Winter Firecraft

T

triggahappy

Joined
Jul 12, 2011
Messages
135
Hey guys,

I have a challenge sort of thing coming up this weekend and one of the events is starting a fire. Here in Wisconsin we have around two, maybe one and a half feet of snow right now. I believe we will be given a knife and one of those half magnesium ferro rod things. Any tips for me? I know in general, lots of small, dry tinder, birch back if there is any, but what else? Any specific technique? Other good tinder?

Thanks for the help,
Chris
 
You might find this useful.

[video=youtube;G7G_4toQwNE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7G_4toQwNE[/video]

The bit about starting fires starts around the 2 minute mark. Keep your tinder warm and dry. Build up using different size tinder. Remove snow from the fire pit so it does not melt and put the fire out. Insulate the fire from the ground. Use dry wood. ;)

If the challenge is to get a fire going with a magnesium ferro rod + a knife that is fine. Use that but I'd still want a few other options. Trioxane, esbit tablets, and wetfire all work. So do candles, flares and thermite emergency fire starters etc.

None of those tinders will of course be allowed in a outdoors challenge type situation but having something extra is nice when the tinder is not perfect. In a real situation the tinder is rarely perfect.

Also while perhaps not applicable to your situation but worth considering is that using other peoples gear is not great. You need to test gear for yourself to know what works and what doesn't. Something as important as a fire kit is not something I'd leave to someone else.
 
Thanks for the tips! I have my own gear and have experience using it, however for this event I am not allowed to use my personal gear.
 
The snow is a non issue, being so cold, things are actually dry. Just make sure everything is ready before you light up. Not knowing just where this will be held makes it more difficult to say what other tinders are available.
 
triggahappy said:
Hey guys,

I have a challenge sort of thing coming up this weekend and one of the events is starting a fire. Here in Wisconsin we have around two, maybe one and a half feet of snow right now. I believe we will be given a knife and one of those half magnesium ferro rod things. Any tips for me? I know in general, lots of small, dry tinder, birch back if there is any, but what else? Any specific technique? Other good tinder?

Thanks for the help,
Chris
Click to expand...

I didn't know they added bushcraft to the Olympic :D I always find the thin, wispy birch bark. Those thick papery pieces won't catch from just a spark. Make you you have a nice fat, dry bundle, like two fists full pf the thinnest possible birch bark. I'd almost compare it to peanut skin in thickness.
 
(1) Build a small "platform" to get your tinder off the ground -- 5 or 6 pieces of dead wood, maybe 8-10 inches long each and all of similar width, laid side-by-side. Not only does this get the tinder off the ground, but it allows for some oxygen to get under the fire in the early critical stages.

(2) Process your tinder and small kindling as much as time and conditions allow, then process it some more.

(3) Be sure to remove the black or oxidized coating found on new (or long-since-used) ferro rods, then really dig in to remove as much material as possible when striking the firesteel.
 
Thanks for the help guys! The event is an ROTC competition up here in La Crosse, WI. Should be a fun time. Thanks again for your advice, I'm sure it will serve me well!
 
Lotsa Red Cedar around those Bluffs!! Scrape'em with the back of your knife to make a good fuzz.;)
 
Fat wood might be near! I'm in northern Minnesota, and almost everywhere here, there is a fat wood stump with in 50 yards. Spruce, balsam, white pine, red pine, will all work. Find a stump that is rotten enough to kick apart, and find a piece that is still hard, carve off the grey stuff, and you will find a aromatic, beautiful fire starter. Just that easy! Make a feather stick out of it, or just make some shavings, or scrape some with the back of the blade to make these really fine shavings.
 
Dont forget about those teeny, tiny super dry pine branches near the bottom, they stay dry and are easy to collect. Get a big handful for when the fire is small and they will really help :) My go to move (here in Md).
 
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