Well, I finally got part of my vid from my overnight last week. It was too large to upload all of it, so, I broke it down. Here is my attempt at firemaking in cold, windy conditions. Even inside this lean to, the wind was blowing. Like, right into the shelter. Anyway, here it is: video

EDIT: It may take a bit, I just uploaded it. Sorry!

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That is what I got...

A few quick tips:

1. Get yourself a better striker blade. Try a short piece of hacksaw blade with the non-tooth side sharpened. The better the striker, the more sparks you get. Try different angles and vary the pressure too until you get the combination that provides the most sparks.

2. Hold the striker still and pull the flint back. Some people find it helps them direct the sparks better.

3. That grass looked a little thick. The thinner you find, the easier it lights. Also, try crumpling/shredding it up a bit before hand.

All in all, good attempt. With more practice you'll be lighting fires in the rain in no time. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Also, sometimes in shelters, old barns, whatever, you can find either bird or rodent nests, and they usually have some stuff in them that will take a spark better than grasses...