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- Jun 3, 2010
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- 1,516
Split wood, shavings and feather sticks are all valuable skills which can greatly help facilitate a successful fire in challenging conditions. No questions about that however when I want BIG fire NOW with the least amount of effort I turn to aromatic hydrocarbons. We know the stuff. They often easily ignite burning with yellow sooty flames. I suspect the black soot has something to do with the carbon but no chemist.
Some hydrocarbon containing options in my woods.
Birch bark. Multiple types, fairly common here.
Fatwood. Uncommon here but as seen below it's out there.
Pine tar. Multiple sources but can be hit or miss in my AO. I don't live in a 100% pine forest but they're around.
There are other options as well within a multitude of environments. So what's the controversy? Forsome those who have easy access to foraged hydrocarbons the effort involved in making a big pile of split wood, shavings and feather sticks can seem like just an excuse to play with a knife. Why bother? Why is that person spending half of their Sunday splitting wood with a knife and shaving of all things sticks? For some of those without this resource there is always the statement "What if you can't find XYZ and need a fire in wet conditions?". No denying the methodology can be effective. This is reinforced by the fact we sometimes project our own experiences on others. So if I can't find any hydrocarbons out there what if you can't either?
I don't intend nor seek yet another goofy internet this vs that affair. Rather just stating an observation which might not even be correct in the first place. Ultimately firecraft is about results not what another person thinks of your methodology and practices. Odds are if you have a sustaining fire something was done right. LOL! To each their own IMHO. Also it goes without saying the more practiced skills and knowledge a person has the greater the number of options available should circumstances require.
With that silly rant out of the way time for the show. A two stick mullein friction fire using foraged hydrocarbons during a night outing. A night outing is one which starts at night. Sometimes just a night hike, other times an overnighter but the majority of everthing is done in the dark.
Right by camp there was this guessing naturalized Spruce which must have insulted a woodpecker. Some of these holes get totally filled with pine tar over time which can provide a good amount with little effort.
During my night hike from camp found Yellow birch bark.
The woods was damp from rain during the day but that shouldn't be a problem. Setup a twig fire platform in the ring.
The standard twig fire fuel on a two stick platform. I intended to use this to start a larger fire rather than my sole source of fuel.
We have a few fire boards and spindles aka proven sets. I used the two stick mullein fireboard. There is a tinder nest made from fluffed up cedar bark.
The foraged hydrocarbon laced materials. The sticky nature of pine tar makes putting it on sticks much easier for me to work with.
The plan.
1. Spin a coal but the source of ignition really doesn't matter.
2. Have the Yellow birch bark rapidly expand the flames from the cedar bark.
3. Toss on some thin kindling then pine tar to get over waist high flames in a hurry.
The natural foraged accelerants really worked great. Very often they do hence why people use them.
Here is a video of the process.
[video=youtube;Hw0KxBXq8d8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw0KxBXq8d8[/video]
Thanks for looking.
Some hydrocarbon containing options in my woods.
Birch bark. Multiple types, fairly common here.
Fatwood. Uncommon here but as seen below it's out there.
Pine tar. Multiple sources but can be hit or miss in my AO. I don't live in a 100% pine forest but they're around.
There are other options as well within a multitude of environments. So what's the controversy? Forsome those who have easy access to foraged hydrocarbons the effort involved in making a big pile of split wood, shavings and feather sticks can seem like just an excuse to play with a knife. Why bother? Why is that person spending half of their Sunday splitting wood with a knife and shaving of all things sticks? For some of those without this resource there is always the statement "What if you can't find XYZ and need a fire in wet conditions?". No denying the methodology can be effective. This is reinforced by the fact we sometimes project our own experiences on others. So if I can't find any hydrocarbons out there what if you can't either?
I don't intend nor seek yet another goofy internet this vs that affair. Rather just stating an observation which might not even be correct in the first place. Ultimately firecraft is about results not what another person thinks of your methodology and practices. Odds are if you have a sustaining fire something was done right. LOL! To each their own IMHO. Also it goes without saying the more practiced skills and knowledge a person has the greater the number of options available should circumstances require.
With that silly rant out of the way time for the show. A two stick mullein friction fire using foraged hydrocarbons during a night outing. A night outing is one which starts at night. Sometimes just a night hike, other times an overnighter but the majority of everthing is done in the dark.
Right by camp there was this guessing naturalized Spruce which must have insulted a woodpecker. Some of these holes get totally filled with pine tar over time which can provide a good amount with little effort.
During my night hike from camp found Yellow birch bark.
The woods was damp from rain during the day but that shouldn't be a problem. Setup a twig fire platform in the ring.
The standard twig fire fuel on a two stick platform. I intended to use this to start a larger fire rather than my sole source of fuel.
We have a few fire boards and spindles aka proven sets. I used the two stick mullein fireboard. There is a tinder nest made from fluffed up cedar bark.
The foraged hydrocarbon laced materials. The sticky nature of pine tar makes putting it on sticks much easier for me to work with.
The plan.
1. Spin a coal but the source of ignition really doesn't matter.
2. Have the Yellow birch bark rapidly expand the flames from the cedar bark.
3. Toss on some thin kindling then pine tar to get over waist high flames in a hurry.
The natural foraged accelerants really worked great. Very often they do hence why people use them.
Here is a video of the process.
[video=youtube;Hw0KxBXq8d8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw0KxBXq8d8[/video]
Thanks for looking.
