Tinder board, fire steel, magnesium shavings.

How easy it is to make a fire in the wilderness with the right gear.

Right... first off a small little finger nail sized piece of tinder board.



Its dense but fiberous nature means it catches alight even when soaking wet. Best ever resource in my opinion.

Get our magnesium block and scrape off a few shavings...



Now, get our fire steel and apply some sparks....



and we have ignition.




This kit in any survival situation where you needed a good fire will be a life saver. All together it cost less than £15, and adding in the cost of a striker for the steel, less than £20.

An absolute bargain considering what it can do to improve your situation in the wilds.

This is the type of high temperature sparks generated from a well struck fire steel.



Please note that I am using a Mora Frosta blade thats in my BOB - its high carbon content is excellent for getting a good strike from a fire steel.

My kit in all is contained within a three inch by five inch pouch. dead handy for slinging in the pocket of a BOB.

[edit on 27-6-2008 by Dan Tanna]

I have a magnesium stick with flint on the back of it, so you scrape it off and then light it using the other side, it works pretty well.

But from a practical standpoint, I don't see the point of any "mid-level" survival supply such as these kinds of firestarters.

Either the situation isn't going to last that long, in which case you can just stock up on Bic lighters for $1 each, or the situation is going to last so long that you would be able to use up 10 butane lighters, in which case your magnesium stick would be gone and your flint stick would be all used up as well... so you better know how to start a fire by rubbing sticks together.

Quick and efficient lighters, and then sticks once you run out. No middleman... using magnesium or sparks is just doing the same job as a lighter but less convienient and higher chance of failure, for the sake of making you feel like a "real survivalist type."

I detect a person who is not very good at starting fires with his fire steel.

less convenient than a lighter ? says who ? you ? well each to their own I suppose.

as for


I completed more military survival courses and cadres than I care to list here. Lets just say the fire steel is not some thing many folks who were with me frowned upon.

But as I said... each to their own.

Fire steel is great, I lit a fire in the garden a few days ago in about a minute...that includes shaving a piece of wood for some good tinder and igniting it.

Lighters are only good while there dry, once your lighters wet you have to blow on the flint and wheel to dry it off (not very easy with a disposable bic but its doable with a clipper) which is time consuming...especially if your cold!

I always use firesteel now, once you learn the technique its really easy

Great pics Dan Tanna!

Good thread and good points. I have three of these in our BOB. We call it a B.O.B., in spite of the idea that we've chosen to make our stand here, and most likely will not be bugging out. I like the flint-and-steel, as well as mag-and-flint bars. Both work well with a modicum of practice. Dry cotton balls make good fodder, and especially those dipped in parrafin and put in a plastic bag. I think in a severe situation, these things allow us to PRESERVE our "easier" ways of making fire, such as the trusty ol' zippo. I keep two zippos, extra flints and fuel. To me, they are the last thing to be used. Almost like a talisman

When we were in a cave for Hurrican Ivan, I cooked with the Coleman stove, but made a cheery fire away from the outflow of the wind, just for mood, to sooth the animal instinct that cozies next to fire for safety.

P.S...... the magnesium bars last a lot longer that most people think. You'd think you shave it off like whittling wood, but in actual application, very little is needed....... it lights easily and makes a very hot fire that will in turn ignite most expendable materials.

Cheers

Good point about making a fire for the 'feel good' factor.

Its very true that even a small fire will give an immediate boost to the psyche of all involved. primevil instincts coming to the fore methinks !

as for how long the magnesium blocks last... absolute ages, and add this to the 12,000 strike fire steel stick... you have a hell of alot of fires before you need to open a second pack.

I do agree though that if you have a back up to your back up you never can go far wrong.

Cheers for the thoughts people, Daniel.

A tweak off topic Daniel, but....... during the stay in the cave, we shared the cave with several other animals -- creatures that normally we wouldn't want to be so close to such as rats and bats and land crabs. They came into the cave (except for the bats who were there FIRST).

You commented on the comfort of a fire. It was real and tangible for us, and I took to banking and tending it all night. Just a small fire, but one I didn't want to go out. I noticed at about 3:00 in the morning, just after peak winds, that the rats (two, that I saw) were over in the corner near the fire, not acting like they were frightened of us. Of course, I'd tossed them some vittles earlier on, as well as the land crabs (who love rice & peas). Seems like we all learned how to behave and tolerate each other in the face of a more formidable common threat. Everybody chills out when the winds come.

It seems like when we are faced with some thing bigger than our normal every day fears we again realise we are after all a specie of animal just like all the others here on earth.

Its just that we took a step further than they did.

Oh and one thing, if its about survival, nothing is off topic ! add what you want as long as its within the 'survival' realm.

Daniel.

[edit on 27-6-2008 by Dan Tanna]

A wad of steel wool is handy too. I'm not too sure if it works when wet but is easy to light when in a bind with no other stating chips.

YouTube Link

Good old steel wire and nine volt battery fire starter. uses alot of steel wool, but its cheap and easy to get hold of, so are the batteries.

To be honest, theres many many ways to light a fire, but what works for you when you are under stress is always best.

This next video is a great demonstration of a 'fuzzy stick' or 'peel stick' which ever you prefere to call it in your experience.

The fire steel again gets a nice fire going with minimal effort indeed.

YouTube Link

A great pair of vids.

I have one of those magnesium blocks with the striker on the back. Shaving off the magnesium, for me, is difficult and extremely time consuming. Igniting the magnesium shavings I found to be very, very difficult. They spread too easily and are too small a target for the short lived sparks in my opinion. Once I did get the magnesium lit however as promised it was an intense white flame which lit just about any tinder. Worth the effort? Not unless it's all I have.

Then to put it simply your not using your tools correctly.

I just made a video, and am uploading it to youtube to show you how it is simple quick and easy.

From shaving the magnesium to starting my fire took 24 seconds. If thats more effort than you care to use, well, I pity you actually.

YouTube Link

24 seconds from start to finish.

Its not difficult, its not time consuming, rather its very quick and easy.

Out in the wilds, using this you can carry every thing you need in a small, robust pouch, and its going to take a hell of a lot to break either your block or fire steel.

[edit on 28-6-2008 by Dan Tanna]

reply to post by Dan Tanna

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Dead right Dan..

Quick tip for anyone that may have problems getting from the stages shown clearly by Dan here.. to a BBQ fit for a king..
Use the first flame you establish to light your candle..You know.. The one you should ALWAYS carry around with you.

Once you have a lit candle,there's no excuses for not making that jump..
If there's high winds and rain..put it in that little fireshelter/ditch/hole you will have ALREADY made before striking up.

The 'feelgood factor' that comes with your fire satisfies the most primeval instinct in all of us..It just puts everything to rights in the world.

reply to post by AGENT_T

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Cheers Agent_T,
I just wanted to show people who may feel 'put off' fire steels because people say they are too time consuming or difficult to use, that they are both simply quick and effective.

I taught my wife how to use one and make a fire in about 2 hours flat - from not knowing a single thing to being a bush fire mistress in less time than it takes to roast a chook !


[edit on 28-6-2008 by Dan Tanna]

Hi All.

Dan Tanna, Great vids.
I had a garden fire the other night and I tried a Ray Mears way of lighting it, ( father in law thought I was crazy ) But I got it going really quickly. I used the fuzzy stick way.
I also agree that a steel fire stick is an essential part of any survival equipment.
Again great post and great vids.

Colec156

Cheers 156.

yeah I adore the fuzzy stick for lighting a bigger fire as theres more surface area and heat to get it going.

It makes me laugh though that us 'young 'uns ' are getting back into survival tricks and traps.

On a serious note - I feel in my bones that being prepped is going to save alot of our arses from a nasty situation sooner rather than later.