A No Nonsense Approach to Fire Starting in the Woods

No fire making going on here tonight, 8-10 inches of heavy wet snow with wind to blow it around and dropping temps to follow. 30 degrees today heading to 6 above overnight. Looks like winter will lock in for a while here in central MN. Having it come in late was fine with me.

I had some wood smoke time on Saturday, 35 lbs of boneless country style pork ribs (shredded later for pulled pork sandwiches) smoked on hickory, maple and apple wood for the guys at church...we watched the Vikes beat the Bears. Talk about a miracle during the Christmas season.
 
Thanks AIG, I always look forward to your vids. Laughed my butt off watching anal retentive dude.
 
PC87 said:
Thanks AIG, I always look forward to your vids. Laughed my butt off watching anal retentive dude.
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I felt like blowing off steam with that one. The Wet Fire video really sucked to make. The most recent one was really fun though so it is back to business.
 
I was definitely belly laughing at the Anal Retentive Woodsman episode. Very nicely done on that one, and the whole series is great so far.
 
averageiowaguy said:
I felt like blowing off steam with that one. The Wet Fire video really sucked to make. The most recent one was really fun though so it is back to business.
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Yea, that last vid looked pretty knarly to make. I could tell you were getting pissed.

That T.M. Hunt knife is a beast!
Looking forward to more fire vids, hey, just throw some more food fixins at the end of the fire building if time permits. My wife asked me the other day, "Has that Iowa dude posted anymore good recipes we can make out there yet".
 
Great series of vids. I caught the wet one in another sub-forum, and I'm glad I found this thread. Fantastic timing and use of the laugh track, if the surgery stuff doesn't work out, maybe there's a BBC comedy that needs some editing help. :) Excellent and entertaining!

Erik
 
FreebornErik said:
Great series of vids. I caught the wet one in another sub-forum, and I'm glad I found this thread. Fantastic timing and use of the laugh track, if the surgery stuff doesn't work out, maybe there's a BBC comedy that needs some editing help. :) Excellent and entertaining!

Erik
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The Anal Retentive video was crafted as a joke but also to make people think. Am I spending too much time commenting on what other people are doing wrong and not enough time doing stuff myself? I watched the movie 'The King of Comedy' a few weeks ago and I also saw a rerun of SNL with the Anal Retentive Carpenter. That is where the idea came from. It is sad, but a lot of people sit in their mom's basement and nitpick/troll the crap out of other people. Rupert Pupkin meets the Anal Retentive Carpenter.
 
averageiowaguy said:
Mashing up the kindling is a GREAT idea. How did you do that? I might steal it.
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Thanks. I took fatwood and twig kindling then smashed it with the back of my hatchet on a frozen stump. I was experimenting with a way to expedite the process in the cold. I was also disappointed previously when using materials half covered in ice. It would have made the world of difference if I had brought my hatchet. Much of the ice would have been shattered off, and the materials inner dry core would have been exposed. I make mistakes but try to learn from them. Good old P.P.P.P.P.P. I suppose. I have no trouble making a medium to large fire in the snow but maintaining that tiny stove was diffcult as I tried to be lazy and let the coals dry off the fresh material ice. The stove fire (Emberlit)was too small to both maintain itself and melt\dry the incoming material. I find that at times I don't have the time or finger dexterity due to the cold, to make a more refined approach like slicing wood slivers. I'm just experimenting, slowly learning, and trying to see which approach is applicable to my region.
 
I thought this was going to be about using a flint and steel . . . which takes some skill. I used to show up at "Rendez-Vous" -- reenactment of 19th century fur traders, mountain men. Takes a flint, steel, and a charcloth. Charcloth is 100% cotton or linen, bedsheets and woven shirts, old jeans work well for this. You put the cloth in a tightly sealed metal container with a small hole in the lid. The hole allows smoke to escape without letting air into the container and having the cloth burst into flame. Set the container at the edge of fire, watch the smoke coming out of the vent hole. When the smoke slows down, stops, plug the hole and remove the container from the fire.

Charcloth will catch a spark from the flint/steel. Blow on the ember until it grows larger, then place under some tinder and coax a flame by more skilled blowing.

When the tinder bursts into flame, then it's a matter of adding fuel until you can get kindling to catch fire.

I used to carry flint, steel, charcloth in a 35mm film tin (100 ft. bulk film). Fire starting with flint/steel was a little production I'd demonstrate for Boy Scouts, kayak expeditions, Rendez-Vous.

Here's a video -- [video=youtube;siXQRFsjxMY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siXQRFsjxMY[/video]
 
I thought this was going to be about using a flint and steel . . . which takes some skill. I used to show up at "Rendez-Vous" -- reenactment of 19th century fur traders, mountain men. Takes a flint, steel, and a charcloth. Charcloth is 100% cotton or linen, bedsheets and woven shirts, old jeans work well for this. You put the cloth in a tightly sealed metal container with a small hole in the lid. The hole allows smoke to escape without letting air into the container and having the cloth burst into flame. Set the container at the edge of fire, watch the smoke coming out of the vent hole. When the smoke slows down, stops, plug the hole and remove the container from the fire.

Charcloth will catch a spark from the flint/steel. Blow on the ember until it grows larger, then place under some tinder and coax a flame by more skilled blowing.

When the tinder bursts into flame, then it's a matter of adding fuel until you can get kindling to catch fire.

I used to carry flint, steel, charcloth in a 35mm film tin (100 ft. bulk film). Fire starting with flint/steel was a little production I'd demonstrate for Boy Scouts, kayak expeditions, Rendez-Vous.

Here's a video -- [video=youtube;siXQRFsjxMY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siXQRFsjxMY[/video]
 
Some of those guys amaze me. I haven't gotten to the point with flint and steel where I would be comfortable with it as my primary ignition source. Kudos to anyone who has!
 
Upnorth
As has been said in a prior post, twisting and wrenching plant matter in your hands is a great way to expose fibers for lighting and it`s what i was taught. BUT your hatchet method and smashing has merit...you are on to a good alternative there,keep experimenting with it. I would only caution that smashing fibers into a cold and or wet surface may defeat the end goal and get your tinder wetter than necessary.My thought was to get a piece of waxed canvas, or heavy denim or similar material,that can be put down as a prep area or over a wet/snow covered stump and used to smash on and keep your tinder dry and catch all the little off fall bits. maybe big enough to also be used as a sitting mat to cover a wet tree or stump while you enjoy your fire,but small enough to fold up and stowe easily.
Food for thought and experiments.
 
SERE 9601 said:
Upnorth
As has been said in a prior post, twisting and wrenching plant matter in your hands is a great way to expose fibers for lighting and it`s what i was taught. BUT your hatchet method and smashing has merit...you are on to a good alternative there,keep experimenting with it. I would only caution that smashing fibers into a cold and or wet surface may defeat the end goal and get your tinder wetter than necessary.My thought was to get a piece of waxed canvas, or heavy denim or similar material,that can be put down as a prep area or over a wet/snow covered stump and used to smash on and keep your tinder dry and catch all the little off fall bits. maybe big enough to also be used as a sitting mat to cover a wet tree or stump while you enjoy your fire,but small enough to fold up and stowe easily.
Food for thought and experiments.
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Yes, good tips. I learn a lot from you guys, thanks.
 
SubaruSTi said:
What type of wood did you use in the wet video?
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I made 2 wet wood videos. The one that I soaked in water overnight was a tree from my yard. I'd love for a tree expert to identify that one. The damp wood fire was made with locally available standing dead wood. And by locally, I mean within 50 feet of my makeshift campsite.
 
I also learnt how to build and light fires from the Scouts
As we were learning we had to build the fire first, with all the wood stacked neatly in preperation

Then we were allowed to light it
Bless them they were right
90% goes in the prep for lighting a fire

And of course the honour code of two matches
 
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