One of the groups I belong to is getting together its annual Spring fire-starting fling. The goal is to show-and-tell, then provide hands-on opportunities with, as many different fire-starting combinations as we can lay our hands on.

Time to actually use all your toys and try out ones you have just heard about!

I think we are going to add car battery and jumper cables as spark generators this time. With fine steel wool, fire should be easy, but I wonder how many other types of tinder we can get going?

As the plans advance I will post our list of fire-staring combinations and ask if we have missed any.

Thanks.

Sounds like fun! Please keep us posted!

I wouldnt use car batteries as the risk is abit to high for just trying something out. Best to go with eye protection leather gloves and a basic 9volt battery.

May I suggest a competition for who's tinder burns the longest? Rules would be No store bought premade tinder such as the firesticks fatwood or tinderquick but more home made combinations of wax wood paper cardboard so on so forth.

Canon fuse.
-Blast

I've been itching to try potassium permangante. I gather there are a few things you can mix it with to create the reaction, but I'm not a chemist so it scares me a little.

Changed my mind on this post. Responsible members can PM me for details.

-Blast

Blast,

I'm not exactly known as responsible by my co-workers but if the post was what I suspect it was I commend you on your judgement. Chemistry is almost as much fun as electrical engineering.

-Eric

PS - Technically I am an avionics system engineer which is even more fun - if just a bit scary that they let me play with such important toys!!

There's an old say, "If you want a bridge, call an engineer. If you DON'T want a bridge, call a chemist."

-Blast, who really misses the good ol' days

Binary fire! About a week ago I got 2 lbs of Potassium Permangante and some Glycerine- I have to say the results are impressive! I've tested them in good weather and rain, and so far the flame is fool-proof (and I'm a very advanced fool! ). Might be worth adding to your "bag of tricks".

Lining up some flint rock and some steel to make strikers as possible giveaways to those who want a set.

Just had to add this quote:
"Chemists don't build bombs, chemists build fireworks. If you want a bomb, talk to a physicist"

(my high school physics teacher)

Touche'
-Blast, who knows when he's beat.

When this thread was first posted, I thought Blast might think it a great idea for entertainment at his girls' birthday parties. Think of the party favors!

Sue

I prefer the Tolulene principle myself,:)

Cottonwood fluff is drifting around now. I will gather and dry some for tinder experiments.

I've tried cottonwood fluff (hard to collect much by chasing it!) and milkweed pod fluff. By itself, it burns in such a flash that it's ineffective as a firestarter. If you mixed a wad of it with petroleum jelly or something, it might work, but overall, it's just too much work -- there are usually easier answers.

Sue

That is my experience also, but the point for this event is to bring people together to have hands-on experiences of their own.

Probably the very best natural tinder I have ever used is the shredded bark of Utah Juniper ([/i]Juniperus osteosperma[i]. It lights easily, but in any quantity will sustain flame and easily ignite larger fuel. While common in central and northern Arizona, it unfortunately doesn't grow in California. But it is something to look for, if you ever hike in God's country.

Thanks for the tip!

Welcome! I hope you enjoy the forum, too. Feel free to jump in wherever and whenever it makes sense to you.

Fling set for May 21 at a private home in Antelope CA.

I recently decided to use one of the smaller measuring cups as a "Tinder Cup" seems to work well As you can easily collect your mag shavings in it without them blowing away to severely and it protects your tinder from the wind abit while burning. Also its easier to take the tinder to the fire if your not iginiting it right inside the fire.

Interesting. I like the protection idea.

Do you pour the lit "cup'o tinder" into your hand, your prepared fire, into a larger tinder bundle, or have some other technique?

I ask because I often have to compress, fondle / massage, and blow into the smoking tinder bundle to coax flame, which would be challenging if the tinder were left inside a cup.

The fire-starting, tracking, etcetera at Richard's house will feature some short presentations – you are welcome to do one if it is short and appropriate to fire-starting, tracking, cordage-making, or spoon / bowl burning. Expect active and friendly discussion.

Fire-starting opportunities will range from different types of matches and lighters, fire-by-friction [at least bowdrill and hand-drill], flint-and-steel [at least flint rock and steel, blastmatch, firesteels],, magnifiying glass [if sunny enough]and battery-steel wool. Other methods are welcome.

Tinders will include at least: cattail fuzz, usnea / old man's beard lichen, newspaper, fuzzed twine, wood shavings, crumpled leaves, dryer lint, cotton ball and pertoleum jelly, magnesium shavings, and commercial tinder tabs. Feel free to bring whatever you would like to try; this would be a good time to try out the stuff in you survival kit.

For tracking we are just going to dump some sand on the front lawn of Richard's house, maybe even in a frame! It would be great to see an informal discussion develop around the sand.