If the right conditions and materials were made avaliable to you, what would be your prefered method of fire-lighting?
Prefered fire lighting method
- Thread starter Nightwalker
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It depends...
Drill & Bow (Fire by Friction) if I have time/tools to knock a set up and Im feeling flashy.
Hand Drilling (Fire by Friction), never had the chance, never had the right materials, I guess Im lazy.
Flint and steel involves finding really good tinder like charcloth and Im "motivationally challenged".
Firesteel I use a bit, it's moderately flashy and still gives mild satisfaction preparing the tinder etc...
Fire Piston, don't have one, flint and steel to me gives same result. I know the mechanism isn't but that's just how I feel.
Lighter I love, this is my preferred method because it's fast, reliable and gets me my food that little bit faster!
Match, I always carry a few but they haven't been used... Ill keep taking them along or Ill only need them
Other: I love chemical... try getting some potassium permanganate from your local chemist and some glycerine from boots YAY PURPLE FLAMES!!!
Drill & Bow (Fire by Friction) if I have time/tools to knock a set up and Im feeling flashy.
Hand Drilling (Fire by Friction), never had the chance, never had the right materials, I guess Im lazy.
Flint and steel involves finding really good tinder like charcloth and Im "motivationally challenged".
Firesteel I use a bit, it's moderately flashy and still gives mild satisfaction preparing the tinder etc...
Fire Piston, don't have one, flint and steel to me gives same result. I know the mechanism isn't but that's just how I feel.
Lighter I love, this is my preferred method because it's fast, reliable and gets me my food that little bit faster!
Match, I always carry a few but they haven't been used... Ill keep taking them along or Ill only need them
Other: I love chemical... try getting some potassium permanganate from your local chemist and some glycerine from boots
YAY PURPLE FLAMES!!!
Ironic; I started the poll yet I find it a little tricky to answer myself...
I think I most "like" the bow and drill method; however I have not yet succeeded in lighting a proper fire with it
Same with the firesteel, I have only owned one a few days, I've generated fire with one, but not used the flame for a true prepared fire.
Regards my bow/drill attempts, I've only made a few attempts at it, and on my latter attempt I would have said the equipment I produced looked near enough perfect for the job, everything would go according to plan; I would get a good rythm going and smoke no problem, however I could not get any wood/dust in my slot? not a bit! I have tried more downward force but that dosent seem to help. I thought maybe its the type of wood im using is wrong, I think the wood I collected was sycamore. I should get out and give it a go again. I'll try to roughen up the drill & hearth for more friction.
I notice somebody has already voted "Other methods", may I ask what that method was? I did think about putting chemical on the list, but didnt bother.
I think I most "like" the bow and drill method; however I have not yet succeeded in lighting a proper fire with it
Same with the firesteel, I have only owned one a few days, I've generated fire with one, but not used the flame for a true prepared fire.
Regards my bow/drill attempts, I've only made a few attempts at it, and on my latter attempt I would have said the equipment I produced looked near enough perfect for the job, everything would go according to plan; I would get a good rythm going and smoke no problem, however I could not get any wood/dust in my slot?
not a bit! I have tried more downward force but that dosent seem to help. I thought maybe its the type of wood im using is wrong, I think the wood I collected was sycamore. I should get out and give it a go again. I'll try to roughen up the drill & hearth for more friction.I notice somebody has already voted "Other methods", may I ask what that method was? I did think about putting chemical on the list, but didnt bother.
Squidders likes his fire-lighting methods to be flashy, he he. Chemical sounds fun. Downsides to it? Bad for the land? dangerous? gases?
I know its only had a few votes already but this poll is turning out more even and interesting than I first anticipated it would. Im looking forward to the results of my first poll
Well, this is just me talking but here's how I see it... there are a small number of reasons for lighting a fire...
to show off
because its fun
Practice
because you need something to be hot
in a purely practical way, I start at the easiest method and work down the list. I do try to stay in practice with all of them though.
With regards to pottassium, well, it's not as bad as hexi cookers and wot not, it can help with atheletes foot or making water drinkable... glycerene (i think) is good for breathing problems and a few other bits... just make a small pile of the purple stuff, pour some of the clear stuff on to it and then quickly add a load of kindling... easy peasy just don't tell the pharmacy that's what you're doing! tell them you have peeling feet blah blah blah... p.s. if you do have peely feet, it works a treat but it will turn them brown!
to show off
because its fun
Practice
because you need something to be hot
in a purely practical way, I start at the easiest method and work down the list. I do try to stay in practice with all of them though.
With regards to pottassium, well, it's not as bad as hexi cookers and wot not, it can help with atheletes foot or making water drinkable... glycerene (i think) is good for breathing problems and a few other bits... just make a small pile of the purple stuff, pour some of the clear stuff on to it and then quickly add a load of kindling... easy peasy
just don't tell the pharmacy that's what you're doing! tell them you have peeling feet blah blah blah... p.s. if you do have peely feet, it works a treat but it will turn them brown! 
I like firesteel and it is in my pouch. BUT, I have had such an enjoyable time gathering together all the bits needed to handrill and then there is the refinement...This has to be the PREFERRED method! Swyn.
Swyn.Well....I took prefered to mean what I do most and that simply has to be the lighter.But for sheer enjoyment value I'd have to say my fire piston! They're great, totally counter intuitive (though easily explained) which makes them real fun.And for total satisfaction....rubbing sticks together!
Nightwalker said:
It has to be the hand drill for me,because i found it quicker to get an ember than it was to get one using the bow drill. I also found i was less knackered upon getting an ember,i do like the simplicity of the hand drill, a very freeing feeling,not having to use any mechanical advantage.
But i will light a fire with any method when the need arises.
I voted hand drill, because for me, it is the most satisfying way of getting a fire going, but I often use a lighter, matches etc, just for convenience sake. I have lost the plot a bit on the hand drill, unable to get any success lately, so I must practice more, need some more elder too...........
Like everything else "it depends".
I have lighters in all my packs and several in the car and around the house. I also have a couple Blast Match and some other brands of fire steels. We practice every method in case we need to use them, but try to be prepared so that the easy way is always at hand. I have an old Army ammo box packed full of "strike anywhere matches" and sealed to prevent moisture ruining the matches. Also have steel wool and batteries, cotton soaked with petroleum jelly and we make char cloth several times a year. Yeah, we're pretty well set for making fire.
So, preferred would be easy, quick and sure. Lighter. But backed up by several layers.
I have lighters in all my packs and several in the car and around the house. I also have a couple Blast Match and some other brands of fire steels. We practice every method in case we need to use them, but try to be prepared so that the easy way is always at hand. I have an old Army ammo box packed full of "strike anywhere matches" and sealed to prevent moisture ruining the matches. Also have steel wool and batteries, cotton soaked with petroleum jelly and we make char cloth several times a year. Yeah, we're pretty well set for making fire.
So, preferred would be easy, quick and sure. Lighter. But backed up by several layers.
I have voted "Flint and Steel". As it is the method I most commonly use for lighting my fires when out and about, I guess that makes it my "preferred method" whether I like it or not !
I actually prefer to use the bow drill as I find it that much more satisfying, but I rarely carry the kit with me. My steel, a nice piece of flint and a little tin full of charcloth have a permanent home in my day-bag so that's what gets used.
I find it quite rewarding to use the flint and steel as it still requires me to gather suitable tinder and blow it to flame from a glowing coal (of charcloth). This is the part of fire-making that seems to be the most difficult to achieve first time every time for me, even when using the bow drill. Having struggled and failed miserably for many years to get a coal from the bow drill I learned from this forum where I had been going wrong. I gathered and prepared the right materials and now find that I rarely, if ever, fail to get a coal first time with the bow. It's the blowing to flame with materials I have gathered "on the spot" that beats me now and then, so I enjoy the practice when using the flint and steel.
From the list, the only method I have never made a fire by is the hand drill. I have only had few goes at this and have only ever made one coal from the method which I did not convert to flame.
I actually prefer to use the bow drill as I find it that much more satisfying, but I rarely carry the kit with me. My steel, a nice piece of flint and a little tin full of charcloth have a permanent home in my day-bag so that's what gets used.
I find it quite rewarding to use the flint and steel as it still requires me to gather suitable tinder and blow it to flame from a glowing coal (of charcloth). This is the part of fire-making that seems to be the most difficult to achieve first time every time for me, even when using the bow drill. Having struggled and failed miserably for many years to get a coal from the bow drill I learned from this forum where I had been going wrong. I gathered and prepared the right materials and now find that I rarely, if ever, fail to get a coal first time with the bow. It's the blowing to flame with materials I have gathered "on the spot" that beats me now and then, so I enjoy the practice when using the flint and steel.
From the list, the only method I have never made a fire by is the hand drill. I have only had few goes at this and have only ever made one coal from the method which I did not convert to flame.
Fire Piston for me.
There is just something satisfying about gathering all the materials and taking your time to prepare them, then watching a tiny ember grow into a live flame.
There is just something satisfying about gathering all the materials and taking your time to prepare them, then watching a tiny ember grow into a live flame.
