Owning the skills Initiative: November challenge

Let's get this started.

Previous to this challenge I had never really tried to get a flame without some sort of non-natural tinder (a magnesium bar is in every emergency kit I have, right next to the bic lighter), but I guess it's time to man up.

Tinder #1
Bark from a cottonwood tree (I think). I HATED this stuff when I was carving traps, especially if it was damp. It was like someone wrapped the sticks in a layer of dirt, but I guess it was all for the greater good.
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Once stripped off of the branches the bark would dry quickly, and could separated into narrow strands to form a nest.
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Of course these bundles are much smaller than what I would use to start a real fire, but I only wanted a match sized flame. Once you get that far fire making is easy (sometimes)

Flame 1
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Flame 2
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9 sources of tinder and 18 more flames to go! (I need everyone to post pics of what they are using for tinder, remember I'm a magnesium weenie and stumbled on my first real tinder more by accident than anything else)

By the way, my steel is one of Coghland's new model. It seems to work, but the steel got loose after the first time I used it. I pulled it completely free of the handle by hand and then super-glued it back together, but for $4 (local retailer) I can't complain.
 
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skab8541 said:
I favor getting a ferro rod blank and putting a handle on it myself, I can get a larger rod and sweeter handle for less money!

Here's the one I made up with a blank from Bens Backwoods, and the knife is a modded Old Hickory.

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skab, that handle is absolutely sharp. Have you tried any other hardwoods ( oak, cherry, maple, etc.) ? I have some I am trying now out of cedar & some from pine just to try to get a system down. Looks good, excellent job.
Be safe.
 
Another idea to make it even harder is to do it at night or in the dark. Kind of like if you're lost and walk until you can't see anymore and then decide you're going to spend the night outside and need a fire. Try finding tinder in the dark and getting a fire going.

Another thing to do is to build it in the early morning when things are wet or there's a frost on the ground.
 
Hi RescueRiley -

Awesome idea!

Incidentally, I made my first fatwood fire with a fire stick yesterday.

One question - What is the difference between a misch-metal rod and a ferro-rod?

I have a fire-stick that Stomper made for me, and a magnesium block with a "spark stick" affixed to the side. Are these ok for this test?

Thanks and best regards -

mqqn
 
Well, I'll get the easiest one out of the way right of the bat, fatwood.

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Was collected in the "wild" persay as its from my neighbors dead tree!
 
Thanks for running this skills building exercise RR. Fire-making is my favorite part of bushcraft, so I'm totally in for this. I will make every effort to use a new tinder for each attempt. I already bagged some promising stuff last weekend out in the woods.

Tinder #1: Dry Tall Grass

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Tinder #2- cedar bark
had to post two today since I will be working till late tomorrow.

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There wasn't a flame in the traditional sense but the coal was more than enough to blow a tinder nest into flames. If this doesn't count due to the coal vs flame let me know and I'll find something else

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Great stuff guys.. I'll be doing birch bark, and a part of a wasp nest after the fam goes to bed.
 
RescueRiley said:
Great stuff guys.. I'll be doing birch bark, and a part of a wasp nest after the fam goes to bed.
Click to expand...

Can you do the wasp nest on vid? I have used several types of wasp nests and have not gotten one to work satisfactorily. Would love to see it in action.
 
I too took the easy route with this one and went with fat wood. I hope to use cedar bark for the next one.
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My two for the evening, fatwood on the left, white cedar shavings on the right. My daughters LMF, and my ESEE fire kit. I didn't realize how much misch was in the ESEE, so I didn't use it, just the LMF. EsKabar in the background provided both piles of shavings. Fatwood went up like normal, the cedar caught fast, but I wasn't quick enough with the camera and the pic is fuzzy. But they both lit up. Moose

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Tinder#2: Unidentified Shredded Bark

This is from a Halloween jaunt to the woods with my 11 year old son. Here he is scraping a stick. The bark shredded into perfect tinder.
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There were no pine trees in the immediate vicinity, and I have no clue as to what kind of tree this came from. If anyone can provide an i.d., that would be great.
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I let my son do the honors on this tinder, and it easily torched right up.
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Hey Riley...

What do you mean by " (no misch)" ??

BTW..

I taught 140 + youth and adults to make fire this month alone :)

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
Nice work guys..
MD I got your request too late.. the wasp nest went up but it wasn;t smooth took more than 10 strikes.
Eric there are 2 types of fire steels ferro rods, and mishc metal rods.. Mish rods will combust just about anything other than water ( I believe they have a much higher magnesium content) I chose ferro as I thought it would provide a little more than a challenge.
 
here's a wasp nest.took numerous sparks as I mentioned. it flamed for a few seconds but than formed more of a smoldering coal (probably could have been blow to a flame again in a tinder bundle)
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some birch bark strips
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This looks really interesting. I live in the woods but have never considered the idea of multiple sources of tinder. Makes sense though. I'll give it a go even if I don't manage 10 sources. If nothing else it'll be a fun learning experience. :thumbup:
 
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