Firestarter!

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by KENT GABLE on February 19, 2012 at 12:19

Terry- there's lots of different types of fire starters out there. I've seen something similar to what you've described. Being a fisherman & boater, I always think about how quickly this type will dry out if submerged? Same with matches. I guess that's why I gravitate toward the Fire Starter ( and there's many including the Swedish made one too). The one I described produces a shower of hot sparks and that along with vasiline impregnated cotton balls (and a little steel wool helps, too) ignites quickly and produces a lasting flame. That's why I like those over one that produces a hot but smaller ember.

One that I don't like are those popular name brand magnesium bars with a small dia. striker attached. The magnesium is hard to scrape off & ignite and the small dia. rod just doesn't cut it in my humble opinion. With a 3/8" dia. steel and the cotton/vasilene for kindling, I get a lasting flame in no time. I keep the greasy cotton balls in a film canister in my pocket & the "Gobblaster Fire Steel" (or equal) attached to my belt with a parachord leader just long enough to allow me to slide it in my front pocket. That way, it's always there with me, even if I fall out of my boat or do something equally stupid. They have a metal scraper attached, but I always carry at least a dependable pocket knife with me too.

Never hurts to have a couple of disposable lighters in your survival kit either. Red is my favorite color in case I lay it down and don't find it as easily in the grass as with a darker color. Hope this helps? Hopefully we will never need either but be prepared.

Permalink Reply by Chris North on February 19, 2012 at 17:55

A fire piston! I found one on ebay that a man made here in the U.S. (imagine that) and it's a fun way to try lighting a fire. With practice it would be a great tool in a kit.

Terry Waldele said:

I went to a gun and knife show in Portland, OR today and saw a cool fire starter that I've never seen or heard of before.  Can't remember what it's called, but it operates on the same principle as a diesel engine.  It consists of a wooden tube with one end plugged, a knob-handled steel "plunger" shaft with small recess in the end and an "O-ring"  mounted on the plunger shaft just behind the recess (like a cylinder and piston), and some "carbonized" shredded tinder, a small amount of which is inserted into the recess in the end of the plunger.  The plunger is then inserted into the open end of the wooden tube and slammed home smartly.  The pressure that is built up ignites the tinder in the end of the plunger and blowing gently on the glowing tinder causes it to glow even hotter.  Placing the glowing tinder next to a small wad of tinder on some dry wood ignites it, and with a little gentle blowing, you've got yourself a fire!

The origin of this device, as the maker described it to me, is equally interesting.  According to him, it was originally invented in the Philippines by natives who used bamboo blow guns for hunting.  Apparently, they discovered it when they were making fairly long blowguns by ramming through the bamboo "joints" and noticed that, when they pulled out the ramming tool, the end of it was hot enough to glow red, i.e., hot enough to start a fire.  The rest, as they say, is history.  Aren't we humans amazing?

P.S.  I wonder if Rudolf Diesel visited the Philippines before he invented the Diesel engine in 1893.

Permalink Reply by Freddy Ramos on March 5, 2012 at 11:01

The most important part of starting a campfire, in my opinion, is getting the fire started long enough to put small tinder. And for that reasone I use cotton balls with a little bit of Vaseline. This makes a very cheap, very effective firestarter. Depending on how well your fire steel works you can usually get it lit in one or two strokes. The vaseline will allow the cotton to stay lit a lot longer than with out it. I have had cotton balls stay lit for at least 5 minutes before going out.

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