Best material for starting a camp fire

Using lichen, witches hair, old man's beard or what ever you call it is fine in the summer but I have been out when it was damp and it was a bugger to start with simply an match. A little bit of solid bbq starter works wonders and burns well in a windy situation. Anyone who ventures into the woods off the beaten path should have a small road flare in their pack. In a survival situation a flare can even get damp wood burning. It should be stood upright as on it's side it can go out.
We were called out for a search for a missing hunter,our anniversary party but I went because I knew the country. We found the guy on a logging road wearing cotton cover alls and soaked to the ass. He had no matches, no compass, no pack and had tried to get a fire going by using a boot lace to make and bow. Had he been forced to spend the night he would have been in a bit of trouble.
His trouble all started when he went after a deer he had wounded and got disoriented.
 
Using lichen, witches hair, old man's beard or what ever you call it is fine in the summer but I have been out when it was damp and it was a bugger to start with simply an match.


I agree. Witches hair/ Old man's beard lichen by nature absorbs any moisture in the air and is not a reliable firestarter in damp conditions. It does however provide for excellent substitute for toilet paper, long as your not touching cloth, as it takes time to gather. lol.










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I used spruce/pine needle to start fire during this camping trip , it worked perfect.

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Forget the lighter, extreamly fine steel wool and a welder style flint striker will light any thing that is some what dry and it never goes empty.Lay the steel wool in a bunched up ball put the stricker over top and let sparks fall into the ball at the first sign af a glow lay dry materal over top an blow lightly. No B.S steal wool burns & hot to.
 
Forget the lighter, extreamly fine steel wool and a welder style flint striker will light any thing that is some what dry and it never goes empty.Lay the steel wool in a bunched up ball put the stricker over top and let sparks fall into the ball at the first sign af a glow lay dry materal over top an blow lightly. No B.S steal wool burns & hot to.

Also in an emegency situation, you can use fine steel wool and a battery, the steel wool will burn very quickly and you will likely get only one chance. A 9v battery is the easiest to use withe the two posts side X side.
 
makes me wanna start practising again when i was in scouts i could start a fire faster then my dad figured i could scouts the only youth group where they useualy don't mind you playing with fire least when i was in scouts
 
Corn chips work like candles. They burn long, and a handful of them as tinder work well. Of course, they are in severe jepordy of getting eaten prior to any actual need of them.
 
If you are looking to make something up ahead of time, I do this:

take a carboard egg carton and stuff each cup with dryer lint.( you can add some wood chips too if you have them)
melt some paraffin wax and pour it over each cup.
let the wax dry and cut into 12 individual firestarters. Store in a zip lock bag.
Once lit they will burn about 10 minutes.

The man knows whereof he speaks.
Heed his words of wisdom.
Even work when wet if you've got wax on the paper carton as well.
 
living on a farm all my life, ive always used berch bark for my fire starter. have always been able to get a fire going within a minute or two using it.

some of these idea's are really good. i went and bought one of those magnesium sparking tools. and it works really well i like it.

the thermite one is interesting. from the articals i have read on it, a film canister of the stuff is enough to burn clean through a engin block and kill the cement under it to.

im well out of practice for starting fires. il hafta get back in practice.

some idea's i will have to try in here.
 
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