Can you start a fire?

[Garufa]

24 minutes ago, martin5 said:

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.

Who is this master of fire called Highwalker that you speak of?

[martin5]

Highwalker, that’s what he goes by on here. He’s a former green beret. He taught sear while he was in. He teaches an edible and medicinal wild plant class and wild game processing class. When I took the fire building class 10-ring was there. And no i didn’t get the fire started. I got it smoking so I was close.

[btq96r]

Using a flint was something I learned as a Cub Scout way back when.  Pretty hard to beat for all around utility, plus some small, lightweight, and cheap kit.  Still keep the lesson in mind even when I can use easier methods.

[17doc17]

In my packs I keep lighters, matches, and ferro rods along with cotton balls with petroleum jelly and a tin with char cloth

[gregintenn]

Old Boy Scout here. I can burn a block of ice!

[Tom B]

Gotta say I never tried to start one, but after 27 years as a firefighter I damn well know how to put one out-lol

[rgfarr]

A quality ferro rod makes it fairly easy in dry conditions. One of the commercial fire starter sticks like Blackbeards will start a bunch of fires and helps in less than ideal conditions. Anything more primitive is a whole different skill set. 

[Ronald_55]

I keep  the cotton balls with petroleum jelly on them in my fire kits (individually sandwiched between wax paper squares to reduce handling mess) with a lighter, matches, and ferro rod. I also put a small ziplock holding toothpicks in there. Break a few cheap ones up and you have dry tinder. I figure I should always have the easy option available if I can. I carry a bic in my pocket at all times too even though I have never smoked. I keep a couple small commercial fire started blocks in my hunting bag as another layer. 

We used to carry paper matchbooks in a ziplock when I was a kid and Dad and I hunted. One hunt we had a mishap crossing a creek during mild but chilly weather. By the time we could get set up to start a fire, we could not strike the matches due to shivering. Luckily we could suck it up and finish the hike out. A lesson I have carried with me since.

[Jeb48]

I could when a scout leader 50+ years ago but probably would need at least some barn burner matches now.  

Many years ago I was put in charge of doing a campfire for our church group.  I didn't want to mess with a slow starting fire and laid a nice traditional fire but hid a large piece of wax log in the middle.  A friend that knows more about everything than anyone else came up and started giving advice and I told him it was fine I knew what I was doing.  Stuck a match back in the right spot and caught the wax log going and had a great fire.  I don't think he ever gave advice on fire building again and I never told him about the wax log.

[Darrell]

I can start one with a flint, a steel, and some homemade tinder. If you cut an old t-shirt into 2" squares, put it into a metal can with some air holes and put the can into a fire the shirt will become the best tinder ever. One spark and it starts burning. For me, though, all bets are off it's raining, which probably defeats 80% of the purpose.

[Jpoc700]

Best fire starter duraflame pieces.