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wet firestarting
- Thread starter shadowfax
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2001
- Messages
- 108
Unfortunately, wet wood will not burn. Even when the fire is roaring, wood is dried by the heat before it starts to burn, although in a hot fire this happens relatively quickly.
The key is to find dry wood to get started, and this is usually foung inside fallen wood even if it appears wet on the outside. Standing deadfall is best because gravity will pull the moisture down and leave the top dry. When it rains, the outer layers of wood gets wet, but the inside stays dry. This means splitting logs. A quality axe is best for medium sized wood, up to, say, 8 inches. For larger wood, a splitting axe is better. Logs smaller than 7-8 inches can be split with your large camp knife, such as Busse BM or Basics 9 or 7, CS Trailmaster or Recon Scout, and MANY others.
As with most things in life, preparation is key. Before you light the match, make sure you have LOTS of tinder, made by shaving thin sliver of dry wood into fuzz sticks, and then lots extra!!! Second, you need dry kindling, strips from 1/16" to 3/8" thick, then you need fuel, which should be thicker, 1/2 to 3 or 4 inches, and dry. Then you must have other, not neccessarily dry, 1"-6" diameter split logs ready for drying beside the lit fire. This method takes at least an hour of prep time in environments where dry wood is readily available, and 2 hours when wood is wet. But, this method has never failed me. If you are very careful, you should be able to accomplish this with one or two matches.
Always practice these methods when starting fires on safe, comfortable trips, and even backyard bonfires, so that when you need to have the skills in an emergency situation, you won't have to rely on ( or wish for!) gas or paper to start your survival fire.
Remember, in the bush, fire is number 1! Nothing, barring injury, will spell disaster quicker than hypothermia!
Every time I step foot away from my home or vehicle in the bush, I ask myself, "what if..."! This means I am always confident in my ability to self rescue, and I can enjoy my outing.
Hope this helps.
Jet
The key is to find dry wood to get started, and this is usually foung inside fallen wood even if it appears wet on the outside. Standing deadfall is best because gravity will pull the moisture down and leave the top dry. When it rains, the outer layers of wood gets wet, but the inside stays dry. This means splitting logs. A quality axe is best for medium sized wood, up to, say, 8 inches. For larger wood, a splitting axe is better. Logs smaller than 7-8 inches can be split with your large camp knife, such as Busse BM or Basics 9 or 7, CS Trailmaster or Recon Scout, and MANY others.
As with most things in life, preparation is key. Before you light the match, make sure you have LOTS of tinder, made by shaving thin sliver of dry wood into fuzz sticks, and then lots extra!!! Second, you need dry kindling, strips from 1/16" to 3/8" thick, then you need fuel, which should be thicker, 1/2 to 3 or 4 inches, and dry. Then you must have other, not neccessarily dry, 1"-6" diameter split logs ready for drying beside the lit fire. This method takes at least an hour of prep time in environments where dry wood is readily available, and 2 hours when wood is wet. But, this method has never failed me. If you are very careful, you should be able to accomplish this with one or two matches.
Always practice these methods when starting fires on safe, comfortable trips, and even backyard bonfires, so that when you need to have the skills in an emergency situation, you won't have to rely on ( or wish for!) gas or paper to start your survival fire.
Remember, in the bush, fire is number 1! Nothing, barring injury, will spell disaster quicker than hypothermia!
Every time I step foot away from my home or vehicle in the bush, I ask myself, "what if..."! This means I am always confident in my ability to self rescue, and I can enjoy my outing.
Hope this helps.
Jet
- Joined
- Oct 6, 1998
- Messages
- 957
Jimmy,
"I rest my case" isn't that what they always say on the TV.
This is a very good comprehensive explination of how to start/keep a fire burning.
I would personally stick a few pieces of Maya-wood in my backpack or on the outside of it as the stuff always burns even when wet. This way you always have "tinder" available that burns.
Best Scouting wishes from Holland,
Bagheera
------------------
"I rest my case" isn't that what they always say on the TV.
This is a very good comprehensive explination of how to start/keep a fire burning.
I would personally stick a few pieces of Maya-wood in my backpack or on the outside of it as the stuff always burns even when wet. This way you always have "tinder" available that burns.
Best Scouting wishes from Holland,
Bagheera
------------------
- Joined
- May 24, 2001
- Messages
- 1
If you carry a plastic bag with vasoline soaked cotton balls and some sort of fire making device,"I prefer the gerber strike force" you will always have a ready source of flame. Just collect as much pencil lead thin or smaller twigs and pencil sized twigs and stack them in seperate piles next to where you plan to start your fire. fluff the cotton ball out some and light it. It will burn for an amazing amount of time, even when soaked. I have even tried this after throwing the cotton balls in water and they still light. After you light the cotton ball place the smallest twigs in one layer over the burning cotton ball. When the twigs catch on fire place another layer of small twigs on the fire laying them across the first layer, making sure the fire has plenty of oxegen. Just repeat this procedure, working your way up to bigger and bigger pieces of wood. You should have a good fire in no time. I have used this method thousands of times in any and all types of weather and believe me, IT WORKS!
i agree whole heartedly with the vaseline cotton ball technique, i have soaked them under water for several minutes, the still light with the first of second spark from my fire starter. you must as noted above collect your fire making materials before sparking the cotton ball, and before you go out make sure that you have the right kind of cotton ball, pure cotton that will light, some dont.
also some steel wool works well for starting a fire, i carry both.
a few weeks ago i collected all the supplies together, doan tool, flint and steel, cotton balls, vaseline, steel wool all together and went up to a hunting budies house in the woods, we had a little fire starting clinic after watching ron hoods first tape. the only thing i didnt bring was the flashlights.
these guys have lived in the country all their lives, hunted extensively, and lets say we all learned a lot about starting fire under field conditions. had a good time also took my two daughters, they learned a lot also.
will probably do it again in the fall.
also learned how to use the bow drill to start a fire, took me some time and a lot of help from some of the good folks on the hoods woods forum, but i got it done.
alex
also some steel wool works well for starting a fire, i carry both.
a few weeks ago i collected all the supplies together, doan tool, flint and steel, cotton balls, vaseline, steel wool all together and went up to a hunting budies house in the woods, we had a little fire starting clinic after watching ron hoods first tape. the only thing i didnt bring was the flashlights.
these guys have lived in the country all their lives, hunted extensively, and lets say we all learned a lot about starting fire under field conditions. had a good time also took my two daughters, they learned a lot also.
will probably do it again in the fall.
also learned how to use the bow drill to start a fire, took me some time and a lot of help from some of the good folks on the hoods woods forum, but i got it done.
alex
The others pretty much have it covered. Either you carry some kind of tinder you can use to get things rolling or you are going to have to find some way to get to some dry wood or other tinder in the wilderness.
I carry Ultimate Survival's deluxe kit with me whenever I travel. This includes BlastMatch firestarter and several pieces of material that burns well even when wet...in fact they claim it works better when damp. Also the BlastMatch is easy to use with one hand which could easily become a factor in a survial situation.
[This message has been edited by Roj Avon (edited 06-11-2001).]
I carry Ultimate Survival's deluxe kit with me whenever I travel. This includes BlastMatch firestarter and several pieces of material that burns well even when wet...in fact they claim it works better when damp. Also the BlastMatch is easy to use with one hand which could easily become a factor in a survial situation.
[This message has been edited by Roj Avon (edited 06-11-2001).]
- Joined
- Jun 23, 1999
- Messages
- 1,209
There have been lots of fire starting discussions here. You either practice, practice, practice, and maybe it wouldn't hurt if you get a lesson or two from someone who knows how to do it...
...or...
You make sure you have with you a source of hot sparks, and some high quality tinder, the single hardest thing to find when everything is very wet. There have been many good recommendations among them:
pitch wood,
vasiline/wax soaked cotton balls,
trioxane or other fuel bars/cubes,
magnesium shavings (or a block to shave),
wax filled drier lint with a cotton/vas starter! There are probably many others.
Having solved the tinder problem and knowing you can find some dry wood inside logs, still leaves a problem. How do you keep your kindling dry while you are preparing it? If you have shelter of some kind (natural or something you threw together) you should be OK, but what if you don't? If fire is the difference between survival and hypothermia what do you do if you can't get out of the rain and wind? Even granted your tinder can be sparked to life and will burn for a few minutes if your kindling gets wet before you get it burning, you won't be able to get some self-sustaining heat. You can slice logs all day into dry kindling sticks, but if you can't keep them dry while you are slicing enough of them, what good does it do you?
I haven't had a lot of experience with this. Most of my trips are in summer when storms in this part of the world (any of the parts that I've lived) can be real soakers, but they only last a short time. I've camped in cold and also some wind and gotten fires going, but the few times I've been in a long steady rain storm (2 days once) I was prepared with a high quality mountain stove (white gas) and plenty of fuel. I didn't build a fire.
Is there a solution to the problem? I could see how a high quality tarp (something with gromets) would be real useful in those conditions. Could it be done with a trash bag in wind and rain without help?
...or...
You make sure you have with you a source of hot sparks, and some high quality tinder, the single hardest thing to find when everything is very wet. There have been many good recommendations among them:
pitch wood,
vasiline/wax soaked cotton balls,
trioxane or other fuel bars/cubes,
magnesium shavings (or a block to shave),
wax filled drier lint with a cotton/vas starter! There are probably many others.
Having solved the tinder problem and knowing you can find some dry wood inside logs, still leaves a problem. How do you keep your kindling dry while you are preparing it? If you have shelter of some kind (natural or something you threw together) you should be OK, but what if you don't? If fire is the difference between survival and hypothermia what do you do if you can't get out of the rain and wind? Even granted your tinder can be sparked to life and will burn for a few minutes if your kindling gets wet before you get it burning, you won't be able to get some self-sustaining heat. You can slice logs all day into dry kindling sticks, but if you can't keep them dry while you are slicing enough of them, what good does it do you?
I haven't had a lot of experience with this. Most of my trips are in summer when storms in this part of the world (any of the parts that I've lived) can be real soakers, but they only last a short time. I've camped in cold and also some wind and gotten fires going, but the few times I've been in a long steady rain storm (2 days once) I was prepared with a high quality mountain stove (white gas) and plenty of fuel. I didn't build a fire.
Is there a solution to the problem? I could see how a high quality tarp (something with gromets) would be real useful in those conditions. Could it be done with a trash bag in wind and rain without help?
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2000
- Messages
- 28
Matthew, Excellent post! I've spent my share of soggy days and nights and days afield. I have reached 2 conclusions. I/you will be wet. I have it all; Goretex, pile, polypro. Eventually you get wet either from the inside or from out. Your gear had better keep you warm when it is damp or wet. [Wool or pile]. Conclusion 2 is a fire is nearly impossible to start and keep in a long steady rain. I've done it, I've taught it. It was always much more trouble than it was worth. Curl up in a [hopefully large] tent and read a good book. If I HAD to build a fire in a steady rain i.e. a survival situation, the first thing I would find is a suitable site. A cave, an undercut, a tree hollow. I mean it's time to get woodsy and become the animal you are. You need to get out of the rain, THEN use the skills you have always practiced for this situation. I hope I have my cotton balls, my innertubes, my fuel tabs, my firesteel, my saw, my machete and my Bic!
- Joined
- May 1, 2000
- Messages
- 2,259
Every once in a while I cruise through this forum and I learn something new every time. Thank you guys.
The cotton balls in vaseline is a good idea, I'll have to try that sometime. Whenever camping, I also always bring a can of WD-40 and a Zippo (with extra fluid). I've found this combination to be good for starting fires as well as dealing with pests (be they insect or larger). I haven't yet had to try it on a human or bear that got too close, but I imagine they wouldn't want to come any closer!
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Jason aka medusaoblongata
-----------------------
"Is not giving a need? Is not receiving mercy?" - Thus Spoke Zarathustra
"Cutting his throat is only a momentary pleasure and is bound to get you talked about." - Lazarus Long
"Knowledge is not made for understanding; it is made for cutting." - Michel Foucault
------------------
Jason aka medusaoblongata
-----------------------
"Is not giving a need? Is not receiving mercy?" - Thus Spoke Zarathustra
"Cutting his throat is only a momentary pleasure and is bound to get you talked about." - Lazarus Long
"Knowledge is not made for understanding; it is made for cutting." - Michel Foucault
RokJok
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2000
- Messages
- 4,087
http://www.light-my-fire.se
"MayaSticks are resin rich pinewood stumps to use as kindling for lighting fires and BBQ´s."
By stumps they mean little chunks of wood that are about 2-3 inches long & about 1 inch or a bit more across. It's not the remaining base of a tree after it's been cut down, as we in the USA understand the term "stump".
HTH,
Greg
[This message has been edited by RokJok (edited 06-13-2001).]
"MayaSticks are resin rich pinewood stumps to use as kindling for lighting fires and BBQ´s."
By stumps they mean little chunks of wood that are about 2-3 inches long & about 1 inch or a bit more across. It's not the remaining base of a tree after it's been cut down, as we in the USA understand the term "stump".
HTH,
Greg
[This message has been edited by RokJok (edited 06-13-2001).]
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2001
- Messages
- 108
In my earlier post, I was trying to stay "all natural". When I'm going into the bush, if fires are allowed, I always have one. And I also ALWAYS carry fire starters, like my strike force and cubes, lint or cotton balls in vaseline, etc. But, I always try to start my fires without these aids, keeping them until I really need them(or get really lazy!) This way if emergencies occur, I'm ready. To make this easier, I take a piece of birch bark at every opportunity on my trip, and put it in my pocket. I've even put wet birch bark in my inside pocket of my goretex shell at the start of the day, and it had dried enough to burn at supper time. BTW, not much else burns like birch bark!!!
It is often a big chore to keep a fire going when raining, even just long enough to cook on. That's why I usually have a tiny Snowpeak canister stove just in case.
As for keeping kindling dry, a tarp or lean to is a must! or use the vestibule on your tent, or just put it right inside until you are ready to start the fire( but don't actually have the fire in or near your tent). Or use your sleeping pad, your spare jacket, your canoe upside down, or anything else that'll keep the rain off.
Once the fire is going, don't split all your wood at once. Wait until you need it, then split out the dry wood from inside. While it is waiting, said wood should be drying beside the fire, sheltered as much as possible.
Remember, the larger the fire is in the rain, the longer and easier it will be to keep going. Within reason, of course.
These are fun skills to work on, but make sure you always have a back up plan and gear, then when the jackpot occurs, you'll likely have the stuff with you, and it'll be a moot point.
Finally, the fire in the rain thing is no fun if you don't have a good tarp, and something to sit on. And a big ribeye. And a Moosehead!
Jet
It is often a big chore to keep a fire going when raining, even just long enough to cook on. That's why I usually have a tiny Snowpeak canister stove just in case.
As for keeping kindling dry, a tarp or lean to is a must! or use the vestibule on your tent, or just put it right inside until you are ready to start the fire( but don't actually have the fire in or near your tent). Or use your sleeping pad, your spare jacket, your canoe upside down, or anything else that'll keep the rain off.
Once the fire is going, don't split all your wood at once. Wait until you need it, then split out the dry wood from inside. While it is waiting, said wood should be drying beside the fire, sheltered as much as possible.
Remember, the larger the fire is in the rain, the longer and easier it will be to keep going. Within reason, of course.
These are fun skills to work on, but make sure you always have a back up plan and gear, then when the jackpot occurs, you'll likely have the stuff with you, and it'll be a moot point.
Finally, the fire in the rain thing is no fun if you don't have a good tarp, and something to sit on. And a big ribeye. And a Moosehead!
Jet
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2000
- Messages
- 174
Lots of tinder, absolutely. I've been teaching my sons to spot for tinder on our hikes, and think I've convinced my oldest that just a little won't do.
Two years ago we camped along the Madison river in Idaho after a week of heavy rains. After 30 min. attempting to start a fire with a commercial firestarter I tried building the fire on a base of 1-2" logs -the ground was so saturated it was keeping the wood from starting. That worked.
I've found that works in 'improved' camp site fire pits too. Some people tend towards overkill when drowning a fire, and the pit is usually a mud pit.
Two years ago we camped along the Madison river in Idaho after a week of heavy rains. After 30 min. attempting to start a fire with a commercial firestarter I tried building the fire on a base of 1-2" logs -the ground was so saturated it was keeping the wood from starting. That worked.
I've found that works in 'improved' camp site fire pits too. Some people tend towards overkill when drowning a fire, and the pit is usually a mud pit.