Fire starter

[Makinchips208]

yuppers.... bick lighter and birch bark stuffed under a pile of tinder. or pine sap. the areas i go pretty much you can count on finding one or the other.

i do like the idea of putting a bit of string under the fuel button to keep it from bleeding out. i up and found a nugget of info in this thread. damn.

I do that cause I’m cheap. But the best I have found for lighters is the exotac fire sleeve. Keeps water out of the flint, protects the button, and floats. (Lighters might float on their own anyways)

fireSLEEVE™

The fireSLEEVE™ is a fortress for your BIC® classic lighter. It creates a waterproof barrier around the lighter while providing two separate lashing points for cordage. An integral strap molded into the lighter body allows the gas button to be held down for hands-free use. U.S. Patent No...

www.exotac.com

 

[Fig]

Electric Lighter

I've bought really nice, "survival", butane lighters (almost like a nice cigar or pipe lighter) that have huge, hot flames, but simply won't light above about 10,000'. Nothing in the marketing materials about it. They just don't work too far above sea level. I don't know why.
I think zippos are great, except they get wet. The electric lighters are the best IMO. They last about as long as a butane one before they need recharging, and they can recharge using my little, backpacking FlexSolar panel.

That said, lighters are small, light, and cheap. It's best to have a few of them like @Aftermath does when it matters. You can't have enough ways to make fire IMO, just like I don't go out without a laminated topo map and a compass even though I have OnX and a GPS for lazy nav. Always best to have a totally analog backup that can't break or run out of juice.

 

[Hayden#69]

My go to fire starter.

Keep all the lint out of your dryer. Stuff that into the paper egg cartons. Cover with candle wax to hold it all together. Tear off what you need to start a fire. This day and age, there is a bic in every car, bag, backpack, camping gear, tractor, etc that I own.

Hayden.

 

[Fig]

How many tractors do you own?

 

[Ronin_64]

Step one: Everyone is correct in that your fire board wood needs to be desert bone dry.

Step two: Take your spindle wood and chuck it in your Dewalt battery operated drill on high.

Step three: Throw all that away and get the gas can.

 

[Fig]

Gas is fun, but you have to know what you're doing. If you don't...

 

[232593]

With ferro or using a battery?

Battery works

 

[Hayden#69]

How many tractors do you own?

2 of my own. One on the neighbors ranch I work on and a skid. We do a lot of range burning come spring sooooo..... lighters all around.

Hayden.

 

[hkguns]

Nope, never successfully used a friction bow to start a fire. Therefore, I always have Vaseline infused cotton balls and a way to light them.

If I have to resort to the level of effort required to friction start a fire, I've failed in my preparations.

 

[Pharmseller]

I made a bunch of these.

 

[Makinchips208]

I made a bunch of these.

Those work good. And are so cheap they are almost free. The only problem is the greasy mess.

If someone doesn’t like the mess then Procamptek or else Blackbeard fire plugs work well. Self life of decades, not messy, similar to cotton balls but each plug is probably equivalent to several cotton balls.

FIRE PLUGS

SPECIFICATIONS Length: 1 1/2" (3.8 cm) Diameter: 3/8" (1 cm) Material: Compacted cotton microfibers The Procamptek Fire Plugs contain our exclusive wax solution, which coats the cotton core, providing a protective layer that extends throughout. These plugs can be effortlessly fluffed into...

procamptek.com

 

[hkguns]

The only problem is the greasy mess.

1. Put some cotton balls in a ziplock sammich bag
2. Spoon in a healthy helping of Vaseline
3. Zip the bag closed
4. Knead them like bread
5. When completely infused, keep them in the ziplock bag and stuff them into your kit(s)

No greasy mess.

 

[Pharmseller]

I put mine in a Foodsaver and seal when the air is out but not much of a vacuum. Efficient as heck.



P

 

[Aftermath]

1. Put some cotton balls in a ziplock sammich bag
2. Spoon in a healthy helping of Vaseline
3. Zip the bag closed
4. Knead them like bread
5. When completely infused, keep them in the ziplock bag and stuff them into your kit(s)

No greasy mess.

In one of the classes, we used one of the can openers that cut around the can and leaves the lid real intact to open shallow cans, like tuna. We'd eat the contents and clean the can. Then we'd use corrugated cardboard and mark it so that it was just about a 1/4" shorter than the lid height so that the hollow parts were vertical to the can. Then we'd tear the cardboard along that line so there was a ragged edge left. Roll that cardboard as tight as you can get it inside that can. Get everything real nice and warm and pour in melted paraffin to the torn edge. As the cardboard soaks up some, refill it. You can replace the lid and even seal it in place if you want. Now...once it's all cooled off, if you remove the lid and light that cardboard (waterproof, no greasy mess) it will really get to a flame the diameter of the can and it can get to be about 2' tall. Quite the flame. You can tone it down by just poking a hole in the lid. We would poke a hole using a screw driver or a punch, awl, what have you and make sure it's off center. The flame will be similar to a candle. Just use a pliers or a wire to move the hole to a different spot once in a while. Pretty much every snowmachine in town had at least one stuffed in the storage area. Super cheap so you don't care if you lose it or it gets beat up. Waterproof. No mess. Durable. EDIT TO SAY THAT YOU CAN USE THE LID TO EXTINGUISH A FULL ON FLAME OR JUST ROTATE THE HOLE REAL FAST AND YOU CAN PUT OUT THE CANDLE FLAME. FOR REUSE OR WHATEVER.

One of those in one of THESE and you could stay warm with a Walmart sleeping bag in -40F weather. I'd build a series of those as shelter where I went out fucking around so that one was never very far away. Line the floor with a caribou hide and throw a tarp on top to that. I'd light off my MSR stove for a little while to get the heat up enough to start melting the walls and then one of those candles would maintain the temperature at about 25-30 degrees. Which is quite warm. Warm enough that a cheap sleeping bag will keep you nice and toasty.

 

[Makinchips208]

In one of the classes, we used one of the can openers that cut around the can and leaves the lid real intact to open shallow cans, like tuna. We'd eat the contents and clean the can. Then we'd use corrugated cardboard and mark it so that it was just about a 1/4" shorter than the lid height so that the hollow parts were vertical to the can. Then we'd tear the cardboard along that line so there was a ragged edge left. Roll that cardboard as tight as you can get it inside that can. Get everything real nice and warm and pour in melted paraffin to the torn edge. As the cardboard soaks up some, refill it. You can replace the lid and even seal it in place if you want. Now...once it's all cooled off, if you remove the lid and light that cardboard (waterproof, no greasy mess) it will really get to a flame the diameter of the can and it can get to be about 2' tall. Quite the flame. You can tone it down by just poking a hole in the lid. We would poke a hole using a screw driver or a punch, awl, what have you and make sure it's off center. The flame will be similar to a candle. Just use a pliers or a wire to move the hole to a different spot once in a while. Pretty much every snowmachine in town had at least one stuffed in the storage area. Super cheap so you don't care if you lose it or it gets beat up. Waterproof. No mess. Durable. EDIT TO SAY THAT YOU CAN USE THE LID TO EXTINGUISH A FULL ON FLAME OR JUST ROTATE THE HOLE REAL FAST AND YOU CAN PUT OUT THE CANDLE FLAME. FOR REUSE OR WHATEVER.

One of those in one of THESE and you could stay warm with a Walmart sleeping bag in -40F weather. I'd build a series of those as shelter where I went out fucking around so that one was never very far away. Line the floor with a caribou hide and throw a tarp on top to that. I'd light off my MSR stove for a little while to get the heat up enough to start melting the walls and then one of those candles would maintain the temperature at about 25-30 degrees. Which is quite warm. Warm enough that a cheap sleeping bag will keep you nice and toasty.

That igloo maker thing looks awesome!

 

[Aftermath]

That igloo maker thing looks awesome!

It really is. It's an amazing little gizmo. The thing is, a "real" igloo requires a particular type of snow to construct. It has to be able to be cut into a block sort of shape and hold up. The Igloo Maker is a slip form and you can make an igloo from pretty much any kind of snow. It does take some time. I had trouble once when it was real cold and the snow was real loose. It just wouldn't pack in. I almost froze to death that day. I am thinking about trying it with mud and grass, just moving a little slower to allow the form to cure a bit before moving it.

The snow wall is real insulation. I have a couple of tents that each cost many hundreds of dollars. A North Face VE25 and Mountain Hardware Trango 3 or something...pretty much same size as the VE25. Even with the near thousand dollars spent on each, the "insulation" is 2 layers of nylon separated by enough space designed to encourage airflow. The difference between outside and inside is maybe 10 degrees. Sure, no wind. But if it's -40 outside, it's still -30 inside. The result is that you also need a thousand dollar sleeping bag, or better, a layered system of bags in order to stay warm. Then, in the morning, you are going to be freezing your ass off while you get dressed again.

The snow is actual insulation. Get the entrance closed up so no wind blowing in, poke a hole through about 3/4 of way up the wall to allow some ventilation and start some fire. It will stay comparatively toasty, enough so that a $100 sleeping bag will keep you comfy. Especially if you use the Caribou hide as ground insulation, hair side up. The hairs are hollow. I doubt they can drown. About 2 inches long and provide excellent thermal barrier. I always used a tarp over just because the hairs will fall out and end up wherever you don't want them.

 

[Makinchips208]

I used to have an odd shaped plastic tub that worked to make a small igloo for the kids to play in. But this is a hundred times better! I need to get one.

Yeah I haven’t spent the money on an insulated tent cause it seemed like an inefficient use of funds to me, for my needs. Roughly an estimated r value of 5 or more works wonders to insulate from the ground, then cheap sleeping bags work well enough. Enlightened equipment quilts or bags can save several pounds for a few hundred dollars, but not a necessity.

As you know this part of Idaho is relatively mild, especially compared to Alaska for sure. So the igloo here is more for fun than essential for survival, usually.

 

[mi650]

In one of the classes, we used one of the can openers that cut around the can and leaves the lid real intact to open shallow cans, like tuna. We'd eat the contents and clean the can. Then we'd use corrugated cardboard and mark it so that it was just about a 1/4" shorter than the lid height so that the hollow parts were vertical to the can. Then we'd tear the cardboard along that line so there was a ragged edge left. Roll that cardboard as tight as you can get it inside that can. Get everything real nice and warm and pour in melted paraffin to the torn edge. As the cardboard soaks up some, refill it. You can replace the lid and even seal it in place if you want. Now...once it's all cooled off, if you remove the lid and light that cardboard (waterproof, no greasy mess) it will really get to a flame the diameter of the can and it can get to be about 2' tall. Quite the flame. You can tone it down by just poking a hole in the lid. We would poke a hole using a screw driver or a punch, awl, what have you and make sure it's off center. The flame will be similar to a candle. Just use a pliers or a wire to move the hole to a different spot once in a while. Pretty much every snowmachine in town had at least one stuffed in the storage area. Super cheap so you don't care if you lose it or it gets beat up. Waterproof. No mess. Durable. EDIT TO SAY THAT YOU CAN USE THE LID TO EXTINGUISH A FULL ON FLAME OR JUST ROTATE THE HOLE REAL FAST AND YOU CAN PUT OUT THE CANDLE FLAME. FOR REUSE OR WHATEVER.

One of those in one of THESE and you could stay warm with a Walmart sleeping bag in -40F weather. I'd build a series of those as shelter where I went out fucking around so that one was never very far away. Line the floor with a caribou hide and throw a tarp on top to that. I'd light off my MSR stove for a little while to get the heat up enough to start melting the walls and then one of those candles would maintain the temperature at about 25-30 degrees. Which is quite warm. Warm enough that a cheap sleeping bag will keep you nice and toasty.

Learned this one in the boy scouts about 50 years ago.

 

[Aftermath]

I used to have an odd shaped plastic tub that worked to make a small igloo for the kids to play in. But this is a hundred times better! I need to get one.

Yeah I haven’t spent the money on an insulated tent cause it seemed like an inefficient use of funds to me, for my needs. Roughly an estimated r value of 5 or more works wonders to insulate from the ground, then cheap sleeping bags work well enough. Enlightened equipment quilts or bags can save several pounds for a few hundred dollars, but not a necessity.

As you know this part of Idaho is relatively mild, especially compared to Alaska for sure. So the igloo here is more for fun than essential for survival, usually.

There in Idaho, we used one of several wall type tents with woodstoves inside. I had one from Montana Canvas Company, nearly a teepee, LOVED that tent but not a lot of actual room. A friend had one made to spec by a truck tarp company in Lewiston. Another friend had 3 or 4 old military tents, one was HUGE. The only one that had a floor was the one made in Lewiston. Pros and cons but I'd go with a floor in the tent with a vestibule that you can leave the mud in.

The Igloo Maker...you can make an igloo with the kids and all the neighbors kids too. It's a fun afternoon to do. The parents will get also get involved, probably. Then they have a place to go dick around. When (not if) they fuck it up, it can be repaired and its a good time to discuss tearing shit up. It will last long after all the other snow around is gone. Of course, it eventually becomes just a place to be cold and wet. But build several. That way they can have forts to make snowballs in for the upcoming assault.

 

[quietmike]

I do that cause I’m cheap. But the best I have found for lighters is the exotac fire sleeve. Keeps water out of the flint, protects the button, and floats. (Lighters might float on their own anyways)

fireSLEEVE™

The fireSLEEVE™ is a fortress for your BIC® classic lighter. It creates a waterproof barrier around the lighter while providing two separate lashing points for cordage. An integral strap molded into the lighter body allows the gas button to be held down for hands-free use. U.S. Patent No...

www.exotac.com

Another less bulky, less expensive option is the flamenest from Amazon. For some reason it won't let me post a link.

 

[Makinchips208]

Another less bulky, less expensive option is the flamenest from Amazon. For some reason it won't let me post a link.

Here is a screen shot of the one you mean?
that’s nice at $9 for two of them.
no lanyard loop to secure the cap to, could be remedied with string epoxied to bottom of lighter to attach the cap to.

I think this would be perfect for backup lighters in the pack or vehicle. I will order some.
Thanks for letting me know of this option!

 

[LeftyJason]

This song fits here. My brain is on a Dr demento kick recently.

 

[Makinchips208]

This song fits here. My brain is on a Dr demento kick recently.

Haha! Thats a fitting song.

 

[Seed tick]

A hand drill makes really, really awesome blister on both palms!

 

[Aftermath]

A hand drill makes really, really awesome blister on both palms!

It only took 2 pages before some degenerate turned this into a sex topic.

 

[Makinchips208]

1. Put some cotton balls in a ziplock sammich bag
2. Spoon in a healthy helping of Vaseline
3. Zip the bag closed
4. Knead them like bread
5. When completely infused, keep them in the ziplock bag and stuff them into your kit(s)

No greasy mess.

I put mine in a Foodsaver and seal when the air is out but not much of a vacuum. Efficient as heck.



P

Thanks for the ideas how to better deal with vaseline and cotton ball.