shu wrote:I am another who likes redundant systems... I generally carry 3-4 different ways to start a fire - lighter or two, matches (in waterproof case), ferro rod; as well as 1-2 types of tinder.
The Blastmatch works great, although I generally carry a Spark-lite instead as they are more compact and cheaper (so you can get several).
I used to carry a GI Mg firestarter, until I actually needed it to start a fire on a windy day... bottom line, they work but not near as well as many other methods.
While it pays enormous dividends to practice with any gear you plan to carry, it is even more important to be very comfortable with survival gear.
Shu the one thing you said that I personally can't stress enough~~ and that is to practice and actually use a selected fire starting method a few times so you know exactly what you are doing if the situation should arise to where you need this knowledge to literally stay alive.
It's one thing to see Les Stroud or Bear Grylls start a fire on one of their respective TV shows but it's a completely different ball game to actually do it yourself. Keep in mind those guys probably have practiced their methods dozens of times before they ever put the information on TV or the internet.
Survival; and I mean literally any aspect of it, is truly a set of aquired skills. Now don't get me wrong because I am very adamant about seeking out information from books, the internet, TV or any other information source; but there is still no substitute for actually doing it yourself.
....Way back when, in the days of my Boy Scouting I would make my own fire starters. I would gather up real fine jointer or block plane shavings, preferably pine, I would loosely pack them into the bottom half of the cardboardy egg cartons, I would then take 5-6 safety matches or the waterproof ones and press them down into the center of the shavings, leaving the tips exposed. I would then melt parafin wax and carefully pour it into the cup of shavings, being careful not to hit the match tips. After the wax hardened, i would separate the the egg carton into 12 individual firestarter cupcakes as you might call em, leaving the cardboardy part intact with the waxy part. I would wrap them individually with foil and throw them into my backpack.
When it came time to use them, just pull a match or two out of the center for striking, and you could light the remaining matches for a wick. The foil could be used as a prop or tent if need be....They always worked well for me.. John
...Far more .....:spyder: than i need But no where near as many as I want......
when you live somewhere cold and wet, like i do, fire might not always be possible. space blankets and heating packs should be an essential part of your "keep warm" plans. together, they're a winning combination. :D
For me it is real simple.....Steel Wool and rub it against the ends of a Nine Volt Battery....Warning!!!..Do not put both into the same pocket together :eek: ...Doc :D
"Always Judge a man by the way he treats someone who could be of no possible use to him"
Ha! I was just watching the videos and reading about the Split Pea and Peanut lighters. They seem pretty ideal for my purposes especially the fact the screw top keeps the fuel in the lighter (and makes them waterproof0 until used without any of the Zippo leakage that occurs if the latter is carried around and not used or checked frequently.
The Peanut and Split Pea are also tiny compared to most.
As people have already mentioned a combo of 3-4 different types of lighting a fire is preferable if in the Wilds, whatever "Wilds" may mean in each individuals case.
Well how timely!! I just saw the re-run of SURVIVORMAN with Les Stroud on the Science channel this evening where me makes that "chemical fire" that I was talking about on one of my eariler posts.
The 2 chemicals are "potassium permangate mixed with glycerin". Those 2 chemicals actually create a spontaneous combustion of sorts and it really ignites a fire very efficiently. It had been a while since I originally saw that show I was very thankful to see it again. I like the show "SURVIVORMAN" a little better than Man Vs Wild. It seems like Les Stroud comes up with some very vital and timely information on many survivor subjects.
I hope they re-run the show where he also uses the "fire piston". It's a great show because he shows how to use the tool very efficiently.
...Doc :D
