Survival Fire

[rasbo]

keeping a good head is the most important asset one can carry with him or her.Adults or the worst enemy to them self.children alone fair better then most adults.When its cold they cuddle up,when they are tired they will sleep.Some adults have run off cliffs in the dark,just panic.once you figure out your lost stop! then its time to survive make your self comfortable and know you will be okay.Gather what you need start a fire,and keep your self occupied with staying alive.for me its fire.I was left out once.I got a fire going and spent my time gathering more fuel as the fire was burning.This kept my mind busy and made me feel good.It was a great experience for me and humbling at the same time.

[Wolf Track]

This is a great thread

I practice making fires almost any where and every where in every condition the Rockies have to offer...

When I lived in Washington, I did the same thing

Mother Earth will heal the small fire spot you make

I start fires all the time in -20 with 10-12" of snow on the ground during a blizzard

I use the same techniques I learned in Scouts 30+ years ago in the Woodinville/Bothell area

I don't worry about the PC crowd to much when building these fires, I believe my life is far more valuable than their feelings

I've also practiced fires in extreme fire danger and keeping them under full control (it helps a lot when you're a wildland fire fighter and have the formal training)

[Head-shot]

    Great post Ice! Once again you have given some very good insight to what it really takes to stay alive in a survival situation. I think what you said about the Ego was spot on, especially as we get older and think "Hell I've done this type of thing before and was just fine" Then like Bone said before you realize what has happened you are wanting to just take a little nap and that's all she wrote.
     This is great for the younger and/or less experienced hunters and hikers. I think it puts things into realistic perspective unlike some of the survival shows on TV making it look so easy. And you write things with such colorful emotion at times, its like I was sitting there myself. Great read my friend.

[Wolf Track]

That’s right headshot...

Most people die of the elements at around 45-50f which is right up the ally of where you guys are at for most of the year

Most every year people succumb to hypothermia with a pack full of food and shelter but are to stubborn to stop, set up a camp or even get a fire going

For the time they save not doing the little things to stay alive, they more than pay for in the long run by taking a permanent rest

Frost bite is another thing that gets a large number of people for the same reason

And this is an excellent thread on prevention of frost bite

I was walking out across a swampy area at -10 and figured since it had been so cold the water should have been froze clear thru

It wasn't and by the time I got to the other side, my feet were covered with 6" of ice as every time I broke thru, the powdered snow would stick to my feet adding a layer

Most guys would just kick the ice off as well as possible and keep going as we all seem to have a time limit and have to meet a time oriented objective

Instead, I stopped, got a fire going and spent two hours drying my shoes out

I lost out on the elk I was chasing at the time, but still have all my toes to show for it

This same thing goes for getting ones fingers, nose, and ear tips to cold for extended periods of time

If when things start to warm up and they hurt, those are the first signs of frost bite

[Pathfinder101]

Awesome thread Iceman!  I keep vasaline-cottonballs in my survival kit also.  The biggest thing I teach in my survival class (I teach a survival drill for my National Guard unit each January, and I teach the survival portion of our local Hunter's Ed class) about fire is PLAN, PLAN, PLAN.  The better you plan, the less likely you are to have to resort to some primitive means of getting a fire going.
One thing I have found is that "pitch-wood" works nearly as well as cotton balls.  Find a rotton stump and kick it apart.  Look for where the sap has saturated the wood (usually in the center) and it's not rotting.  Cut these into thin strips and use them the same way you use cotton balls.
For spark and flame I use a magnesium match.  Burns fast and hot and works great even when soaking wet.  That magnesium burns fast though, gotta have the cottonballs/pitchwood ready. 
I also start 2 or 3 fires before I teach the class.  Practice, practice, practice...

[ICEMAN]

Thanks, and I agree on the practice principle. Each year now, as my kids age (10 and 12 now) I constantly quiz them as we hunt. "What would you do if you were lost right now?"  "What resources do you see around you that you could use?" "Where would you build your shelter?"

They are off to a great start, identifying good spots for shelter, good fuel sources, having a mental plan of what to do. Every camp trip we make, every hunt trip we take, they are in charge of firestarting at camp. I make a big deal about it, challenging them to try to make a fire in one try. One match. Doesnt always work out, but they get alot of practice.... I even make a big deal taking pictures and all, congratulating them that they have just "survived the night".

 

[NRA4LIFE]

ICEMAN,

That bit about the Whiskey made me laugh my butt off.  I am very happy to see someone not afraid of carrying/mentioning a Bic lighter.  The mini varity weighs probably a half ounce maybe?  I carry 2 or 3 ALWAYS.  A couple stories about Bic lighters, one amusing, one not so.  I was discussing survival fires with a bunch of older hunters about carrying them.  One of them asked me if he could see it.  I gave it to him and he threw it in a pot of water and made some snide comment like "now what are you gonna do?".  I had it lit in less than 5 seconds.

Whilst in the boundary waters of N Minnesota in college, my "partner" dumped our canoe one night, 3 miles from camp, both of us in water.  Late May, raining, 35 degrees, water temp about the same.  Not good.  Got the canoe to shore and regrouped.  "Partner" is now balling and scared to death.  Almost dark now.  I was wearing all wool at the time and was OK.  Sprang into action.  Found a bunch of birch bark and dead cedar branches.  Bic lighter to the rescue.  Had a fire going right quick and we sat almost butt naked drying out our cloths until after midnight.  As we started back to camp (could see the fire they had going for our beacon), we got 50 yards out and my "partner's" paddle breaks.  That was a loooooong night.

[ICEMAN]

Yeah, alot of folks think you need to be able to start the fire with two sticks caveman approach.... I am not even going to dick around with that crap. The fact is, when you NEED a fire, you usually need it right now, and I want to have things in my pack that work, and work quick. My last resort is a magnesioum/ferrocium rod... I have practiced with it. Works, but I like my firestarters I have made. Really like having those waxed thin strips and waxed paper type stuff. Lights fast, burns hot... The last thing I want to try to do is light a fire with just matches and nothing to help me out....

[docsven]

I've heard tortilla chips are good for fuel since they are saturated with fat, how do they compare to the wax paper?  The wax paper would be easier to pack. I haven't thought much about this since Boy scouts but you're right, thanks for the post.

[Pathfinder101]

In the class I teach, I only say one thing about the "caveman" methods; "It is possible to get a fire going that way, but most of you are probably in good enough shape to do it."
It takes such an incredible amount of friction that most people can't muster up the intestinal fortitude to keep their arms going  that fast, for that long with enough pressure to get a hot coal on their fireboard.  Plus, you need a softwood fireboard, a hardwood stick, and they have to be absolutely dry.  Try finding those requirements when you actually "need" a fire...
I tell them the best defense against having to use primitive methods, is to never get caught without several modern methods available.

[ICEMAN]

Amen.

[GUHunter]

I consider myself pretty decent at building fires, but I was really humbled recently. This past November during late buck, a buddy and I were at camp attempting to get a cooking fire going in a steady rain, and failed miserably. I had a couple lighters and vaseline coated cotton balls (wanted to attempt survival type method). I could not, for the life of me, get this fire above a small flame. A few times we got a very tiny fire going, but couldn't get the thing to grow into anything substantial. We were not in any danger, as we were a few feet from the tent , but it was dark and raining. Had we been lost and the temperatures lower, it could have been a dangerous situation. I think we should all practice survival skills as often as possible. It is so easy for one mistake to turn into a deadly situation. Great thread to make us consider the possibilities.

[magnanimous_j]

ICEMAN,

I know I'm kinda persona non grata around here, but I just wanted to say that I really enjoy your informational posts. Makes me get all itchy to get out of the city and into the woods for awhile.

You should consider writing your own blog.

[ICEMAN]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. My wife says I am just full of crap and I like to hear myself talk... 

As far as writing about whatever I am doing, I really enjoy sticking in the actual thoughts that come to mind...the accidents and mistakes, everything....

[Skyvalhunter]

Ice, what would give your wife the impression that you are full of krap?