It's time to make a fire and this is where you stop:
Uh oh you forgot your fire kit with all of your new-fangled expensive mail order tinder and vaseline soaked balls! The snow has been melting and things are wet. Fortunately you always keep your ferro rod and knife on you so at least you have that (bowdrill fire another time). Dry tinder is ALWAYS available if you know where to look.
I found a 2 inch thick dead branch that was wet on the outside and split it down the middle, then quartered it lengthwise. From there I made heartwood scrapings for tinder, and various size kindling (think pencil lead, pencils, cigars, etc...) and laid them out on dry inner bark.
5 minutes later I had this:
Using only this:
And made some of this for hot chocolate:
So the moral of the story is to carry all of that junk in your kit but make sure that you are proficient in practicing the basics. I am no expert but have been practicing. Believe me when I tell you that this looks easy but it isn't. I had many failures along the way but that is how you learn. Get out there and practice until you think you got it, then practice a whole lot more. Thanks for sharing my Saturday afternoon with me.
Uh oh you forgot your fire kit with all of your new-fangled expensive mail order tinder and vaseline soaked balls! The snow has been melting and things are wet. Fortunately you always keep your ferro rod and knife on you so at least you have that (bowdrill fire another time). Dry tinder is ALWAYS available if you know where to look.
I found a 2 inch thick dead branch that was wet on the outside and split it down the middle, then quartered it lengthwise. From there I made heartwood scrapings for tinder, and various size kindling (think pencil lead, pencils, cigars, etc...) and laid them out on dry inner bark.
5 minutes later I had this:
Using only this:
And made some of this for hot chocolate:
So the moral of the story is to carry all of that junk in your kit but make sure that you are proficient in practicing the basics. I am no expert but have been practicing. Believe me when I tell you that this looks easy but it isn't. I had many failures along the way but that is how you learn. Get out there and practice until you think you got it, then practice a whole lot more. Thanks for sharing my Saturday afternoon with me.
