Skills Challenge: The One Stick Fire

Tuxdad said:
So far was able to do it with white oak, and sassafrass, from my woodpile..

I used my spec plus as my tool, but had a bit of trouble getting a spark at first because I was using my old "stubby" firesteel.. It's got about 3/8ths of an inch left but it worked still.. Just took a bit more work is all..:)
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Great job brother, I am glad you got it going.
 
Great vid, IA. When I get home this week I'll have to try it. What's the larger axe you have there, btw? Looks nice.
 
If you take the "challenge" aspect out of this post, there is an extremely good reason for doing this that I believe can not be overemphasized. He mentions it early, briefly in the video, but like I said, I don't think it can be overemphasized :D

When conditions are extremely bad, the normal "dry sticks" you would collect for coarse tinder could be soaked completely through. Same with your grasses, mosses and things you might select for your fine tinder.

With this method, you can get everything you need from one piece of wood. If it is harvested off the ground (dead and partially fell over, etc) as long as it is the diameter of both your hands (put together in a circle) there should definitely be dry wood inside, no matter how wet or bad the conditions. That is extremely important.

I know I have been in two conditions within the past year that this method was about the only viable way of getting a fire going. I guess it is possible another method could have worked, but I wasn't going to mess around. But, these were the most challenging fire starting conditions I have been in. My point is, this method is extremely useful for getting everything you need regardless of if you get it going with a bow drill, a firesteel, a match, or a bic. Without properly prepped wood, none of those are gonna help you :)

Just as FYI, some info on my situations. One was winter camping. There was a warm spell before I got there, an ice storm, then warm enough for stuff to melt, and then it turned cold the day before I got there, freezing everything again. There was still 4 feet of snow making firewood gathering fun. The second was canoe camping in the fall in the Adirondacks. It had raining heavily the previous week, and then raining again for two full days before heading out, and during our first day out. Everything was completely soaked. Great trip though, especially with fire! :)

B
 
Brian Andrews said:
If you take the "challenge" aspect out of this post, there is an extremely good reason for doing this that I believe can not be overemphasized. He mentions it early, briefly in the video, but like I said, I don't think it can be overemphasized :D

When conditions are extremely bad, the normal "dry sticks" you would collect for coarse tinder could be soaked completely through. Same with your grasses, mosses and things you might select for your fine tinder.

With this method, you can get everything you need from one piece of wood. If it is harvested off the ground (dead and partially fell over, etc) as long as it is the diameter of both your hands (put together in a circle) there should definitely be dry wood inside, no matter how wet or bad the conditions. That is extremely important.

I know I have been in two conditions within the past year that this method was about the only viable way of getting a fire going. I guess it is possible another method could have worked, but I wasn't going to mess around. But, these were the most challenging fire starting conditions I have been in. My point is, this method is extremely useful for getting everything you need regardless of if you get it going with a bow drill, a firesteel, a match, or a bic. Without properly prepped wood, none of those are gonna help you :)

Just as FYI, some info on my situations. One was winter camping. There was a warm spell before I got there, an ice storm, then warm enough for stuff to melt, and then it turned cold the day before I got there, freezing everything again. There was still 4 feet of snow making firewood gathering fun. The second was canoe camping in the fall in the Adirondacks. It had raining heavily the previous week, and then raining again for two full days before heading out, and during our first day out. Everything was completely soaked. Great trip though, especially with fire! :)

B
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Exactomundo. It's my opinion (whatever that's worth) that the split wood fire ,whether it's one stick or many, is an essential skill for any woodsman to know. It could literally be the difference between life and death and definitely the difference between comfort and a miserable time in the woods.:thumbup:
Iz
 
Nice video IA, and good point. I'll have to pick one tool to try this with.
 
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