Keeping a fire alive for 50 days

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LeeMcAllen

Full Member
Jan 17, 2015
8
1
Exeter, Devon
A friend of mine shared this video from Zachary Jon Fowler of TV's Alone fame regarding his fire management technique that he used to successfully keep a fire burning for 50 days.


Wondered if anyone has ever seen this technique before (I hadn't) or if anyone had any input on it. I'm planning on giving it a go on my next long trip out somewhere (whenever that will be!)
 
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Macaroon

A bemused & bewildered
Jan 5, 2013
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SE Wales
Zachary Jon Fowler certainly has an abundance of good ole New England enthusiasm, eh? :)

When I was a nipper that was called'slacking' the fire, and one of us would do it every night; When times were hard we'd use slightly dampened ashes and in times of plenty it'd be coal dust, again slightly dampened.
As you came to the fire in the morning the dampened stuff would have formed a rigid crust over the fire which you'd break with the poker, load the 'morning wood' on there and blow it to life. Even with fireplaces that haven't been used for years the older folk hereabouts still keep a little morning wood in a basket by the hearth, as it was always considered a slack household that couldn't run to it.
 

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,440
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W.Sussex
Zachary Jon Fowler certainly has an abundance of good ole New England enthusiasm, eh? :)

When I was a nipper that was called'slacking' the fire, and one of us would do it every night; When times were hard we'd use slightly dampened ashes and in times of plenty it'd be coal dust, again slightly dampened.
As you came to the fire in the morning the dampened stuff would have formed a rigid crust over the fire which you'd break with the poker, load the 'morning wood' on there and blow it to life. Even with fireplaces that haven't been used for years the older folk hereabouts still keep a little morning wood in a basket by the hearth, as it was always considered a slack household that couldn't run to it.

Couple of good logs in mine and both vents shut and it'll take fresh wood anytime in the morning. And emptying the ash bucket at night, even a week after the last fire and there are inevitably some hot embers that flash orange as I tip it out. Perhaps not so easy with an open fire while camping, but a few thick logs laid tight on top usually stay alight all night. I don't think I could do 50 nights of it.
 
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Hammock_man

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May 15, 2008
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kent
Very sorry to say but it just seems a waste of wood. Surely after a day or two you would have a pile of dried out kindling to kick a fire into life. Bone dry charcoal from the ash, dried out kindling, two mins and your sorted. Over 50 days that is a lot of wasted wood just to save a few scrapes from a fire steel. In a hut / shelter keeping a fire going to keep the place warm, dry clothes and the like fine is a whole different game but this is just not sustainable.
 
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oldtimer

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Sep 27, 2005
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Oxfordshire and Pyrenees-Orientales, France
My parents used to buy a bag of "nutty slack" with 10cwt of coal. This was used to cover the fire last thing at night. A quick poke with the air vent wide open got the fire going in the morning to warm the house for breakfast. Central heating and heated bedrooms were unknown to us in those days, and frost patterns on the inside of single glazed windows a source of daily wonder. 1948 was a year I'll never forget: it was so cold in February, I didn't stop shivering until July!

I also learned how to keep a campfire smouldering overnight using a similar technique with ashes and earth not unlike charcoal making.
 
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Hammock_man

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May 15, 2008
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kent
Keeping a coal fire "in" all night in winter was a must. We also had a back boiler in the fire place, so it was a way of getting hot water in the morning. I really do not mean to sound bitchy but this seems more like 2 trees is not worth as much as some scraps on my steel.
 
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Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,440
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W.Sussex
Very sorry to say but it just seems a waste of wood. Surely after a day or two you would have a pile of dried out kindling to kick a fire into life. Bone dry charcoal from the ash, dried out kindling, two mins and your sorted. Over 50 days that is a lot of wasted wood just to save a few scrapes from a fire steel. In a hut / shelter keeping a fire going to keep the place warm, dry clothes and the like fine is a whole different game but this is just not sustainable.

Surely in a state like Maine that has cold winters and is heavily forested, a fire that has both residual heat and is very easily restarted is both important and easily sustainable? 3 smallish logs a night to tuck it to bed isn't much at all.
 
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Hammock_man

Full Member
May 15, 2008
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kent
3 smallish logs times 50 just to save a fire steel.....no. Needing a good bit of heat overnight is a different thing but this is about something else I think.
 

Stew

Bushcrafter through and through
Nov 29, 2003
6,446
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Aylesbury
stewartjlight-knives.com
3 smallish logs times 50 just to save a fire steel.....no. Needing a good bit of heat overnight is a different thing but this is about something else I think.

I think if I had been on Alone then I think I would try keep the fire going to. Yes, if properly prepared and kitted out then it could be relit but if something went wrong (i.e. The chap who lost his fire steel) then the fire could still be going.
 
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Jul 30, 2012
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westmidlands
It's ok but what happens if it rains? He'd be better sticking a few roots on it, and maybe using a bit more kindling to start it rather than chopsticks.

He went and got a coffee? Suppose in his car? Down ye shoppe?
 

Wayne

Mod
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Dec 7, 2003
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West Sussex
www.forestknights.co.uk
I’m trying to recall the total number of nights I have kept a fire going I think it’s considerably more than 50 consecutive nights and days.

Generally I spend around 200 plus nights under canvas a year sometimes a lot more depending on what I’m up to.

I have found it’s generally better to keep a fire going than completely restarting.

To that end I will normally place a heavy oak log on the fire before bed. Oak is pretty crap fire wood but it burns slow and normally keeps an ember warm. If I can’t find an ember in the morning with my fingers in the ash. I’ll use a fire steel to spark on a charred log and blow that to flame.

If I’m moving camp sometimes I carry an ember. In the alps in late autumn getting enough tinder can be a challenge so I will carry my fire with me. In the North West territories of Canada there was generally a nice friend juniper and some pine resin to get a ember going. Finland birch bark is so abundant there is little need to worry about tinder.

Same in Poland and the Baltic states. In Japan I have struggled more due to the humidity so worked on the principle of keeping the fire going. In the mountains of the north the conditions are much more akin to the UK so easier for me to maintain a fire.

There is no right or wrong way. Only what works for you with the resources you have at the time.

If I really need a fire fast then I’ll use a fire starter and bottle of meths.

There are times when being a purist is appropriate and others when my clients need heat and a hot drink.
 

z_bumbi

Tenderfoot
Apr 22, 2016
94
46
Linköping, Sweden
Dig a hole pretty deep, line with rocks and start a fire above. Chuck saplings and smallish threes on it and push them in when needed. Keep a supply of dry stuff to stoke/save the fire if needed. Make a roof of some kind if it starts to rain etc.
 
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Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
Come on over! The Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic in British Columbia has left us with 18,000,000 ha
standing, dead, cracked, useless pine forest. Keeping a camp fire going for a year ought to be fairly easy.
 

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