Can you start a fire?

[RED333]

I heat with wood in the winter, in the past when power is out in the warmer months I build small fires out side to cook over, make coffee. My skills to make a fire the old ways are fair, but I can after some trying and time.

[Jamie Jackson]

I don't smoke, used too, but quit several years ago. I still carry a Bic lighter in my pocket and still periodically test and/or replace as needed.

I also keep one, along with tinder and an old fashioned road flare in my GHB. I have started many, many a campfire using a road flare, even with damp materials when camping as a youth in the Mississippi piney woods.

I have started a few fires using steel and flint, but could never conquer starting a fire using friction. But certainly admire the skill and patience it requires.

 

Looking forward to reading about our members skills.

[peejman]

I know how to start one with damp stuff, but its not easy. 

[Grayfox54]

I grew up in a camping family. When my sons were younger I spent 12 years as a Boy Scout leader. You bet your azz I can start a fire! 

One should always carry a pocket knife and a lighter. With these two most basic of tools, a smart man can survive darned near anything. 

[BigK]

20 minutes ago, Grayfox54 said:

I grew up in a camping family. When my sons were younger I spent 12 years as a Boy Scout leader. You bet your azz I can start a fire! 

One should always carry a pocket knife and a lighter. With these two most basic of tools, a smart man can survive darned near anything. 

I don't carry a lighter in my pocket, but there's one easily accessible for sure. I have a knife handy everywhere I go though.

[10-Ring]

5 hours ago, RED333 said:

I heat with wood in the winter, in the past when power is out in the warmer months I build small fires out side to cook over, make coffee. My skills to make a fire the old ways are fair, but I can after some trying and time.

When I heated with wood the blower on my stove would kick on at a certain temperature.  I was always trying to get that blower to cut on faster than before.  

[Omega]

In SERE school you have x minutes to boil water, rain or shine, wouldn't you know it, it was rain.  Same a couple weekends ago, had to go do some chores on my new land, rained the morning of so everything was soaked but got it done, which was great because it went to 29 degrees that night.  

[Darrell]

3 hours ago, Omega said:

n SERE school you have x minutes to boil water, rain or shine, wouldn't you know it, it was rain.

I did the Jungle Environment Survival Training (JEST) in the Philippines. The aboriginal instructors made fire in minutes using a split length of bamboo. I managed to bloody my hands trying.

[CMDRStormBorn]

I completed multiple versions of SERE training as early as a teenager in the civil air patrol & blue beret program.  I can make a fire from friction even in high humidity with my own inherent anger when in need.  That said, I hate the egyptian bow drill style anywhere outside of the desert and I have a passionate love of flint and magnesium where at all possible.  Fun fact, I can reclaim quite of bit of drinking water from my pee with a simple plastic wrapper & strong sunlight for pure distillation.  It’s not fast though.  That is in my opinion the real challenge of bushcraft/isolated survival.  Things are very slow and you have to recalibrate your entire timeframe & expectations accordingly.  Life is a mental game.

[DL126]

https://kiknek.com/

[No_0ne]

[RED333]

I have 3 of these laying about as well.

4 hours ago, No_0ne said:

 

[Moped]

3 hours ago, RED333 said:

I have 3 of these laying about as well.

 

We always have one in our camper. I'm good with starting fires, but these make it so much easier!

[E4 No More]

8 hours ago, No_0ne said:

Mine too!

[Sleep profit]

I can in the fall when dry with magnesium rounds from a 4-10 done it lol 

[TripleGGG]

My granddad taught me how to respect and build fires since I was big enough to walk. I swear I believe he could have built fire from water. Lol. Seriously though, he taught me so many different ways. He was a very self reliant man. Man I wish cell phones were around back then so I could have taken videos.

[Tom B]

Not that great at starting them, but after 27 years in the fire department I sure know how to put them out-lol

[Grayfox54]

Yep, knowing how to put a fire out is also a very useful tool. I've seen quite a few fires get away from people who thought they had put it out. 

[Defender]

I used to be able to.  I used to keep waterproof matches and a spark tool in my go bag.  I’ve lapsed with that lately.  Also, I’m a big reader of post apocalyptic fiction and am reminded of how things could be,

Edited April 11, 2023 by Defender

[RED333]

10 hours ago, Defender said:

 Also, I’m a big reader of post apocalyptic fiction and am reminded of how things could be,

I have given thought to this as well, praying for the best is all we can do.

[Jamie Jackson]

Sadly it's almost as if the PAW books and writings were a bit prescient.

"Prepping" and a greater interest in the associated skills seems to have peaked about 10 years ago. 

This might be a good time for folks to revisit the concepts.

TGO has a good thread on suggested readings FWIW

Edited April 12, 2023 by Jamie Jackson

[maroonandwhite]

I keep a couple of medicine bottles filled with cotton balls rolled in petroleum jelly. They make great fire starters and burn much longer than cotton or dryer lint alone. 

[Omega]

Hard rain a day before had everything soaked and the ground squishy.  But got another one lit and kept it going even through a 3-hour rain, falling hard at one point.  The briars make a great kindling, I managed to burn a huge pile of willow oak leaves, and 3 piles of the same tree's branches.  I brought along some edger bricks so it wouldn't get away, but needed taller ones, think I'll just take a smokeless burn barrel next time, I have loads of willow oak branches I need to get rid of and the barrel burns hotter, so faster.  A great time to try different methods to get a fire going, last one was just a bic, this one was an army fire starter kit like the one below.

[Moped]

4 hours ago, maroonandwhite said:

I keep a couple of medicine bottles filled with cotton balls rolled in petroleum jelly. They make great fire starters and burn much longer than cotton or dryer lint alone. 

I keep these in my hiking bag, along with a fire steel, lighter and matches.

[martin5]

I skimmed this thread, and didn’t see anyone mention it. Highwalker teaches primitive fire building classes. It’s a lot of fun and hard work.