I oversaw some Scouts build a fire in winter conditions. They used an cardboard egg carton, small twigs, cat tails and a flint and striker. They shaved some magnesium into the bottom of the egg carton to hold the flammable metal together and then used a knife to create a spark on the pile. The magnesium makes a very bright flash and it burns well, but not very long. One of the leaders put some hand sanitizer in a puddle and tried to light it but it didn’t catch. The boys were quite discouraged and wanted to use a lighter but I encouraged them to make it without it. I offered two dry pieces of paper from my pocket and it helped to get the fire going. A fire without matches is really cool. 3 months ago
It seems to me that practicing lighting a fire in inclement weather and/or in the dark might be the best thing to try. Starting a fire after several rainless weeks in summer is a piece of cake, regardless of where the spark comes from.
Luckily, I have a fire dish and a supply of firewood in my backyard. I also have a super-simple wood burning camping stove and would like to figure out how best to use it.
I actually would like to learn to light a fire via multiple matchless means, in this order:
- magnesium fire starter
- flint and steel
- bow drill
Guess I need to find a magnesium fire starter and trim up some kindling. Oh, and maybe make some char cloth! 17 months ago
my wife bought me a fire starter kit with a flint. I have got to try this out to make sure it works. 22 months ago
