Starting a fire Without matches;

In my pack I carry a small road flare. Once struck and standing upright wood is piled on and the flare burns so hot it will even ignite damp wood.
After many years in Search and Rescue it always amazed me how unprepared some hunters were for a survival situation.
 
I bought my daughter a flint and steel set when she was 11 (shes 14 now)
Whenever we go camping, she is the official fire starter:p , there have been very few times that shes given up and resorted to my official fire starter - the propane torch:D
 
My dad had a hobby sized butane soldering torch that was only about the size of a felt pen.

I'm not sure why I just remembered that, but I bet that would be a good emergency firestarter: compact and light, long enough to get in under the starter fuel without burning your fingers, and burned really hot.

I wonder where I could get one?
 
I smoke so I have about 64 sources of ignition on me at all times, but if I did'nt and I wanted a reliable source of emergency ignition I would go a for a NON CHILD PROOF BIC and a magnesium fire starter with built in flint for back up.

I am serious about the non child proof lighter. Mild hypothermea can make you an un coordinated idiot in a big hurry. The ones with the metal band over the striker can be a problem with freezing fingers. This band can be taken off.

Strike anywhere matches in waterproof match container are a good choice.

2 packs of regular card matches wrapped up saran wrap will stay dry in wet pockets and the saran is flammable.

oh yeah and most waterproof matches suck!
 
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wow...that i have to see..a person lost in the bush today :rolleyes: would be like a person a hundred years ago with out a computer:rolleyes: ..
it sucks to be me today...i,m a computer dummy... but i could survive in the bush for weeks /months/years or what ever it took, ..... living off the land..
could you?
and this is in the bush..not in mommies basement:eek:
 
wow...that i have to see..a person lost in the bush today would be like a person a hundred years ago with out a computer ..
it sucks to be me today...i,m a computer dummy... but i could survive in the bush for weeks /months/years or what ever it took, ..... living off the land..
could you?
and this is in the bush..not in mommies basement
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I tell ya what, a gps may give a false sense of security, to a point where you may go looking for a compass , and oops.
Staying power would depend on many things, I myself would not even go near that one, wilderness can be cruel at times. I certainly would not take anything for granted.
Frank
 
Perhaps its overkill but I always have my butane torch, some fatwood and a flint/striker. As well, I made up some vaccuum packs with birch bark and a book of matches. I always have one of those on me.
 
david doyle said:
I am serious about the non child proof lighter. Mild hypothermea can make you an un coordinated idiot in a big hurry. The ones with the metal band over the striker can be a problem with freezing fingers. This band can be taken off.

We went looking for a guy and picked up his footprints. We found where he had laid in the snow, under a tree and did this several times. In the end what we though to be an animal track turned out to be him crawling on his hands and knees. He was shoeless, one sock was gone and he was frozen solid.
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Levi Garrett said:
Awesome link bernie , I saw the same idea on mythbusters , one fella used that idea, not the can, but its perfect, got the concave surface, just needs polish:cool:
Frank
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they had a lame attempt to start a fire with an ice lens in California.
I don;t recall the can thinghy working though..

I used to have some solid alcohol. a little cube was enough to boil a cup of coffee, nevermind starting a fire.

My wife and I were camping a few years back and the rain was pouring for a couple of days. I managed to start a fire in that rain, so my other half worries less when I go in the woods alone.

Black powder can start a fire. (it can also season meat - if it's not nitrocelolose). Survivorman seems to have it all figured out.

http://www.lesstroudonline.com/
 
As a flame I always carry cig lighters, wind proof if I can find them locally. However, I remeber a course I took, where the instructor said to use lint from your dryer as a fuel source. I never tried it yet, but he said collect the lint left in your close dryer and rub vasoline in it. The vasoline makes the lint wind proof and starts easy on fire. I already have a big bag of the stuff, just need to give it a try.
 
scanner said:
As a flame I always carry cig lighters, wind proof if I can find them locally. However, I remeber a course I took, where the instructor said to use lint from your dryer as a fuel source. I never tried it yet, but he said collect the lint left in your close dryer and rub vasoline in it. The vasoline makes the lint wind proof and starts easy on fire. I already have a big bag of the stuff, just need to give it a try.
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So I just need to put some vasoline in my lint-filled-fatguy belly button? Cool.
 
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