Help me build my fire kit.

[DOC-CANADA]

550 for a bowdrill...and waiting for one of our "survival experts" to catch it?:foot:
I haven't screwed around with a fire drill in almost 25 years, but even I know better than that.

I'm not sure I'm understanding you correctly. Are you saying you can't use 550 on a fire bow? Because if so, that's incorrect.

Doc

 

[Minnesota]

Enough? I really can't think of any more useless or redundant crap to put in there. If you actually want to start a fire, maybe a couple of trioxane tabs...but this is a joke, and you're just seeing how much crap you can stuff in that 1030, or how many comments you can get, right?
550 for a bowdrill...and waiting for one of our "survival experts" to catch it?:foot:
I haven't screwed around with a fire drill in almost 25 years, but even I know better than that.
Cool how you put the 550 cord on the case, though:thumbup:

I'm trying to get better suggestion on what to put in there. I'll probably scrap the tin foil for some dryer lint now. I stuff as much crap as I can in there, why not? It's not like this stuff ways much. I don't really understand the point of your post. Do you have any suggestions for me?

 

[Mannlicher]

sometimes we lose sight of the fact that how the fire is constructed. What materials , and how they are physically put together, is as important as what you use to cause the initial combustion.
A properly built set of materials will go a long way in insuring a quick and effective ignition.

 

[OwenM]

I'm not sure I'm understanding you correctly. Are you saying you can't use 550 on a fire bow? Because if so, that's incorrect.

Doc

I didn't say anything about not being able to use 550 cord, and don't doubt you can use it. You can use the wrong tool for the job for lots of things, but why would anyone intentionally carry something that is by design, the exact opposite of what you want in a bowdrill string-to use as a bowdrill string?
I don't understand why people talk about tools for "survival", as in their life depending on them, and handicap themselves with things that make something that can already be very hard under ideal circumstances even harder.

 

[Joben]

In my mind a fire kit should contain 4 things.
flame source (lighter, matches)
reliable spark source (firesteel)
tinder for spark source (jute, cotton, etc)
accelerant/fuel (candle, PJ cotton balls, fatwood)

You then have a quick way of making a fire...a backup if your lighter fails...and the ability to jump start it in poor conditions.

Also, If i might suggest the old aphorism "Don't put all of your eggs in one basket." applies nicely to fire kits. What good are 3 different ignitions sources as many tinders and accelerants if they're all in one box and you loose that? You don't have to duplicate heavily...but a second smaller kit in a different place in your gear...or even just an extra mini-bic in your pocket seems prudent to me.

 

[Minnesota]

I keep a fire steel and waterproof capsule of matches on my person at all times in the woods.