Failed Miserably At Starting Fire !!!

Tell you the truth I do not know why it says that,I use a Bic and light it, or ferro rod with enough spark to catch it on fire...the package contains a white cracker looking thing that burns hot,it is sealed in a bag because the break into small pieces easy,I light a corner and watch it burn ! home depot has them,different brand but same item...
 
I'll echo what others have said about starting a fire in the rain.. I ususally build a blat form of sry dead wood (split it if you need to get to the dry stuff) this keeps the heat from the fire from sucking up the moisture from the ground and extinguishing itself, thatn I make a little leanto out of wood or bark to start the fire underneath..
 
PITDOG!!! dont feel bad, i went for a woods stroll today too, and yes, it was bloody wet out there. Most of the forest trails were under 6" of water. I too tried to get a fire going, as soon as i opened up my firekit everything got SOAKED, the rain was just monsooning down, onto myponcho and then dripping right into the tinderr.
 
RescueRiley said:
I'll echo what others have said about starting a fire in the rain.. I ususally build a blat form of sry dead wood (split it if you need to get to the dry stuff) this keeps the heat from the fire from sucking up the moisture from the ground and extinguishing itself, thatn I make a little leanto out of wood or bark to start the fire underneath..
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thats works great, BUT when the rain is coming down so hard that the forest floor is flooding underneath you.......

you have to understand that both PIT and me live in the wettest part of Canada. NOTHING right now is dry int he forest, even if you split wood it is instantly wet. The rain drops are around 3 - 10 mm in size and ther eis substantial rain. Today we had 100mm of rain in three hours.

what dos work is building a tarp cover overhead to protect the wood/tinder etc, split it UNDER the trarp. One also has to remove theior poncho, so the water does'nt run off the poncho into the wood.
 
texastonydobbs said:
Tell you the truth I do not know why it says that,I use a Bic and light it, or ferro rod with enough spark to catch it on fire...the package contains a white cracker looking thing that burns hot,it is sealed in a bag because the break into small pieces easy,I light a corner and watch it burn ! home depot has them,different brand but same item...
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Are they Trioxane, or something else?
 
SpookyPistolero said:
Never met a ranger worth the oxygen he/she was breathing.
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we USED to have old school Forest rangers here in BC, they have all since retired though. They would teach you bush skills, hunting skills etc and were firm but nice when it came time to give a warning. The new breed of Parks rangers are nothing but nazis. :mad:
 
Good test pitdog and a healthy reminder that conditions sometimes crop up that stump the best of plans. I think this is a good demonstration, judging from all the responses, as to why some kind of shelter material (tarp etc) should be built into your PSK. Maybe it isn't enough to consider your raingear and shelter as a duel item. If you need one and you can't have the other. In this case, it seemed like you needed both!
 
Bushman5 said:
PITDOG!!! dont feel bad, i went for a woods stroll today too, and yes, it was bloody wet out there. Most of the forest trails were under 6" of water. I too tried to get a fire going, as soon as i opened up my firekit everything got SOAKED, the rain was just monsooning down, onto myponcho and then dripping right into the tinderr.
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Thanks bro, that's good to hear because you do feel a little stupid when ya can't get a fire going !:thumbup:
 
pitdog said:
that's good to hear because you do feel a little stupid when ya can't get a fire going !:thumbup:
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Dude I wouldn't feel stupid. It is next to impossible to get a fire going and KEEP it going in a Down poor.

I for one carry wetfire tnder with me, but doubt I could get a fire and keep it going in a down poor.

I'ld rather look for cover. Maybe a cave or something with some sort of protection and try there or just wait it out. Severe downpours rairly last that long.
 
I have camped out in this time of year on the island and one day I came back to the camp and my tent had blown down the mountain even though there was several hundred pounds of gear in it.

I have always liked the redneck fire lighting method I learned as a kid. Siphon some gas from your quad snowmobile or outboard ,does the driest wood and brush possible and ignite with a flare. It is definitely not the PC bushcraft they practice in the UK but when you live ad work out in the bush and it is not just a weekend hobby you tend to do the things thatv you know will work. It also has the advantage of using stuff you have with you.

Our fishcops here are usually a lot better than on the west coast. There are a few bad ones but mostly they have way more important things to worry about like gangs of well armed poachers and huge territories to cover.
 
unfortunately here we have armed gangs of poachers as well...but generally the fish cops don't have the political backing to go after them. It's probably the same people here as it would be there doing the poaching...
 
I didn't think Maisy looked p....ed, I think she looked disgusted that you didn't get her a warm fire.:rolleyes:
I am a true believer in road flares. I have won many a bet by using one to start my campfires.
At least you were out there trying. Many would not.:thumbup:
Thanks for the lesson.
 
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I have a lighter made by Brunton with a "jet" flame. The thing is absolutely perfect for this sort of thing. Waterproof, wind-resistant fire that can be aimed. I highly recommend this type of lighter as a primary fire starter.

Thanks for sharing the experience, Pit.
 
great pics pit...:thumbup: that is a lot of rain..:eek: it's always good to practice your skills under different/extreme conditions...
 
I once had a similar situation, end of June a long time ago, 10,000 feet in a sleet storm. Couldn't get a fire going at all for almost an hour. It was then that I decided to use my flask of 151 rum, and not for drinking either. :( THe stuff flames something fierce; enough to get wet small stuff going anyway, but indeed still needed to do the old huddle and hover over the fire to keep the rain off it. Man is that ever hard on the eyes, all that smoke! Sheesh. :barf:
 
The REAL Commander said:
I once had a similar situation, end of June a long time ago, 10,000 feet in a sleet storm. Couldn't get a fire going at all for almost an hour. It was then that I decided to use my flask of 151 rum, and not for drinking either. :( THe stuff flames something fierce; enough to get wet small stuff going anyway, but indeed still needed to do the old huddle and hover over the fire to keep the rain off it. Man is that ever hard on the eyes, all that smoke! Sheesh. :barf:
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hmm, that pretty much doubles the value of carrying an alcohol stove. denatured alcohol is a good accelerant.
 
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