Fire
- Thread starter DHonovich
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Re: What fire starter do you use?
It is cotton cloth that is super heated but not allowed to fully combust. Take a can of some sort and put 2 or 3 inch squares of cotton like a shirt or something 100% cotton into the can. Last time I did it I used bulk 30 cal gun cleaning patches. It helps to cover the can but if it is deep enough you don’t have to. Put the can in a bed of coals , no open flame is ideal. Start to cook the cotton. Soon the gasses will start to roll out of the can. When the gasses stop it is ready, about 10 min or so I guess. It’s important not to let the cotton catch fire. What is left is black squares of char cloth. It takes a spark real nice and burns like a cigarette, or incense. Its burns mellow but hot with no open flame, used like a coal for starting tender by blowing on it. I have used it with steels and it’s the best thing to use in a fire piston IMO.
EDIT: the gas is flammable so be careful and that’s why it helps to cover the can, don’t do it on the stove inside, its rank.
It is cotton cloth that is super heated but not allowed to fully combust. Take a can of some sort and put 2 or 3 inch squares of cotton like a shirt or something 100% cotton into the can. Last time I did it I used bulk 30 cal gun cleaning patches. It helps to cover the can but if it is deep enough you don’t have to. Put the can in a bed of coals , no open flame is ideal. Start to cook the cotton. Soon the gasses will start to roll out of the can. When the gasses stop it is ready, about 10 min or so I guess. It’s important not to let the cotton catch fire. What is left is black squares of char cloth. It takes a spark real nice and burns like a cigarette, or incense. Its burns mellow but hot with no open flame, used like a coal for starting tender by blowing on it. I have used it with steels and it’s the best thing to use in a fire piston IMO.
EDIT: the gas is flammable so be careful and that’s why it helps to cover the can, don’t do it on the stove inside, its rank.
Re: What fire starter do you use?
Charcloth is a sheet of natural fiber cloth (cotton), which has been treated in a fire to turn into a dry tinder (charcoal in a sheet form). When kept dry, it will light easily in many unfavorable conditions. I use it in combination with a ferro rod for fire starting. To make charcloth, I start with a 6"x6" cloth made of cotton (old t-shirt). I fold this cloth two or three times. After, I fold the cloth, I seal it in a bag made of aluminum foil. I then place the package near a open fire for about 15 minutes or over the flame for about 5 minutes. Then end product is a very dry, black cloth inside the package. The cloth will now easily catch a spark with any firestarter.
I hope this helps.
What oli said.
Charcloth is a sheet of natural fiber cloth (cotton), which has been treated in a fire to turn into a dry tinder (charcoal in a sheet form). When kept dry, it will light easily in many unfavorable conditions. I use it in combination with a ferro rod for fire starting. To make charcloth, I start with a 6"x6" cloth made of cotton (old t-shirt). I fold this cloth two or three times. After, I fold the cloth, I seal it in a bag made of aluminum foil. I then place the package near a open fire for about 15 minutes or over the flame for about 5 minutes. Then end product is a very dry, black cloth inside the package. The cloth will now easily catch a spark with any firestarter.
I hope this helps.
What oli said.
Re: What fire starter do you use?
OK, here is the results of my little (un)scientific tests.
I took 2 pieces of lint approximately the same size.
I poured kerosene on the one on the left and parafin lamp oil on the one on the right and lit them one right after another (only a couple seconds apart) to be as fair as I could about it to see which burned better.
I forget the camera inside and had to go back in to get it so it took a couple of minutes to be able to make it back outside to them.
When I first lit them, the flame was probably about 2 and a half inches long, but was dying down by the time I was able to snap the pictures. It will burn better and longer after everything is mixed together. This was just to see which fuel burned the best.
Although both fuels did well in the beginning, the kerosene burned a couple of minutes longer before burning out, so I am going to use kerosene in my mix. Plus I have about 60 gallons of it stored for emergencies.
Alright, here is the recipe.
Step 1 pull dryer lint into small pieces.
Step 2 sweep up a bunch of small sawdust and wood chips from your workshop. I prefer the really fine stuff more than the big chunks for this.
step 3 mix the sawdust and lint into a container (using twice as much wood than lint) and soak them in kerosene long enough to get saturated and then press and drain the excess kerosene out of the mix and let stand so the mix is clumpy but not wet with kerosene.
step 4 fill a kettle with water and get it to a boil and then place another kettle on top of that with the wax in it. It's important to let the steam melt the wax so it doesn't catch fire. If it does, put the lid on it and take it off the heat, but it's not as likely to catch fire if using steam.
Step 5 once the parafin wax is melted, pour it onto the wood/lint mix and stir it all together real good. You have to be pretty quick with this step, but remember, the mix is going to be flammable so be careful.
After it starts cooling, but while it is still soft and moldable, use a rolling pin or something and roll the mixture out as flat as you'd like, but I try to keep it about 3/4"-1" thick and then let it cool until it's hard.
step 6 use a knife or saw (bandsaw or hacksaw is fastest) and cut it into whatever size pieces you want.
When you light a 2x2 square is usually more than enough to get a rolling fire going from a stump or limb. They'll burn for quite a while and almost always enough to get a camp fire going.
I store them in a ziplock bag.
It makes starting fires so easy, even a caveman could do it .
OK, here is the results of my little (un)scientific tests.
I took 2 pieces of lint approximately the same size.
I poured kerosene on the one on the left and parafin lamp oil on the one on the right and lit them one right after another (only a couple seconds apart) to be as fair as I could about it to see which burned better.
I forget the camera inside and had to go back in to get it so it took a couple of minutes to be able to make it back outside to them.
When I first lit them, the flame was probably about 2 and a half inches long, but was dying down by the time I was able to snap the pictures. It will burn better and longer after everything is mixed together. This was just to see which fuel burned the best.
Although both fuels did well in the beginning, the kerosene burned a couple of minutes longer before burning out, so I am going to use kerosene in my mix. Plus I have about 60 gallons of it stored for emergencies.
Alright, here is the recipe.
Step 1 pull dryer lint into small pieces.
Step 2 sweep up a bunch of small sawdust and wood chips from your workshop. I prefer the really fine stuff more than the big chunks for this.
step 3 mix the sawdust and lint into a container (using twice as much wood than lint) and soak them in kerosene long enough to get saturated and then press and drain the excess kerosene out of the mix and let stand so the mix is clumpy but not wet with kerosene.
step 4 fill a kettle with water and get it to a boil and then place another kettle on top of that with the wax in it. It's important to let the steam melt the wax so it doesn't catch fire. If it does, put the lid on it and take it off the heat, but it's not as likely to catch fire if using steam.
Step 5 once the parafin wax is melted, pour it onto the wood/lint mix and stir it all together real good. You have to be pretty quick with this step, but remember, the mix is going to be flammable so be careful.
After it starts cooling, but while it is still soft and moldable, use a rolling pin or something and roll the mixture out as flat as you'd like, but I try to keep it about 3/4"-1" thick and then let it cool until it's hard.
step 6 use a knife or saw (bandsaw or hacksaw is fastest) and cut it into whatever size pieces you want.
When you light a 2x2 square is usually more than enough to get a rolling fire going from a stump or limb. They'll burn for quite a while and almost always enough to get a camp fire going.
I store them in a ziplock bag.
It makes starting fires so easy, even a caveman could do it .
Re: What fire starter do you use?
It doesn't take a whole lot of kerosene. Just enough to provide a decent burn.
My recipe is basically about the same thing as:
http://www.acehardware.com/product/inde ... 47.2627962
It doesn't take a whole lot of kerosene. Just enough to provide a decent burn.
My recipe is basically about the same thing as:
http://www.acehardware.com/product/inde ... 47.2627962
nasa
.270 WIN
Re: What fire starter do you use?
In my B.O.B I have 2 boxes of water proof matches, 2 mag fire starters, 4 Bic lighters, 2 cans of Sterno, 2 single burner stoves plus, I always carry 2 lighters on my person, and in my truck extra butane, a butane torch, more lighters, starting fluid and there are most likely another dozen ways to start a fire in my truck, not saying that my truck would start a fire unintentionally.
That's why I carry fire extinguishers, one in the truck, 2 in the house and 4 in the shop. I could probably start a fire with chemicals as well.
Since I was a youngster, I never had a hard time of getting something to light. I have done the rubbing of sticks too.
I have done a lot of wilderness camping. Both of my survival knives have fire starters in the handles as well.
A small piece of wire and a charged automotive battery will start a fire quickly. Try not to burn your fingers and be warned that sparks or flame don;t go well with the hydrogen gas that vents from the battery.
Gun powder from taking apart some ammo is another way and tickling the primer will ignite it. Rifle powder burns slower and is not a apt to explode but it will burn quite quickly.
Radio-Shack used to sell a solar powered cigarette lighter. I had one but it's gone now. My map compass in my everyday bad will work if in the daylight with clear skies. Might even start a fire with some of my eye-wear.
Forgot the spark lighter and propane torch in my truck,
I think I got it covered on starting fires. Maybe that's why my nephew is the local fire chief and my other nephew is a fireman.
In my B.O.B I have 2 boxes of water proof matches, 2 mag fire starters, 4 Bic lighters, 2 cans of Sterno, 2 single burner stoves plus, I always carry 2 lighters on my person, and in my truck extra butane, a butane torch, more lighters, starting fluid and there are most likely another dozen ways to start a fire in my truck, not saying that my truck would start a fire unintentionally.
That's why I carry fire extinguishers, one in the truck, 2 in the house and 4 in the shop. I could probably start a fire with chemicals as well.
Since I was a youngster, I never had a hard time of getting something to light. I have done the rubbing of sticks too.
I have done a lot of wilderness camping. Both of my survival knives have fire starters in the handles as well.
A small piece of wire and a charged automotive battery will start a fire quickly. Try not to burn your fingers and be warned that sparks or flame don;t go well with the hydrogen gas that vents from the battery.
Gun powder from taking apart some ammo is another way and tickling the primer will ignite it. Rifle powder burns slower and is not a apt to explode but it will burn quite quickly.
Radio-Shack used to sell a solar powered cigarette lighter. I had one but it's gone now. My map compass in my everyday bad will work if in the daylight with clear skies. Might even start a fire with some of my eye-wear.
Forgot the spark lighter and propane torch in my truck,
I think I got it covered on starting fires. Maybe that's why my nephew is the local fire chief and my other nephew is a fireman.
Re: What fire starter do you use?
I think of fire-starting categorically. The two categories are Sources of Fire/Spark and Sources of Tinder. While there are nearly limitless products, man-made items and items that can be found in nature in each category, I've found several that I really like.
Sources of Fire/Spark
- Refillable Butane Lighter (I especially like the wind-proof lighters)
- UCO Storm Proof Matches (You can literally douse them in water and they will re-light themselves)
- Traditional Fire Steel (The Blastmatch Fire Starter is nice)
Sources of Tinder
- Tinder-Quick (This is the easiest-lighting commercially-available product that I've found)
- Dryer Lint (Soak in Vaseline or a similar pertroleum-based product for better results)
- Fatwood (Naturally-occuring, but not always readily available)
I think of fire-starting categorically. The two categories are Sources of Fire/Spark and Sources of Tinder. While there are nearly limitless products, man-made items and items that can be found in nature in each category, I've found several that I really like.
Sources of Fire/Spark
- Refillable Butane Lighter (I especially like the wind-proof lighters)
- UCO Storm Proof Matches (You can literally douse them in water and they will re-light themselves)
- Traditional Fire Steel (The Blastmatch Fire Starter is nice)
Sources of Tinder
- Tinder-Quick (This is the easiest-lighting commercially-available product that I've found)
- Dryer Lint (Soak in Vaseline or a similar pertroleum-based product for better results)
- Fatwood (Naturally-occuring, but not always readily available)
Re: What fire starter do you use?
Mud, I think a lot of success depends on your region as well don’t you? Like here fat wood, we call "pitch", is plentiful but you must be proficient in soggy weather in the PNW. There are tricks for finding or making dry tender.
Maybe we can take advantage of peoples knowledge of their region and people can talk about their area...I guess this applies to natural occurring resources because you can buy a lighter anywhere lol.
Mud, I think a lot of success depends on your region as well don’t you? Like here fat wood, we call "pitch", is plentiful but you must be proficient in soggy weather in the PNW. There are tricks for finding or making dry tender.
Maybe we can take advantage of peoples knowledge of their region and people can talk about their area...I guess this applies to natural occurring resources because you can buy a lighter anywhere lol.
Expat_PM
.270 WIN
Re: What fire starter do you use?
Ross,
Here's What I've used before:
start with cardboard egg carton. Stuff each hole about half full of dryer lint. Pack it pretty good too. a nice tight wad of it works best.
now pour melted wax all over the tops until it's about 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the top of the little cup (maybe 1/2 thick).
let it cool for a couple hours till its nice and hard. a friend puts it in the freezer for an hour but I usually get busy doing something else and forget about it. When I find it later it's cool and hard.
I was told to cut them apart with a serrated knife but I've found a pair of tin snips to be totally easier to work with.
I drop two each in half a dozen snack size baggies and it's done.
Rossignol said:
Ross,
Here's What I've used before:
start with cardboard egg carton. Stuff each hole about half full of dryer lint. Pack it pretty good too. a nice tight wad of it works best.
now pour melted wax all over the tops until it's about 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the top of the little cup (maybe 1/2 thick).
let it cool for a couple hours till its nice and hard. a friend puts it in the freezer for an hour but I usually get busy doing something else and forget about it. When I find it later it's cool and hard.
I was told to cut them apart with a serrated knife but I've found a pair of tin snips to be totally easier to work with.
I drop two each in half a dozen snack size baggies and it's done.
Has anybody tried mixing Potassium Permanganate and glycol (from anti-freeze) to start a fire? I saw it done (a long time ago) by Ray Mears on youtube. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZL67Q2HQ7c&feature=relmfu
papawsguns
Copper BB
I take cotton balls and unroll them you end up with a area of 3/4 of a inch by 4 inches approx. then smear vasoline on the exsposed area then roll them up and place in a air tight container such as a asprin bottle, baggie, or any container. these balls are great igniters to help your main source of fuel such as twigs,grass,etc. get a great start
papawsguns
Copper BB
this would work great with the steel wool and 9 volt
Expat_PM
.270 WIN
papawsguns said:
Steel wool and a 9 volt is an AWESOME way to start a fire.
And yes, the dryer lint or the Vasoline either one work great with steel wool and battery.
I never mix kerosene with the wax or put it on the dyer lint. The lint doesn't need any help. It REALLY burns.
Collect it after the lovely bride dries a load of jeans or towels or some other mostly cotton load. I prefer jeans... As I think of it I really don't know why but I've just always preferred jeans. Strange huh?
If you have a vacuum sealer that's the best way to store these things for long term storage. Works great for the cotton balls too.
