The Gun Counter

*see also A Layered Approach to Signaling*

I'd like your input on a layered approach to starting fires, by which I mean multiple methods of creating fire that you'd be willing to carry in a backpack for distance. This is based on the concept that "two is one, one is zero." This could be either for a bug-out bag or a get-home bag, so would not include improvised survival methods (like friction). I believe we've covered this sort of thing among a collection of gear, but I don't think we've discussed this in a dedicated thread.

Perhaps I can move this into a wiki when we're done? I'll start, then:

> BIC mini lighter
> steel wool & a 9v battery
> matches & strike pad
> flint & steel

A Bic lighter, and a 35mm film can with wax-coated, strike-anywhere matches is generally on my person or in my vehicle if I'm away from the house.

By the way, if you can find the strike-anywhere matches, buy a bunch, because most places don't have them anymore. (I've got about 50 boxes, and get more whenever the opportunity presents.)

I've purchased strike-anywhere matches at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Q6 ... XNR6TVS2S9

A modification on the flint/steel.

My kit includes a magnesium bar with a piece of flint embedded on one side. Shave off some magnesium with a knife into the kindling bed then use the flint and knife to make sparks to ignite the kindling.

Worked well at Survival School (with me blindfolded and my instructor splattering water onto my kindling pile). A little amount of shavings goes a long way and I still have that bar.

Here's an example (first link up on google, there are many more): http://www.survival-gear.com/magnesium-fire-starter.htm

also a candle and fire starter , and a couple road flares.

Magnifying lens, probably something that would be easy to hold still or prop up.

Probably could include some line for making a fire bow as well.

Don't forget a good container of tinder!

arctictom wrote:also a candle and fire starter , and a couple road flares.

+1 on the candle. Stubs from tapers work great. Tea lights or votives work if you don't have tapers handy. They light fast, burn hot, and will hold flame long enough to get even (moderately) wet tinder started.

Is that flint and steel real flint and steel or the more recent fire steel blend of rare pyrophoric materials? Both work, the latter is faster.

Definitely add char cloth and a nice length of sisal string if you use the real flint and steel. I like vaseline soaked cotton balls for the fire steel.

Dryer lint starts easily with magnesium and flint and steel. Just keep it dry. Double bag it. Dryer lint with shredded paper that came out of someones jeans pocket in the dryer works really well.

I've used a magnifying glass. It starts fires rather quickly... IF you have direct overhead sun. Every time I go camping it's always raining.

Here are a few tips on fire building that I've learned, from personal experience.

Get three times more wood than you'll think you need. Then get twice that.

DON'T try to ignite the fire too early. Scrambling to keep a weak flame going is bad, especially if you are on your last match.

Get plenty of small sticks, then get some more. Don't try and toss that mondo log on the fire too early.

Get dry wood. A good place to look are the branches underneath the bottom of a tree that have "bear hair" on them. They will usually be dry and ignite quickly.

Green wood smokes but doesn't burn well.

Dry pine needles burn well but "go up" quickly, get a lot of them. But don't toss a huge old clump of pine needles on your little wimpy flame, you'll smother it.

Use the "Tee-pee" fire arrangement to get a small fire moving quickly.

Put your tinder on top of a larger log. Get it up off the ground. The ground will pull a lot heat out of your fire.

Don't use gasoline, you'll probably end up losing the hair on your arms, head, and eyebrows that way. (Don't ask)

Sometimes it doesn't really matter WHAT you use as long as you get the fire started (unless you're in an semi-enclosed area).

I've been with a group of college students camping & trying to setup camp in the high desert with wind and a slight rain and EVERYONE freezing their butts off (they don't burn very well when you pick them up off the ground), but it wasn't until we broke into the vehicle accident kit and got the road flares out that we FINALLY had some warmth going from the fire (the women weren't cold enough to use body heat to survive just yet). Being college student, I'm sure we could have had a nice and toasty warm tent in NO-TIME had they just decided to get naked in the sleeping bags together.

Really, the flares made a HUGE difference in their ability to keep the fire going and the wood dry from their constant heat and flame. We found a couple of discarded pallets and made a decent fire using the flares, and since it drizzled almost all weekend long from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning, everyone was REAL energetic on Sunday morning and helped us pack for the trip home in record time (with several always hanging around the fire), and then once we got all packed up, and the luggage rack on top of the van all squared away with everything packed) - the drizzle stopped and the SUN CAME OUT.

But let me tell you, those flares saved everyone from shivering their rears off (although I think to some people it could have made for a more adventurous weekend, if you read either Penthouse or Playboy stories). After all, I know of a couple of people who hooked up after that weekend (they probably stayed plenty warm in THEIR tents).

Road flares can DEFINITELY help stave off hypothermia (so can physical activity inside sleeping bags)!