Benefits of backups

[hogstable]

Went for an overnighter with my chum in the wilds of Nottinghamshire last night and did a bit of firelighting practice this morning. It was damp to start off with and had rained overnight. It was quite an eye opener how my skills had faded with lack of use and practice in extreme damp conditions. If we were to be out for any length of time of course we would have picked up and dried / kept dry tinder and kindling. So we were practicing using what we were carrying, a 'cold start' no pun intended.

Firesteel was quite ineffective as the birchbark was so damp.
Burning rubber inner tube was good with a lighter but to save it I took it away half way through and the fire didn't take.
Lillet tampon, suprisingly ineffective, I think cotton wool in vaseline would be far more effective.
Alcohol gel with a ligher did the trick.
Wet fire tinder was very effective lighting with a spark from a fire steel.

We could have prepared better to get the results and we were 'playing at it' than really doing it properly in earnest, but the performance of the firelighting materials would reflect doing it in worse conditions. I will certainly be reviewing the contents of my firelighting kit.

 

[Rob_Beek]

Nice dead tree about 4 inch across and baton with your knife to get to the dry wood, then make feathersticks, lots of them! Whilst crafting the feathersticks keep the completed in your jacket.

 

[Matt.S]

Lillet tampon, suprisingly ineffective, I think cotton wool in vaseline would be far more effective.

How did you prepare this before applying a spark? They need to be fluffed-up quite a lot first as a tampon is heavillt compressed. Never had much luck with them though TBH. Possibly related is that I've heard not all tampons are 100% cotton, as a cost-cutting measure, which may affect things. Not exactly my area of expertese though!

 

[woof]

I use the lint from the tumble dryer, it always catches(for me anyway), and its free, plus you do your bit for the enviroment by not sending it to landfill.

Rob

 

[g4ghb]

lighting birchbark can be a bit of a chore with a firesteel at the best of times however with a lighter I have had little problems even if it has been soaking..... a quick rub with something to remove the surface water and it is good to go i've found

Perhaps it is the type of birch we have locally but don't remember having too much of an issue elsewhere......

Having said all that I do hark from the be prepared camp (I am a Scout after all) so do tend to have some paper / dry bark etc somewhere on my person just in case

 

[Melonfish]

In my firelighting tin i keep my firesteel, a serious amount of packed in dryer lint (which lights every time) and a couple of packets of those greenheat bbq gel firelighters, poured over something these things ALWAYS light with just one spark.
never fails tbh.

 

[calibanzwei]

Shall cart this over from LSG:

I've put together a little tobacco tin for specific fire lighting purposes (catering for the SA Trangia):

Disposable lighter.
Loads of wooden coffee stirrers - soak the end in the meths burner, then set light to that before lighting the burner.
Resealable baggy with birchbark (not much, but burns well and surprising long when dry).
Tube of Vaseline soaked cotton wool.
Tea light
Firesteel+striker
.......and the ever present Zippo.

Ah, have just remembered something I wanted to include - one of those all-in-one firelighter and matches you have for BBQ's. Should fit in just nicely.

Friend has something similar, with his alternatives being 'green snot' gel and plenty of tumble dryer lint

 

[hogstable]

I am addressing this by rejigging my firelighting kit. As for the tampon I fluffed it up quite a bit but I think it may have been the 'skirt' IIRC from the ads. i will try a normal tampax tampon, I think that won't be as bad, the appeal of the lillets one was that it was a lot more compact.

 

[Melonfish]

I am addressing this by rejigging my firelighting kit. As for the tampon I fluffed it up quite a bit but I think it may have been the 'skirt' IIRC from the ads. i will try a normal tampax tampon, I think that won't be as bad, the appeal of the lillets one was that it was a lot more compact.

you realise we're now blokes discussing the merits of different types of tampon?

in for a penny....

normal tampax i believe should be about right as they're just a wad of cotton rather then some fancy crimped space age shuttle component like some others...

 

[hogstable]

Firelighting in the damp - The sequel - a bit basic for experienced folk.
Went out with a chum into the North Notts 'wilderness', it was damp and sleeting about 1 degrees C.

Found some overhead cover and went to work. Changed tactics and got some finger thickness standing wood, which was quite damp and birch bark, also damp. Put bark in pocket to dry out as suggested elsewhere. Strimmed down the wood with the Mora to get to the dryish centre. Tried to turn them into feathersticks but not very successfully, I think that they were too thin, blade not sharp enough and at wrong angle. All kindling and tinder was on a dry piece of wood not the floor. Took the Mora to scuff up the brown back of the bark and tore up the whiter papery bits.

Put bark together and got out firesteel. It has a serrated striker and was gouging shavings out rather than striking. Changed the way I did and it sparked away. The sparks ignited some of the firesteel shavings and this really helped the tinder get going. Added the wood shavings and twigs and with a bit of TLC fire was acheived.

Lessons learned

Collect thick wood and shave away
Practice feather sticks and sharpen blade.
Use Firesteel shavings to help light the tinder.
Overhead cover necessary - I'd have used a basha if no roof.
Carry tinder and kindling with you in a damp proof container.

It feels great when you get the 'burn'.

Or use tissue paper!

 

[Toddy]

Most tampons are actually rayon, not cotton.
Unless it actually says 100% cotton (usually the organic ones like Natracare) they won't be.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Shewie]

It sounds like you've worked it out already and they're all good suggestion so far, one more to to think about is carrying a few tea-light candles. If you setup a pyramid firelay with increasing sizes of split wood and then cap it off with large pieces of sycamore or birch bark, you can create a oven effect inside which eventually dries out the wood enough to burn on its own.
I got shown it on a course last year and was really impressed how it burned even the wettest wood we could lay our hands on..

 

[hogstable]

Really good point there about making an oven type effect. I have a tea light but didn't really want to use it.

Cheers!!