Favourite Things in Fire Starting

[leon-1]

Query - What would you do if you accidentally became separated from your fire steel in the bush?

Jeff, I am one of the many with an addiction to the evil nicotine, you would probably have to prise my fingers away from my lighter.

Having said that, I haven't really got a preference as to how I start a fire, I will use whatever is at hand, although at the moment the firesteel is always in my kit (so is a lighter and a magnifying glass). Haven't tried a fire piston yet, but will have to give it a go.

Once the fire is going I prefer to use a starfire, as this seems to be more economical as far as the amount of wood burnt and how much heat can be controlled with ease :-)

[boaty]

Oxygen

[Jeff Wagner]

I suppose the significant aspect is that one should become proficient in the art regardless of the tools used. They all have their plusses and minuses. I too was a smoker until about two months ago and I alway had a lighter in my pocket. I will say however that in very windy conditions I could light up my smoke better with a fire piston than a lighter. Now that I have given up the habit I sometimes have to scratch around to find something with which to light the barbeque.

The connection between devices and skills has always troubled me. We become confident in our bushcraft skills and abilities under specific conditions and so long as we have this knife or that fire steel and ...you get the picture. We become dependent upon the device rather than the knowledge. Remove the device from the scenario and the skill is often negated. Now that I have conquered the hand drill I feel much more able to make do with whats available. Go forth naked into the wilderness, so to speak...but avoid the briar patch... :shock:

[Tantalus]

find it hard to believe that only 3 people would use matches or a lighter

this does not go along with everything i have seen on campsites

and how come BIG TARGET got 4 votes anyway??

Tant

[tomtom]

find it hard to believe that only 3 people would use matches or a lighter

this does not go along with everything i have seen on campsites

Tant

perhaps ones favorite method is not the one most offten used??

[TheViking]

and how come BIG TARGET got 4 votes anyway??

Tant

Because I enabled that in the poll options. :wink: But for some reason I can't vote several times. I would have voted for firesteel also. :roll:

[tomtom]

You enabled Just Big T to vote several times or did you enable everyone?

[TheViking]

You enabled Just Big T to vote several times or did you enable everyone?

Everyone off course... :wink: But I don't know what's wrong. I can't vote more times. :roll: Adi!?? ):

[MagiKelly]

perhaps ones favorite method is not the one most offten used??

I have been meaning to post that exact point for a while. All these poor people getting chastised for using a fire steel and being lost without it when in fact they may be perfectly capable of lighting a fire without it but it is not their favorite method.

Now if the results were to the question "what way CAN you light a fire?" then the citisism may be justified although I suspect that matches and lighters would get more votes :wink:

[Nightfall]

I like my firesteels.I always have one in a pouch in my pocket also a small one on my swiss army knife. For tinders I'll use cattail down, charcloth, finely shreded jute for the natural stuff. Man made cotton ball and P.J. Really like wetfire too. :cold2:

[Ginja]

Favourite method? Magnifying glass - there's just something about this method that I really like; be it the fact that it's fairly effortless, it reminds me of time spent as a kid, and needless to say, it's goes hand-in-hand with sunny days!

Most frequently used method? Firesteel and lighter (the former mostly in summer, the latter mainly in winter - especially when it's blowing a gale and I'm trying to brew up, an occasion when the satisfaction of more traditional methods is often outweighed by the need hot tea, fast!).

And if I lost my firesteel and/or lighter? Then I'd have to dust down my fire by friction expertise (which ain't great, I'll admit!). Or find a tree and wait for some lightening ... Stone Age stylee!

G :-)

[jamesdevine]

I voted other as I love Fire by Friction with the Fire steel running a close second.

James

[Jeff Wagner]

I voted other as I love Fire by Friction with the Fire steel running a close second.

James

Is the weed mullein available to you? If it is, I can highly recommend its use as a hand drill.

[Realgar]

[QUOTE=leon-1]Jeff, I am one of the many with an addiction to the evil nicotine, you would probably have to prise my fingers away from my lighter.
[QUOTE]

In an effort to quit I'd only allow myself a rolly if I lit using a flame I'd produced without recourse to lighter, matches or the gas hob. It's amazing how fast you pick up fire lighting skills when you're desperate.

Lost my steel ? - I'd just scout around for friction materials or a handy bit of flint. The steel/flint stick etc just happens to be my fave method - aside form anything else I can light a blow torch with it in the workshop.

Realgar

[jamesdevine]

Not Sure I recognise that one do you have link or pic as I am experimenting with everything. The Hand drill I'm still not all that reliable but my bow and drill is OK. I just like the feeling I get the fire seems warm when I have but so much effort into it.

James

[Jeff Wagner]

I am unfortunately unable to post a photo however you can find it here.

http://www.cloudnet.com/~djeans/FlwPlant/Mullein.htm

I had been frustrated by the hand drill for a long time and since discovering this weed I am now having success each and every time. I can consistently get an ember now with 3 - 5 passes down the shaft - time required is perhaps 25 seconds. Its really quite amazing and I very much like having the capability of making fire from only the materials at hand. The preparation time for this set up is minimal and I dont have to worry about making cordage for a bow drill.

[Burnt Ash]

wheres the cheapest place to get me hands on a flint and steel?

That is a serious question, right? The trick is to deal with the two components separately, then marry them together.
Flint you can pick up from the ground (there's a few million tons of it lying around hereabouts).
The steel can be any old chunk of, well, steel! Bits of low carbon mild steel ironmongery will generally do the trick: old horseshoes or gate hinges, for example.

Burnt Ash

[leon-1]

[QUOTE=Realgar][QUOTE=leon-1]Jeff, I am one of the many with an addiction to the evil nicotine, you would probably have to prise my fingers away from my lighter.

In an effort to quit I'd only allow myself a rolly if I lit using a flame I'd produced without recourse to lighter, matches or the gas hob. It's amazing how fast you pick up fire lighting skills when you're desperate.

Lost my steel ? - I'd just scout around for friction materials or a handy bit of flint. The steel/flint stick etc just happens to be my fave method - aside form anything else I can light a blow torch with it in the workshop.

Realgar

Although not overly bushcraty, the point was that I always have a lighter. One of my instructors always said that rather than "FAF" around with anything else, if you have a small Bic in your kit it saves a lot of hassle. This could be seen on the Ray in the Jungle bit.

Unfortunate as it seems to have replaced traditional knowledge, it is still a handy thing when you cannot get an ember by any other means.

The Major thing is to not let traditional skills die, be it a hand drill or firebow or any other means of starting fire. Reliance on one thing may be the difference and I think that Jeff already mentioned that, if we diversify then we will be able to start fire no matter what (unless of course we are submerged) :-)

[jonglow]

mine has to be my new firepiston real fast fire from this piece of kit

[Jeff Wagner]

mine has to be my new firepiston real fast fire from this piece of kit

): Glad you like it, Jon

[ScottC]

My favourite has to be Firesteel with favourite tinders being cattail down, birch bark and red cedar scrapings.

I like the Indian fire lay and also the log fire for long cooking.

I hope to make and master the bowdrill set before my 14th birthday even though it is unlikely that I can do it by then..

[Paganwolf]

The fire piston rules ok!! :rolmao: ive lit wood punk,cotton waste,amadou, charcloth, compacted tissue with mine so far im addicted! :shock:

[ScottC]

I also like using charcloth but have a limited supply of it as i haven't had the chance to make some more on the BBQ yet. It is a great material!

[Paganwolf]

Has Gary sent your mini charcloth maker yet dude? He is a mega busy fella if he aint ill nudge him :biggthump

[Jeff Wagner]

The fire piston rules ok!! :rolmao: ive lit wood punk,cotton waste,amadou, charcloth, compacted tissue with mine so far im addicted! :shock:

ATTABOY! If you are able to locate some of the mullein ( figwort) plant over there, the pith works great. This weed is supposed to be native to Europe.

[maddave]

I Like the swedish firesteel because it's like your own little firework display watchin' them sparks fizz and crackle as they bring your fire to life. Second is the bow drill cuz it's sort of basic and earthy.

Fave tinder is cattail down and dry bracken

[ChrisKavanaugh]

Firemaking is one of our oldest skills and rich in social and individual meaning. From the most ancient african hearths, Prometheus and Jack London's To Build A Fire and finally a rocket burning toward the heavens it is deep in our core of humanity. People expect me to have some impressive parlour tricks with fire. I am competant with most. But I like matches. My grandmother had a huge brick fireplace with a tin matchbox bearing a knacker's logo from an agrarian Los Angeles long vanished. My twit younger brother tried to light some matches and made a broken mess without success. Then with it's discovery he blamed me! I was so wronged at this injustice I resolved to " do the crime" and at least succeed where he failed. So I waited until late at night, secured a supply and secreted myself behind a huge Sycamore in the back yard by the fishpond. I gathered my bit of newspaper, scattered twigs and bark and a few smaller bits of fuel from the stacked woodpile. I built my fire and sat there listening to the frogs, crickets and local Greathorned Owl. When my fire burned out I slipped back in minutes before everyone woke up. :chill:

[leon-1]

Sounds almost idyllic Chris.

[Donald]

What's your favourite way of starting a fire? (apart from fire by friction).
BlastMatch (so I picked "other" in the poll since FireSteel is a particular brand of ferrocerium rod.)

And what firetype do you like best?

Chaos

What natural tinder do you like best?

Fatwood

[masongary44]

It has to be bow drill / friction fire. The satisfaction you get from taking easy to find materials, wherever you are and conjuring a miracle from it is second to none (fire steels are pretty cool too though)

:chill: