•Whats in your tinder box•

“I ask this question after returning from a wet trip in PA where I had minor troubles getting a fire going. My fire building troubles started when I packed none of my fire kits, since the threads related to the trip clearly stated NO FIRES. Since it was poring Friday and we had potentially a lost hiker with hypothermia we started a small blaze. In preparation of the trip I water proofed my matches by dunking the tips of the match in wax. This is a good idea, if before striking your match you clear the wax off the match. Next time I go I’m thinking of putting some dryer lint mixed with small wood shavings into a small zip lock bag . Even with dousing the fire in white gas, I only achieved a quick blaze then nothing. This is after I has a fire going and JMitch knocked it over (LOL @ JMitch). I ask this question only to improve my current success with fire, at no point was I unable to get something going. I’m just wondering what do the rest of you carry to get fires going? I know allot of people with trioxian fire starts and other crap, but to me that is cheating. My second question is, how do you all get logs to dry after being soaked for the day. Once again, I ask only to improve what I already do, my ways haven’t failed, but they just haven’t been a bulls eye. In the past I would build the fire with tinder-kindiling- and fuel (2in thick) and place logs (6 in diameter) around the base of the fire in hopes that when the kindiling and small fuel burns it will dry the large logs. Any one have a better idea???”

“Nothing is cheating if you need a fire.”

“I cheat, I use Trioxian.

Gojo did a cool thing to start the fire. He piled a few twigs on the burner of his Butane stove, cranked the gas and applied match. When they were going good, he just dumped them off into pile of other twigs in the fire ring. I think Sarabell taught him that.”

“I don't like burning anything I can't get both hands around. I like the jagged edges as opposed to sawed 'clean' edges. I don't think those ignite as well as something that has been bent, broken, or twisted aparted. I just think the frayed ends help to get things going. Splitting the wood too should help. If you pack an old Bowie Knife or a long Survival one you can use that with a rock to hammer wood in half. The outer1/4 maybe soggy but the inner wood alot of the time will be dry. Find a way to split it or pull the wood apart.

There is plenty of tinder out there. You just have to where to look for it. Standing dead wood over ground dead wood. Underneath pines etc. you should find plenty of dead and drying twigs and duff to help get a base of coals going. If you're hiking all day in the rain and are wanting a fire that evening and have limited tinder you should be looking for dry items that can burn while hiking. See an old bird nest, snag it. Small branches and certain barks can be rubbed together till they are as fine as hair strands. You can do that while hiking. Then stow it away in a dry pocket till needed.

Just an opinion,
Moist dirt can also inhibit your starter fire. Those first few inches of earth after a rain can be alot moister than the dirt below it. All that moisture adds up and can make it harder to get something going. Also don't forget to protect your wood thru the night if rain is expected. Simple covering some of it with a plastic bag or tarp or laying it underneath a healthy pine will help alot more than leaving it out in the open come morning when you want a morning fire.

Something to thing about, sheilding some coals with a large rock before going to bed. No need to smash them. Just ring your coals with some rocks and then cap it with a larger one.”

“Go back to your Boy Scout Handbook. Start really small and don't get big too fast! I've been able to get fires going in really wet weather by being frustratingly patient. Start with shavings, then twigs, bigger twigs, small branches, etc. I need my second match when I put on stuff that is too big, too fast.”

“I use my flamethrower.”

“or a white phosphorus grenade?”

“or as SuperTroll likes to say...

Indian keep warm with small fire, white man keep warm fetching wood for large fire.”

“Steel wool. It's nice and light.”

“i hear lighting farts works well...”

“In 95% of my fires, only a sharp knife was needed to shave small pieces of wood from a stick. This has worked for me most of the time.I've started fires in downpours & blizzards, but usually only when needed. In general, I don't use a fire. Only once in -20 degree weather with everything ice encrusted did I have difficulty starting a fire. From that point on, I always brought small pcs of fire starter (many types available).”

“LOL @ Ultrapacker!!!”

“Birch bark burns like a torch. As I walk along I'll take a little from any birch tree I come across until I have a good double handful. I keep it in a (you guessed it) zip-loc bag until I need it.”

“DaNewfie, you can usually find plenty of birch bark on the ground, where it's not going to hurt a tree that's living. Ringing trees can kill 'em.”

“I put some dryer lint with petroleum jelly in a film canister. I also look for dry branches on or around a pine tree and birch bark. Pine cones work great, too. Start small and don't throw anything too big on a small fire right away.

I like Briar Rabbit's tips as well as catshiker's. I could see gojo's method working well, too.”

“If you put that dryer lint mixed with wood shavings into a paper egg carton "cup" and soak it with melted parafin it will start almost any wood. Pine will often burn even when wet, it's got turpentine in it. Also, pine knots are soaked through with turpentine and will burn well even when nothing else will. Green hemlock branches will work as a firestarter in an emergency. When you really need dry wood, look for standing dead wood. These will often be wet on the outside but dry most of the way through. Don't go knocking down live trees though. Make sure they've lost their bark and are so dead they can be felled by pushing them over or pulling them over with a rope. Do this only as a last resort!


And shame on your scoutmaster for not teaching you these things!!!”

“I carry dryer lint in a snack sized zipp lock and then put a bit of hand sanitizer on this. I have yet to fail at getting a fire going using this. I do carry two birthday candles as insurance.”

“I typically take a handy Father Goose with me. Father Goose has never failed me yet, when it comes to building a fire, lol...”

“If all else fails, just start a political discussion. The heat from that should dry all the surrounding wood for miles and start a good roaring fire in no time.”

“Well, there are also generally enough spirits to burn down a small wilderness area on a TT trip too, lol...”

“ANd with the Heat Tango gives Walkindude, and the wood that packrat hauls in...yea”

“Pine stump or log can potentially provide "fat lighter". Chip away the decayed layers until you reach the hard, turpentine-smelling lighter. It will be reddish in color, sappy-sticky, and smell downright flammable.

It ignites immediately (no need for additional tinder or kindling), and will get almost anything else burning in no time.”

“I keep an emergency stash of lint in my belly button. Hasn't failed me yet.”

“The tiny little hair twigs on hemlock trees work well as tinder. They are almost always found on the bottom branches of the tree. You can strip off a handful, wad them in balls, and use them at the heart of the fire to get things going.

I build up criss-crossed layers of twigs around that and over it, graduating up to larger and larger pieces.

Bark also works well. Birch bark is good for tinder. Other bark can be shaved.

If everything fails in extremely wet weather, a candle placed in the center will do the trick.”

“I always carry a little zip lock of dryer lint and I have an extra Esbit if needed. If rain is forcast I'll bring some little sticks from home or gather them on the trail before the rain comes. My dad has pail of sticks in his garage that he keeps filled for me - he pickes them up froom his lawn - they are good and dry when I get them.
dawn”

“Geez Tea you should have said something I had a fire starter in my pack. I thought you were trying to prove something.”

“I carry matches. I never have a problem making a fire.

I have had challenges at times, but I haven't had a failure.”

“I stopped trying to prove something when I said "Screw this" and dumped half my white gass on it.

LT that torche idea worked well.

So far I have learned from this thread that pine burns well, and go for the heart of the wood. Hemlock twigs light well and are found at the low branches of the tree. Also, a small isbit tab/candle isn't a bad idea either.”

“Matches.”

“So, who has a tender box?”

“I spelt tinder right!!!”

“but not spelled, lol.”

“Tea I had candles also. Sorry carried the damn things and never even thought about them.”

“I hate when that happens. You get so used to carrying something all the time that when you actually need it, you forget you have it.”

“This is kind of strange, but I tend to think of firewood as three types; fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. "Fat" firewood is the small combustable stuff like dried leaves, bark, and little twigs - stuff that lights up fast but doesn't last long, naure's white gas. "Carbohydrate" firewood is the small branches that will keep a small fire going, or aid in burning the proteins. "Protein" firewood is the normal size wood that gives you a good fire, but you need the Fats and Carbos to get it going. Making a good fire is a balance of the three fuels. Now, if I can only figure out where the cheese group fits in....

Also, when dealing with a wet firepit, I dig the pit out a little bit and line the bottom of the pit with a row of medium sized branches. It helps keep the initial fire off the wet ground and also aids in air circulation.”

“naure = nature!”

“Trioxane; when it absolutely, positively has to burn...”

“Hey Sassafras,

I should clarify a little I guess. When I say I take a little bark from each tree I come across I didn't mean that I took a knife and cut to the wood. I'm talking about that very outer layer that is already peeling off the tree.

And no I'm not covering my tracks, that's really what I meant the first time. :)”