Blow Poker

[Wayland]

Having just got back from the Loch Achray meet I thought I would post something about Blow Pokers.

Some of you may have noticed the picture above on the site home page and possibly wondered what it was about.

Being involved in living history for some years I suppose I have got used to many conveniences that would be difficult to justify in my Bushcraft pack. One of these conveniences is a pair of bellows for the fire.

Having long hair I am usually cautious about getting too close to the fire to blow it and wafting with my hat seems to blow ashes just about everywhere. The simple solution I have found is a light tube which can be used to blow air into the fire precisely where it is needed. In effect the tube makes the nozzle while my lungs become the bellows.

Having tried various tubes, the best combination for weight against strength I have found so far is the alloys that are used for making arrows. I suppose it is fortunate that I had a few broken or bent arrows lying around waiting to become something else.

Next best could be a toss up between an aluminium tube from a hardware shop or an Elder wand with the pith pushed through.

As for length it is up to you to decide how long a tube you can easily carry in your luggage I guess, but mine is sized to carry a couple of skewers in it while in my pack which serves the dual purpose of reinforcing the tube and stopping the skewers from causing any damage to the pack material.

I have since found references in various Bushcraft books to flexible tubing with a metal nozzle at the end, used for the same purpose, that can be rolled up and put in a billy can when not in use. I can see the value of this idea but I find the arrow shaft also useful for use as a fire poker too.

I was prompted to post this by “Doc” at the meet saying something to the effect that it was the most useful one ounce accessory he had ever seen.

I’m not sure I would go quite so overboard myself but it certainly has been handy at times.

 

[dommyracer]

Nice one Wayland. I could see what you were doing in the picture but wasn't sure what you were using for the pipe.
I have seen bamboo being used in the same way in the past, it doubled up as a fishing rod.

Nice pic by the way, where was it taken?

 

[Wayland]

The picture was taken in Lønsdalen, just North of the Arctic Circle in Norway.

 

[Cap'n Badger]

Hurr hurr.....an' there's me thinkin' it were JK from Jamiroquai on holiday....


nice photo bro....

 

[jasons]

Hurr hurr.....an' there's me thinkin' it were JK from Jamiroquai on holiday....


nice photo bro....

ha cool picture

 

[rich59]

When I read this thread title I thought this might be a new variation on Poker. You would have a dealer who would deal out concealed blows. Each player would keep the blows they have received secret from the others but would try to convince the others that they had received more wounding blows than the others.

Just a thought. Don't try this at home.

 

[Keith_Beef]

I posted a while ago about making a pipe for blowing into the embers, by taking an elder stem and stripping out the pith.

I've also seen a stout wooden pipe called a "bouffadiou" or "bouffadou" in South West France ("bofador" in Occitan). Admittedly, this is heavier than your arrow shafts, but is strong enough to serve as a pot hanger, and could be made longer, to serve as a walking stick.


K.

 

[Doc]

Certainly lighter than the bellows and very handy at meets, where the fire gets a bit neglected at times (well, there is a lot going on.)

A few blows and the fire shifts from 'barely smouldering' to 'Achtung! Flammenwaffen! '.........

I reckon a cylinder of medical oxygen would work even better, but it's just a tad heavier.

 

[Rhodri]

Magnificent picture Gary, brightened my day up looking at that (and it was already good)

How long did you spend over there this summer?

P.S. you lucky, lucky so-and-so

Cheers,
Rod

 

[Martyn]

Wow, that's a seriously long rollup.

 

[Wayland]

How long did you spend over there this summer?

P.S. you lucky, lucky so-and-so

Cheers,
Rod

We were over there for 7 weeks this year, 4 of which were working at the longhouse on Lofoten.

We got to play with one of the longships.

And we also had a great display of the Northern Lights while we were up there.

It was a very good trip this year

 

[jasons]

We were over there for 7 weeks this year, 4 of which were working at the longhouse on Lofoten.

We got to play with one of the longships.

And we also had a great display of the Northern Lights while we were up there.

It was a very good trip this year

:You_Rock_

 

[chrisanson]

Jealous uppy_dog
chris

 

[chrisvreugd]

perhaps I may ask what kind a jacket your wearing in your "blow poker pic"?

 

[Graham_S]

that's a swanndri bush shirt with the pocket removed.

 

[steven andrews]

Wayland, you can stop blowing - it's going

I keep a length of tubing with my Kelly Kettle kit so that I can give it a blow without having to get down on the deck:

 

[Montivagus]

Ahh yes......the blow poker. I'm amazed people were ever able to maintain a fire without them all this time! I take 20m of hose pipe with me....that way I can collect wood and blow on the fire at the same time!

 

[Wayland]

Ahh yes......the blow poker. I'm amazed people were ever able to maintain a fire without them all this time! I take 20m of hose pipe with me....that way I can collect wood and blow on the fire at the same time!

Well just about every historical culture on Earth has used something to add air to the fire to increase it's efficiency from the fan to the bellows, but for various reasons I find some of those other methods impractical whilst in the wilderness.

Of course some people might just choose to blow hot air in the fire's general direction.