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Making a fire sure can be tough !!!!

pitdog

pitdog

Joined
Apr 13, 2007
Messages
12,294
With a few people posting recently about their struggles with firemaking I decided that during my hike today I'd go over the basics and show how to get a fire using a ferro rod and natural tinder.

I wish my pics showed how nice the colours this time of year really were but they hardly come close......

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I'd not been walking long when I came across this apple tree, a definite no go area for Maisy now !!!!!

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When I arrived near my planned rest spot I struggled to find any fatwood, typical eh, but after a little searching I spotted this....

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As soon as you split a section the rich red colour gives it away.....

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I mentioned in a previous post how it is best to use the saw of a SAK and make some fatwood dust as the 1st line of ignition, well not having my SAK I ignored my own advice and just made some very fine curls.....

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Usually I can get tinder such as this to light after 1 or 2 strikes on a dry day but as is typical when doing it to demonstrate to others it took me about 5 minutes of fustration today !!!!!

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Here is a comparison pic of my JK TTSK next to my little ML Bushy, you can see the discoloured blade on my ML from striking the spine on my ferro rod.....

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Maisy was distracted.....

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So I reached into my pocket ( remember the apple tree ) they might be a no go area for Maisy but not for me !

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I drank some tea while the dogs played...

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Cont'd
 
When we set off again we came across this recent kill site, some poor bird had bit the dust, probably at the talons of a hawk......

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Check out this pic I took of Snicker through a spiders web.......

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I stopped so far round for a quick break....

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And then we were off again in search of the creature making all the noise, eventually we found him....Mr Woodpecker !

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All in all an enjoyable day out with my best buddies !
 
Neat Pitdog, thanks for posting the stump picture before cutting into it. Those things can be pretty camouflaged eh?
 
Maisy? Apple tree? Connection,please. Oh yeah, good spotting that beautiful fatwood
 
flnder said:
Maisy? Apple tree? Connection,please. Oh yeah, good spotting that beautiful fatwood
Click to expand...

It was piece of apple that got got wedged in the entrance to her stomach a couple of weeks ago which led to her emergency operation !:(

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You're gonna have to teach her to chew her food,at least a little bit. Glad she's OK. Neighbour of mine used to have a dog that ate whole raspberry bushes. didn't hurt the dog ,just annoyed the people the bushes belonged to.
 
flnder said:
You're gonna have to teach her to chew her food,at least a little bit. Glad she's OK. Neighbour of mine used to have a dog that ate whole raspberry bushes. didn't hurt the dog ,just annoyed the people the bushes belonged to.
Click to expand...

LOL, Rasberry bushes...sure it was a dog and not a bear !!!!:D

I was actually throwing the apples for her to fetch and I think she caught one in her teeth and part of it flew down her throat...just one of those freak accidents......no more apples !!!!
 
Sweet pics, pit. Thanks for posting up the fatwood tree. I have looked plenty of times around my area, and have yet to find any of it. Oh well.
 
Cool pics Pit, great shot of that stump and good eye for spotting it. Most of the time fatwood sliver will take a spark as well as anything if they are nice and thin but you can use a squared spine of a knife to scrape a nice fibrous fuzz from the fatwood that will take a spark really well. In a longer term situation this could help preserve your edge some as fatwood is really hard on an edge over time.

The more I see of that little knife the more I like it.
 
Great pics - I find it reassuring when I see other members also having problems making fire. It reminds me that fire isn't always made in a matter of seconds but takes plenty of practice and time.

Thanks for posting.
 
Another thing. That is a really good shot of that Pileated Woodpecker, I didn't realize until just now how great of a range they had. Those are the same kind that do their best to destroy my back porch every year. I have a picture here somewhere.
 
Nice pics. Like the spiderweb, looks like a worm hole or something to a wilderness adventure. What do you spray on the dogs for pest management?
 
Nice pics, thank you.

The only place where I have fat wood "in the wild" is a nature preserve, and taking anything out you didn't bring in with you can get you into trouble and there's always some ranger or so around. Leaving no traces also means not taking any fat wood.

Found a solution though (literally):
I have saturated solution of saltpeter to treat tinder fungus (brown german tinder) (that way it catches a spark easier), and I just tried that solution on 100% cotton. Drop it in, fish it out, let it dry, catch a spark ... hey, that works!

I might just end up buying some fat wood, just to test it.
 
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