Fire starter for Wet Climate?

trukreltrog

trukreltrog

Joined
Oct 16, 2006
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For the guys living in the Wet Climates. What kind of Fire starters are you using to get the Wet Wood Burning? Or how big of Logs do I need to dig in to find dry wood? Are you bringing tinder with you?

Been trying the PJ and a Cotton ball, doesn't burn long enough to get wet wood going. Maybe I need a pocket full of cotton balls? Or something better :confused:

Just trying to get some fire starting skills. It's a lot easier to start a fire in a drier climate. As you can see, there is no shortage of wood. Lots of Clear Cuts around here, but it's all pretty damp this time of year. I did'nt think it would be so tough to get a fire going, good thing I tried it. Since I hunt in the Rain, I really need to work on this. Here I thought all I needed was a Lighter and a Knife, boy was I wrong. Thanks for any help guys. :thumbup:
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i like using coghlan's fire sticks. 4 bux for 12 sticks and most of the time half a stick will do.

for the home made stuff, cotton balls with vaseline works fine.

cheers
 
I been keeping a ziploc bag of dryer lint and also a disposable kleenex pack.. the ones you buy in a vending machine..

But whenever I been out lately.. I just drop a dead standing tree, or grab limbs that are dead. split those, bring them into size and make feather sticks.

I have used quickstart firewood. to light a fire once... I never got the fire started.. but it was also night out and I wasn't properly prepared with fuel.. I kept finding frost on the inside and it was really damp.

so I really just use kleenex/lint. this works for me everytime. of course if I have the right wood.
 
One PJCB is all you should need. If you can find Birch bark use it, it burns hot! Get more and smaller kindling. Snap the dead, dry branches at the base of evergreen trees, make alot of fuzz sticks, etc. Start with very small twigs and slowly build your fire up with bigger ones.

Keep practicing, you'll get it!
 
I use the Zip brand firestarters that are like a huge match, they ignite straight away even in a downpour and burn for at least 8 mins ! I still find that in real wet weather I have to use a lot of Fatwood, this is easily found where I am but would not be practical if you were buying the stuff !!!!

This was the toughest fire that I ever had to make, man everything failed, it was blowing a gale, snowing on and off and I was also getting water coming off the sea. My Bic failed, my matches kept failing until I no longer had the dexterity to pick them up....in the end I had to place my hands under my armpits beneath my clothes for about 5 mins and then have one final attempt with a match ! Yah there are no fuzz sticks etc, I was too cold to use my knife !!!!!

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This was me when I'd warmed my hands enough to set up the camera.....

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I wish I'd had the Zip brand with me then !!!!!
 
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Even the best firestarters are probably not going to dry out a wet branch unless you have a box full of them. Split the wood, dig in rotten trunks, get birch bark, find some cedar, etc. Once you have the dry or oily pieces lit and a decent flame going, THEN you can dry out some wetter stuff.
 
trukreltrog,

You mentioned that you are trying to "get some fire starting skills" which I am interpreting that you are new to firemaking ingeneral, not just in wet conditions. (If not, please excuse the very basic explanation.) As such, it might be a good idea for you to practice under more ideal circumstances before expecting to perform miracles in a soggy rainforest.

The components of consistently successful firecraft are easy to learn and adapt to your surroundings, but they are also easy to ignore in your hurry to get warm.

First, you need ignition and sufficient oxygen for combustion. Next, you need DRY tinder, kindling, and fuel. Tinder is light fluffy material that will catch and hold a spark, such as the cotton ball you used. Think of kindling as thin sticks ranging in thickness from that of spagetti to that of a broomstick. It may also include pine needles and cones. Look under the canopy of large trees as they will often shield a large area from rainfall. Sticks broken off of dead branches will usually be drier than those collected off of the ground.

The trick to firecraft is preparation. Spend time gathering MORE than enough tinder, kindling and fuel before you ever flick your Bic. Seperate it into piles by size, ranging from the thinnest and going up in steps until it quits being kindling and would better be considered fuel (firewood).


There are multiple acceptable ways to lay a fire. Here is one I use frequently.
  1. Prepare an area for your fire that is free of combustable material either on the ground or above. If stones are available, build a fire ring to contain your fire.
  2. Set two large pieces of firewood parallel to one another about a foot apart. If the ground is damp, place a flat piece of bark between them to act as a bed for your tinder.
  3. Next, place your tinder on the bark. Make sure all of your kindling is within arm's reach so you don't have to go looking for it when you need it.
  4. Now it is time to light the tinder. Once it is ignited, take a bunch of fine kindling, about a foot long, and place it over the burning tinder. Lean it against one of the two logs so it does't smother the kindling. Once the first kindling gets going, introduce another bunch, again making sure not to suffocate your fire.
  5. As the fire grows, increase the sze of the kindling you add. You can also add a fuel log, suspending it across the two "sill" logs, as long as you can still feed the fire.
  6. Once the fire is going, you can position damp wood around the perimeter to dry it out before tossing it on.
In wet conditions, you may need to select a location that provides some shelter for your fire while you get it going. If a sheltered spot is not available, you may be able to shield the baby fire with your body or your poncho until it gains sufficient strength to resist the wind and rain.

Finding dry kindling and fuel can be a real challenge. If there is nothing dry to be had under large cedars and firs, you may have to split some logs to get to the dry wood within. Continued splitting will turn fuel into kindling of whatever size you require.

Good luck. Let us know how you do or if you have any more questions.

-- FLIX
 
Esbit fuel tablets burn hot. I just got some Wetfire tablets to try. Road flares are one way to really get the wettest wood going.

My old standby since Boy Scout days has been to break off dead lower branches on fir or hemlock and make fuzz sticks and build up to heavier wood.
 
I always love that last pic with Maisy there...her expression is so funny!

I have started using that coghlan's fire paste for extreme weather conditions. You mix it in to the tinder and it works well, even in really bad conditions.
 
misanthropist said:
I have started using that coghlan's fire paste for extreme weather conditions. You mix it in to the tinder and it works well, even in really bad conditions.
Click to expand...

I recently bought a tube but haven't tried it yet. I'm really paring down what I carry and that tube is huge! I'm gonna see if I can seal some up in a straw or something of the like.

== FLIX
 
Yeah the tube is a little too big for hiking! McDonalds straw, sealed with hot pliers is the way to go IMO.
 
I've been carrying fire paste in both a spy capsule and a plastic match case I got from Walmart for $1. It's been three or four months and, so far, no problems.
 
I know that if you start w/ a ferro rod and PJCB's then start adding small pieces you will get a fire. I did that last weekend. Most of the twigs were damp but like others have posted the "baby step" method worked just fine
 
Here in South Central Oregon(near Klamath Falls)

When looking for dry wood in the winter or in the rain, look up.

Ponderosa pine under 100 years old or so normally have dead dry small easy to get branches.

For the car keep half a dozen or more road flares and remember the spare tire on your car/truck(Remember to let the air pressure out before burning.

In clear cuts, look for both stumps(any kind) and felled Juniper trees that were left to rot, what you are looking for is those parts that resisted rot and are still heavy, this is Fat Wood and when slivered catches fire easily.

Fat wood also resists getting wet for the most part, (think saturated in resin)
 
To reinforce one point that Flix mentioned and one that I found critical in really wet conditions...put a barrier between the ground and your tinder. Bark is good as he mentioned, or bring some aluminum foil for just such an application. It makes a big difference in preventing the ground moisture from hampering your tinder from generating a good heat base.
 
I noticed that no one mentioned the importance of Determining Wind Direction before you attempt to light your fire! It helps to have your back to the wind, further helping the fire to start, then using additional wood as necessary to block the wind.
 
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