Making a fire in the Alpine Wilderness

[seth30]

Looking to gain some of those bushmaster skills.  I plan on making a bow drill and using it on my return to the states.  What would you use in Western Washington to use as kindling to get that fire going?  Looking for natural items that are already laying around or growing on trees.  Thanks for any knowledge that you share

[MountainWalk]

I keep a vacuum sealed bag of 4-6 inch cedar fir sticks and splinters and pitch. Always got two bics.

[RadSav]

I don't know about tinder in the Apline wilderness.  Actually, I'm not even sure where that is!


It can be hard at times to use natural tinder in alpine or westside forests.  Wetness can sometimes make for complete frustration without a home made or commercial fire starter.  But with that said, in the high country I like finding tamarack or similar.  Lower country sappy fir or cedar.  Even when damp the dead branches lower down on the trunks is usually dry if you remove the bark.

As kids we would start bow drill fires with cedar shavings and fir pitch.  Our biggest problem was finding a good split block to put the tinder on in the first place.  It's been probably 40 years since my brothers and I built a fire that way.  Once we found out what a blue tip match was ...the property was never safe again!

[jackelope]

You might check into the legality of making fires up there. Not trying to be the huntwa LEO but ...  There are laws.

[Knocker of rocks]

You might check into the legality of making fires up there. Not trying to be the huntwa LEO but ...  There are laws.

Sans emergency closures, prohibited above 5000' east of the crest and 4000' west of the crest, as well as within 1/4 of the lakes listed in the link.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5407053.pdf

[seth30]

You might check into the legality of making fires up there. Not trying to be the huntwa LEO but ...  There are laws.

Sans emergency closures, prohibited above 5000' east of the crest and 4000' west of the crest, as well as within 1/4 of the lakes listed in the link.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5407053.pdf

Thanks for the info, looks like I am good to go on the camping, dogs and making a fire   Good little piece of info to carry around in my pack just in case I hike in those areas that the fire rules apply too

[Bean Counter]

There were no campfires, nor dogs, permitted in The Enchantments, last I was there.

[seth30]

There were no campfires, nor dogs, permitted in The Enchantments, last I was there.

I plan on going to the Jordan Lakes when I get back stateside

[Eric M]

Check out Bushcraft Barton's on youtube. He makes a fire out of all kinds of stuff. He has one video where he uses a baggie full of water like a magnifying glass.

[Bill W]

I used my boyscout skills and soaked a small roll of cardboard in paraffin wax.