This month’s challenge

[kiver]

Every month at camp we run a challenge to master a skill. I’m throwing this out to see if there is interest in learning a monthly survival skill. This month is creating fire without matches or lighter.

 

[Marty McFly]

Love it! I'm in!

 

[Fritz the Cat]

 

[Andy in NH]

Friction fire is a circus trick that unless the conditions and materials are perfect, will fail you when you really need it.

 

[kiver]

Friction fire is a circus trick that unless the conditions and materials are perfect, will fail you when you really need it.

I have no issue of starting with an easier task and increasing the challenge. I just kind of threw that one out. So task #1 is create fire without matches or lighter.

 

[Mesatchornug]

Friction fire is a circus trick that unless the conditions and materials are perfect, will fail you when you really need it.

Isn't that the point, though? If you know how all the levers work, you can more easily get event to work in lesser situations.

@kiver - Maybe focus on just one of the levers - e.g., practice making feather sticks (or some other form of tinder)?

 

[kiver]

Isn't that the point, though? If you know how all the levers work, you can more easily get event to work in lesser situations.

@kiver - Maybe focus on just one of the levers - e.g., practice making feather sticks (or some other form of tinder)?

I’m game for any type of skill learning.

 

[Marty McFly]

Isn't that the point, though? If you know how all the levers work, you can more easily get event to work in lesser situations.

@kiver - Maybe focus on just one of the levers - e.g., practice making feather sticks (or some other form of tinder)?

Exactly. It's the understanding. All the understanding will help you in all kinds of ways. My nephew and I are going to like this thread

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

Friction fire is a circus trick that unless the conditions and materials are perfect, will fail you when you really need it.

https://www.youtube.com/@bushcraftoregon

 

[MetalliCorey]

Cant go wrong with this set up here. Wont be starting one tonight but the dryer lint did need to be be cleared

Also recently heard this tip ill be doing next time i go over my packs. Wrap string or a few rubber band around the trigger of your lighter to avoid it drom depressing and running out of fluid when not in use

 

[Matt_SERE]

Here's one you can practice on your back deck, back lawn/range or bbq spot.
Light a cigar. cigarette or pipe with a ferrous rod and scraper.
I have seen lots of bent and smashed cigarettes being smoked.
You either learned or gave up smoking during the 'smoke em if you got em' breaks.

 

[In God We Trust]

I keep a fire steel on my keychain and have easily made a few fires with it.

Using a fire steel is pretty easy if you know how to do it and are good with finding tinder, know how to build up a fire, etc. it’s one of the most basic survival skills and a surprising amount of guys don’t know how to do it.

 

[FrugalFannie]

Cant go wrong with this set up here. Wont be starting one tonight but the dryer lint did need to be be cleared

Also recently heard this tip ill be doing next time i go over my packs. Wrap string or a few rubber band around the trigger of your lighter to avoid it drom depressing and running out of fluid when not in use

or, you know, pack it where it won't get the "trigger" depressed.

 

[42!]

That's easy, you fire your suppressed SBR until the silencer glows red then touch it to almost anything, and you've got fire.

 

[In God We Trust]

That's easy, you fire your suppressed SBR until the silencer glows red then touch it to almost anything, and you've got fire.

Or just fire one tracer round at sand berm and the entire forest will go up even in a monsoon.

 

[42!]

That's easy, you fire your suppressed SBR until the silencer glows red then touch it to almost anything, and you've got fire.

its also a great way to remove fingerprints......... from your hand.

 

[Mtn_Guy]

9V battery + steel wool + cotton balls + Vaseline. Add small sticks and get progressively bigger. Done.

 

[Marty McFly]

9V battery + steel wool + cotton balls + Vaseline. Add small sticks and get progressively bigger. Done.

How much Vaseline do you usually carry brokeback mtn_guy?

 

[Chevy 2 65]

or
9 volt battery and steel wool

 

[Mtn_Guy]

How much Vaseline do you usually carry brokeback mtn_guy?

A little lube goes a long way

 

[Andy in NH]

Isn't that the point, though? If you know how all the levers work, you can more easily get event to work in lesser situations.

@kiver - Maybe focus on just one of the levers - e.g., practice making feather sticks (or some other form of tinder)?

The point is to practice relevant survival skills that are successful under a wide variety of conditions.

A practitioner would be better off attempting to start a fire in a light rain storm with some petro cotton balls and a ferro rod than any of these circus tricks.

Once they can do that, then do it one handed, and then again with only the support hand.

After I learned to start a bow and drill fire, I stopped practicing it and tripled down on carrying better more and reliable fire starting materials; lighters, matches, and petro cotton balls/ferro rod.

https://www.youtube.com/@bushcraftoregon

The home page for some random bushcraft guy on YouTube?

View attachment 771520
or
9 volt battery and steel wool

Another circus trick that unless the conditions and materials are perfect, will fail you when you really need it.

 

[Chevy 2 65]

The point is to practice relevant survival skills that are successful under a wide variety of conditions.

A practitioner would be better off attempting to start a fire in a light rain storm with some petro cotton balls and a ferro rod than any of these circus tricks.

Once they can do that, then do it one handed, and then again with only the support hand.

After I learned to start a bow and drill fire, I stopped practicing it and tripled down on carrying better more and reliable fire starting materials; lighters, matches, and petro cotton balls/ferro rod.


The home page for some random bushcraft guy on YouTube?


Another circus trick that unless the conditions and materials are perfect, will fail you when you really need it.

Not the only ones. And they work.

 

[Andy in NH]

Not the only ones. And they work.

I'm not following what you mean.

Please help me understand by breaking down your thoughts a little more.

Thank you.

 

[cockpitbob]

A practitioner would be better off attempting to start a fire in a light rain storm with some petro cotton balls and a ferro rod than any of these circus tricks.

This.
As they say, if it's not raining it's not training.

I'd start by going out with just a Bic lighter and a pocket knife right after a 2 day rain.

 

[Chevy 2 65]

I'm not following what you mean.

Please help me understand by breaking down your thoughts a little more.

Thank you.

What I posted will work. but, It's not the only way to start a fire.

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

The point is to practice relevant survival skills that are successful under a wide variety of conditions.

A practitioner would be better off attempting to start a fire in a light rain storm with some petro cotton balls and a ferro rod than any of these circus tricks.

Once they can do that, then do it one handed, and then again with only the support hand.

After I learned to start a bow and drill fire, I stopped practicing it and tripled down on carrying better more and reliable fire starting materials; lighters, matches, and petro cotton balls/ferro rod.


The home page for some random bushcraft guy on YouTube?


Another circus trick that unless the conditions and materials are perfect, will fail you when you really need it.

You could maybe look at a video or two. I’m pretty sure every one of them is fire making and plenty done in inclement weather.

 

[Andy in NH]

What I posted will work. but, It's not the only way to start a fire.

Yes it will work, but not when it is cloudy or at night; occasions where we might really need a fire.

You could maybe look at a video or two. I’m pretty sure every one of them is fire making and plenty done in inclement weather.

I did look; that's how I knew he was some random bushcraft guy.

Since you weren't willing to do the work, here's a screenshot of his last twelve videos.

None of them appear to be done in inclement weather.

(The next twelve videos are similar.)

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

Yes it will work, but not when it is cloudy or at night; occasions where we might really need a fire.


I did look; that's how I knew he was some random bushcraft guy.

Since you weren't willing to do the work, here's a screenshot of his last twelve videos.

None of them appear to be done in inclement weather.

(The next twelve are similar.)

View attachment 771878

thanks for the screenshot.
You’re right. You have confirmed that no one can start a fire in bad weather. Terrible idea to practice backup skills.
Carry on.

 

[Matt_SERE]

Another circus trick that unless the conditions and materials are perfect, will fail you when you really need it.

9V battery + steel wool + cotton balls + Vaseline. Add small sticks and get progressively bigger. Done.

Andy, I have film pictures somewhere, of me teaching battery/steel wool to a scout and his family in the rain and it works. If you know what to do. It is all in the prep and understanding the fire triangle. You have to remember that the battery/steel wool is just the ignition source. You still need to prep for a fire with adequate amounts of tinder, kindling and fuel.

When I covered the just starting fire with green pine boughs to protect it from the rain, they thought I had given up. Nope, patience. Though the boughs were smoking, barely, they were holding in the heat to get the natural tinders, and then kindling, started and grow the flames. Then the heavy smoke comes as the boughs start to catch fire themselves. This was with wet and freshly cut boughs. The fire was quickly large enough that we sat around it in the rain and enjoyed it. They thought a fire in the rain was cool. Hell, you can burn freshly cut pine trees in the Artic if the fire is hot enough.

Granted I had almost a year of no notice 'fire craft pro checks' in every environment before we were certified and to train students without an Instructor Trainer there. Matt

 

[Chevy 2 65]

Yes it will work, but not when it is cloudy or at night; occasions where we might really need a fire.


I did look; that's how I knew he was some random bushcraft guy.

Since you weren't willing to do the work, here's a screenshot of his last twelve videos.

None of them appear to be done in inclement weather.

(The next twelve videos are similar.)

View attachment 771878

No shit. again it's not the only way. You sure have a hard on for the way fires can be started.