Fire

[usmcveteran]

I have been inspired by Gunner57 to start 3 new threads!

They are about the main basics you need to survive (not including food).

So with fire lets discuss kits, basics on building fires, special considerations such as wet wood or building fire in rain, ect.

[RayKnobs]

9 volt and steel wool

[dwa12479]

9 volt and steel wool

Have plenty of both on hand. The kids love starting fires that way.

[dwa12479]

When I start fires I've always built a small jenga tower from kindling with a teepee of larger wood over the top. It seems to allow the kindling to catch and build heat, and then slowly spreads to the larger portion.

[usmcveteran]

Thought this was interesting way to make a fire that you can easily cook with a pot on and requires minimal tools.

[phritz]

I've been doing upside down fires for the last few years.
As far as kit, I've carried ferro rods, lighters, flint & steel, glycerin & potassium permanganate, matches of all sorts, countless tinders.
My go to is usually ferro rod, jute twine, and birch bark- always in my kit along with pine resin.

[Meketrefe]

That is the same idea as a rocket stove but with the wood. you can use it also with a split log. what he is not showing is the way to make fire if you do not have
a lighter or flint. Ideally you want several sources of fire but if you have to make it from nothing is is very hard.

[24Pink14Stink]

I carry a gobspark from firesteel.com. I have probably 3 or 4 of them. I carry it with dryer lint and hand sanatizer.

I've also made it with bowdrill using dried willow.

Oh, and there's always a lighter or 2 laying around.

[camper4lyfe]

I really like hand sanitizer. I haven't tired it in winter weather though (nor have I tried a way to light it other than with a lighter...man I'm slacking), but the camping I do these days it works great. It burns hot and for a fair amount of time, AND it's dual purpose.

I used to carry dryer lint, but I can't use mine anymore because of the kid's pajamas running through it. The material has a fire retardant in it that defeats the purpose. But if you can get some, it works quite well with a set of flint and steel.

A tip with the flint and steel, hold the steel just above the tinder that you want to light, and pull the flint AWAY from the tinder. I see a lot of people try to strike toward the tinder, and you end up bashing your knuckles and destroying your tinder pile that way.

[24Pink14Stink]

Another tip... if you have a knife with a carbon steel blade, grind/sand/file off any protective coating along the spine so you can use the knife to strike your firesteel.

[MDC]

Everclear. Super flammable... get hammered and start a fire!

[usmcveteran]

Potato Chips are also pretty flammable

[24Pink14Stink]

Potato Chips are also pretty flammable

I saw les stroud use a corn chip as a fire extender.

[Gunner57]

Decent video here on lighting tenders with spark...

http://www.survivalnewsonline.com/in...veryday-carry/

[usmcveteran]

Found this video on bow drills