Leaves????

ratamahatta

ratamahatta

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I've never really seen anybody use leaves as a fire starter. I was playing around with my firesteel today and had some twine also. The twine caught fire great, and the leaves weren't bad....Why don't people use leaves, they're around everywhere, am I missing something???
 
Most of the time I find them to be too damp, but certainly have used them. Just rather making something to start the fire.
 
I've found that leaves sometimes retain moisture (especially when piled up) and if so can be difficult to get going, but dry leaves do work well. They can make a ton of smoke, though, which can be be a pain but would work well for signaling. Maybe its just the half-damp ones that make so much smoke, but thats all I've been playing with as of late.
 
There are no shortage of dry leaves by me. They can even be found in wet weather. I use them all the time. They are a decent flash fire starter, but the flames go out rather quick. So have alot of leaves ready as well as some dry twigs ready to go.
 
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tonym said:
There are no shortage of dry leaves by me. They can even be found in wet weather. I use them all the time. They are a decent flash fire starter, but the flames go out rather quick. So have alot of leaves ready as well as some dry twigs ready to go.
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Tony is a pyromaniac. :eek:

Any dry leaves within fallout distance of his ferro/magnesium rod are likely to be set ablaze.

Don’t invite him home during high fire hazard times. ;)





"If you're not living on the edge, …you're taking up too much space."

Big Mike
 
Great question HD. Leaves just don't carry a flame as well or as long as more fiberous material. A good example of this is using a lens and sunlight to light a fire. Most leaves are just going to smoke. Concentrate that sunlight on a well prepared piece of fiberous tinder made from inner bark and you got a flame or good enough coal to blow to flame.

The only time I am interested in leaves, in this case needles, is in wet weather from conifers as they are more resistant to moisture. You can literally shake most of the water off them. Also, if you catch them at the right stage, thier resin helps carry a flame. Beech leaves are another one thay MAY help in wet weather as even dead, they stay peristent on the tree, and will dry out quicker.
 
Quiet Bear said:
Great question HD. Leaves just don't carry a flame as well or as long as more fiberous material. A good example of this is using a lens and sunlight to light a fire. Most leaves are just going to smoke. Concentrate that sunlight on a well prepared piece of fiberous tinder made from inner bark and you got a flame or good enough coal to blow to flame.

The only time I am interested in leaves, in this case needles, is in wet weather from conifers as they are more resistant to moisture. You can literally shake most of the water off them. Also, if you catch them at the right stage, thier resin helps carry a flame. Beech leaves are another one thay MAY help in wet weather as even dead, they stay peristent on the tree, and will dry out quicker.
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You took the words right out of my mouth! :thumbup: When it comes to pine needles, you can't beat the dry orange/brown needles from a lodgpole pine! I have heard it called "Indian Kerosene" more than once, and for good reason. Even green needles blaze readily.
 
The REAL Commander said:
You took the words right out of my mouth! :thumbup: When it comes to pine needles, you can't beat the dry orange/brown needles from a lodgpole pine! I have heard it called "Indian Kerosene" more than once, and for good reason. Even green needles blaze readily.
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X2 here... Nature's lighter fluid. :thumbup:
 
today I tried using dried pine needles, and you guys were right. Three or four strikes into it they caught flame, thanks for the info.....
 
No need to second the pine needles, but I will second the beech leaves that Quiet Bear mentioned. :thumbup:

I have also been told that certain birch leaves light very well, but that has not been my experience. :confused:
 
MacHete said:
No need to second the pine needles, but I will second the beech leaves that Quiet Bear mentioned. :thumbup:

I have also been told that certain birch leaves light very well, but that has not been my experience. :confused:
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I have had mixed luck with birch leaves. When they are really dry and losely laid on the lawn, you can round them up and they almost resemble a bowl of Special K. They burn well when they are like that. Otherwise if damp or green, like most other broad leaves, they more or less smolder and smoke. Besides, if there are birch trees around anyway, you might as well use some of the bark instead of the leaves.
 
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