Failing at Fire

Spark

Spark

HPIC - Hatas gonna Hate
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This evening it was "decided" that we'd have a fire in the backyard and my girlfriend's kids would enjoy s'mores. Since I am never one to turn down an opportunity to use the firepit, I figured I'd try out my firestarting skills on some wood I picked up off the side of the road after the recent storms.

I brought one of the sections into the workshop and proceeded to break it down into smaller sections. I made some kindling, some larger pieces, and a bit of tinder as well. What was surprising was that the wood stunk. I mean, it smelled like manure. No matter, I thought, any wood should burn when prepared right. I got out the firesteel, some dryer lint, and prepped the fire properly... or so I thought.

The lint caught, no problem. As did the paper tinder around it. The wood wouldn't.

Ok, let's try it again. More tinder, more paper. No dice on the wood.

"Screw it," I think to myself. Let's try the lighter. The twigs I had ready caught immediately, but the wood itself wouldn't. "Maybe it's the wood" I figure, so I removed the nasty stuff in question and put in some ground litter... which turned out to be too wet. Since it's been especially nasty out lately, who knows. Maybe the entire bunch was too wet to light.

Regardless, it was a humbling experience. I need to practice more!
 
keep at it, Spark! I am amazed sometimes on how easy dry wood lights, because i mainly go camping in the Canadian winter (when Bics dont work at all). At least the kindling lit, thats the hard part.
 
I even put some gasoline on the wood at one point. Once the gas burned off, the wood failed to catch. I'm seriously perplexed. It didn't seem wet at all!
 
Was the wood dimensioned lumber? And was it outdoor pressure treated lumber? If it was on the side of the road and hadn't rotted, it might have been, and if so you certainly don't want to burn it and make s'mores. The ashes would have had lots of arsenic in it. So maybe it's a good thing it didn't light?
 
It was a tree that'd gone over in someone's yard, then had been sectioned up and stacked, marked "free firewood". Whatever it was, the piece I split smells godawful. The center is white, the next outer section looks almost honey yellowish brown colored and the outer section is almost cedar colored red.
 
More wrist action! Finesse, man!
 
was the tree lightning struck ?
sometimes it makes a difference

dunno about the smell tho ... odd
 
In all seriousness, either the wood was too wet (per noss4's article) OR it was too big (not cut fine enough to catch the flame). Even though you split the wood, exposing its inner beauty, the inside may still have been damp.

It could also be a combination of the two, for example, if the wood is slightly wet, then cutting it to smaller size can allow it to dry very quickly in order to catch a flame.

Next time try cutting some to the absolute smallest dimension possible - little tiny strips, OR try splitting larger pieces where the center may be more dry.
 
I'd love to know the answer to the smelly wood issue. I bought a truck load of wood last year and it smelled like that too. I really think it's just green wood. Mine wouldn't burn right after I got it either. After sitting all year it actually burned allright this year.
 
Spark said:
I even put some gasoline on the wood at one point. Once the gas burned off, the wood failed to catch. I'm seriously perplexed. It didn't seem wet at all!
Click to expand...

The knack to get wet wood to light is a lot like hunt for Red October. It's possible that it was soaked through, but felt dry to the touch.

The last snow shoe hike I did was about 2 weeks ago. We have had record snowfall this year and everything was wet or frozen. Took me about 35 minuets to get my fire going using my own tinder kit, split cedar, and I even used a little meth alcohol I have for my gas stove.:confused: I finally got it going, but with the materials I had, it shouldn't have taken me that long.

You're not the Lone Ranger Spark. We all can use more practice.;) Not just practice on starting methods, but being able to recognize poor wood for kindling, or decent wood that is in poor condition to catch a flame.

I would bet your technique was not the main problem.
 
I have had that happen too. Some wood just not want to burn no matter what I tried.
 
I battle wet wood all the time here in the Rain Forests of PA.

What I look for here and have lots of is, what we call silver maple or soft maple to get my fires started.

BTW some of the Oak here will really Stink after in it is split when wet.

Also in wet conditions, I find it easier to get a fire going when it is below Freezing.
 
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