Post by elkchsr on Dec 22, 2004 3:14:50 GMT 12.75
We have talked about fire and water, tinder, and now it is time to step up to the next level in your needs to get your fire going.
We have to find small twigs that are just a step above your tinder.
The best thing I find while in the mountains is the dead needles from pine trees, it is quick and easy to collect and you can get quite a bit in a short amount of time just walking around looking for it.
If you are in areas that don't have Evergreens, then the smallest dead twigs at the end of branches are the next step, if your in areas that have no trees, then look into the dead material inside of sage or other small bushes or the tops of dead larger annual plants work well. Remember, we don't want to collect any thing from the ground level if at all possible because of the moisture content that it will contain.
The inside bark on dead trees work well also, or any thing else that will readily catch from your smaller source.
There will not be enough heat exchange in this first starting in your fire so what ever you collect, has to be bone dry. There are other ways in wet weather to collect what you need which I will go thru later.
I think at this stage you need to collect a very large handful of any of this material. The biggest mistake most make when trying to get a fire going besides using damp fuel is to not have enough, take your time and get quite a bit, that way if you make a mistake you don't have to run around looking for more, plus, you also have enough to get your next level of fire started. This stuff usually burns up pretty quick; so it is very important to have plenty, better to error on the side of caution at this stage.
While I am collecting this material, I am also collecting the next size fuel and if possible like to have a good arm full of it, plus a few pieces that are from the size of a pencil up to a couple inches.
If the ground is wet, or there is snow present, before collecting any of this stuff, you have to build a good dry base to start your fire on. To do this, run around and collect enough larger (a couple inches thick) sticks that are somewhat straight and about 18" long.
You need to have enough to totally cover the ground like a small floor where your fire is going. If snow is present, or standing water, I like to double this up by running the next course of floor perpendicular to the last course.
Now you are finally ready to strike that first spark.
Take your tinder material that you will be putting your spark into on the top of your platform. Then take the needles, inner bark, or smallest of twigs (broken and packed by the handful about 8-10" long next to your first fuel source.
Use your spark and start your tinder, (at this point, I have found it is best to have it in your mind that you really want this little fire to start and to put your energies only into breathing life into it) I can't explain it, but if your not into getting this little life started, you will have a very difficult time making it happen.
When it starts to smolder blow very lightly into it until you get flame, take some of your fuel mentioned above and gently put it directly over the flame until it starts, then take your handful sitting there and hold it at an angle above the new flame until it gets going good.
When you have fire into this material going pretty well, you can slowly add the rest of your tinder to make a small pile over the new flame. Be careful not to smother it though.
When the whole pile has lit, then you can set all the rest of the sticks around that you have already collected.
This should catch well enough and last long enough to now give you time to start collecting more and bigger stuff to sustain your fire.
I will go into the rest of this in a few days.
One thing that works excellent if you are in an area that has it is to use pitchy wood. This material is a little harder to find, but on a more natural sense is probably the best to get your fire going good because of it's nature to readily catch fire.
Most in the U.S. don't live in areas where this fuel source is easy to find or non-existent.
You can carve small shavings to create your tinder and once you have spark and a small flame, this fuel source will jump to the job of getting what you are after.
The next thing to go over is starting fires in wet areas; this will be in a couple days.
We have to find small twigs that are just a step above your tinder.
The best thing I find while in the mountains is the dead needles from pine trees, it is quick and easy to collect and you can get quite a bit in a short amount of time just walking around looking for it.
If you are in areas that don't have Evergreens, then the smallest dead twigs at the end of branches are the next step, if your in areas that have no trees, then look into the dead material inside of sage or other small bushes or the tops of dead larger annual plants work well. Remember, we don't want to collect any thing from the ground level if at all possible because of the moisture content that it will contain.
The inside bark on dead trees work well also, or any thing else that will readily catch from your smaller source.
There will not be enough heat exchange in this first starting in your fire so what ever you collect, has to be bone dry. There are other ways in wet weather to collect what you need which I will go thru later.
I think at this stage you need to collect a very large handful of any of this material. The biggest mistake most make when trying to get a fire going besides using damp fuel is to not have enough, take your time and get quite a bit, that way if you make a mistake you don't have to run around looking for more, plus, you also have enough to get your next level of fire started. This stuff usually burns up pretty quick; so it is very important to have plenty, better to error on the side of caution at this stage.
While I am collecting this material, I am also collecting the next size fuel and if possible like to have a good arm full of it, plus a few pieces that are from the size of a pencil up to a couple inches.
If the ground is wet, or there is snow present, before collecting any of this stuff, you have to build a good dry base to start your fire on. To do this, run around and collect enough larger (a couple inches thick) sticks that are somewhat straight and about 18" long.
You need to have enough to totally cover the ground like a small floor where your fire is going. If snow is present, or standing water, I like to double this up by running the next course of floor perpendicular to the last course.
Now you are finally ready to strike that first spark.
Take your tinder material that you will be putting your spark into on the top of your platform. Then take the needles, inner bark, or smallest of twigs (broken and packed by the handful about 8-10" long next to your first fuel source.
Use your spark and start your tinder, (at this point, I have found it is best to have it in your mind that you really want this little fire to start and to put your energies only into breathing life into it) I can't explain it, but if your not into getting this little life started, you will have a very difficult time making it happen.
When it starts to smolder blow very lightly into it until you get flame, take some of your fuel mentioned above and gently put it directly over the flame until it starts, then take your handful sitting there and hold it at an angle above the new flame until it gets going good.
When you have fire into this material going pretty well, you can slowly add the rest of your tinder to make a small pile over the new flame. Be careful not to smother it though.
When the whole pile has lit, then you can set all the rest of the sticks around that you have already collected.
This should catch well enough and last long enough to now give you time to start collecting more and bigger stuff to sustain your fire.
I will go into the rest of this in a few days.
One thing that works excellent if you are in an area that has it is to use pitchy wood. This material is a little harder to find, but on a more natural sense is probably the best to get your fire going good because of it's nature to readily catch fire.
Most in the U.S. don't live in areas where this fuel source is easy to find or non-existent.
You can carve small shavings to create your tinder and once you have spark and a small flame, this fuel source will jump to the job of getting what you are after.
The next thing to go over is starting fires in wet areas; this will be in a couple days.