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#78227 - 11/27/06 08:54 AM The Firebag
olaf_yahoo Offline
newbie

Registered: 11/26/06
Posts: 28
Loc: North Carolina
A while ago I put together a small kit for firestarting purposes, a lighter or two is decent but having multiple means to make a fire is always a good idea. This kit should go somewhere in your BOB that is easily accessible such as an outside pouch or pocket, something you can get to without digging around. It is also a good idea not to keep every means to make fire in just one place, if you have more that one bag as part of your BOB then have something you can use to make fire in every one of them. I ordered a new sheath for my survival knife which should arrive in a week or so. The sheath has an external pouch for storing essentials, in that I plan to have 1 bic, tinder in a plastic bag, 10' of paracord, photon micro, some water purifying drops and a leatherman micra.

The eye dropper is for use with the laquer thinner, the thinner is flammable as all hell and excellent I have found for assisting in starting a fire. The eye dropper allows you to strategically place the thinner on your tinder and reduces waste. A VOA vial is for volatile organic compounds for use in labratory conditions, I buy them in bulk from a medical supplier. They have a nominal volume of 40ml and have a temp range of -40°C to 125°C.

For matches I like match safes but they take up more room than I would like so I keep them rolled up in ziploc freezer bags and change out the bags monthly. I only keep matches on hand as an added redundancy, I am not a fan of matches. Flares I have found are about the most effective means to light a fire FAST, in this case you don't even need to prepare tinder just make sure your log cabin/teepee etc is built right with some small twigs or sticks and have the rest of your material ready. As the flares last so long you will have no problems getting your fire going. Of course the flares are only for an emergency (even as defined when already in a survival situation) because they could be used for signaling. I keep other flares for signaling purposes seperate from my firebag.

I have experimented with many other accelerants and catalysts for helping start fire but have found laquer thinner to work so well I stick with it. It is more flammable than gasoline and most lighter fluids and burns hotter. I keep that in the vials and the vials in seperate plastic bags. Some people may find this dangerous but I see no difference between what I do and carrying around a plastic container of compressed flammable gas. I used to keep a mini propane torch in my firebag but lost the cap screw and have been looking for a replacement rig ever since. They are wonderful though, 60 min burn time on a low flame setting and reuseable, unlike flares.


Here is a list of the things I keep in my firebag, what do you have in your BOB?


-2 bic lighters with adjustable flame
-optically pure, high power plastic magnifying lense
-3 birthday candles
-magnesium rod w/flint and steel striker
-12 strike anywhere matches coated in wax
-1 VOA vial with laquer thinner
-2 VOA vials with cotton balls soaked in vaseline
-eye dropper
-2 cut down 15min road flares
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#78228 - 11/27/06 09:14 AM Re: The Firebag
Todd W Offline
Product Tester
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 11/14/04
Posts: 1928
Loc: Mountains of CA
windproof ligther
waterproof matches
lifeboat matches
firesteel
trioxane (spell?)
fatwood

I think it's VERY important to have a 'quick and easy' method to start a fire and a 'last resort never ending' way to start a fire.
Quick easy = ligther or match
Never ending but harder to use = firesteel



A blast match is nice but heavy and when testing I broke the striker off. I wouldn't rely on one but you could use the steel inside it with a knife of scraper.
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#78229 - 11/27/06 11:27 AM Re: The Firebag
hillbilly Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 04/07/03
Posts: 214
Loc: Northeast Arkansas (Central Ar...
Keep an eye on your wax coated matches, It will soften up the matches after a period of time. I use fingernail polish on mine to waterproof them.

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#78230 - 11/27/06 03:43 PM Re: The Firebag
cedfire Offline
Addict

Registered: 07/10/03
Posts: 659
Loc: Orygun
Firesteel
Bic lighter
Spark-Lite w/tinder
NATO or REI matches

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#78231 - 11/27/06 05:03 PM Re: The Firebag
OldBaldGuy Offline
Geezer

Registered: 09/30/01
Posts: 5695
Loc: Former AFB in CA, recouping fr...
A dandy do-or-die fire starter is a shortened hwy flare. You cut one to about three inches long behind the head with a hacksaw, trim a little wooden plug to fit the cut end, and hold it in place with some small nails. Shortened that way, will burn for five minutes or so, and hot enough to dry any damp wood, as long as it is not too large. Guarenteed to start, even with gloves on, or numb hands.

In the past I have on occasion found shipments of flares that for some reason did not like to start easliy, so I would suggest trying a few before you cut your small ones, just to make sure they are easy lighters. That of course is assuming that you have access to a large supply. If you have to just buy a few, you are on your own...
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#78232 - 11/28/06 03:48 AM Re: The Firebag
ironraven Offline
Cranky Geek
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 09/08/05
Posts: 4642
Loc: Vermont
Welcome, Olaf.

In my BOB and ditch kit (the kit between BOB and the PSK), I have:

4x match cases, w/ ~25 laquered matches and 3 stay-lit birthday candles each
3x small Bics
2x spartlites w/ lots of tinder tabs
4x small candles (tinder)
magnesium fire starter
magnifying glass
cotton balls and neosporin (patrolatum (sp) base, burns real well)
cotton balls presoaked in wax
dry gas (used as Trangia fuel)
Esbit tablets

And that doesn't even include the PSK!

You can't tell I live in a cooler climate or anything. :P
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When a man dare not speak without malice for fear of giving insult, that is when truth starts to die. Truth is the truest freedom.

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#78233 - 11/28/06 06:58 AM Re: The Firebag
Todd W Offline
Product Tester
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 11/14/04
Posts: 1928
Loc: Mountains of CA
I forgot I have alcohol swabs too they are in my FAK but they are AWESOME at starting fire.
Some sparks and bam it burns hot and also has dual use <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
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#78234 - 12/04/06 01:22 AM Re: The Firebag
olaf_yahoo Offline
newbie

Registered: 11/26/06
Posts: 28
Loc: North Carolina
Yeah alcohol pads do go up well, and dual purpose, score.
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#78235 - 12/04/06 05:57 AM Re: The Firebag
duckear Offline
Addict

Registered: 03/01/04
Posts: 478
Not really good for a BOB or PSK, but the other day we had a big bonfire for the church.

About a 1/2 gallon of diesel fuel and a Zippo. <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

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#78236 - 12/04/06 02:59 PM Re: The Firebag
norad45 Offline
Veteran

Registered: 07/01/04
Posts: 1506
Magfire Pro
REI matches
2 Mini Bics
Zippo
Sparklite
Sparklite tinder
Wetfire tinder
Vaselined cotton balls

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#78237 - 12/04/06 03:24 PM Re: The Firebag
Angel Offline
Member

Registered: 06/17/06
Posts: 192
I have 2 mini bics in a case Here attatched with a carbiner, one in my BOB and one in my FAK. Then I have several eyeglass repair kit magnifying glasses and in the hollow handle I have magnesium filings, in the little plastic pouch I have a small amount of dryer lint, taped to the plastic pouch I have a trick candle and several cigarette rolling papers in a small plastic bag. In my BOB I have a magnesium fire starter/small hack saw blade. In my BOB I also have a plastic cigar tube filled with dryer lint 3 trick candles and about a dozen matches with a striker. On the cigar tube I also have duct tape and electrical tape.

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#78238 - 12/04/06 07:34 PM Re: The Firebag
Craig_phx Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 04/05/05
Posts: 715
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
In pants pocket:
Mini Bic
1/2" x 2 1/4" ferro rod
2 Coghlan's Emergency Tinder

In Camelbak:
Magfire Pro
Coghlan's Emergency Tinder, in two ziploc bags - 15 each
6 small sticks of fatwood in small ziploc bag
2 Regular Bic lighters
Spark-Lite
4 Tinder-Quik in mini-ziploc bag
Cord and knowledge to make fire bow and tinder bundle
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#78239 - 12/07/06 02:08 AM Re: The Firebag
olaf_yahoo Offline
newbie

Registered: 11/26/06
Posts: 28
Loc: North Carolina
Hey Angel why do you have a hacksaw blade with your mag bar? A hacksaw is a good idea for a bob but they are nearly useless as a striker.
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#78240 - 12/07/06 02:15 AM Re: The Firebag
Angel Offline
Member

Registered: 06/17/06
Posts: 192
I have it for various uses, it just happens to have a hole in it and fits on the magnesium blocks chain. Also I don't want to dull the blade on my knife. It's not as useless as you might think.

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#78241 - 12/07/06 02:29 AM Re: The Firebag
olaf_yahoo Offline
newbie

Registered: 11/26/06
Posts: 28
Loc: North Carolina
Go to a local machinist and get some scrap carbon steel, say a strip of 1/16 and drill a hole in it. Or ask them if they could help you out but drilling steel that thin will be easy and you could do it with a hand drill on your own if you have to. If the steel is already heat treated you will now have a striker that will throw much better sparks and will do so longer than your hacksaw blade.

No using a knife as a striker is never recommended, a knife is quite possibly your most valueable survival tool in the wild so it is best not to abuse it. If you have no other choice use the very back of the blade (the section of the cutting edge closest to your hand) this area is used least frequently and will not be as missed as the middle of the blade or the tip. A better idea is to use the spine of the blade as you will not damage your cutting edge at all. Still, having some sort of striker is always best, in my experience having the right kind of striker makes a world of diference in using flint or magnesium and flint together. For more check out my thread on flint, steel and firestarting. Hope this helps

-Olaf
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#78242 - 12/07/06 04:33 AM Re: The Firebag
ironraven Offline
Cranky Geek
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 09/08/05
Posts: 4642
Loc: Vermont
I've actually gotten my best strikes with the back of a bi-metal hacksaw blade, and the toothed side is just useful.

One thing to remember is that there are probably a number of different ferrocerium formulations. Saying "ferro rod" is probably like saying "steel"- that's nice, what's in it? I've had better performance with my Doans than with my Coglahn strikers.
_________________________
-IronRaven

When a man dare not speak without malice for fear of giving insult, that is when truth starts to die. Truth is the truest freedom.

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#78243 - 12/07/06 04:49 AM Re: The Firebag
olaf_yahoo Offline
newbie

Registered: 11/26/06
Posts: 28
Loc: North Carolina
Very true, I hear that comment about "steel" all the time, few people know there is a difference much less how much of a difference there is. Doan does make good firestarters, I didn't want to chop up my good one for the tests though. Your hacksaw blade was probably some good stuff then, if it works then don't change it.
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#78244 - 12/07/06 06:41 PM Re: The Firebag
Orbital_Burn Offline


Registered: 06/03/06
Posts: 17
Loc: Idaho
I keep a vest in my truck that has lots of pockets. Looks like a safari vest. I still need to get a survival blanket to put in the back pocket, one of the ones that have mylar on one side and green canvas on the other. (those are good for warmth, as well as hiding from FLIR. I have 3 lighters in different pockets, a flint/steel in another pocket, and a small canister with vaseline soaked cotton balls. This is the total of the firemaking tools. The rest of the vest includes a MSR MIOX for water, signal mirror, whistle, about 20 feet of OD 550 cord, GMRS/FRS radio (will upgrade to better radio when I get the money), compass/LED combo, GPS, one of the Streamlight stylus, small CRKT knife, a different LED light that has no name, small pair of 8x21 binoculars, medium sized CRKT folder, and a bottle of purell. I still need a fishing kit, cable saw, and a geiger counter.
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