Unchained Preppers

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Nemo on October 01, 2014, 11:52:38 PM

Title: Something to Do Now and Then
Post by: Nemo on October 01, 2014, 11:52:38 PM

Practice some.  This happened a month or 6 weeks back.  I can finally grin about so I shall share.

Went off for a weekend a month or so ago. No sweat, 25' camper, full hookup place and all.

One evening my wife wanted me to build a camp fire. No sweat, had ring, wood, kindling, tinder. Lighter, charcoal fluid and all that also. I figured I would see how well and easy the straw tubes of vaseline cotton would work. Set up fire cone, split straw, fluffed cotton, got it in place and started scraping the spark stick. Scraped and scraped and on and on. After the first 5 minutes I got the new stick cleaned so it sparked well. Fluffed cotton and scraped. A good 10 minutes later she got to asking if I needed a match. I got my cotton out of the way and used the lighter. She had a bit of a grin on her face and I felt mighty dumb.

Another couple minutes and more fluffing and I had a nice cotton ball fire going. And learned that practicing is generally a good thing to do. No matter how good you are at doing it.

Nemo

Title: Re: Something to Do Now and Then
Post by: Burt Gummer on October 02, 2014, 01:35:36 AM

 :thumbsUp:

Title: Re: Something to Do Now and Then
Post by: JohnyMac on October 02, 2014, 08:45:51 AM

In my youth I use to go to primitive black powder shoots. One of the things you got points for was starting a fire with flint & steel.

It took me awhile but once you get the "knack" (No pun intended) it is like a bicycle you never forget. But Nemo you have gotten my curiosity up. For this Friday's "steak night" I will attempt to start my grill using the old flint & steel. 

Now where did I put that "make fire" pouch????

Title: Re: Something to Do Now and Then
Post by: Well-Prepared Witch on October 02, 2014, 12:14:37 PM

Yep - you learn more about doing something by practicing it for half an hour than reading five books sometimes!

Title: Re: Something to Do Now and Then
Post by: DMCakhunter on October 02, 2014, 10:55:32 PM

My 2 favorite things for starting a fire, short of a lighter and a jet boil.
http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/survival/fire/survive-outdoors-longer-fire-litetm-kit-1.html (http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/survival/fire/survive-outdoors-longer-fire-litetm-kit-1.html)
http://www.vargooutdoors.com/titanium-flint-lighter.html#.VC4OFfldWMQ (http://www.vargooutdoors.com/titanium-flint-lighter.html#.VC4OFfldWMQ)