Compact waterproof Fire Starters and Straw Craft lightweight complimentary supplies.

[Colinski]

Hi Guys, My second post. Would anyone like to share in my experience in StrawCraft ?
Basically its to place ingredience inside of a straw and seal the ends keeping it watertight.
You can use natural materials like reeds or plastic straws. I use biodegradable on spices and dry condiments.
I wouldn't use biodegradable items with flamables or combustables though. Sofar with some imagination i have created
about 60 straw products with both clear 6mm for spices and 11mm or sauces and firestarters, te, coffee, sugar etc., 11mm is the best. The ideal is that you don't have to carry too much with you and can calculate the need for each mission.
The main stash can be in a go-back-to bag /s which can be ditched in a several hidden locations.
I have almost perfected chemical fire. I know 4 other ways but they are a bit aukward. If anyone knows some safe alternatives i would love to know. Even if it is more that two ingredience. The one i have worked on is an old classic Potasium Promanganate.
I have a question: The coal like remains after the burn... (Black Char) It looks like there can be some further use of it .. Any sugestions ?
I am also into bush electronics, communication and survival with no aids.
I got a bit annoyed when the Swedish Army refused my compulsary recrutment at 18 years old... So what did i do... I joined up with Säpo. Its a Swedish special branch that does anything the army and police are afraid and don't like doing.
I learned a lot there with the time i spent. at 15 years old my neighbour and myself took out for a long trek in middle Sweden. 4 months in the outbound direction and 2 months return before the snow with only a SAS book. It was so wild that we where in aincient forrest for the full journey. We learned a lot to get on in life with nothing but knowlege.

 

[Chris]

Why not just use matches? Could store a few of those in a straw no problem at all.

 

[Colinski]

I also use that option with a small piece of striker card.
I also made some samples of cotton spiked vaseline with Sulphur match ends wrapped within and a match in the middle fuse if you like sealed within a straw. Matches even weatherproof ones can't always be reliable in extreme weathers and they only last for less than a minute before your finger is on fire. I know how to light a fire under water but i am pretty sure it is not safe inhaling the gases or for the enviroment. The Potasium Promanganate method i used was in torrential rain and it was more furious when rain hit it. My ignition rate was 8g to 2g dry 20 seconds, with rain 4 seconds lasting 40 seconds of combustion. I don't wish to mention dangerous methods on here but this method is wildly known, it is not safe to breath in or use as water purification but if in an emergency and carefully applied it would be acceptable. My recomendations would be wild natural materials rather than refined. Saying that it is simple to refine natural material. Though very good ones with a Ferro rod are Bull rush cotton (Or Cotton as tinder), (The roots when cooked are eadable), White Birch Bark bark skin (Not Silver Birch as it gives off a lot of toxic black smoke) and if you can find Pine amber then you have the best natural fire starter ever. Pine Amber and White Birch bark including Silver Birch bark can be used very easily to repair a leak in your boots, boat, maybe your tent if used with leaves however i have never tried that yet.

 

[Colinski]

Why not just use matches? Could store a few of those in a straw no problem at all.

Lol in Chemistry we made matches and stuff like Explosive cotton wook. Our teacher was a bit mad but he was so cool. He set up a self lighting match, overloaded a cotton wool under a can and blew a large hole in the Ceiling. Maaaa. But it encouraged me to go into Food Chemistry Science. I am the type that does not like artificial chemicals in our food. By profession i was a Baker, Confectionist and Food Chemist, all specialised to the limit.

 

[Jared]

Match heads need protection from getting smashed.

 

[Chris]

So do small plastic straws filled with chemicals.

 

[Colinski]

I made a fire starter with about twenty Match heads smashed and ground into a cotten wool ball laced with vaseline and it worked perfect, The Vaseline helped keep it alight and the match heads in the center fueled the fire and on first attempt lit the fire using ferro rod.
I recomend the ratio with Potasium Promanganate to be 8g to 2g and don't breath in any of the initial gases. It is better to use the 11mm straws with both as you can make the accelerant as small as possable and keep them seperate in case of the fuel leaking or both as it could go off in your backpack. I am careful not to mention the other material in here but i am sure you already know what i mean. Beware any material combustable especially rapid combustion can be very dangerous if compressed. I am not going any further on that topic. Compression of flamables is dangerous.

 

[Colinski]

Match heads need protection from getting smashed.

Jared, When you seal match, matches in a plastic straw always set up as head to foot and striker facing outwards, Just in case. Make sure they are safty matches though!.
The preasure in the Straw will protect the heads but even if the crack you can still use the sulphur heads. Chop up the sticks apart from one, light it under kindling and fire yeahj. (Striker or ferro rod etc)

 

[Colinski]

I am a computer scientist as well. I advise my friends to always make 3 copies in 3 different media and displace them with a minimum of 10 meters apart. The same goes for everything. Its a brilliant safeguard. In bushcraft make 3 small Packs and Stash in flight. In this way you always have a backup, well 80% backup to fall upon. Primeraly you should always has a base pack in your sack.

 

[Colinski]

I figgued out that standard small straws as best for spices.

 

[grainweevil]

I use straws to put small, single use, amounts of antiseptic/antibacterial and bite & sting relief creams in pocket first aid kits. No point in carting around whole tubes of the stuff. You can also make extremely compact sewing kits or fishing kits if you're going through a(nother) survival-kit-inna-tin phase.

 

[TeeDee]

Hi Guys, My second post. Would anyone like to share in my experience in StrawCraft ?
Basically its to place ingredience inside of a straw and seal the ends keeping it watertight.
You can use natural materials like reeds or plastic straws. I use biodegradable on spices and dry condiments.
I wouldn't use biodegradable items with flamables or combustables though. Sofar with some imagination i have created
about 60 straw products with both clear 6mm for spices and 11mm or sauces and firestarters, te, coffee, sugar etc., 11mm is the best. The ideal is that you don't have to carry too much with you and can calculate the need for each mission.
The main stash can be in a go-back-to bag /s which can be ditched in a several hidden locations.
I have almost perfected chemical fire. I know 4 other ways but they are a bit aukward. If anyone knows some safe alternatives i would love to know. Even if it is more that two ingredience. The one i have worked on is an old classic Potasium Promanganate.
I have a question: The coal like remains after the burn... (Black Char) It looks like there can be some further use of it .. Any sugestions ?
I am also into bush electronics, communication and survival with no aids.
I got a bit annoyed when the Swedish Army refused my compulsary recrutment at 18 years old... So what did i do... I joined up with Säpo. Its a Swedish special branch that does anything the army and police are afraid and don't like doing.
I learned a lot there with the time i spent. at 15 years old my neighbour and myself took out for a long trek in middle Sweden. 4 months in the outbound direction and 2 months return before the snow with only a SAS book. It was so wild that we where in aincient forrest for the full journey. We learned a lot to get on in life with nothing but knowlege.

Since youve mentioned it -why were you not allowed to do your national service?

 

[Colinski]

I prepare the straws on the basis that they can be multi use. but not too big. In this case as i always have fire capability and a multi tool they can be resealed. I never use comercial medicin, always carry Tea tree oil (Keep it seperated from the rest of the pack and it doesnt seam to like plastic straws). I need to work on this. I also carry Clove Oil evrything else i can find in nature. I found some plain tobacco tins useful as they are also watertight. The straws i make fit nicely sideways in the tin. I made a double kit for sewing and fishing in one straw. the kit contains: 3 sewing needles, 3 pins, 2 safty pins, 2 meters of sewing thread, 2 fishing hooks, 6 meters of fine fishing line (strength 2kg) 20 size 13 and 10 size 8 shots, a mini float size 6mm filled with red bubblewrap. Can be used with the cotton wool straw. the safty pin can be heated and bent into a make shift fishing hook. I am not sure if it will work bit i have made some snap glow in the dark floats, it light attract the fish or scare them away, i may need to cover the base. I am looking for a couple of pencil case type storage that is waterproof to store the larger straws.

 

[TLM]

Hmmm... the Swedish Säpo (translates to "Security police") is among other things their counter espionage organization. As far as I know they do not really get into the military business, the Swedes have military intelligence for that.

Sweden used to have a conscript army then with Putlin they somehow decided that all wars were over and flowers and love, for a while they had voluntary army that at one point was so small that at one point an angry raccoon could have pushed them over. Then reality struck hard and they went back to limited conscription, it is a long way up.

 

[Colinski]

Since youve mentioned it -why were you not allowed to do your national service?

I am British born Scandinavian Father, We moved to Sweden to live, I had British Passport and Norwegian Passport. I gained Swedish Citizenship. when you become 18 it is compulsary to do a year of national service. They refused me on the basis that i was a national security risk. I was relieved as i don't like war or violence but determened to serve my Country what ever Country i feel i belong to and all three so i joined the Swedish Special Service instead and was accepted. It was a very tough job.

 

[Colinski]

Hmmm... the Swedish Säpo (translates to "Security police") is among other things their counter espionage organization. As far as I know they do not really get into the military business, the Swedes have military intelligence for that.

Sweden used to have a conscript army then with Putlin they somehow decided that all wars were over and flowers and love, for a while they had voluntary army that at one point was so small that at one point an angry raccoon could have pushed them over. Then reality struck hard and they went back to limited conscription, it is a long way up.

Yes you are correct on both accounts but they where more than Police.

 

[Jared]

Here's how carry couple of fireplugs on a keychain, using some heat shrink tubing.

https://imgur.com/oO0yrYI

Heat shrink is AAA battery wrap size, which is close to perfect for these plugs.
Only need to shrink the very end so plug stays in, and easy to push out once lip is torn.

 

[billycoen]

Tampons,already sealed and ready to go.

 

[Jared]

Tampons,already sealed and ready to go.

Was trying to come up with a way to carry a little tinder on a keyring or necklace. Not sure I'm up to carrying a tampon on a necklace.

 

[Colinski]

Tampong in a straw is probably quite difficult, I am sure they are already well packed and water tight, Although you could seperate them into three and straw them then if needed use as Tinder or Female hygene appliance. I don't think it is possibl to compress a Tampong ingo a 11mm straw, but again split into 3 or 4 and it can work. It is very easy to carry tinder on a keyring. Cut a 11mm 3cm straw Seel both ends 5 or more rolls of White Birch bark (Skin), When needed find a long stick, Light one peice and it will wrap among the stick and make a torch, add in the same way to add bark. they will curve in only one way and wrap around the stick White side inwards. Please dont take bark deep as you can kill the tree, Just the paper like flakes. We used to use them like natural Torches and they burn a long time.