- Joined
- Feb 19, 2006
- Messages
- 14,591
Sorry no pics, couldn't find the camera as I went out the door. My daughter and I have been reading "Little House on the Prairie". (She will be celebrating her 9th B-day at Fogos with us.) She gets a big kick out of playing at this stuff, so I suggested we go out and play "Pioneers". Good excuse for Daddy to enjoy his toys, the FBM and a Howler LM. Weather was ~30F, some fresh snow over crunchy old stuff. We went down into a ravine near us, and I planned on making a fire.
Well, I could not get a fire going at all.
Now, I will admit I have about zero woodcraft skills, never was in Scouts, little camping to speak of; but I have read more than a few threads on the subject, and it is clear to me now that it is a skill that takes practice. I didn't bring any tinder/starter, just a Mg firestarter bar, and a lighter for back-up. I cut down some tree fall while my daughter gathered twigs and branches. The trees down there are all deciduous hardwood, no conifers. Lots of old, punky fallen wood that I knew would not burn, I thought I found something fresher. And some wild grape vines, the bark seemed like it would be good tinder. I split the wood, and made a pile of shavings and some fuzz-sticks. The FBM chopped like a champ, but the Howler could have been sharper, should have brought my ZDP Calypso, that thing is amazing.
I made a little pile of Mg shavings, arranged some tinder around it, and scraped down some sparks. The Mg flared up, but didn't ignite the the tinder. After a few rounds of that, I 'cheated' with the lighter. I could not get anything to sustain a flame! :grumpy: I finally decided that the wood was too old, so I cut down a tree, spit open a round, batoned it into splits, and shaved some fresh wood. Still no fire. After an hour of this, we just hiked around a little, and called it a day. Still a fun day win the woods with my daughter, then we drowned our sorrows with hot chocolate and brownies at the local coffeehouse.
Well, I could not get a fire going at all.
Now, I will admit I have about zero woodcraft skills, never was in Scouts, little camping to speak of; but I have read more than a few threads on the subject, and it is clear to me now that it is a skill that takes practice. I didn't bring any tinder/starter, just a Mg firestarter bar, and a lighter for back-up. I cut down some tree fall while my daughter gathered twigs and branches. The trees down there are all deciduous hardwood, no conifers. Lots of old, punky fallen wood that I knew would not burn, I thought I found something fresher. And some wild grape vines, the bark seemed like it would be good tinder. I split the wood, and made a pile of shavings and some fuzz-sticks. The FBM chopped like a champ, but the Howler could have been sharper, should have brought my ZDP Calypso, that thing is amazing.I made a little pile of Mg shavings, arranged some tinder around it, and scraped down some sparks. The Mg flared up, but didn't ignite the the tinder. After a few rounds of that, I 'cheated' with the lighter. I could not get anything to sustain a flame! :grumpy: I finally decided that the wood was too old, so I cut down a tree, spit open a round, batoned it into splits, and shaved some fresh wood. Still no fire. After an hour of this, we just hiked around a little, and called it a day. Still a fun day win the woods with my daughter, then we drowned our sorrows with hot chocolate and brownies at the local coffeehouse.
