MY FIRE MAKING KIT
Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 5:59 pm
Fire is vital so I have two flint-&-steel kits, one normal size, the other a micro-kit. I traded some flint that I brought back from England for the strikers, one large one that fits my hand and a smaller one for an emergency pocket kit that is identical to the larger kit save in size.
Both kits are identical carrying striker, tender, flint and charcloth (in that steel box). I make my own charcloth. I have a pile of English flint outside my front door that came home with me from England where they line roads with the stuff! I use whatever natural rope cut to pieces for the tender or if I find something on the road, I pick it up and save that too. Fortunatly, a lot of birds in Arizona make 'fake' nests to draw predators away from the real nest so these 'fake' nests can be used for tender.
These are one of my inventions. A cotton make-up removal disc, soaked in petroleum jelly and covered with beeswax. Break one open, strike a spark and they ignite like a candle. One disc will set a 3†log on fire within minutes!
People in the past were not stupid and I figure that someone would have figured out “hey! If I soak some rags in oil then dip it in wax, I can have a good way to start fires!†Just like an antler arrow rest tied to my Longbow! Just because they were not common does not mean that someone didn’t invent one. They just never went into business making them for other people.
One thing I am working on is a Bow-Drill! Although more bulky, these seem to be easier to use and provide fire faster than the flint-&-steel that I have. Sometimes, getting that spark with that flint is a pain.
Both kits are identical carrying striker, tender, flint and charcloth (in that steel box). I make my own charcloth. I have a pile of English flint outside my front door that came home with me from England where they line roads with the stuff! I use whatever natural rope cut to pieces for the tender or if I find something on the road, I pick it up and save that too. Fortunatly, a lot of birds in Arizona make 'fake' nests to draw predators away from the real nest so these 'fake' nests can be used for tender.
These are one of my inventions. A cotton make-up removal disc, soaked in petroleum jelly and covered with beeswax. Break one open, strike a spark and they ignite like a candle. One disc will set a 3†log on fire within minutes!
People in the past were not stupid and I figure that someone would have figured out “hey! If I soak some rags in oil then dip it in wax, I can have a good way to start fires!†Just like an antler arrow rest tied to my Longbow! Just because they were not common does not mean that someone didn’t invent one. They just never went into business making them for other people.
One thing I am working on is a Bow-Drill! Although more bulky, these seem to be easier to use and provide fire faster than the flint-&-steel that I have. Sometimes, getting that spark with that flint is a pain.