How fast can you get fire?

L

LG&M

Joined
Dec 19, 2005
Messages
3,779
Just for fun last night I timed myself.
From the time I walked out my door to the back yard to when I had a fire I felt would grow with out trouble. 5 minutes/ 1 match.
I did this once before in the dark with a Fenix EO1aaa light but don't remember the time.
I know it would take longer in bad conditions or under stress.
Anyone else want to give it a try and post?
Any fire starting technique you want.
 
Initial conditions are everything.

I'd take about 30 seconds. Out the door, over to the bbq, open the hood, turn on the gas, turn on the gas knob, press the igniter a couple of times. Fire.

If the contest requires getting some wood to burn I'd have to take down some pickets from the fence. Don't have any firewood.

Did you want to set any initial conditions or rules for this contest?
 
Well seeing how this is a survival forum and not a BBQ forum I thought it we might stick with ways one might have in the woods.
It doesn't have to be in your yard. ( I used my fire pit & some yard wast I cleaned up)
Any time you go camping or on a hike if you think about it just stop use what you have and go for it. Or have a friend say "go" so your not ready.
Might be fun , might learn something?
 
Last summer I hiked the same area several times and found the fire pits off the trail. They hadn't been used in years/decades. I decided I'd get a fire going in each one of the pits along the way every time I hiked the area using a mag block and ferro rod. I got better at it.
So - I support the concept of practice and repetition to improve repeatability.

I'm an Engineer. Stating the problem, the assumptions and the conditions is reflexive. Otherwise I'll haul my BBQ up above timberline , shovel out the ten feet of snow and then light it up for you. :-)

My woods might be different from yours. In fact, some of my woods (the burned off ones) are different from the others (the unburned ones) which suggests that making fire in a burned over area might require a LOT more work and practice than you might expect of "the woods."
 
Yes I am familiar with how Engineer's think.
As you said practice is good. Whatever ever your woods are like at some point you might need a fire fast.
I just thought it might be a good, fun exercise.
Make a fire with what you got where your at.
The individual can decide for themself if it is fast enough or needs work.
 
I am reminded of a competition event we participate in last century when I was a Boy Scout. A small block of pine 2x4, three matches, a pocket knife and a tin can half full of water. Thus all parameters of the contest were determined and equal for all of us. I won though I don't remember the exact time. Thinking back, I won because, being a country boy, I spent more time preparing than most. So my first attempt was successful, only one match used and the first to bring the can of water to a full boil. Those who tried to shortcut for speed failed. Tender, kindling and firewood. A half century of field practice since then has proven that to be the best method. Prep is key.
 
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My little "scout" fire up in the mountains the other day. It was built with flint and steel with bark from sage brush, small twigs, and some pine resin. If we're talking just until there is an actual sustainable flame I was well under five minutes the pictures here are probably ten minutes in.
 
Codger_64 said:
I am reminded of a competition event we participate in last century when I was a Boy Scout. A small block of pine 2x4, three matches, a pocket knife and a tin can half full of water. Thus all parameters of the contest were determined and equal for all of us. I won though I don't remember the exact time. Thinking back, I won because, being a country boy, I spent more time preparing than most. So my first attempt was successful, only one match used and the first to bring the can of water to a full boil. Those who tried to shortcut for speed failed. Tender, kindling and firewood. A half century of field practice since then has proven that to be the best method. Prep is key.
Click to expand...

prep
practice
prep
 
Nice work Stainless.

Yes prep is key. The most time for me was making shavings and finding dry twigs that were small enough.
 
Your time is going to depend a lot of the firemaking tools you have with you. My record is under 1 minute from the time I went "...I want fire" to the time when I said "Well, that should stay burning."

Grabbed a handful of dead branches from the fallen Maple tree, piled up into a rough teepee, squirted fire paste on, and hit it with a shower of sparks from the ferro rod. Fire.

If I only had the ferro rod, that time would go up by 10-15 minutes as I made a bunch of wood shavings and feather sticks and tried to track down some fatwood.
 
Grease said:
Your time is going to depend a lot of the firemaking tools you have with you.
Click to expand...

Totally agree. And I should add, the environment conditions you are in. As someone already joked before, being above the treeline won't help.... unless you haul a stove!
 
Mikel_24 said:
Totally agree. And I should add, the environment conditions you are in. As someone already joked before, being above the treeline won't help.... unless you haul a stove!
Click to expand...

lol, yep. I was playing with some fluffed up waxed impregnated wicks and a firesteel last weekend. Took 10 seconds to get a flame big enough that would last long enough to build a campfire.

Take that out into a downpour and my little burning candle wick isn't going to light anything on fire, assuming the rain doesn't put it out before I even try.
 
I may be slower than a mentally challenged, one eyed, one armed wallpaper hanger with fire starting, compared to some here. But I feel that I am getting pretty good at it with a fero rod and local materials. Actually my speed goes down in direct correlation to the ugliness of the weather and condition of local natural materials. This is usually not an issue these days as I almost never leave town without prepped materials in the vehicle or on my body. The colder and crappier it is out, the more prep I do. A June fire is a little different than a January fire here.
 
Codger_64 said:
I am reminded of a competition event we participate in last century when I was a Boy Scout. A small block of pine 2x4, three matches, a pocket knife and a tin can half full of water. Thus all parameters of the contest were determined and equal for all of us. I won though I don't remember the exact time. Thinking back, I won because, being a country boy, I spent more time preparing than most. So my first attempt was successful, only one match used and the first to bring the can of water to a full boil. Those who tried to shortcut for speed failed. Tender, kindling and firewood. A half century of field practice since then has proven that to be the best method. Prep is key.
Click to expand...

The water boil was originally in Ernest Thompson Seton's Book of Woodcraft and Indian Lore (1912) in the Games for Camp chapter. The rules as they were written are still in practice at the Camp Fire Club of America who keeps traditions like this alive twice a year as well for the practical application of survival and camp life. As Seton was one of the founders of BSA, it was adopted there as well.

From Seton:

WATER-BOILING CONTEST
Given a hatchet and knife, 1 match, a 2-quart pail, 7 inches of less in diameter, one quart of water and a block of soft wood about 2 feet long and 5 or 6 inches through.
Any one should have the water boiling in 10 minutes. The record is said to be 7:59.
First cut plenty of wood. Spend three minutes on it. Support your pail on four pegs driven in the ground. If water is handy dip the pegs in it before placing.
The water must be jumping and bubbling all over the surface or it is not boiling.
If the match goes out, contestants are usually allowed a second, but are penalized by having 2 minutes added to their time.


Here is a video of my good friend doing the water boil at Camp Fire.

[video=youtube;Yam5aAr1p-I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yam5aAr1p-I[/video]


Water boil is still part of timber sports in Canada too (girl power!):

[video=youtube;qQgwNqJTZJo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQgwNqJTZJo[/video]
 
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