Posts tagged fire
My backpack of course has a rechargeable gas lighter. I am considering buying a good Zippo, as I feel it more resistant, and it does not need to be kept with your hands to stay on. Would you sugges...
My friend and I are planning to go camping for three days next week. Since it's winter here in the US, we're targeting the south east side (FL, SC, etc.) I am looking for suggestions on camping sit...
What is the best way to leave a fire unattended for a short time and then to return to use it again? Here is my imagined scenario: arrive at a camp site and start a fire in a pre-made iron fire p...
Assuming firewood can be found, but it's likely to be damp, how can I best be prepared for getting a fire going? This is for a light hiking situation, so I'm not going to carry a sack full of kindl...
I have a candle lantern housed inside what I think is an aluminum frame. I'm concerned it will get hot enough to melt fabrics. How can I safely use it inside a tent? Should I suspend it from the...
We have a couple of questions showing that in dry times a flare can start forest fires. Is there a safer way to use a flare in a wooded area? What is the risk of starting a forest or wildland fir...
TL;DR What are some reasonable (ie: safe, portable, reusable) ways to start a fire with a magnifying glass without damaging my eyes from staring at the focused sunlight? Background I recently st...
Awhile back I heard on CBC radio about a man who got trapped in a forest fire (surrounded on all sides) and survived. The way he survived was so ridiculous that he was brought to court and almost f...
I'm planning a Yosemite trip for this summer. In reading up on the rules on fire restrictions, I saw this: When and where fire restrictions are not in effect, wood fires are allowed in existing...
A fire piston is a very old way of starting fires, predating friction matches and works on the same principle as a diesel engine. Basically, you use it to light a piece of tinder and then start t...
So I built my survival shelter and I decide a nice fire would really warm things up. Is there a way I can build a fire that would heat the shelter without too much smoke? I know I could make the sh...
The outside of a down jacket is usually made of nylon or polyester, which is inflammable. While trying to build a fire, is it safe to wear this jacket? Or will the flying embers be enough to set t...
Is it safe to cook and or heat using "cow chips"? Cow dung, also known as cow pats, cow pies or cow manure is and has been used to fuel fires where firewood is not available. Ruminant manure co...
I have seen a few videos of people using an interesting friction-fire technique, and a couple of them called it a "fire roll." To do this, they fluffed up a cotton ball, put something in it such as...
One great problem with fire in the wild is that it may not be completely out. What is the recommended procedure to prevent accidental forest fire?
When on slightly peaty ground, (i.e loamy forest rather than very peaty heath) is there any possible safe way to light and tend a small fire? I'd envisaged scraping away the top soil, dousing below...
Someone suggested using a Safety Spark Bunsen Burner/Laboratory Lighter with 5 Flints to start tinder for an emergency fire. I don't currently own one so can't try it. I have used them to light f...
Just for fun, how would I go about lighting a fire with naturally shaped rocks by striking sparks? It might be useful if I were to camp in the far north, where there are no trees. What should I use...
My inexpensive nail clippers are chrome plated steel. All the keys on my key ring are brass or some other non-ferrous metal (I checked with a magnet). The nail clippers have that small nail file ...
We know that you can start a fire with a battery. the better prepared you are the easier it is going to be. I am not prepared and all I have in my pockets is my car keys, which includes a keyless ...
I was reading the answers at Can I place a Dutch oven directly into/next to a camp fire? and recalling a recent TV episode about forging iron (coal fire) where they said the coals were hotter then ...
We have several posts about fire most of them are about specific challenges. A recent question had myself and others searching for fire starting basics. We don't seem to have a post about it. Wh...
Due to forest fires in Sweden, many Swedish counties have issued a total fire ban, such as Västerbotten and Jämtland. In most cases, this includes camping stoves, and therefore has the potential t...
(click to enlarge) I acquired a bunch of camping gear from a friend who moved out of the country. There was one of these hockey puck shaped disks, half grey half black, remaining in the cooking ...
A naive estimate of one gallon bucket a second is 60 gal/min for a well staffed and equipped line, but is there any data on how much water can be moved by bucket in less than ideal conditions? Spe...
I watched a documentary "Man vs Wild" which showed the TV presenter Bear Grylls collecting wood and starting a fire. He somehow always manages to keep his campfire burning until dawn. How does one ...
I spent some time in a wigwam today, and due to the wind conditions, it was very difficult to keep the smoke out. Are there some tricks one can use in a situation like that to make the wigwam more...
I've been working with the bow-drill, and I notice that certain types of wood may be so hard that hardly any powder forms (like african mahogany) and others may be too soft and crumbly. Pine appear...
While we are out in the wild it's good practice to keep a fire up to hold back several kinds of dangerous animals, isn't it? I wonder if there are any (for humans dangerous) creatures out there whi...
What is the most reliable way to start a friction fire using foraged materials? Not necessarily just the overall technique (ie: "drill" or "plow" or whatever); it's good to compare specific varia...
I was wondering if there was a way to make a fire pit and start a fire in it, and have a way to protect the ground beneith it as much as possible. I don't really know how I could manage to do that...
What are the techniques for starting and maintaining a fire in a survival situation when snow is present? I would like to know if there are any known techniques for starting and maintaining a fire...
It seems that every tutorial I read and show I watch shows people using rocks for everything from a cooking surface to boiling water. However, I have had rocks crack in half on me, and I've always...
What do people use to carry tinder whilst hiking? I was thinking of using a tobacco tin but on a multiday hike I'm not sure it will fit enough or if it will keep dry. Tinder I would be using would...
I have been reading about dryer lint as an effective kindling material, but I keep having the feeling that in some way it implies burning "plastic": all the artificial materials, coloring (although...
I was looking for some good windproof matches - not for any specific use, but just because I considered they may come in useful in some environments. Has anyone any experience with any particular ...
Today I tried to ignite coal on a grill device, without using kindling (we ran out of it). I gathered a lot of small twigs and a bit of medium ones. I managed to set all this on fire, but the coals...
On the spur of the moment I bought a flint and steel. This was mainly because it seems manly and cool. My main problem is I really struggle to light a fire with the thing and normally give up and u...
Where would I look if I was in a survival situation and wanted to find some rocks for fire starting? Where does flint occur naturally? What environments could you expect to find some in? I've creat...
Suppose I am trying to teach a class of 12 children how to build campfires. I would like each pupil to have a flint and steel for the lesson. As it turns out ferrocerium rods can be acquired cheapl...
I own a cheap but relatively effective solid metal bowl-shaped fire pit: (football [soccer ball] provided for scale) We sometimes have difficulty getting it lit - the smallest kindling takes we...
In a survival situation, lets say post apocalyptic, what are some unconventional ways a campfire could be lit? Obviously there are the classic flint and steel, rod and bow, and of course matches. B...
I have created a bow-drill for the purpose of starting fires. The wooden shaft's diameter is about the diameter of a typical male thumb, and is approximately 11 inches in length. The bow string ...
We carry a flint and steel instead of lighters to light our camp stoves when backpacking because the flint and steel always works and weighs very little. One of our routine camp activities is to t...
One thought led to another and I started wondering how effective wax paper would be to bring along as tinder to start a fire. I've seen suggestions of using paraffin in conjunction with other mate...
As far as I know a wood (for the "hearth board") has to full fill several characteristics (at least they've to be soft) to be suitable for a friction fire. When in a survival situation, how can I d...
As far as I know a wood (for the "hearth board") has to full fill several characteristics (at least they've to be soft) to be suitable for a friction fire. When in a survival situation, how can I d...
It appears that you can accidentally & unsafely have an unsafe occurrence with a 'Flameless ration heater'. The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Aviation Administrat...
