Making fire in wet weather??

[halo2]

Halo2- He said he rarely goes off the beaten path. He's new to this stuff, and he's come here asking to learn. Cut him some slack.

Fair enough. Mea culpa though I meant no offense.

 

[halo2]

Hey Halo,

No offense taken. To some it just seems like common sense. To others, it is never thought of.

Honestly, I have never really thought of taking any of that stuff before. I always thought it was a good idea to have the tools (lighter and/or matches) with me to start the fire just in case. If I did get lost or had to stay a night or two, I figured I could manage getting a fire started and finding the tinder and fuel.

What I mean is, I never gave it any other thought past having a lighter.

Most of my outdoor activies are spent with a buddy or two. For the most part, we always know where one another is, and we usualy ride in one rig making it impossible for someone to get left completely along. If I go out alone, my wife know where I will be, or the area. That doesn't mean I stay there though!!!

We usually hunt on trails, clear cuts, or areas that we know really well. So, most of my time in the field has been fairly safe. Reading things on here has me thinking differently, mostly about how little I really know about surviving . I always thought it would just come natural (the will to survive).

I have plenty of time on my hands right now to learn about gathering for and making fires. I also have plenty of time to apply what I learn on here to actually "doing" these things.

I will be sure to carry some of the right stuff with me anytime I go out. Ya just never know!!!

Scott

Now that I've shot off my virtual mouth, let me try to offer something constructive.

Word backwards. Don't practice to set yourself up for failure. Do what you know first, then work toward what you don't, if that makes sense.

What I mean is start practicing in good weather with good tinder and kindling. Then when you're comfortable with that, dampen it and get that going. Or go out in wet weather and gather materials, then take them home and practice there in the hibachi where you can go and warm up or dry off if necessary.

 

[eastr77]

i would say for your area look along a stream bed for old sun and water hardened wood. peel the bark to and put it on the ground to make a insulator so the when you lite the fire the mosture from the ground dosn't put out yur tinder. when you heat wet ground it drys aka makes steam that can be a down fall in it's own once the fire is built it can handle the ground vapor. watch blowing on it to much because when you exhale you also put off water vapor. best to fan it with some thing. secound it takes 4 times the normal amount of tinder to start a wet fire so make sure to gather plent of small stuff .the coals are the life of the fire good coal stronge easy to mantain fire. if you have fat wood fire make is very easy with a little practice and you dont require so much tinder. so IMO it is worth the time to find a pine with a old broken limb shave off the out side and look for the pretty golden yellow i sent ya a sample of intact fat wood to ad in iding it in the wild. if you have had time to watchs joes vid on woodmonkey he shows so easy ways to get yur wood. so if you have a liter and find some fat wood the fire will be much quicker to start even when wet. but most important of all is practice practice practice. teach your kids that will help grind it in, that is part of the way i learned was shareing the love of the skill with others. :thumbup: keep us posted on yur progress as well as faiurs failing during practice can be a good lesson in it's own. they say we learn more from mistakes even though i hate makeing mistakes it is part of makeing yur self better.
a good moto
"THE ROUGH RIDER”“FAR BETTER IT IS TO DARE MIGHTY THINGS..THAN TO TAKE RANK WITH THOSE POOR. TIMID SPIRITS WHO KNOW NEITHER VICTORY NOR DEFEAT.” THEODORE ROOSEVELT 1899

 

[The REAL Commander]

Now that I've shot off my virtual mouth, let me try to offer something constructive.

Word backwards. Don't practice to set yourself up for failure. Do what you know first, then work toward what you don't, if that makes sense.

What I mean is start practicing in good weather with good tinder and kindling. Then when you're comfortable with that, dampen it and get that going. Or go out in wet weather and gather materials, then take them home and practice there in the hibachi where you can go and warm up or dry off if necessary.

Man alive, that is probably the best, short piece of truth I have ever read concerning the subject! :thumbup: :thumbup: