Fire Starting Kit: the old way! |
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TerryM
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Location: Saint Augustine Online Status: Offline Posts: 1950 |
Topic: Fire Starting Kit: the old way! Posted: 26 Nov 2009 at 3:52pm |
Here is what Lewis and Clark did. I'm not old enough to have gone with them, I was just a little tike, so I didn't see this in person!
Get yourself a small metal box with a lid on it. Something like an Altoids box. 1. Cut pieces of an OLD 100% cotton "T" shirt that will just fit into the box. 2. ****The next time you have a camp fire or BBQ going throw in the box. When the fire has cooled down get the box out. Inside you will have cotton charcoal. 3. Get a small amount of tiny pieces of wood. A good example would be the thin paper like wood found on the underside of some dried wood bark. Add to this small twigs. Very small. 4. Here is the tough part. Steel and flint. What you need is high carbon steel. I think steel files are but I'm not sure. The flint ( also called Chirt ) can be had in most parts of the country just by looking on the ground for it. Or you could go to a rock shop and get some. 5. Put a sheet or 2 of the cotton charcoal on the ground, add a little of the thin wood, get close to your fire pit and strike the steel with the flint. It would be a glancing blow going towards the fire material. You should be able to get sparks this way. The sparks are enough to set the cotton charcoal on fire which in turn would start the other wood. **** The metal box you use should have a tight fitting lid. Be sure to burn off all paint etc from the box before you first use it. Add a tiny hole on each side of the box. Whittle down a wooden match stick or other wood to tightly fit the holes. When you are cooking the cloth watch the holes. After gas comes out and burns there will be smoke. As soon as the smoke stops get your can out of the fire and stick the hole plugs in right away. See what is around your area that would be light weight and burn very easy to use as your first layer of wood on the charcoal. You can put your charcoal, steel & flint and starting material all together in a nice little box and pack it away. This does work. I have done it. I learned this at a Lewis and Clark Park. Terry PS: If someone know what common things are high carbon steel it would help. You can cheat and buy the charcoal cloth and flint here: http://www.flint-rocks.com/?gclid=CKOng5fKqZ4CFRshnAodtR5umg |
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RP-175 W/Lift Kit 2011 Ford F-150 4X4
Saint Augustine, FL: The first permanent European settlement in the USA: 1565 |
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Tusten Traveler
Senior Member Joined: 22 Jul 2009 Location: Catskills NY Online Status: Offline Posts: 235 |
Posted: 26 Nov 2009 at 11:05pm |
Wow! John's an eagle scout so he will definitely be impressed.
As for me, I'll stick with:
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John and Linda
One 14 lb Cockapoo 2010 RPod 174 |
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yizit
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 25 Feb 2009 Location: Wis. Dells, WI Online Status: Offline Posts: 663 |
Posted: 26 Nov 2009 at 11:47pm |
Good information and something fun for kids to learn, as well as the big kids. But as for me...I'll stick to the Safe Lite Fire Starters http://www.northlineexpress.com/category/fire-starters.asp
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Former owner of 2009 172 Darlene & Jim, Ewok our Lhasa Roada our 2004 Roadtrek C190Popular |
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TerryM
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Location: Saint Augustine Online Status: Offline Posts: 1950 |
Posted: 27 Nov 2009 at 3:47am |
Myself, i use self starting BBQ briquettes. Put some down, touch them with a lit match and pile on the wood. Works very well. If I was a long distance hiker I would use it because of it being small and light weight BUT, I ain't so I won't!
Terry |
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RP-175 W/Lift Kit 2011 Ford F-150 4X4
Saint Augustine, FL: The first permanent European settlement in the USA: 1565 |
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VenturaTom
Newbie Joined: 23 Nov 2009 Location: Ventura, CA Online Status: Offline Posts: 4 |
Posted: 28 Nov 2009 at 10:44am |
I'm with Terry....I like to use my small Weber grill...cook some dinner, then use the coals as a base for the fire.
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Tom
R-Pod 177 with Chevy S-10ext Cab V6 puller |
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flat6s
Groupie Joined: 21 Mar 2016 Location: Burlington, Ind Online Status: Offline Posts: 84 |
Posted: 21 May 2017 at 9:39am |
I was taught in survival training to use Frito Corn Chips. Put some in a zip lock bag. Does not matter if the get mashed or stay whole. Use a pinch or more. Good hot fire will erupt when touched by a match, or flint spark. They are light. Do not take up much room in your geat bag. Cheap. They work great. Try one
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ronahue
Senior Member Joined: 02 Jun 2015 Location: Massachusetts Online Status: Offline Posts: 316 |
Posted: 21 May 2017 at 9:54am |
I start mine the old fashion way Duraflame, it has never let me down.
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Ron & Sharon
2015 R-Pod 179 2022 Nissan Frontier No trees were harmed in the sending of this message but a billion electrons were really agitated |
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Happy Tripping
Senior Member Joined: 27 May 2014 Online Status: Offline Posts: 473 |
Posted: 21 May 2017 at 10:32am |
I also like flint and steel, and many products are available on the internet, but it does require practice (ex. http://www.primitivefire.com/Flint-and-Steel-Kits_c_10.html ).
My wife one-upped me by demonstrating that some alcohol-based gel hand cleaner and a match will light anything burnable.
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Bugout
Senior Member Joined: 01 Jan 2017 Location: S caroline Online Status: Offline Posts: 117 |
Posted: 21 May 2017 at 10:32am |
I like fat wood. All natural.
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Jk Aiken South Carolina 2016 178 Toyota Tundra 2017 4.6
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Guests
Guest Group |
Posted: 21 May 2017 at 10:42am |
Yep....Fritos work! Some folks save the lint from their clothes dryer and use that. I have done primitive fire starting demonstrations at our State Parks many times. I'll say this - prior to the invention of matches, starting a fire was a lot of work! |
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