A Question Of Firestarting Priorities

T

Tuxdad

Joined
Feb 15, 2008
Messages
423
Howdy All,

Which would you use first ??

Was reading a thread on another forum about what 2 tools you'd choose in the bush, and it got me to thinking..

Now we all know the old standby of "2 is one, and one is none", right ??

Ok, here's the scenario..

You're out in the bush, and you need to get a fire going.. Now let's suppose this is during a SHTF type situation(sorry forgot to mention non-emergency, just basic survival)....

You've got your kit with a flint and steel, a ferro rod, and a lighter, along with the ability to do fire by friction..

My question is which would you use ?? Would you take the easy way out and go with your lighter, or would you save the easier options as your last resort and go with the friction fire or flint and steel ??

Myself I'd go with attempting my friction fire first and save the others for more pressing times.. At the same time I'd be keeping my skill up to snuff .. Plus you could make more char material for later fires if the need arised..

Look forward to hearing your thoughts on this !!

Tux
 
Last edited:
It would really depend on how badly I needed that fire, if I was confidant that I could get fire from the ferro rod, I'd save the lighter, if I was confidant that I would have success with the flint and steel, I'd use that, and if I had time, and felt that friction would bring success, I would start with that route (the char dust would help any other attempts) however during a real situation, I'd be very hesitant to use a high calorie burning method if I didn't need to and food was scarce.
 
I would probably grab the lighter first. It's not like it's gone after one use and if I'm just ending up in the wilderness, I have priorities besides firebuilding that desperately need to be attended to. It's no use wasting my energy and time right off the bat on starting a fire. Once I've secured some food and shelter, I'd turn my attention to less easy methods. Ferro rod would be next since it can light a vast number of fires and is easier than flint and steel. The use of flint and steel would require that I have charcloth or other effective tinder around. If that wasn't the case and I'd lost the lighter (even without fuel, it has a ferro sparker to use) and ferro rod, I'd resort to friction fire.

That said, picking up appropriate materials for friction fire even early on would be prudent so they could dry and be easy to use when needed. If I was better at friction fire, it might move ahead of flint and steel on my list, but I am not.
 
If I was not under pressure to produce a fire ASAP, and the conditions allowed it, I would opt for a more difficult method at first. Within your scenario, I would have the greatest amount of energy at the beginning of the situation, with less later on. I would probably not choose friction thou. Fresnal or firesteel would be early choices for me. I would save the lighter, or the matches I carry, for more pressing times. In a stationary situation, the need to create fire is pretty low compared to maintaining one. My wife and I have kept one fire going for 25 days with little effort - even thru violent storms. If you are moving on a daily basis, then starting one becomes more important. The bottom line is - it all depends on the situation and you should know how to start fires multiple ways.
 
I don't think you stop to consider the pros and cons of which to use. I would think the lighter is your primary source and the others secondary sources.

If you need a fire, you build the fire with the primary source. That is the quickest method.

If you have time to ponder about which would be best then I don't think it is really that much of a SHTF situation.
 
Depending on how it is used, the common Bic lighter can give up to 3,000 lights. Why would I save it?

As to the adage "2 is one, and one is none", I don't subscribe to that philosophy. It might apply to people who depend solely on manufactured items (knives, lighters, firestarters, flashlights), but becomes less and less important and finally void when a person takes the time to develop skills. Ask yourself, what would an aborigine do if his lighter failed or was lost? If his knfe was lost or broken? If he needed light and had no flashlight?

I suppose it is just a matter of perspective. The best excuse I can see to use primitive means to light a fire when a lighter is handy, is not to conserve the lighter, but to practice and perfect other skills.
 
If I had all this and it permitted i would use the lighter, yes easy way out, less input, less energy expended, more time for next issue.
 
I'd go with the lighter - do it the easiest way I have available on hand. Maybe the emergency will be over or I'll be rescued or whatever before I need to muck around with the other options.

However, if I had something like 4 PJCBs then I'd conserve those if I could, but use one if I needed to. I figure a lighter should be good for dozens of fire lightings, but obviously 4 PJCBs would only be good for getting a fire started 4 times. If I could find some dry paper or cardboard rubbish to use to get the fire started then I'll save the cotton balls for when I need 'em.
 
Easiest way first, my thinking being I'll be well out of a SHTF scenario before my lighter runs out and my ferro rod is shaved down to nothing.

I appreciate the value of friction fire but it would be a last ditch use for me. Think of it this way, how long will it take you to start a friction fire? Could that time be better used to gather food, water, fuel, supplies, sleeping or conserving energy or maybe just simply covering ground towards safety/away from danger?
 
RoyalM said:
Easiest way first, my thinking being I'll be well out of a SHTF scenario before my lighter runs out and my ferro rod is shaved down to nothing.

I appreciate the value of friction fire but it would be a last ditch use for me. Think of it this way, how long will it take you to start a friction fire? Could that time be better used to gather food, water, fuel, supplies, sleeping or conserving energy or maybe just simply covering ground towards safety/away from danger?
Click to expand...

I have to ask, why the easy way first to you folks ?? Why not save the easy, surefire way for when you needed it the most ?? Rather then struggling with a possibly rusty skill just because .. At some point that lighter with run outta fuel and sparking ability..

Remember, you're on your own hook now, TS HAS HTF.. You're just not in any danger from it, where you are(yet) other then being maybe a little chillyor hungry because you maybe can't cook up a meal or the game you might've caught:D.. Why not save the easy stuff for when you have no other option, and work on perfecting the other skills ??

Thanks again,

Tux
 
Tuxdad said:
Why not save the easy stuff for when you have no other option, and work on perfecting the other skills ??
Click to expand...

Why not save the hard stuff for when you have no other option? When TSHTF you aren't looking for ways to make things harder! If you want to practice your other skills so that you can start a friction fire if you have to then do so - now! When you go car camping is a good time to try that stuff, not when you are in an emergency situation and your time & energy could/should be put to better use.
 
It would depend on how quickly I needed the fire. If it was a life/death situation coping with hypothermia or freezing conditions, then I go for the lighter every time. Fastest fire is best when the life is on the line.

If I was just making a fire for comfort and companionship, cooking, water purification (things aren't an INSTANT need) then I'd use the more primitive ways to practice and improve my skills. Practice makes perfect.
 
As much as I love friction fire, I'd be using that lighter first. In the OP, the situation was that you need fire. So go with a sure bet. Who knows, you might find another bic lighter in the future...

However, I would use the lighter sparringly. I.e. I would use good fire technique as though I was starting with a flint and steel and begin with a good tinderbasket or some fine birch bark to start the fire. No reason to be one of those dumbassess who try to start medium sticks on fire by holding the lighter under it as long as they can possibly hold the thing.

I would also pay much more attention to tinder sources and ensure I'm collecting adequate quantities for 2 or 3 fires as I came across it. Also consider natural tinder sources that can be converted into charcloth e.g. cattail fluff, milkweed/thistle seeds etc.
 
Time and energy are precious comodities even in good times but during a survival situation, my mantra is "use as little energy as possible to get the job done" (i.e. work smart not hard). Since a lighter can start hundreds or perhaps thousands of fires, it makes sense to use it on day 1. A key component of fire by friction is obtaining optimal components. This takes time and energy. Gathering and optomizing components can take hours; the energy cost is not small to attempt fire by friction and it's not guaranteed to work. I think it is better to use your lighter to get a fire going on day one to save time and energy... both of which you can devote to other pressing problems (food, water, shelter, etc.)... and fire is frequently part of the solution to the problems associated with food (need to cook it), water (need to make it safe to drink), and shelter (help you stay warm and discourage wild creatures at night) in addition to light at night... Once you have taken care of the pressing problems, you can work on the details of fire by friction at your leisure... and if the SHTF only lasts a short time, the lighter may just get you all the way through it...

...and, depending on the circumstances, if you are really proficient with managing your fire, you might only need to use your lighter (or any method) once! ;)
 
Depends on the situation. If I survived a plane crash and landed in Alaska somewhere and I was cool but not freezing then I'd use the ferro rod and save the lighter as a fire would not be urgent and I'd be unsure exactly how long I'd be forced to survive for thus might need the lighter at a later date.
If I'd fallen through ice in Alaska and was soaked through then obviously I'd use the lighter as my life would depend on getting warm asap !
 
does someone get voted off the island if we're slow to get the fire lit? :rolleyes:

is there any emergent need for a fire? i.e.: cooking, water purification, signaling or hypothermia?

is the lighter a POS, or is it something rugged enough to not worry about and does it have fuel i've found plenty of half dead lighters, Zippos will dry out if not topped off periodically and should have spare flints stored inside.

is there suitable tinder to use any method?

this shouldn't be a big issue IF you've practiced various alternative methods. i've gotta admit that i haven't done fire by friction recently, so when i found a sotol plant with a broken stalk nearby i went back a few days late and harvested it. it's sitting on the back porch for me to play with soon.

i've got a handful of firesteels sitting here on my desk. again, more stuff to play with.
 
Pit Dog,
A Bic Lighter has 100s of lights. I love ferro rods too but other than playing, practicing or surviving for real I am using the fastest method. If you make a nice tinder bundle etc it takes only a flick and a moment of butane; after that embers keep a fire lit for days weeks etc.
I bet if you had a full sized Bic and only used it to light a well prepared fire you could probably do it daily for over a year.

By the way thanks for all the post and pics; I love the dogs swimming together in one of the recent posts!
Billy
 
the only firestarting tool i have used that has started a fire in every condition(short of hurricanes,tornados,or tsunamis:p) is a firesteel.second to that is a zippo,for me atleast. matches and bics blow out with the thought of breathing towards them. fire by friction is definately a good weather option. i use my tools though,im all for saving resources but at 12000 strikes per steel and usually just a couple strikes for a fire, im using the damn thing, especially since you usually just tend to keep the same fire going instead of start a new one every day.just my .02
 
Outside of immediate need (temps are dropping, your wet/cold, night time is fast approaching, you need potabe water immediately), I would probably use my firesteel. Chances are, I would use the Bic first to get the first fire going and allow me the opportunity to conserve time and take care of shelter, water, food, etc. Additionally, as a mental success, the faster you get a good fire going, you're bound to me much more positive and motivated to care for the other needs.

What I like about the firesteel is that it forces you to prepare for your fire...various twig/stick sizes and appropriate tinder. After wood is collected, I wouldn't waste more than 5-10 minutes with flint or firesteel...after that the Bic comes out.

Once your other basic essentials are taken care of you can practice with the more primative means. I do like the firesteel as it is probably the most robust fire starting tool; however, I would keep (and I do) the Bic in a small waterproof bag on my person for those true emergencies or when time is a critical factor.

ROCK6
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top