Wet condition firemaking

The sign of a good outdoorsman is ability to make fire in wet and rainy conditions. When it comes to fire, I’ve succeeded and failed in wet and rainy conditions.
 
Awesome! This weekend we had a real struggle with fire with damp rotten green wood in a free hut in the mountains... We finally got it going, but it took a while. And we were INSIDE the hut (fireplace, chimeney and all...). I should have brought some fire starting material (Esbit tablets) but... I didn't.

Mikel
 
When I was growing up in upstate NY I really liked the birch bark. Now that I am in the west (Sierra) I don't have access to it. In the Sierra I have to find fatwood or use the resin from the blisters on fir trees. Of course I usually carry some vaseline impregnated cotton balls, which work really well with a firesteel and take up very little space in my pack.
 
lambertiana said:
When I was growing up in upstate NY I really liked the birch bark. Now that I am in the west (Sierra) I don't have access to it. In the Sierra I have to find fatwood or use the resin from the blisters on fir trees. Of course I usually carry some vaseline impregnated cotton balls, which work really well with a firesteel and take up very little space in my pack.
Click to expand...

Birch bark is THE BEST...... And if you can find yellow birch its like tissue the layers are so thin....Least at Lake George by me.they are...👍
 
I have been in BF long enough to know a few tricks regarding natural materials to ignite with a ferro rod, homemade cotton-vaseline balls, etc... And they surely work when conditions are suitable. However, regarding last outing, there was not a birch or pine in sight (nearest one might be 5kms away), everything was soaking wet and wood was too green. That's why I opted for a more reliable, weatherproff, idiotproof alternative.

Update: 4 packages of 12x14grm ESTBIT tablets, with the idea of carrying a 3 piece blister in my kit. If everything goes well, we will try our hand at all natural materials fire making. However, if something goes south... ESBIT to the rescue.

Mikel
 
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