 9 volt I knew I had and the steel wool. Using the battery, the steel wool, and some toilet paper, I just CAN NOT get a spark to catch the toilet paper. I tried for so long that the battery became very hot and I set it down so it wouldn't blow up in my face. I managed to char the toilet paper at one point, but no flames. Any tips?

You need extra fine steel wool for this to work.

[Irving]

Thank you Stag. Sorry I didn't see your post earlier.


Ranger, I need your help. I'm on day three of failure at generating a coal with a fire bow and drill. When I first started, I was using a perfectly straight pressed wood dowel as the drill. Now, after two days of using stuff I found in the back yard, I can NOT keep the drill from popping out of place and flipping out of the bow. I'm even using the same hearth, same top piece, and same bow.

Yesterday, I was using a way too long and way too stiff bow, so I thought that was the problem. Tonight, I went back to the old bow and am still having trouble. The drills that I've been using are only about 8 inches long, while the first drill is closer to 18 inches. Is the drill too short? I'm having trouble figuring out what I'm doing wrong.

Oh yeah, I've been using good form, bracing my support wrist against my upright shin.

What am I doing wrong?


I also couldn't start a fire using a Light My Fire thing I bought. I could light toilet paper, but when I got some dry kindling from out back, I couldn't get it to stay lit. Starting a fire is hard work. I can't imagine how many calories I've burned trying this over the past few days.

[StagLefty]

I also couldn't start a fire using a Light My Fire thing I bought. I could light toilet paper, but when I got some dry kindling from out back, I couldn't get it to stay lit. Starting a fire is hard work. I can't imagine how many calories I've burned trying this over the past few days.

Your tinder setup is the most important part of using this method. Dry,fluffed out,exposing as much area as possible is vital. I use an ESEE fire kit with a GoingGear striker. The rod is misch metal which actually sends out globs of molten metal. It has a waterproof compartment that I keep cotton/petroleum jelly in. The whole prep thing takes time but will save frustration time in the actual fire lighting. We probably will never have to actually depend on this skill for survival but it's a skill that could save your life if needed. Good Luck [Beer]

[Ranger]

Ranger, I need your help. I'm on day three of failure at generating a coal with a fire bow and drill. When I first started, I was using a perfectly straight pressed wood dowel as the drill. Now, after two days of using stuff I found in the back yard, I can NOT keep the drill from popping out of place and flipping out of the bow. I'm even using the same hearth, same top piece, and same bow.


Fire bows are tricky to say the least! On your base board you need a couple of things, one is that you need to use your knife to cut a bit of an impression for your stick to fit into, then you need air, so I usually crack the base board so I can get air to the coal I'm generating. I also make a handle that has an impression in it for me to apply plenty of downward pressure without losing grip or chewing up my hand.

I'm doing some camping this weekend, maybe I'll do a set up and take some pics for you if I have time.

[Irving]

Thanks Ranger. I've got the proper cut in my hearth (base board). The problem I've been having the last few days is that my drill keeps popping out of the bow and off the hearth, no matter how many different kinds of top holds I try.

As far as I've gotten is lots of smoke and a pile of black dust that I couldn't quite get to form a coal. At that point I suspected that maybe it was the wood that was the problem. I think I've just got a lot more practice to do.

[steveopia]

I've mentioned it before, but I've had some road flares riding around in my trunk for over a year and have still never used one because I live in an apartment. I almost lit one Friday and just hung out on my porch with it, but I realize I don't know if the flares are water proof or not.

Anyone have any experience with a road flare? How can I put it out in a hurry if I need to? Cut it? Water? Mud? Dry leaves and a bird's nest?

LOL. In a hurry like if you light it on the porch of your apartment? Sorry man. I don't know much about them. I'd say light it on your neighbor's porch. Test all the extinguishing methods you mentioned and tell us which one works the best.

I just picked up one of these Swedish fire starters. It works great on some toilet paper in the bathroom . . .
http://www.wintercampers.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/models1.jpg

[Backinblackrifles]

I am in the process of moving and knew were My 0000 steel wool was and had a 9 volt in the dash I fluffed the 0000 touched the bat and blew on it I had a ball of white heat in My hand that was sustained for about 4 minutes very cool and easy. Great idea.

[Irving]

So I was able to finally test out my road flare the other night. I forgot to time how long it lasted, but I'd say that 30 minutes was about right. It was very easy to light. I didn't experiment with putting it out, as I used it to light my fire instead.

Also, tonight, I pulled out my magnesium fire started again and used it with cotton balls. It was so easy I was amazed. One swipe and the cotton was on fire. So now my little pack has my fire starter and a large pill bottle full of about 12 cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly. Pretty confident in my ability to at least get a semi steady flame with this set up. Now I just need to work on making reliable tinder without having a phone book handy to crumple up the pages.

[steveopia]

Now I just need to work on making reliable tinder without having a phone book handy to crumple up the pages.

Duh . . . just pack a phonebook or two. [Stooge]

[Irving]

Kind of late, but I was able to start a fire in an actual fire pit with only tinder I collected around the fire pit and the PJ & cotton balls + fire starter.