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Author Topic: Building a fire properly
richard w
Member
Posts: 14
From: London, England
Registered: Oct 2000
posted 01-15-2001 08:41 AM
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I need help from you guys! I can start a fire OK using my Ferrocerium rod and tinder, be it kitchen towel or cotton wool balls impreganted with vaseline.
However what I need to do is burn as much of the wood I am pruning, from a large overgrown area of land, as possible. I have cut down and graded the wood into different thicknesses, but whatever I do the fire goes out after about 4-5 minutes.
The wood I am burning is all damp/ wet following out wettest autumn/winter for many years.
What is the best construction? Tepee, log cabin type or anything else. I really do need some help on this as the wood pile is growing considerably and I am fed up with trying to light fire after fire.
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Greg Davenport
BFC Moderator
Posts: 644
From: Washington State
Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-15-2001 10:29 AM
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I don't get to hung up on fire lays.... Is the wood green? Or just wet?
What I would do is build a big fire using dry seasoned wood... I'd lay all of my wood that is wet around the fire, letting it dry...before placing it on the flames.
Other options are to suspend the wood above the fire so that it dries before placing it on the fire....
If the wood is green... it will burn but you'll need a very hot bed of coals and flame before it will.
Some will advocate a teepee fire so that you can lean the wood over the flames.... We'll that is fine if you only have a small amount of wood and only want a small fire...
So... my advice...
1. build a huge Davenport crap lay.
2. Place wet wood around and over the fire
3. Once dry add to the flames
4. Rotate more wet wood to around and over the flame.
5. Roast the marshmellows until golden brown.
Good luck
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Greg Davenport
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matthew rapaport
Member
Posts: 201
From: Petaluma, CA, USA
Registered: Jun 1999
posted 01-15-2001 11:20 PM
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Why don't you just pile it all up and splash on some gasoline? The trick will be having some way to control the burn. Needless to say, choose a non windy day...
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Greg Davenport
BFC Moderator
Posts: 644
From: Washington State
Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-16-2001 03:53 AM
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Matthew....
I would advise against using gas... for several reasons...
1. It won't work. You will have an immediate large flame that will quickly singe the hair in your nose and just as quickly die down (especially using the wood described here).
2. It is dangerous. Human instinct is to add more gas when the flames die off (which they will). I treat many people every year that do just that. Often the flame travels up the fuel source and into the container. burning the individual. another problem described in #1 is that when you light it... there is a quick fire ball which will burn your face, arms, etc. These burns are very painful
So my advice... use good techniques... forget using gas.
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Greg Davenport
Simply Survival's Wilderness Survival Forum
Simply Survival's Web Page
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?
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budman
Member
Posts: 165
From: north pole ak
Registered: Dec 98
posted 01-16-2001 10:33 AM
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Try using diesel fuel, it won't flare up and has worked well on my spring brush cuttings
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Sgt.D
Member
Posts: 93
From: Karlskrona,Sweden
Registered: Nov 2000
posted 01-16-2001 12:51 PM
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I've lit fire in the middle of rain and night. The secret is to get a hot core-fire with some dry wood or a lot of small dry branches of spruce, it will burn hot and fast. First you can use a tipi style fire. Build a tipi of the wet wood with enough room for the core-fire in the midddle. You must be able to feed the core-fire with dry wood in the beginning. Then, when the wet wood dries out it will catch fire. At that point you should have added another layer of wet wood on the tipi, so that the flames,and fumes from the fire can start to dry another wet layer. Just dont put the wood to tight, the fire will need air to burn. When the fire burns without dry wood you can just add new layers of wet wood and it will burn until you're out of wood.
Good luck
Daniel
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TLM
Member
Posts: 16
From: Helsinki, Finland
Registered: Jan 2000
posted 01-16-2001 02:36 PM
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Several years ago a happened to learn that napalm and TNT are both very good helpers in lighting a fire. Napalm is not very difficult to get but TNT might cause some trouble. Both work well also in cold conditions.
TLM
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Matt Shade
Member
Posts: 1178
From: Hilliard, Oh, U.S.
Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-16-2001 06:23 PM
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Rather than seperating the brush by size, keep it seperated by the age( how long its been since you cut it) take a good sized pile ( maybe 4-6ft in diamter and 2-4 ft tall) thats been cut for a few days and dump a generous amount of used motor oil on the top. Wait a few minutes for it to run down through the pile. Then light it with a propane torch. That will get it started easily and give you a good hot fire to start with.
The trick to keeping it going is not to try and just light a big pile. Get your small to medium pile going good then keep adding to it from your big pile. Just toss it on anyway you can and let the middle burn out, then using a pitch fork throw the ends back in. Once thats burned down some, but while its still burning HOT, add some more from your big pile. Careful how much you add, throwing on to much green stuff with lots of damp leaves will smother your fire.
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I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer... but I've got the sharpest knife in the room.
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Bagheera
Member
Posts: 500
From: Overasselt, Netherlands, Europe
Registered: Oct 98
posted 01-17-2001 06:24 AM
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Hi richard,
One completely different approach, if there's an Scouting club near by where you live, give them a call and ask them if they need firewood. It could well be they love to take the stuff out of your backyard jungle .
When we get offered firewood we jump to it as we use that for our campfires outside our clubhouse and don't need to buy firewood.
We even sometimes cut down big trees in peoples backyard gardens for free (or a small scouting fee ) and take all wood.
Best scouting wishes from Holland,
Bagheera
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[This message has been edited by Bagheera (edited 01-17-2001).]
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All times are ET (US)
here you go.
best regards
Daniel
