Hi All,
I just had to say that yesterday I succesfully built my first 'natural' fire started with a flint and steel. Ingredients were dry grass, birch bark, kindling of varying sizes and sparks.
I built it in a small cast iron BBQ
Initially I spent about 10 - 15 minutes with the steel static and pointing downwards to the dry grass and bark shavings and striking the flint downwards. This resulted in lots of sparks, half my flint used but no resulting flame. I changed tack and held the flint horizontal and directly on top of the dry grass and struck the steel across and after a couple of near starts, about 30 seconds later I HAD FLAME!!!!!
I realised another mistake (somewhat later) as in my panic and haste to get the tiny flame stoked into fire that I pretty much threw the flint and steel to one side. I realise that if I had actually been in the field - grass and whatever else around, maybe bad light/going dark I could have had problems finding them again!
Anyway, I built it up with increasingly larger kindling and hay presto! A fire!!!
I realise that most of you dont think twice about this type of fire lighting (of course maybe you appreciate your fire lighting skills every time you use or need them) but I of course am chuffed to bits to pop my bushcraft firelighting cherry.
I was so chuffed that I whipped out my phone and took these shots.
It was an altogether brilliant experience that taught me quite a bit in a short time. Nothing like actually doing it is there?
Matt.
I just had to say that yesterday I succesfully built my first 'natural' fire started with a flint and steel. Ingredients were dry grass, birch bark, kindling of varying sizes and sparks.
I built it in a small cast iron BBQ
Initially I spent about 10 - 15 minutes with the steel static and pointing downwards to the dry grass and bark shavings and striking the flint downwards. This resulted in lots of sparks, half my flint used but no resulting flame. I changed tack and held the flint horizontal and directly on top of the dry grass and struck the steel across and after a couple of near starts, about 30 seconds later I HAD FLAME!!!!!
I realised another mistake (somewhat later) as in my panic and haste to get the tiny flame stoked into fire that I pretty much threw the flint and steel to one side. I realise that if I had actually been in the field - grass and whatever else around, maybe bad light/going dark I could have had problems finding them again!
Anyway, I built it up with increasingly larger kindling and hay presto! A fire!!!
I realise that most of you dont think twice about this type of fire lighting (of course maybe you appreciate your fire lighting skills every time you use or need them) but I of course am chuffed to bits to pop my bushcraft firelighting cherry.
I was so chuffed that I whipped out my phone and took these shots.
It was an altogether brilliant experience that taught me quite a bit in a short time. Nothing like actually doing it is there?
Matt.
