Fire making the old way

29 May 2021, 17:55

Have you thought of how to make fire without the matches, lighter, and chemical help.

I have made fires with flint and steel, wood stick with bow and using a small magnifying glass. The trick was to have a fine dry lint as a starter. Make fine slivers of dry wood and you are ready to stay warm or cook.

I was a boy scout back 70 yrs ago and our troop was in a contest for summer games. I won the fire contest with the flint and steel method. Also be careful with the flint chips it will flake off and I got a piece in my eye. Had to call the DR's nurse at night to have the piece removed. No damage!! I still use some of the skills learned by Boy Scout programs and the manual from that old days are full of things to make and learn.

29 May 2021, 20:21

Aspen Hill Adventures

Les, I keep a lighter and one of those magnesium and steel fire starters in each of my vehicles. Since I burn wood for heat I have multiple fire starting things around the house.

30 May 2021, 09:21

NormanConquest

Les, the knowledge that we learned in the (old) Boy Scouts has proved invaluable over the years. Back in the day they taught us all kinds of skills. A lot I have forgotten because of non use but a whole lot I still use on a daily basis. Case in point; my scout masters were retired war 2 naval officers who still had access to the base stores, so our camping trips were very real + taught real life survival skills. Not to mention all the knotwork that is essential to any navy man. That like math is something you use everyday. Oh + Ann, I can relate to having lighters,etc. Several years ago I was up on 4 stacks of scaffolding to solder up some bay window arches + having quit smoking, I was still used to having a lighter in my pocket. WRONG! I had to climb down + go to the local 7-11 + buy a lighter. I now keep lighters handy even though I still don't smoke.

30 May 2021, 18:51

Aspen Hill Adventures

Randy, I have never been a smoker but know the value of fire starting tools. Lighters are quite convenient.

30 May 2021, 18:59

LesBrooks

Hello Ann,

My question was to have people manage without all the things you have prepared at home. What would happen if some group came and took all of the prep things away? I have always studied the art of survival in the wild. I believe I could live if I could get water to drink. That will require a knowledge of making water safe to drink.

I can remember back before WW 11 and we were all in ration coupons. My mother would cook things with butter as we had a cow for raw milk to make our own butter. A few chickens and a hog which we killed and butchered in town make grease for making lye soap. Our washing machine was an iron pot and a stick to polk the clothes.

When the President in 1940 made his speech on the attack in Pearl Harbor we went down the road to our friends that had a radio. We were to poor to own such a device.

Think of this a man on a TV show was dressed to look like someone as a real survivor and he told someone to wait for a few more minutes and the roasted SKUNK would be ready to eat. I guess you would have to dine out with the man around his camp fire. I will pass on his barbeque lunch.

31 May 2021, 04:57

tomahawker

Me and a pal were talking the other day, if shit hits the fan one thing to sell out real quick that no one thinks of is lighters/matches.

31 May 2021, 05:43

Aspen Hill Adventures

quote:
Originally posted by LesBrooks:
Hello Ann,

My question was to have people manage without all the things you have prepared at home. What would happen if some group came and took all of the prep things away? I have always studied the art of survival in the wild. I believe I could live if I could get water to drink. That will require a knowledge of making water safe to drink.

I can remember back before WW 11 and we were all in ration coupons. My mother would cook things with butter as we had a cow for raw milk to make our own butter. A few chickens and a hog which we killed and butchered in town make grease for making lye soap. Our washing machine was an iron pot and a stick to polk the clothes.

When the President in 1940 made his speech on the attack in Pearl Harbor we went down the road to our friends that had a radio. We were to poor to own such a device.

Think of this a man on a TV show was dressed to look like someone as a real survivor and he told someone to wait for a few more minutes and the roasted SKUNK would be ready to eat. I guess you would have to dine out with the man around his camp fire. I will pass on his barbeque lunch.

Gotcha, Les. Most people in the present time would not survive.

01 June 2021, 08:38

NormanConquest

You got that right!

01 June 2021, 18:41

Jerry Fisk

There is a book that's worth reading. "ONE SECOND AFTER".

03 June 2021, 04:53

Bobster

I have the magnesium starters in my cars and have a Zippo and numerous BBQ lighters. These are only a dollar each at the local dollar store.

04 June 2021, 08:56

NormanConquest

Just force of habit I suppose but I have ALWAYS had several big boxes of the "Ohio Blue Tip" strike anywhere kitchen matches. I don't know if 'strike anywhere' matches are still available. Most likely not, "for our own good". I remember when the law was passed back in the 70s to not allow the striker to be on the same side as the matches in the flip-over paper packets that were free everywhere. I'll bet they are gone too. Also in the 70s when we used to have minature wooden boxes of kitchen matches at the check out for sale; at our local market he had a sign that said, "2 cent boxes of one cent matches are now a nickel."