SAK helped missing hikers survive

J

James Y

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Feb 18, 1999
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In our local paper today, one of three missing hikers found safe in the San Bernardino Nat'l Forest, Ryan Shankles, was pictured with his SAK (it appears to be a Swisschamp). They used the tiny magnifying glass to start a fire for warmth. They had been missing for three days.

Sorry, I can't figure out how to link to the news article on this ipad. So my sharing this is probably not much help, but thought I'd try anyway, as a SAK is being mentioned in the news (positively!).



Jim
 
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Cool, glad they made it. Good to hear that the magnifying glass started a fire.
 
Thanks for providing the link!

I just saw another story on TV about this, and got a little better look at the SAK. It's not a Swisschamp; it was MUCH thinner, maybe 2 or 3 layers(?), but I could see the little magnifying glass, and it had a corkscrew on the back.

Jim
 
I have been snowed on on July 4th on Mt. San Gorgonio - their objective. In Summer Camp season in the 1960's , a dozen or so Boy Scouts a night would over-night on the summit.
 
In decades of trying, I have never succeeded in lighting a fire with my Swisschamp magnifying glass. At best, I have burned holes in paper or dry leaves, but all I ever got for the effort were wisps of smoke. Nevertheless, every summer hope is reborn. My goal is to get a fire going with that magnifier sometime before I die. If anyone has figured out how to do it, please post your technique.
Please hurry, I'm not getting any younger :( .
 
znapschatz said:
In decades of trying, I have never succeeded in lighting a fire with my Swisschamp magnifying glass. At best, I have burned holes in paper or dry leaves, but all I ever got for the effort were wisps of smoke. Nevertheless, every summer hope is reborn. My goal is to get a fire going with that magnifier sometime before I die. If anyone has figured out how to do it, please post your technique.
Please hurry, I'm not getting any younger :( .
Click to expand...

Try 7500 feet up in California - or Arizona - or Colorado. Solar radiation is much more intense than in Clumbs or anywhere in Ohio on our brightest day.
 
znapschatz said:
In decades of trying, I have never succeeded in lighting a fire with my Swisschamp magnifying glass. At best, I have burned holes in paper or dry leaves, but all I ever got for the effort were wisps of smoke. Nevertheless, every summer hope is reborn. My goal is to get a fire going with that magnifier sometime before I die. If anyone has figured out how to do it, please post your technique.
Please hurry, I'm not getting any younger :( .
Click to expand...

I wonder if he had the old style mag glass or the newer style? :)

I havent heard about anyone on any forum, news channel, or anywhere getting one started with a sak mag glass yet! Old or new style!
 
sir_mike said:
I wonder if he had the old style mag glass or the newer style? :)

I havent heard about anyone on any forum, news channel, or anywhere getting one started with a sak mag glass yet! Old or new style!
Click to expand...

This did come up a while ago in a thread where someone claimed to have done the deed while on a camping trip with his son. Those are all the details I remember of that post, which is probably a few years old. FWIW, there were a few pointers in that thread, like to use dark fire starting material because it reflects away much less light than, say, white paper, which dissipates most of the radiation concentrated by the glass. This was thrilling bit of information, of course, the key to fire starting with the magnifier, I was sure. So now, right there on my Swisschamp, along with knife blade, can opener, scissors, toothpick and all, there was a bona fide solar power device. How cool was that?
Well, too cool, really. It didn't light the tinder, either :( . My quest continues.
 
I used to light my cigarets with the SAK magnifier. Steady hand and dark material helps and the tobacco is supposed to burn. :)
 
Glad the story had a happy ending. It sounds like they did a good job staying calm and collected :thumbup:
 
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