How to start a fire after rain/snow?

[tonym]

You're in CT, So you will most likely have Birchbark in your area. Collect it early, and put in your shirt to dry it out. Once dry, you can ruff it up or scrape it so it will take a spark.

If you're anywhere in the fairfield county area, you are more than welcome to come along with us for some skills practice.

 

[cybrok]

Don't get your wood on the ground.

The lower branches of fir and similar trees are dead, they easily snap and you can hear the wood is dry. Only a small film of water on the wood.

I saw a guy light a fire under heavy rain with a match, no bark or tinder, just to prove his point.

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

You're in CT, So you will most likely have Birchbark in your area. Collect it early, and put in your shirt to dry it out. Once dry, you can ruff it up or scrape it so it will take a spark.

If you're anywhere in the fairfield county area, you are more than welcome to come along with us for some skills practice.

I live in Clinton, used to live in Newington and West Hartford. Thanks for the invite, but i'm currently vehicleless! I'd love to go sometime though. I usually hike in Peters Memorial Woods, right down the road from me.

 

[tonym]

I may be heading up to Branford tomorrow with Big Mike, if you want to hang then let me know.

 

[Todd Murphy]

I always seem to have trouble when I am in a hurry. If I cut corners and don't do the prep work right, or enough, I fail.

 

[MustardMan]

Well, i've gotten two fires started so far. The walmart firesteel sucked though, had to light with a lighter.

You mentioned that the walmart firesteel was one of the magnesium ones. Apart from the problems a few have had with the firesteel coming unglued from the magnesium block, these are one of the easiest fire steels on the planet for getting a fire started. The only way it could be easier, is to use a lighter. My guess is that you aren't using it right. The trick with the magnesium fire starters is to actually scrape off some of the magnesium. It's easiest to do with a file or saw from a multi-tool or swiss army knife, but you can also scrape off the magnesium with the spine of a knife, too. Scrape off a pile of shavings about the size of a quarter, onto a dry piece of bark or flat, split wood, pile some small tinder on top (match stick sized or so), and strike the firesteel so the sparks ignite the magnesium. The magnesium will ignite and burn hotter than the flame on your lighter, so it will light your tinder pretty easily - be ready to add more small stuff to keep the fire going.



As others have said, prep work is absolutely number 1. You need lots of dry tinder ready to go before you ever think about striking your firesteel.

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

I may be heading up to Branford tomorrow with Big Mike, if you want to hang then let me know.

Thanks for the offer, but i have no ride or anything. If you ever want to go hiking in clinton give me a holler, i'd be more than glad to meet up. Me, my bud and my girlfriend will walk there.

 

[adaman04]

What I do is split into wood with a large knife, via batonning. Then make some feathersticks, and split kindling with the knife. Strike the firesteel to the feathersticks and they usually light right up. (Or you can use a squared spine to make fuzz like stuff that will catch a spark even easier.)

Batoning was going to be my input as well. There is dry wood inside most wet wood. Get it lit then thin stuff that will dry quickly.

 

[skitertank]

What I do is split into wood with a large knife, via batonning. Then make some feathersticks, and split kindling with the knife. Strike the firesteel to the feathersticks and they usually light right up. (Or you can use a squared spine to make fuzz like stuff that will catch a spark even easier.)

:thumbup:that is exactly what i do also,works every time.