Fire starting

[Randle]

After talking with a friend from Rokslide yesterday about and fall into a creek on a deer hunt, and the following events to get a fire going , I thought I would share some thoughts.
This is no reflection on him or his abilities . He is a great hunter and just got caught in an accident that can happen to anyone.
The PNW is beast of a different sort as far as weather goes, alot of water in most draws, wet and slick everything you walk on, and alot of moisture in the air..
Crossing creeks and rivers in November can be very common.
All add up to have a good fire starter set.
1. keep stuff dry. as in a ziplock. for mediocre ignition sources. Bics, and other lighter s
2. Have a good reliable igtition source. Try in wet rainy pouring conditions. Try it before you trust it
3.have a good tender and extender with you.
4. A sturdy knife to open up an process wood
5. Keep it in an accessible place, somewhere you dont have to dig it out. a dunk in a creek in 15 degrees is life threatening.
I usually carry
1-Bic for quick fire in normal conditions but a 1/2 x4 in ferro rod for wet conditions
2-Trioxane
3.a few 4 inch sticks of pitch pine( Called fatwood from youtubers) for extender
4-A sturdy knife to open up wood and get to inner dry wood.
5-try it before you trust
Anyway I just pickup a lightening stike from Rokslide store To get my set to the best it can be.
Life saving gear is worth the weight .When you are cold a fire is fairly easy, but when you went in the drink and your jacket is starting to freeze you want to know you can get fire fast.
I just went out after 2 days of pouring rain and used it , what a great firestarter set .

 

[Wrench]

I'm big on Vaseline and cotton balls wrapped in wax paper in a pill bottle. It's waterproof in a waterproof container and lights easily. It'll burn while floating.

 

[11boo]

There are a lot of solutions now for a starter. I should be carrying something, but my area is usually dry. If it’s not, I can always find some dry tinder. Unless I got crippled somehow.

 

[Jason Snyder]

A crack pipe is really nice to have for fires.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

I actually carry a Zip fire starter in my dry bag with a Bic, weight is almost nothing and it has its own plastic wrap that you burn to kick it off. Always have a secondary option as well but that's packed deep in the pack somewhere.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Vacuum seal stuff. Lighters, matches, fire starter stuff, etc.

 

[BigNate]

I don't like vacuum sealed because it's to hard to get open when wet and shivering.
I use a KM match case with a few fire plug tinder tabs and a ferro rod for when you are in actual trouble. Vaseline cotton balls are good but need to be in something you can get open.

 

[geterdone]

I don't like vacuum sealed because it's to hard to get open when wet and shivering.
I use a KM match case with a few fire plug tinder tabs and a ferro rod for when you are in actual trouble. Vaseline cotton balls are good but need to be in something you can get open.

Place a small slit in the side seal about 1/8" deep and the bags will just tear open like a tear top bag. Most chamber sealer bags have the tear knotch already cut.

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[Wrench]

I like the pill bottle because I can get 10 or so starters in the bottle and seal it back up when I'm done with one fire. It floats and I keep a few feet of duct tape wrapped around it. It's a multi use item. I pack enough Vaseline in it to take care of chapped lips....etc.

 

[cacklercrazy]

I'm big on Vaseline and cotton balls wrapped in wax paper in a pill bottle. It's waterproof in a waterproof container and lights easily. It'll burn while floating.

The best!

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I don't like vacuum sealed because it's to hard to get open when wet and shivering.
I use a KM match case with a few fire plug tinder tabs and a ferro rod for when you are in actual trouble. Vaseline cotton balls are good but need to be in something you can get open.

You don't carry a knife?

 

[Randle]

I guess my point is more of have a system that you know is managable when you are losing dexterity and shivering. thats why I titled it fire starting, its a process that has to work under all conditions.

 

[insanelupus]

A trick I've used for the vaseline cottonballs, drop them in the finger of a rubber glove and tie a knot in the finger. A knife does help get it open but the whole thing will burn in an emergency.

I always carry a lighter, but I also keep a ferro rod around. I KNOW the ferro rod will always work.

Practicing after a rainstorm can be an eye opener too.

 

[CMF]

3.a few 4 inch sticks of pitch pine( Called fatwood from youtubers) for extender

fatwood, fat lighter, lighter wood, it may be a southern thing, I've always heard it.

A trick I've used for the vaseline

Last time we made some vaseline/cottonballs, we put the vaseline in a cut off beer can in boiling water to liquify it and dunk the cotton balls. Maybe some people do this already, idk.
we usually store 5 each in small 2x3 jewelry bags.

 

[Rich M]

The best thing is to have experience starting fires. Whenever we went campingbdadvwould give my sister and i a match each to start the fire. Imagine being a 5-yr old kid having to hang on the match all day long and getting 1 shot at starting the fire.

All that said, it took 2 hurricane matches to start a small fire on the prairie in the rain to dry off and stave off the shakes.

 

[Wrench]

I carry the soto torch powered by scripto lighters.....but I save it for the end of the world and use my ferro rod on the cotton balls. Frizz a bit and it lights very easily.

 

[rcb2000]

Can’t remember where I saw it, but last year took my standard Vaseline/cotton balls, and dipped them in melted paraffin wax, burns twice as long, higher flame, and added waterproofing.
**Note: I only dipped the bottom half, don't submerge the whole thing.

 

[adamm88]

Having a plan is 1/2 the key and multiple sources of getting warm/Dry, I have a day a year i freeze my butt off during the rut due to rain and poor plaining, Either the weather turns or i cant get dry, This year it rained and i didnt take rain pants and my timberlines were soaked to the bone, the rain stoped mid afternoon and i made a fire in a monster can to keep warm.

I bought these and they stay lit for probably 15 mintues, very easy to light, these will be ging in my hunting pack come fall for emergencies if needed

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0103AI74C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[TheTone]

A crack pipe is really nice to have for fires.

Good for a quick jolt of energy too I hear

One I learned within the last year is carrying a piece of aluminum foil as a tray/base for getting the fire started on. Definitely more of a wet weather r snowy conditions thing to keep your tiny fire off the cold wet ground

 

[rayporter]

after 5 days floating a river with rain everyday, cotton balls and Vaseline let me down. trioxane to the rescue.

i make a fire and have coffee everyday when out, in any weather. if you dont practice in bad weather you dont know if it will burn.