What is your preferred method of fire lighting.

Discussion in 'Bushcraft' started by sticks65, Jan 19, 2010.


  1. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Wise guy.

    Yes, dryer lint works with pistons, and almost any other dry litter can be used. That said, there are better ways to go that don't require maintenance as a fire piston does. Toss a mag rod in the bottom of your BoB and forget about it until you need it. Fire piston gaskets have to be cared for and carefully handled.
     
    modernwoodsman likes this.
  2. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    BTT -
     
  3. kellory

    kellory An unemployed Jester, is nobody's fool. Banned

    Wow,15 pages of fire starers, and I thought I was nuts. ;) I just put together a fire starting kit for a fellow hunter, who couldn't light a fire with a magnifying lens. This is what I sent him.....

    "The ability to make fire, is the ability to save a life. A life that might be yours. icon_e_wink.
    predators, shock, falling through ice, freezing to death due to auto accident , purifying water, sealing a wound, cooking. fashioning hunting tools. Fire is life. icon_e_wink.

    The official "If you can't start a fire with this kit, get out of the woods, you will die here kit." (abbreviated.)

    This kit contains:

    wax saturated cotton pads (acts like candle)
    steel wool and 9 vt battery(touch battery contacts to small amount of steel wool/ add wood shavings)
    capped tube of Magnesium dust (sanded off block/ more surface area/ more combustible)
    old style moth balls (flammable)
    chew can of pine shavings
    Magnifying glass
    strike anywhere matches (damn hard to find locally/ found them on line)
    1 baggie dryer lint
    1 hand made fire bow spindle and fire board (keep these dry) (spindle is far smother than you could make in the wild, but who's grading this anyways) the cord is a boot lace and this one has been tested. it will make fire. icon_e_wink. The small block is called purple heart (twice as dense as oak only 30% heavier , so smaller is stronger icon_e_wink. that is the upper pivot for the spindle. Directions are on the bottom of the fire board.


    Small tin is pocket kit (this never leaves you in the field)
    contains:

    wax saturated cotton pads
    small tube of magnesium dust
    spark rod (use with knife)
    lint
    strike anywhere matches.


    Kit does NOT contain the following (though would be useful)
    Old spice stick deorarant WAS flammable but is no longer (I tried)( most aerosols are flammable)
    scrapings from the inside of old bark burns easily (good for catching spark/ embers)
    nuggets of pine sap
    Char cloth (youtube video will show you how to make it very simply (highly flammable)
    pine needles are where we get kerosene
    squeeze tube of cooking oil (coat anything you want to burn)
    an orange is flammable. (hollow out like a jack o lantern and will light from the inside easily by spark or ember)
    large amount of super glue on cotton balls will ignite on it's own after a minute or two (4 tube of glue on one cotton ball)(endothermic or exothermic reaction/ can't remember the word)
    and of course all the obvious stuff (gas , lighter fluid, charcoal lighter fluid, alcohol including hard drinks, )I carry a lighter at all times if it is cool enough for a jacket. If nothing else, jump sparks from a car battery (broken down). I kinda like back up plans and options.
    icon_e_wink. icon_e_wink. icon_e_wink. icon_e_wink.
     
    KAS likes this.
  4. HOP

    HOP Monkey+++

    I like to keep my hand in on many methods of fire making , friction being lowest and matches and Bic at the top. A fero rod and PCB is hard to beat in wet windy conditions.
     
  5. hedger

    hedger Monkey+

    I got one of those red welts on my thigh while in Vietnam. The heat and the sweat did not help the situation. It is painful; but if you figure out how you got that welt, quickly--you do not repeat that error. While I was fond of Zippo's for years, that little incident persuaded me to think about other alternatives.

    Now, I love my ferro rod & scraper--oh yeah--and the vasoline-coated cotton balls.
     
  6. Stealth Camper

    Stealth Camper wild foodie

    Being a smoker (not proud of it) I always have a bic lighter. Also I keep one of those magnesium/ferro starters on my key chain. I've had success using a bow drill but find it is too hit or miss to be my only means of fire starting, especially in wet conditions. In my pack I carry a homemade emergency starter made from a tuna can, rolled up corrugated cardboard, and candle wax. You cut cardboard strips to sit flush with the top of the can and roll them tightly to fit inside. Then melt some old candle stubs and slowly pour wax into the can making sure to fully saturate the cardboard and leaving no air bubbles. I add a wick to the middle to make it easy to light. Once it gets going the top of the can becomes on big flame. It burns hot, it's waterproof, and the flame lasts for hours. It is also nearly wind proof so you may need to snuff it out, and it will probably smoke a bit once extinguished, but snuffing it seems to take care of this. Making this little stove is a fun project, try it some time!
     
    kellory likes this.
  7. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    That tuna can stove is featured on SM. Try the search function.
     
  8. HappyPuppy

    HappyPuppy Monkey

    What I like about the magnesium sticks is the the ability to scrape bits off. I have had damp material even light using that process.
     
  9. themonkeyman

    themonkeyman Monkey

    x2 on that, can still get it going if its a bit damp which is nice
     
  10. vanez

    vanez Monkey

  11. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    Still hanging?
     
  12. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Not here, but was. Update issue?
     
  13. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    no idea. I just posted to it and it took
     
  14. Troy brownrigg

    Troy brownrigg How my next home will be constructed!

    Dryer lint, I save all I can get. Then I use a magnesium bar with the ferro rod on the side. I never use the magnesium part. I practice in winter when I light the fire place. My WWI barinet knife works the best it's weight produces enoungh spark easily to set off the dryer lint.
     
    Bear and melbo like this.
  15. Troy brownrigg

    Troy brownrigg How my next home will be constructed!

    The idea of putting oils on dryer lint or cotton balls, while placed in a BOB, may contaminate food / water/ medicines. Some people use transmition fluid on them. I would avoid those ideas, it might even lead to a BOB catching on fire.
     
    Bear likes this.
  16. Sapper John

    Sapper John Analog Monkey in a Digital World

    Flint and steel of the @Bear variety.
     
    Witch Doctor 01 and Bear like this.
  17. Bear

    Bear Monkey+++ Founding Member Iron Monkey

    I would stick to pure vaseline (also has other uses like lip balm or wounds) or olive oil (also has other uses like candle etc) and won't contaminate food... JMHO... and while cotton balls are not free (close to it) the make up of dryer lint is not always pure cotton and that could make the difference in ease of lighting... I would stick to free natural tinder or pop for some cotton balls... again JMHO...
     
  18. wastelander

    wastelander Bad English, bare with me

    Preferred method? Well, dry kindling, a good lighter or match and plenty of firewood I guess. But any method that works really.
     
    Bear likes this.
  19. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    Cotton Facial pads my wife uses. I melt a candle dip about half in the wax and let them dry.
    Put them in a plastic bag. I make about 50 at a time. Costs about $3 for a hundred.
    Fluff up the cotton end, build a kindling TP over it, 1 spark from any source, even a lighter out of fuel. Burns for about 6-8 minutes, long enough to get damp kindling going.
     
    Bear likes this.
  20. Leigh

    Leigh Monkey

    While I enjoy flint/steel/ferro rods/etc. my go to "you better light no matter what" are the Orion brand signal flares in the 5 1/4 inch length (yellow paper outer covering instead of their red full-length highway flares).

    I seal them in those Food Saver bags. True "Fire Purists" may scoff at the ease of use BUT they ignite, damp tinder and kindling goes up like a torch and in a real wilderness SHTF scenario, I'll happily take 'easy' fire over not. I've timed them under ideal circumstances and they burn right at 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 minutes each; not bad at +1200 F.

    Wally World usually carries them in the camping section (depends on what store, of course) for about $3.50 for a package of three.

    Downside? You have to be able to keep them very dry until needed. Otherwise, they are excellent.
     
    Last edited: Dec 3, 2013
    Bear likes this.
  1. Bishop
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