My 1 year of Fire Challenge

[Tank]

I have given myself two tasks this year to focus on to learn and practice. The first is fire starting and the second is tree ID and uses (which links nicely to fire)

My plan is to try as many methods/materials and environments as i can in 1 year, a long time i know but i don’t get out as much as i would like hence the time frame.
I would like some suggestions for methods/materials to use and environments to start fire in (mainly natural rather than man made)

I have had quick think and put this list to start with, if you have some suggestions on any different methods/materials or environments

-- Methods --
Bow Drill
Hand Drill
Fire Plow
Flint and Steel
Steel Striker Only
Fire Piston
Ferro
Fresnel Lens
Ice
Polished Coke Can
Wirewool & battery

-- Materials --
Char Cloth
Birch Bark
Birch Polypore
Cattail
Dried Grass
King Alfred Cakes
Amadou
Pine Resin

-- Environment --
Wet Weather
Cold Weather

-- Others --
Tinder Bundles
Fire Types / Styles (eg tipi)

Look forward to adding to this list, and i hope to put up my attempts in a blog (if i get around to setting one up)

 

[ged]

Permanganate?

 

[Bushwhacker]

Magnifying glass or lens fire starting.
Polished coke can method.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Differing woods for bow drill, use minimal prep kits, say made from the fork of a branch so you don't have to carve a notch,

 

[Tank]

Magnifying glass or lens fire starting.
Polished coke can method.

cheers forgot i had a fresnel lens to try.

 

[addo]

I think theres plenty to keep you going on your list Tank.
Best to do the main types well and in differing conditions over a year or so like you plan, and enjoy it too.

Tree Id is quite easy there's only a handfull you rearly need to know for bushcraft purposes in this country.

Good luck and look forward to hearing the results.

 

[Tank]

I think theres plenty to keep you going on your list Tank.
Best to do the main types well and in differing conditions over a year or so like you plan, and enjoy it too.

Tree Id is quite easy there's only a handfull you rearly need to know for bushcraft purposes in this country.

Good luck and look forward to hearing the results.

Yeah i am sure it will keep me going. I am sure i wont get around to doing all of them, but there are also a few i have done, but want to get better at.

also looking for more natural materials that i could find out in the woods. This came about due to trying to start a fire in the very wet woods on friday night using birch bark, and i was wandering what else i could have found instead.

 

[ged]

...also looking for more natural materials that i could find out in the woods. This came about due to trying to start a fire in the very wet woods on friday night using birch bark, and i was wandering what else i could have found instead.

Prepare, prepare, prepare. A couple of weeks ago I swapped one of my sharps for some Goretex kit. When I put my hand in one of the pockets, it was full of tinder.

 

[Galemys]

Flint & iron pyrites/marcasite!

Works good in combination with (untreated) horse hoof fungus.

Cheers,

Tom

 

[addo]

also looking for more natural materials that i could find out in the woods. This came about due to trying to start a fire in the very wet woods on friday night using birch bark, and i was wandering what else i could have found instead.

Feather sticks, work every time in the wet, with or without matches.
Last few curls as thin and curly as possible for use with a Fire Flash.

Comb through grass tufts and near barb wire fences for the dead stuff. Normally drys out during a walk in your pocket, especially if you rough it up loads before use. Birch bark with that and your onto a winner.

Thistle down is the best out of the downs by far for flame from a fire flash spark.
Read mace down, longer hotter ember, good with bowdrill tinder bundles, as is Rose Bay Willow Herb, often wont burst into flame until contact with the dry grass/ leaves/ bracken layer.

Think of every stage of firemaking as the gears of a bike, and you'll be onto a winner.

 

[Aragorn]

You make it sound easy mate ;-)

 

[Tank]

Cheers Addo, will bare that in mind.

started a blog, should be interesting as i am not the best and putting my thoughts to paper (or virtual paper in this case) - http://tankislarge.blogspot.com/

 

[Pict]

Good on you. It sounds like a great plan.

I've done the ice thing and learned much in the process. Finding clear ice in nature is the hard part. Apparently ice that freezes quickly traps air bubbles. Ice that freezes slowly will force them out and leave clear ice behind. In my experiment I used ice formed in a creek. It takes a fairly large chunk of clear ice with no fracture lines to make a decent sized lens. In my travels I have found clear ice easily in places where dripping water forms icicles and a large icicle is your best bet. I remember photographing really beautiful clear ice formations in the winter near fast running mountain streams in Pennsylvania.

You want to create a sphere of at least 2 - 3 inches diameter.

[video=youtube;owF15LQT78o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owF15LQT78o[/video]

[video=youtube;6rL8Nt73gpY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rL8Nt73gpY&feature=related[/video]

I'm having trouble getting the photos to post but I have seen nearly spherical clear ice created by falling water conditions on the Delaware river. The lapping of the water created beautiful globe shaped icicles that seemed almost ready made as ice lenses.

 

[DaveBromley]

what about bamboo saw?

Looks like a good idea mate i need to work on these myself

I'll be watching with interest

Dave

 

[Tank]

what about bamboo saw?

Looks like a good idea mate i need to work on these myself

I'll be watching with interest

Dave

I did think of that, but i thought i am not going to stumble across much of that in the woods lol. If i can get some i will try it though just out of interest.

 

[Tank]

Good on you. It sounds like a great plan.

Thanks for the vids Pict, will have a look at them when i get home tonight. I am sure this one will be one of the hardest to do.

 

[Miyagi]

I'll be following your blog Tank - good luck with this. It's something I should have done by now too.

Permanganate?

I need new glasses.

I read that and said to myself "How's he going to light a fire with Pomegranite?"

Liam

 

[ged]

...I read that and said to myself "How's he going to light a fire with Pomegranite?"

The wife says it's a good job I didn't suggest a grenadine.

 

[lannyman8]

the best way to improve all round is take minimal kit in wet conditions, i dont mean a wet weekend in summer but a bonkers wet weekend after a wet wet wet week in winter will teach you loads, even if you dont get a fire going you WILL learn allot just in one day from doing it...

as for methods work your way up mate, im trying to get the hand drill down ATM. its nails and it does just come down to your muscles getting done in before you want them too.......

good idea all round, you will have fun trying.......

permanganate is worth sticking into a first aid kit by the way, it cleans wounds, water and starts fire...

 

[Tank]

Thought I would give a bit of an update, the blog is up and running and has its first 2 post done (it’s not War and Peace) but hopefully give the idea of what i am doing and going to do.

Last week Buckshot (Mark) pm'd me and informed me of a wood festival that him and some of the guys were doing just down the road from me, so i popped along as Mark offered to run me though the bow drill. I have attempted the bow drill before and only once got an ember but as i was practicing outside my flat i never had a tinder bundle to blow the ember into flames and since then i have struggled to get an ember again.

Well I am glad to say with Marks bow drill set I was able to get an ember and blew it to life, sadly the wife didn’t take the hint about "you can take some pictures" and "the camera is in the bag" So i know some of you will say without pictures it never happened, but hopefully Mark and the guys can confirm it did actually happen and it wasn’t in one of my dreams

Next on the card is source in the materials for a bow drill and attempting to make a working set.



Also this weekend my Wife, my Son and I went down to Minster Lovell ruins for a BBQ for lunch/early dinner, so as I was packing for the planned BBQ I threw in the sweet tin I had kept and the an old work shirt that was made from a 100% cotton shirt.

After the food was cooked i put the tin full of the old shirt onto the remaining coals and left it to work, however as there wasn’t much heat in the coals i spent most of my time blowing them to heat them up.


Attempt One

The results were as I expected, not very good. I think there was not enough heat to get the job done correctly.

When we got home our neighbours asked if we fancied a bbq for dinner. So I jumped at the chance to try attempt number two, but this time i would do the char cloth before the food was cooked.


Attempt Two
With a good heat the smoke soon started pouring out the hole.

Putting a stick in the hole to stop any O2 getting in.

A much better result this time, but i think i took it off too soon.

This lead on to Attempt three, where i decided to be brave and leave it on the coals for as long as the smoke was still coming out.

Attempt Three

Again the smoke came out very quickly and i left it until it had almost stopped. Again plugging the hole

Result! Feels a good texture

In my excitement to check the results i took the lid of too quickly and the wind blowing on the top layer caused an ember to glow. (Which i am hoping is a good sign)

Next thing will be test that the char cloth takes a spark.