Found this interesting. Similar to the FIREBUG mentioned above.
http://primitiveways.com/waterproof_fire_starter.html
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Found this interesting. Similar to the FIREBUG mentioned above.
http://primitiveways.com/waterproof_fire_starter.html
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuart
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.
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Originally Posted by Stuart
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
That just sounds like trouble (fun).
It actually work well.........
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuart
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...
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.
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by henpecked
I completely missed out on Boy Scouts. Is there a Boy Scouts for adults? Well, besides enlisting I guess.
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. ;)
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!
+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.Quote:
Originally Posted by StagLefty
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.
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]Quote:
Originally Posted by Ranger
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.
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]
I try to collect the lint from all cotton loads, if that helps. I will have to experiment with the cotton balls/vaseline.
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?
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!
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.
You need extra fine steel wool for this to work.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuart
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.
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]Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuart
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuart
I'm doing some camping this weekend, maybe I'll do a set up and take some pics for you if I have time.
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.
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuart
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-cont...07/models1.jpg
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.
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.
Duh . . . just pack a phonebook or two. [Stooge]Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuart
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.