Batoning large pieces of wood is not necessary...

R.A.T.

R.A.T.

Randall's Adventure & Training
Joined
Feb 4, 2004
Messages
10,400
to start a fire in the southeastern woods.

I went out today with an Izula that had been returned, a proto of the ESEE folder and an Izula fire flint. Within 200 yards of my house I had gathered everything necessary to make fire. The only batoning I did was on a piece of fatwood that was less than wrist-size. As you can see in the photos, there is plenty of deadwood, both standing and on the ground to fuel a fire. This can easily be broken up by snapping it between two trees or in the fork of a tree, no cutting or batoning required. :rolleyes: Point is, anyone that batons large stuff to build fires is most likley bored and just enjoys doing it, because it is absolutley not necessary!

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Horseweed Top goes up like a Roman Candle with a fire flint. This stuff is everywhere.:

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This is the extent of my "batoning":

fire101-4.jpg


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Plenty of Deadwood

fire101-6.jpg


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Check out this tinder that I found:

fire101-8.jpg
 
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You hit the nail on the head with that one Jeff. I can travel 50-75 yards out the back door and find the stuff I need, no batoning. Batoning is good to know, and I have done it alot at campgrounds where firewood was scarce because it was in a state park where I couldn't touch the "woods around me" -- but just in the normal everyday woods here in Tennessee it is sooo not necessary to use the technique to get by.
 
Great job.
Batoning the larger pieces use more calories which is the opposite of what you want to do in a survival situation.
 
All I read was "blah, blah, blah, ESEE-3 folder"... ;)

Actually, I was stoked to see some recent pictures of you demonstrating some skills.

Very cool.

Thanks, Jeff! :thumbup:
 
And how. :thumbup::thumbup:

I thought I was just 'oldschool' or something because I've never batoned wood to make a fire...I don't see what all the fuss is about. :o
 
Hell, Joe, these are not "skills", these are just common sense things.
 
I have been an outdoorsman since I was a kid. I was fortunate enough to grow up right on the river. My parents were into the outdoors also. When I was about 8 my parents started teaching me to build fires without matches or lighters. As I got older and a little better at it we would take little picnics if you want to call them that. We would head down to the river with some hotdogs and buns. Myself and my older brother had to make our own fires without matches or lighters to cook our dogs. Back then we used the fire steel type things to do it. That has been about 26 years ago now. I have practiced all kinds of fire making but have never really had a need for batoning wood yet. It seems like I always have a hatchet with me when I am out.


mlrs
 
I prefer to baton wood for a fire and will continue to do so. Logs split at least once always burn better than logs not split at all in my experience.
 
great post, jeff. it's nice to see people put their money where their mouth is.

on a related note, why in the world was that izula returned? looks like it may have a bit of a dull tip, but the knife looks (and obviously works) perfectly fine. just curious.
 
R.A.T. said:
blah, blah, blah translates to "folder that may never get made"
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What a shame that would be...the more I see it the more I like it. In fact, it looks like something I might design for myself as an everyday folder. I really hope Rowen is able to manufacture these.


As for the batoning thing...just don't be stupid with your tools. I think that most of us have a pretty good idea of what our knives can, and reasonably should, be expected to handle.
 
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Tip was slightly depressed. can't remember why. He's a forum member here and we talked about this and I told him to return it. It's now MY izula since I could care less about the tip. It will sharpen out eventually.
 
guntram said:
great post, jeff. it's nice to see people put their money where their mouth is.
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Main reason I got out is because I have to get back in shape and this is the first warm day we have had in a while. About 8 weeks ago I got pneumonia. Like the dumbass I am I refused to go to the doctor and it finally went into full bilateral pneumonia, then spread to my heart and caused pericarditis. You can bet I was begging to go to the doc by then. Anyway, to make a long story short it has taken me a long time to get over this. My wind is gone. I can hardly walk 300 yards without being totally out of breath. So, I'm starting to ease back into things and the doc does not want me outside sucking up cold air.
 
Good post, nice pics. Now I know the knifes can handle it in a pinch, $100 + for a knife, I'm gonna do everything I can to avoid from beating the hell out of it... uh for fun.
 
And here I thought that giant rant I went on was going to piss off the whole community. To be honest, I really didn't expect anyone was going to agree :D

Awesome post, Jeff!
 
glad your feeling better i hope the weather holds and you can work on getting your wind back. at yours and my age it slips away fast and takes longer to get it back.

take it easy
cricket
 
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