Fire - when it counts

Yep. The REI matches are great. While you're there, this is the blanket you want: http://www.rei.com/product/669629 It's 3 oz. and takes up very little space. I carry two of them. Build fire. Use one as a reflector on the other side of the fire. Set one up behind you. Sit in the middle of the oven and bake while waiting for help.
 
I hope nobody takes this the wrong way but when I read some suggestions I have to shake my head and wonder if some people have actually tried this stuff in strong winds and rain etc when you are truly gettin chilled to the bone? I doubt my skills are anywhere close to many on this forum but I do get " out there " a hell of a lot and try stuff out.
I have been in adverse weather and let me tell ya that in poor conditions matches are next to useless, if ya don't ge the fire goin with the first couple of matches you lose the dexterity to even pick a match up !!! The windproof matches are somewhat of an improvement but their burn time is not long enough to get the other tinder going !
In real wet, windy weather the Bics stop working, and while on a normal day I can get a fire going with the first strike of a ferro rod no problem ( this survival stuffs a breeze eh ) in real cold, rainy, windy weather forget it !!!
Some reading this will say "well pit's skills just suck, I dont have any problems " if this is the case that's great and through continued practice I hope to one day be at your level. If on the other hand you are thinking " hey maybe Pit's right, I haven't really tried in really bad weather when my body is shaking uncontrollably and I'm struggling to pick up a match " then maybe you should get out in some bad conditions and try this stuff, maybe leave your jacket in your back pack as a security blanket and let yourself get cold and uncomfortable ( obviously use some common sense !).
Check out my face in this pic, this was one such day when everything was failing, it was only because I eventually managed to get a fire going that I was able to warm my hands enough to set up the camera for a pic !

PC150006.jpg
 
Pitdog-- you're right. It's why I first recommended a road flair. But you dissed matches, bic lighters and ferro rods without providing a better alternative to any of them. :confused:
 
pitdog, I agree that this stuff has to be tested, and I'll do so. Gonna be in the 20's here Saturday, so I'm going to get as much of this stuff together before then as I can, and I'll spend the day Saturday in the back yard getting cold and wet and then trying some different methods out. With breaks of course to warm up, and maybe a beer or two to simulate the decreased brain function that lack of oxygen (I'm running, remember?) seem to give me. Well, it sounds good anyway. ;) I'll report back Sat night or Sunday. Stay tuned....
 
Scott Free said:
Pitdog-- you're right. It's why I first recommended a road flair. But you dissed matches, bic lighters and ferro rods without providing a better alternative to any of them. :confused:
Click to expand...

Sorry bro, yeah I would guess a road flare would be about the best option there is but of the other stuff I have tried,like I said before , the Zip strikable lighters seem to work the best. They are large enough to hold even with numb hands, they are easy to strike having a large striking area and ignite straight away, they burn very hot and last for 8 minutes by my watch , they are also good value and cost only a few bucks for a pack of 12!!!
 
mapper66 said:
pitdog, I agree that this stuff has to be tested, and I'll do so. Gonna be in the 20's here Saturday, so I'm going to get as much of this stuff together before then as I can, and I'll spend the day Saturday in the back yard getting cold and wet and then trying some different methods out. With breaks of course to warm up, and maybe a beer or two to simulate the decreased brain function that lack of oxygen (I'm running, remember?) seem to give me. Well, it sounds good anyway. ;) I'll report back Sat night or Sunday. Stay tuned....
Click to expand...

Sounds good ! I have also been using cotton soaked in lamp oil instead of Petroleum jelly and have been very impressed with that, maybe you could try that also and give me your verdict as I have not had chance to test this in really poor conditions yet !!!
 
Well, if you think all of this stuff is not going to work, think about the poor bastards chunking around an iron-knuckleduster striker and a piece of chert or the fire-bow, drill, base and socket crowd. 8-)
 
Very good point Pit ... carrying various firemaking tools in our packs gives us comfort and a certain sense of security but what good is it if you can't get it to work for you in time of need.
 
Just a thought...the bic lighter is very similar to the sparklite ( basically a stripped down bic with only the flint and the striker wheel) and these things are meant to be used with PJCBs so even if the bic is so cold the fuel won't flow you should be able to start the PJCBs with it by just sparking it. It may help to remove the metal housing on the lighter before hand though.

In fact Army Ranger Rick has details on his ranger's digest website of how to make a fire starter with an empty bic lighter and then he goes on to say that the fuel compartment of the lighter is a great place to keep PJCBs. I have a bic in my pocket that I bought just to try this out and when I get it made I'll try it and maybe post my first gear review, hopefully this weekend.

David
 
KuRUpTD said:
Very good point Pit ... carrying various firemaking tools in our packs gives us comfort and a certain sense of security but what good is it if you can't get it to work for you in time of need.
Click to expand...

Pit does make some good points but it also doesn't do any of us any good if we can't get the item he is talking about or if they stop manufacturing it. You can paint yourself into such a corner that you simply won't survive. Kelly McCann said one on of his DVDs that you can sit there and play guessing games, what if this guy has a shotgun, this guy has a pistol, the other guy has a machinegun and another guy has a hand grenade, what do you do? Concentrate on the principles, anyone can paint themselves into a situation where the goal is not met and you simply die. All of that having been said, I would like to check out what he is talking about because I know that making a fire in high wind and rain is really the pain in the ass - potentially life threatening situation he portrays it as.
 
Can I just add that I still carry all the above and my ferro rod is usually the first item I attempt to use. In really poor weather though when you can feel your body temp dropping fast I have learnt to then resort to whatever method will get a fire going fast rather than trying to soldier on so you can report back to this forum without shame !!!!
 
Mapper66 You've already gotten good advice on the firestarting methods, not much to add there.

I'd add a really loud whistle to your kit.

Whistle might work where the cell phone didn't.
 
Pit, out of curiosity, do you think you might have had better luck with a magbar? I know magbars are a major PITA, but if you were maybe to dig a small depression and use your body or maisy to protect from the wind, put a piece or two of duct-tape down to catch and hold the shavings, scrape mag shavings onto the tape, then strike onto it, then pile on tinder...do you think that might have worked? Most of that doesn't seem to require much fine and complex motor skills, and you could warm your hands up between steps if need be like you did. I know this is missing the forest for the tree, but I am curious about it, since I've never been in a situation like the one you previously posted about. I need to get out too and try firelighting in sub-optimal conditions.
 
rksoon said:
Pit, out of curiosity, do you think you might have had better luck with a magbar? I know magbars are a major PITA, but if you were maybe to dig a small depression and use your body or maisy to protect from the wind, put a piece or two of duct-tape down to catch and hold the shavings, scrape mag shavings onto the tape, then strike onto it, then pile on tinder...do you think that might have worked? Most of that doesn't seem to require much fine and complex motor skills, and you could warm your hands up between steps if need be like you did. I know this is missing the forest for the tree, but I am curious about it. I need to get out too and try firelighting in sub-optimal conditions.
Click to expand...

I have actually been thinking about a mag bar myself recently. It is something I have never tried due to the negative reports on this forum but as an initial starter in real wet conditions it might be worth trying !!!:thumbup:
 
Yeah, I generally don't like em; I think they're plain annoying to use. But I carry one in my psk anyway because it seems like a reasonable alternative in extreme conditions. I'll give it a try as well on a windy day, though I'll have to find a walk in freezer to get down to the temps some of you guys are playing in :)
 
Pitdog- You have raised a good point and that being... it's not enough just to have the stuff. Whatever method you choose you have to practice it. You have to go out when it's cold, snowing, raining, windy, whatever and try to make a fire with only what you can find.

For me, a ferro rod is still the best bet. I started using them years ago. At first, I sucked at it. I thought that it would never be good for survival. It takes some practice. Now that I've got it down, I have on many occasions, gone out in pouring rain, heavy wet snow, and wind and can get a fire going in less than two minutes. There is some kind of tinder no matter where you are on the globe. The ferro rod produces a hot enough shower that it can aid in drying some damp tinder.

These are all good methods mentioned.
Bottom line is find a method that you like and practice, practice, practice.
 
I don't remember who it was, but someone on here used to post pictures of his mag bar. It was all full of holes. He drilled it out over and over again and collected the debris to carry with him. This way there was no scraping with cold shivering hands. Just dump the scrapings and give it spark. It seemed like a good idea to me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top