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#255642 - 01/19/13 06:34 PM Show Us Your Fire Kit
bacpacjac Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 05/05/07
Posts: 3601
Loc: Ontario, Canada
I've been playing around with my new fire kit today and thought I'd post a pic and invite others to do the same.

This one is housed in the tea tin, with a mesh bag inside to hold the contents when I use the tin to make char cloth. The other contents are:

Small folding knife
Mini BIC
Mini tylenol bottle with strike anywhere matches
Ferro rod with magnesium block attached
Tube of spf lip balm
Tea light
Jute twine
Cotton lantern wick
Piece of hoof fungus
Esbit tab
Med vial with: cotton balls, pine pitch, birch bark, pine and cedar shavings
Rubber bands



Future Upgrades:
-switching rubber bands to ranger bands
-impregnating the jute twine with wax
-adding char cloth



Edited by bacpacjac (01/19/13 06:37 PM)
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#255655 - 01/20/13 04:39 PM Re: Show Us Your Fire Kit [Re: bacpacjac]
Outdoor_Quest Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 08/17/09
Posts: 305
Loc: Central Oregon
That is a very comprehensive kit.

Looks a tad heavy.

Blake

www.outdoorquest.blogspot.com

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#255672 - 01/20/13 11:44 PM Re: Show Us Your Fire Kit [Re: bacpacjac]
haertig Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 03/13/05
Posts: 2322
Loc: Colorado
Originally Posted By: bacpacjac
Piece of hoof fungus

???

Is this really fungus off of horse hooves? We have horses, but I must say I've never thought to try using their "byproducts" as fire starters!

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#255675 - 01/21/13 12:57 AM Re: Show Us Your Fire Kit [Re: haertig]
bacpacjac Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 05/05/07
Posts: 3601
Loc: Ontario, Canada
Originally Posted By: haertig
Originally Posted By: bacpacjac
Piece of hoof fungus

???

Is this really fungus off of horse hooves? We have horses, but I must say I've never thought to try using their "byproducts" as fire starters!


Nah. It's called that because it looks like a horse hoof. It's also called false tinder fungus. It grows on trees and makes awesome tinder. I dry it and use it as tinder but have seen You Tube video where it worked when wet. (Dave Canterbury, I think.)

EDIT: Here's DC's video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdXOQ_bg0...e=results_video




Edited by bacpacjac (01/21/13 02:58 AM)
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#255676 - 01/21/13 01:05 AM Re: Show Us Your Fire Kit [Re: Outdoor_Quest]
bacpacjac Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 05/05/07
Posts: 3601
Loc: Ontario, Canada
Originally Posted By: Outdoor_Quest
That is a very comprehensive kit.

Looks a tad heavy.

Blake

www.outdoorquest.blogspot.com


It could definitely be lighter, but I like the variety of this one. I've got another in an Altoids tin, that works just fine along with my EDC if I'm packing light.

EDIT: If it truly came down to it, my edc LM Wave sheath carries a ferro rod and a couple of cotton balls. You know what they say though, variety is the spice of life!


Edited by bacpacjac (01/21/13 02:03 PM)
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#255680 - 01/21/13 03:08 AM Re: Show Us Your Fire Kit [Re: bacpacjac]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
In your neck of the woods, carrying a little extra weight to insure the ability to make fire is a really good idea. Here in SoCal it was in the low 80s today - a perfect day, but even here we have storms that can make carrying extra fire makers worthwhile....
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#255683 - 01/21/13 03:38 AM Re: Show Us Your Fire Kit [Re: hikermor]
bacpacjac Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 05/05/07
Posts: 3601
Loc: Ontario, Canada
Originally Posted By: hikermor
In your neck of the woods, carrying a little extra weight to insure the ability to make fire is a really good idea. Here in SoCal it was in the low 80s today - a perfect day, but even here we have storms that can make carrying extra fire makers worthwhile....


Very true!
_________________________
Mom & Adventurer

You can find me on YouTube here:
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#255692 - 01/21/13 05:36 PM Re: Show Us Your Fire Kit [Re: bacpacjac]
haertig Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 03/13/05
Posts: 2322
Loc: Colorado
If you're worried about the weight of that little kit, you would probably faint if you saw the firestarting kit I am putting together! Granted, mine is part of an emergency kit for a truck which has a towing capacity of several tons. I am always keeping an eye on threads like this to see what I can add to my kit. Notice how I perked up when bacpacjac mentioned "hoof fungus". I was thinking, "Hey! I don't have any of that in my kit, but I have horses where I could get some." Alas, it looks like I will have to continue treating my horses hoof fungus with anti-fungal medication rather than harvesting them for firestarter. blush

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#255693 - 01/21/13 05:52 PM Re: Show Us Your Fire Kit [Re: bacpacjac]
thseng Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 03/24/06
Posts: 900
Loc: NW NJ
Playing devil's advocate here, but how do you decide which tinder to use at any given time?

I keep it simple and usually just have a bic lighter and a firesteel, along with some cotton PJ cotton balls. I start looking out for natural tinder as soon as I think I might need it. The cotton balls are backup in case natural materials are not readily available and/or if the lighter fails and need something to catch a spark from the firesteel easily.
_________________________
- Tom S.

"Never trust and engineer who doesn't carry a pocketknife."

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#255696 - 01/21/13 06:20 PM Re: Show Us Your Fire Kit [Re: bacpacjac]
Dagny Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 11/25/08
Posts: 1918
Loc: Washington, DC

Thanks for this thread, BPJ. I gather this fire kit is for a backpack?

As Hikermor notes, in your [northern] neck of the woods, I'd also err on the side of heavy with fire gear.

I need to research char cloth more. Didn't know a tin would be necessary for that.

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