He is quite right about not being able to get a fire going. Ray Mears was interviewed by Gentleman's Quarterly (G.Q.) a year or so ago. He mentioned that there was one night when he couldn't get a fire going. He was very clear on how dispiriting it was.
I think that the point being made is that if you cannot get a fire going by the 2nd or 3rd attempt, you should stop and seek other means of keeping yourself warm. Otherwise you will wind up expending all you fire making tools for no result.
It also emphasises the need to carry artificial accelerants like Spark-Lite tinder or the Couglans wax tinder as part of your fire making kit. Being able to apply a sustained flame to your tinder makes a drastic difference to your chances of success.

Here's a slightly different survival video:

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1707073744

I started to open that, and my McAfee protection said SPAM, so I didn't. Just for info...

Now, THAT was hilarious!

That... was AWESOME.

"If I could pick up one of these sticks I would hit you with it."

Hilarious.
J

Yup, got a chuckle out of that one.

One thing that the presenter said was "Don't wear cotton".....actually he said it several times. Do you agree with this advice? I personally like natural fibers like cotton for layering and nylon for its lightness and water repellancy. A fabric with too high polyester content makes me sweat too much. My body tends to run on the warm side. I'm going on a mini wilderness hike next month. So I would be interested in your opinions whether you agree with him or not.

Santacafe
Urban Newbie
Oakland, CA

Cotton is good in the hot weather, absorbs sweat, then cools you a bit. Does the same thing in cold weather, a bad thing. In cold weather you want anything but cotton...

Thanks for the info! I'm definitely going to look at the Capilene you recommend.


Santacafe

People, I have made this sticky for a few days to point out the issue of copyright. No harm done, because I do have some skill at diplomacy in spite of rumours to the contrary. NightHiker, your punishment is to stand in a cold shower wearing cotton and email Mara an apology.