Shorting batteries out can lead to explosive results.
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The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. -- Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)
Steel wool and a battery is probably the most popular way for making a fast lively fire in the annual Klondike Derby that the local BSA council runs. The boys bring it in their sled full of gear, and every couple years there's a sled that starts smoldering along the way... the boys sometimes don't isolate the battery from the steel wool, and as they are pulling the sled around the camp, bouncing things around... they learn quickly!
I saw something like this once on the old "Worst Case Scenario" television show. There was a wilderness survival scenario and the contestants were given a "grab bag" to start a fire with, mostly filled with useless junk but having a 9V battery and steel wool in there as well. None of them could figure it out, and after taking a penalty for a box of matches the host showed them what they should have done.
Registered: 09/30/01
Posts: 5695
Loc: Former AFB in CA, recouping fr...
I played around with this as a kid, seems to me that I recall the grade of steel wool made a difference in how good a "fire" you got going. If I recall correctly, the finer stuff, OO or so, worked better than the coarser stuff...
#130169 - 04/15/0801:34 AMRe: 9V battery + steel wool = fire in seconds
[Re: Be_Prepared]
Paul810
Veteran
Registered: 03/02/03
Posts: 1428
Loc: NJ, USA
Originally Posted By: Be_Prepared
Steel wool and a battery is probably the most popular way for making a fast lively fire in the annual Klondike Derby that the local BSA council runs. The boys bring it in their sled full of gear, and every couple years there's a sled that starts smoldering along the way... the boys sometimes don't isolate the battery from the steel wool, and as they are pulling the sled around the camp, bouncing things around... they learn quickly!
Would they still get the full points for using that? In order to get the full points for our Derbys here they had to start a fire with real flint and steel or bow drill. Anything else and they would knock off points.
0000 steel wool will really catch a spark it is a good tender to carry but burns up quick I always carry cotton ball vasoline combo in film container also.
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