11boo
WKR
A pile of magnesium shaved is like cheating
I poured 7 gallons of gas on it when the camera was offA pile of magnesium shaved is like cheating
My girlfriend and I have been big fans of the Alone series. Over the summer, I bought us both ferro rods and strikers to try our hand at this type of fire starting. When they arrived we agreed to a contest to see who could start a fire the fastest....I guess we both lost (or it was a tie) because neither of us could do it, until we tried doing it together. What finally worked was putting numerous dandelion seeds in an old birds nest, shaving a large portion of the rod on top of the dandelion seeds, then striking together to create a big shower of sparks.Clearly you don't aspire to be on Season 9 of Alone then.
My girlfriend and I have been big fans of the Alone series. Over the summer, I bought us both ferro rods and strikers to try our hand at this type of fire starting. When they arrived we agreed to a contest to see who could start a fire the fastest....I guess we both lost (or it was a tie) because neither of us could do it, until we tried doing it together. What finally worked was putting numerous dandelion seeds in an old birds nest, shaving a large portion of the rod on top of the dandelion seeds, then striking together to create a big shower of sparks.
Guess neither one of us could be on that show, as it was way harder than either of us thought it would be.
Birch bark or pine resin...best things to catch a spark and start a fire with the least amount of work!I have had the same problem. The only luck I've had with a ferro rod has been with dryer lint or vaseline soaked cotton balls, so I wouldn't cut it either.
Sorry I missed this. Honestly, I don't know. Just bought it off amazon to try it. That's the only one I've ever used. As someone said earlier it'll last longer if you use the spine rather than the blade of the knife, but you get a bigger shower of sparks with the blade. I tried it with paper and couldn't get it to go, I had best luck with light shavings sawdust size, and curls (scrap from bowmaking) once that's lit the birch bark takes right off, then it's like any fire. I think if you get wood shaving and birch bark like I did in the video, you'd have it under control in an hour of trying.What are the things to look for, quality and feature wise, when choosing a ferro rod? Thanks.
Pretty cool that you got it with a bow drill. I'm gonna make some char cloth this weekend to try.Birch bark or pine resin will burn like crazy once it catches, but it will not "catch a spark." Certainly not a real spark from flint and steel.
I worked on my bow drill skills about 10 years ago and got to where I could have a live burning coal in about 45 sec of "bow drilling." That "coal" is roughly equivalent to a piece of char cloth that has caught a spark. It took doing it every day after work for a few months to become proficient. While practicing, your foot board, spindle, and to a lesser extent your top bearing, are partially consumed with each attempt and you have to keep making new ones. Without a prepared kit, finding the material and making the necessary tools in the woods would be a much longer process. For the next couple of years every time I went to a rendezvous event (8-12 per year), I would start my fire with the bow drill. It was a lot of fun, but it is a perishable skill. When I tried again a few years later I could make a lot of smoke but not a live coal. I'd hate to have to depend on it for a fire now.
I never tried those. I tried paper a bunch, and could never get it. I think you have to have really light stuff like the woodshavings or your dryer lint.I have had the same problem. The only luck I've had with a ferro rod has been with dryer lint or vaseline soaked cotton balls, so I wouldn't cut it either.
Yeah it's a cool skill. I started messing with it mainly cuz I felt like it's something I "should" be able to do.I have been practicing starting fires with my ferro rod on the patio because it's fun and the kids think it's magic.
I've started fires in the woods with my ferro rod after I misplaced my BIC. It's a good back up to have and can be used in pretty much any condition. I would rather have a BIC and ferro rod than 2 BICs.