Hephaestus (Vulcan) is the Greek god of fire/forges. I'm invoking him because I've managed something this weekend that's left me feeling proud of myself.
I've finally taught myself how to light fire without *any* manmade kindling available.
I've been practicing with a firesteel and have become fairly proficient at lighting wax/vaseline doped cotton balls, char cloth, etc. At this point, I can get those ablaze readily. But starting a fire without any of these man-made add ons eluded me. I think a big part of that was lack of decent natural tinder (I've been foraging in my backyard, so I'm limited to what sticks, etc. fall from tress/I can find).
When I say "natural tinder" I'm excluding tinder fungus. I have some of that, but I wanted to focus on, "Say something happens, I'm stranded, can't wander around for long to find tinder gungus, etc."
I recalled spamel's video on lighting a featherstick with a firesteel. I figured I'd work on that. In my zeal for carving sticks into feathersticks, I found myself overcarving them, making a rather large pile of curls.
Then it struck me: If those curls would go up on a featherstick, there's absolutely no reason that they shouldn't off of the stick as well! I just needed to refine my firesteel technique to get them to light.
I've done it enough times now that I can say that it's not a fluke. I can light fires with a firesteel alone now. *puffs out chest* Granted, there are other better tinders out there. But I can now say, in a pinch, that with a firesteel (and at least my ever present leatherman juice if not my Mora) I can get a fire going.
The next trick will be fire without a firesteel I'll be moving on to a bowdrill...
Doc
I've finally taught myself how to light fire without *any* manmade kindling available.
I've been practicing with a firesteel and have become fairly proficient at lighting wax/vaseline doped cotton balls, char cloth, etc. At this point, I can get those ablaze readily. But starting a fire without any of these man-made add ons eluded me. I think a big part of that was lack of decent natural tinder (I've been foraging in my backyard, so I'm limited to what sticks, etc. fall from tress/I can find).
When I say "natural tinder" I'm excluding tinder fungus. I have some of that, but I wanted to focus on, "Say something happens, I'm stranded, can't wander around for long to find tinder gungus, etc."
I recalled spamel's video on lighting a featherstick with a firesteel. I figured I'd work on that. In my zeal for carving sticks into feathersticks, I found myself overcarving them, making a rather large pile of curls.
Then it struck me: If those curls would go up on a featherstick, there's absolutely no reason that they shouldn't off of the stick as well! I just needed to refine my firesteel technique to get them to light.
I've done it enough times now that I can say that it's not a fluke. I can light fires with a firesteel alone now. *puffs out chest* Granted, there are other better tinders out there. But I can now say, in a pinch, that with a firesteel (and at least my ever present leatherman juice if not my Mora) I can get a fire going.
The next trick will be fire without a firesteel I'll be moving on to a bowdrill...
Doc
