3MIL, One Handed Firestarting...in the rain...using a nanostriker...

[Mistwalker]

Went for a hike today. I thought I was going to get rained out at first but then it only stormed for about an hour and then broke off. The woods were wet, and the lighting was a little dim but I still got some decent shots.

The Queen Ann's Lace, or Wild Carrots, is up again.

The Blackberries are coming along.

These look like wild raspberries but I'm not sure.

This looks a bit like jewel weed...but I'm really not that familiar with it...

Virginia Creeper and berries

I have no idea what this is...

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[Mistwalker]

I managed to disturb this Turkey Vulture's meal and send him seeking shelter in a tree....not like I was hungry enough to take his dinner though.

About forty-five minutes into the hike I decided to experiment. I wanted to see if I could start a fire with this

and one of these, (by the way I just noticed the titanium model has a different texture). BUT doing it one handed.

I thought this scenario through when I first got the nano. I have the gun metal nano set up just for it. I keep a couple of split rings, which can be multi-purpose themselves, on one end of it so I can put it on my key chain or put a lanyard through to wear around my neck. I just put the ring on a broken branch or whatever is handy and twist.

and then just turn it around and do the same thing with the other end using the lanyard on the striker.

Then just invert the the ferro rod collar and thread it back onto the tube.

I had already spotted my tinder

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[Mistwalker]

Now all I needed was a dry base...which was provided by a near by tree.

I just laid the bark at the base of that fatwood limb and started cutting and scraping.

Then I started chopping off larger pieces. At this point I was sort of wishing I had brought a larger knife, and for just a second considered walking the 300 meters or so back to the truck to get the A1 I knew was behind the seat. BUT, then it it became a challenge for both me and the 3MIL so I just went with it. I managed to do what I set out to do and developed more respect for the RC3 in the process of chopping and prying off larger pieces. It would have been a breeze to do using both hands...I would have just batonned off several larger pieces. As it was...I did a lot of "hacking"

Then gathered the driest fuel I could find, and a "prop-stick"

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[Mistwalker]

Then laid the knife over the stick as usual and sparked the rod into the tinder pile using the edge of the knife the same way I always do. Soon fire was achieved

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[mechtec]

That was great, pretty clever. Great pics, I could see that as being very usefull.

 

[adaman04]

Great post, Mist. I always enjoy your firestarting threads.

 

[TheGame]

That will give some new appreciation to just how well you can do with only a small knife. One handed, no less. Still not going to get me in the woods without a chopper though

 

[matthewdanger]

I have tried this a few times since you have been posting these one handed fire starting threads. It isn't easy, but it is doable. Thanks for pushing me to try.

 

[T. Erdelyi]

I have the same fire starter, I'll have to try that out, great pics.

 

[DH1]

Great post, thanks.

Those Nanostrikers look really cool the more I see them...

 

[Minnesota]

Do those nanostikers throw sparks like a light-my-fire?

 

[Skeet]

Very nice writeup, great pics. Gonna have to try this soon.

 

[eloreno]

Another most excellent post mistwalker :thumbup::thumbup:

 

[kage]

As always, excellent post Mistwalker. I haven't practiced one hand fire starting in a while. I guess I have something to do next weekend!

 

[52100]

Great photos Mistwalker, and a great idea to test yourself like that. Great job.

 

[Jake Bauer]

as usual, great stuff mist.

 

[Mistwalker]

That was great, pretty clever. Great pics, I could see that as being very usefull.

Thanks man, glad you liked it. Statistically speaking hand injuries rank pretty high among wilderness injuries.

Great post, Mist. I always enjoy your firestarting threads.

Thanks Adam, glad you enjoy the posts.

That will give some new appreciation to just how well you can do with only a small knife. One handed, no less. Still not going to get me in the woods without a chopper though

Lol, I still don't head out without something heavier. There was an RC-4 and a Fallkniven A-1 a few hundred meters away. I just got out of the truck and worked my way through the woods farther than I meant to. I had started out just going to snap a particular photo then grab my gear.. and then I just kept wandering for a few. When I started that I just decided to see if I could do it with the 3MIL if needs be. I learned two things...the 3MIL is definitely serviceable, and to make sure I grab my gear before I go wandering. It's nice knowing I can do it with the 3MIL...if I were really injured I'd really want to get that over with a little quicker.

I have tried this a few times since you have been posting these one handed fire starting threads. It isn't easy, but it is doable. Thanks for pushing me to try.

How easy it is depends on the tinder used. Besides fatwood dry seed pod tinders like thistle combined with dry leaves works really well, as does really fine dry bamboo shavings as far as natural tinders go. You can do it with Wet-Fire and trioxane too.

I have the same fire starter, I'll have to try that out, great pics.

Thank you. Yeah, give it a shot.

Great post, thanks.

Those Nanostrikers look really cool the more I see them...

Thanks man, glad you liked it.

I've liked the nano since I first time I saw it.

Do those nanostikers throw sparks like a light-my-fire?

The nanostriker throws great sparks but it isn't like a light my fire. It's a mischmetal rod. Maybe the misch works out better for the threading.

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[Mistwalker]

Very nice writeup, great pics. Gonna have to try this soon.

Thank you, glad you liked it. It be be a handy trick to know.

Another most excellent post mistwalker :thumbup::thumbup:

Thanks, glad you enjoy them.

As always, excellent post Mistwalker. I haven't practiced one hand fire starting in a while. I guess I have something to do next weekend!

Thanks man, glad you like the threads.

It good to practice different things sometimes.

Great photos Mistwalker, and a great idea to test yourself like that. Great job.

Thanks man, glad you liked the pics.

as usual, great stuff mist.

Thanks man, I'm glad you enjoyed it.


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[Doc13]

Thank you for sharing your fire starting knowledge, great pics too:thumbup:

 

[Mistwalker]

Thank you for sharing your fire starting knowledge, great pics too:thumbup:

Thanks Doc, glad you enjoyed the photos.