Ok.. I know most of you are going to get a chuckle out of this post, but i have to tell it anyways. I never tried to start a fire without using matches or a lighter and a quart of gas. (just kidding about the gas) . I decided i needed to learn a new skill. SOOO.. i got myself a magfire. waited a week to try the new thing out. today was the day!!! 4 " of snow on the ground ,20 to 25mph wind about 30 degrees . I walk down the end of my property, kick the snow away, grab a handful of tall grass and a few sticks make a bundle place one dry cotton ball slighly fluffed ontop and strike the magefire ..once ..twice..three times...FIRE!!!!! holy cr_p ..I just made fire.. I quickly covered it over and moved a few feet away to do it again.just in case it was a fluke. For the next half hour i made fire after fire. i'm sure your all old hands at this . but i have to tell you ,it sure did felt good to know i could do it in a pinch.

Laughing with you, man, not at you.

Allright. It is funny how you look at those firesteels and think there has to be some sort of magic to make fire, but a good tinder piece and some kindling and away you go.

Fun too.

Try adding some vaseline to that cotton ball for a great tinder....a bit more burn time.

I carry a small candy tin of vaseline/cotton along with my firesteel at all times...great stuff. I also have a Bison capsule stuffed with vaseline/cotton on my key ring along with a HotSpark.

Try doing it with a bow drill... you'lll pee all over yourself <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Troy

Most people tie a piece of ribbon to branchs so they can find their way back or others can find them. I guess you will be easy to track now <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> and there wont be any doubt that its you <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Well done

Or a fire piston.

Great post! I think this is one of the first ETS posts I've actually read out loud to my wife. She laughed and kind of rolled her eyes obviously thinking that this is EXACTLY like something I'd do.

Welcome to the world of those who light fires and quickly put them out so they can build another one, those who sharpen a knife so that they can shave the hair off their forearm, and those who carry all sorts of gear in the hopes that they never have to use it - unless its for fun.

As Martin knows, I just bought a bunch of Magfires to give as graduation gifts to my Cub Scouts who are moving up to Boy Scouts in the spring. Last October each of them got to use a fire steel to light small fires with vaseline/cotton. We also lit a cotton ball and a vaseline/cotton ball at the same time to compare the burn time - BIG difference. They were all VERY impressed. I just hope that excitement doesn't lead to major house fires. I fear the'll under-estimate the fire-starting ability of the sparks.

Or the bottom of a Mt. Dew can.

Question: Is the Magfire basically the same thing as the Hot Spark that is sold at Boy Scout stores?

Yea, pretty much. The BSA one is a bit smaller so it wont make as big a shower of sparks, but it works just the same.