Fire kit, what do you think?

Snakedoc

Snakedoc

Joined
Mar 7, 2007
Messages
2,406
My brother and niece are leaving for a week long hunting trip in Burns, OR. I have put together a fire kit for each of them, and I would like to know what you all think. Have I left anything out?

Altoid tin
4 firestraws
magnesium block
12 strike anywhere matches wrapped in plastic & duct tape
striker inside Altoid lid
BSA hot spark
mini bic
fake fatwood from wallyworld
1 foot square tin foil
razor blade
dry cotton balls so items wont make noise (also used for tinder)
whistle

P1010719.jpg


P1010721.jpg


P1010723.jpg


P1010724.jpg


I tested the fake fatwood and had good results. Made small shavings and used in conjunction with the firestraw. The firestraw and shavings burned for about 7 min. with constant flames between 6 and 8 inches high.

P1010700.jpg


P1010714.jpg


P1010715.jpg


P1010718.jpg


So what do ya'll think.
 
Looks a great kit to me bro, only thing I carry that you don't is a steel pencil sharpener for making fine wood shavings quickly from twigs.....also handy for this if you loose your knife !!!
 
If they cant get one going with that, they have bigger problems.

Nice work.

I hope they know how to use it all before they need it.

Skam
 
skammer said:
If they cant get one going with that, they have bigger problems.

Nice work.

I hope they know how to use it all before they need it.

Skam
Click to expand...


I included a set of "directions" if you will. Basicly a breakdown of the items and how to use them. My niece was starting fires with my hot spark when we were camping over the summer.
 
Snakedoc,

Nice job. My only concern would be with having them put all of their firestarting "eggs in one basket." I'm a big fan of distributing firestarting methods to increase the odds that I'll have a viable firestarter if I lose some gear.

-- FLIX
 
First thing that struck me is that its not waterproofed. I always carry my fire kit in a waterproof container and also waterproof the individual items.

The cotton wool should be covered in petroleum jelly.

12 matches seems like too few to me - I carry at least 2 packets (ie. approx 100) plus two full size bics and a 'Light my Fire' flint and steel.
 
I would ditch the magnesium and save some weight and bulk.

Other wise it is awesome.
 
The only ding I can put on your kit is that all of the tinder and ignition sources in the kit, are lumped together into one package. If that package is lost, so is all of their fire starting capabilities.
 
i agree on the mag block....lose it....i would put it all in a strong zip loc bag and ranger band around that to help with water resistance..... other wise this kit seems to be damn near perfect...as for being all in one spot....yip...always have a back up somewhere else....i have a hot spark in my pocket with a bag of pj cotton ball all the time...unless i lose my pants i am gonna be warm.
 
Thanks to all for the feedback, alot of great suggestions! I will advise them to put the kit inside a heavy duty ziplock and ranger band it. I will also pass on the suggestion to carry more fire-starting tools in other locations. I put this kit together for them to slip in a cargo pocket or a pocket on their vest. I get the idea of a worst case losing your vest or maybe even your pants.

Thanks again and if you have more suggestions, please keep them coming.
 
Just my .02, if you are going to carry matches, then ditch the regular ones. Get the long waterproof matches from Rei. They are far better than the NATO survival matches and come in a box wrapped in plastic with extra striking plates if needed. They burn far lnoger than a regular match too.

Also, get a better fire steel. I have the scout one you have as well as a sweedish fire steel and the difference is mind blowing.

Other than that, your kit is really similar to mine. If you're really worried about everything getting wet, maybe stuff some wetfire tinder in there as well. As long as you have that and a good steel, you can get a fire going no matter how wet it is.
 
nice kit but lose the mag block and make another kit in it's place they will prob. weigh the same them you'll have fire methods in more than one spot
 
I am a big fan of the mag block. Takes and IQ to use them but they dont let you down. I would leave it in personally or cut it down smaller. It is not a newbie fire maker however and takes patience, technique and practice.

Skam
 
Skammer, how do you get the mag to work well? I find that the ferro rod alone is good enough with other types of tinder. I have gotten the mag to work but it is so labor intensive, I have found other ways that are more efficient.
 
chrisaloia said:
Skammer, how do you get the mag to work well? I find that the ferro rod alone is good enough with other types of tinder. I have gotten the mag to work but it is so labor intensive, I have found other ways that are more efficient.
Click to expand...

I usually use the rod with other tinder also and generally only shave the mag in wet situations but i do prefer to carry the mag in all my kits and sheaths it is very handy when caught in a freezing rain.
 
Concur on the REI storm proof matches. They burn like little flares and won't go out if you drop them in snow.

Rather than ditching the mag block entirely, keep it separate from the main fire kit. Carry the mag block, a piece of hacksaw blade for a striker, and a 35mm film canister fills with some vaseline cotton balls in a different pocket, or in your pack if the main kit is in a pocket of your clothing.
 
1. In the pharmacy section at my Wally, they have tiny ziplock baggies. I'd put the cotton in one of those, just in case, or wrap it in plastic like you did with the matches.

2. I'll reaffirm the suggestion that you might want to consider trading REI windproof matches for strike-anywhere's.

3. Breath freshener drops sometimes come in tiny 1/8 oz bottles which can be converted to carry naptha/lighter fluid.

4. A little button light might come in handy if one is making a fire in the dark.

5. I'm not sure if this is true, because I haven't tested it myself, but I think duct tape burns better than electrical tape. I think I read that in this forum.

Just my $0.02. What you've got, as is, is just fine. It would save your life if Murphy's trying to freeze you.
 
chrisaloia said:
Skammer, how do you get the mag to work well? I find that the ferro rod alone is good enough with other types of tinder. I have gotten the mag to work but it is so labor intensive, I have found other ways that are more efficient.
Click to expand...

What is nice about the magnesium and ferro rod is they are very durable, no moving parts, and can get wet and work immediately thereafter. The big benefit for this setup comes in play when your tinder is not friendly enough for just the ferro rod alone. Magnesium is a great heat supplement to get those tough tinders going. I think of it as a second stage ignition source. 'Working well' as mentioned before takes practice with the tinder/magnesium combinations. If you can make a decent tinder bundle out of tree bark for example, and that bark will not catch with spark alone - the magnesium may provide the extra heat needed to get your tinder bundle to ignite.

It a good idea to carry one of these in your pocket or around your neck should your tinder get wet or you lose your tinder/fire kit. To me it is almost as important as my knife - I ALWAYS have both on me at all times.
 
you know what i found at home depot the other day? some really cool fire starter...they come in bags of 24 and are flat pouches that have a fire starter like wettinder in them...they are made by landmann.

i used a few today and this is what i found
4 will fit with a mini bic, coleman lantern striker, AMK firestriker and tinder 3 pj cotton balls in fullsize sammich bag and a sak classic and 5 ft of 16 gauge wire with 1500 sandpaper in an altoids can.

the stuff works really well and burns a good long while..
it will light off of all the things i listed above, if you dont follow the instructions, they say dont cut open the plastic bag, ah who cares i did and it went off with one slide off of my fire steel...three strikes from the coleman striker, 2 from the firestriker, and one flik of the bic. seems to light almost the same wet...cept te coleman had 5 strikes and the firestriker went 3.....oh well...i am sold went and bought 2 more bags today...at 6 bucks a pop i think its a good deal..
oh yeah its in the fireplace section....:thumbup:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top