Mountain Survival - My experince

[go2ndAmend]

Thank you all for your tips and advise. Doc, I wasn't really laughing until I actually got the fire going. (Felt like Tom Hanks on that island) As for the little birthday candles that you can't blow out, I had them and never tried them. IMO they would not have provided a sufficient level of heat to dry out the tinder to get a fire going. The REI Storm matches fire up like a blow torch, but even they would not ignite the slightly damp vaseline balls. +1 on the use of a road flare, and the effects of altitude. The first night I was vomiting, had a severe headace for two days and a milder headace for two more before my body finally adjusted. Also had slight bleeding from nose and ears. (FYI - I am 45 yrs old and was camped at 8600'.) At no point was I in a life-threatening situation. I could have retreated into my sleeping bag (-20 Western Mountaineering), I could have broke camp and retreated to my truck (8 miles away). BUT I WANTED TO BUILD A FIRE LIKE MY LIFE DEPENDED ON IT, because someday, it just might. If I have anything worthwhile to pass along it is that it is incredibly difficult at high altitude in bad weather, with fatigue, loss of manual dexterity, and diminished though processes to get a fire going - but it can be done. Practice, practice, practice in the worst conditions and the rest will be easy. Mtn Mike - I live in Mendocino County.