- Joined
- Sep 26, 2005
- Messages
- 3,516
OK I have been gathering gear for a while and decided it was time to see what works for me and what doesn't. I would like to bring it all but I can't.
First some pics,
That boulder in the middle of the pic looked like a good spot to set up.
Some of the gear I brought today.
Close up of fire stuff.
OK onto my review. The tin is a burts bees tin, that I really like. It's yellow so easy to find, fits perfectly in the top of my maxpedition 12X5 water bottle holder, and it's got a badass bee on it. Also has a hole already in it in case I ever want to make char cloth with it.
I have two types of ferrocium today, since my light my fire snapped off while in my glove box (still not sure how) I am using one of about a dozen blanks I got on ebay years back, which is more or less the same as the lmf stuff.
The other came from not sure where, but it's 3/8'' thick and about 4 or 5 inches long. It's softer and the sparks a big and burn a lot longer. My carbide sharpener just rips it up without igniting it, very odd. I use the back of the saw in my outrider, works but not ideal as the saw closed on my hand twice. Not too fun but no serious injuries.
Also, pjcb's, jute line, fatwood shavings (walmart) and my K&M match case with some UCO brand emergency matches. Also a big pile of birch bark.
Test 1 - Fatwood shavings - about a half tablespoon of larger shavings, the smaller rod would not light them. Moved onto the bigger rod, three swipes and a big hot gob of ferrocium got the pile burning pretty good, and burned for a while too. The saw works but if it locked I bet one strike I would have had them lit.
I was hoping the smaller firesteel would work but no dice, I am blaming my walmart fatwood.
T2 - matches and a big chunk of birch bark. I wanted to simulate what I would most likely be using in an emergency fire, and the match lit quick, and just holding it against a corner of a big piece of bark and it was blazing away in no time. Burn time is about 6 or 7 seconds. A small hassle to have to carry the striker cards with the matches, and you can only really get about 8 in there, but I love my K&M so this one stays. Just need to think of a better way to have the striker paper handy.
T3 - Pjcb's, my favourite tinder. They burn wet, they burn long, and they ignite easy. One swipe with the smaller ferro rod and it went up like a torch, and had to put it out to get on with my next test as it took too long to burn out, over a minute I'd say.
I need to make some pjcb straws as it is both a small and effective setup, but a smaller striker would be even better. I have some ideas for a straw that contains everything, rod, balls, and striker.
T4 - jute line- First time using it. It took a while to unwind the line and fray it up, and then tried it with both rods. Once a spark hit it it ignited quickly, but burnt up in about half a second. I am a bit surprised people use jute as a tinder, but I guess it did take a spark quick. Combined a piece with some fatwood and it was a good combo, but not an ideal situation, setup is too long.
T5 - Birch bark. - First I wanted to see if a spark from the big rod would ignite a piece with minimal setup, just a couple rips. It was close but the bark needs some fraying. The smaller rod needed more, as I was expecting. But I like birch bark a lot as a tinder, fairly common and it can light wet, and makes a good secondary stage tinder to get your fire going. I have thought of making some "super prepared tinder", by making tubes of birch bark, tied up with jute, and stuffed with pjcb's and some fatwood splinters. unroll a tube, light a ball, and feed in some fatwood.
So I learned a lot today, and got some ideas for future projects. I am curious what the bigger rod is made of though, maybe some magnesium is added to the rod? I plan to make a striker out of a jigsaw blade with a squared back for it, too.
On the way back I was thinking about my fatwood and decided I would look for some again. I had started thinking it just wasn't very common around here, then I realized, if there's pine trees, there's fat wood, I just wasn't looking properly.
I saw a stump near the trail and booted it, the base was fairly hard. I jammed my mora in and twisted out a few chips, no turpentine smell.
I spotted a stump further away and on the way I sorts stumbled over a gnarled looking old root, much too hard for such a rotten looking thing. sure enough it was some really nice fatwood!
that piece in the last pic was actually oozing resin when I took it from my bag, I think it will be worth testing next time for sure.
If you want to read the review I did of that axe earlier in the day and see some more pics check out this thread.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1044491-My-Barco-cruiser-review
First some pics,
That boulder in the middle of the pic looked like a good spot to set up.
Some of the gear I brought today.
Close up of fire stuff.
OK onto my review. The tin is a burts bees tin, that I really like. It's yellow so easy to find, fits perfectly in the top of my maxpedition 12X5 water bottle holder, and it's got a badass bee on it. Also has a hole already in it in case I ever want to make char cloth with it.
I have two types of ferrocium today, since my light my fire snapped off while in my glove box (still not sure how) I am using one of about a dozen blanks I got on ebay years back, which is more or less the same as the lmf stuff.
The other came from not sure where, but it's 3/8'' thick and about 4 or 5 inches long. It's softer and the sparks a big and burn a lot longer. My carbide sharpener just rips it up without igniting it, very odd. I use the back of the saw in my outrider, works but not ideal as the saw closed on my hand twice. Not too fun but no serious injuries.
Also, pjcb's, jute line, fatwood shavings (walmart) and my K&M match case with some UCO brand emergency matches. Also a big pile of birch bark.
Test 1 - Fatwood shavings - about a half tablespoon of larger shavings, the smaller rod would not light them. Moved onto the bigger rod, three swipes and a big hot gob of ferrocium got the pile burning pretty good, and burned for a while too. The saw works but if it locked I bet one strike I would have had them lit.
I was hoping the smaller firesteel would work but no dice, I am blaming my walmart fatwood.
T2 - matches and a big chunk of birch bark. I wanted to simulate what I would most likely be using in an emergency fire, and the match lit quick, and just holding it against a corner of a big piece of bark and it was blazing away in no time. Burn time is about 6 or 7 seconds. A small hassle to have to carry the striker cards with the matches, and you can only really get about 8 in there, but I love my K&M so this one stays. Just need to think of a better way to have the striker paper handy.
T3 - Pjcb's, my favourite tinder. They burn wet, they burn long, and they ignite easy. One swipe with the smaller ferro rod and it went up like a torch, and had to put it out to get on with my next test as it took too long to burn out, over a minute I'd say.
I need to make some pjcb straws as it is both a small and effective setup, but a smaller striker would be even better. I have some ideas for a straw that contains everything, rod, balls, and striker.
T4 - jute line- First time using it. It took a while to unwind the line and fray it up, and then tried it with both rods. Once a spark hit it it ignited quickly, but burnt up in about half a second. I am a bit surprised people use jute as a tinder, but I guess it did take a spark quick. Combined a piece with some fatwood and it was a good combo, but not an ideal situation, setup is too long.
T5 - Birch bark. - First I wanted to see if a spark from the big rod would ignite a piece with minimal setup, just a couple rips. It was close but the bark needs some fraying. The smaller rod needed more, as I was expecting. But I like birch bark a lot as a tinder, fairly common and it can light wet, and makes a good secondary stage tinder to get your fire going. I have thought of making some "super prepared tinder", by making tubes of birch bark, tied up with jute, and stuffed with pjcb's and some fatwood splinters. unroll a tube, light a ball, and feed in some fatwood.
So I learned a lot today, and got some ideas for future projects. I am curious what the bigger rod is made of though, maybe some magnesium is added to the rod? I plan to make a striker out of a jigsaw blade with a squared back for it, too.
On the way back I was thinking about my fatwood and decided I would look for some again. I had started thinking it just wasn't very common around here, then I realized, if there's pine trees, there's fat wood, I just wasn't looking properly.
I saw a stump near the trail and booted it, the base was fairly hard. I jammed my mora in and twisted out a few chips, no turpentine smell.
I spotted a stump further away and on the way I sorts stumbled over a gnarled looking old root, much too hard for such a rotten looking thing. sure enough it was some really nice fatwood!
that piece in the last pic was actually oozing resin when I took it from my bag, I think it will be worth testing next time for sure.
If you want to read the review I did of that axe earlier in the day and see some more pics check out this thread.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1044491-My-Barco-cruiser-review