Because I fell in a creek......

[davec2]

Long story, but sometime back, and in the winter, I was out hiking late in the day with some folks not too accustom to being in the out-of-doors. Long about sundown, I was going to impress them with my flint & steel fire making ability. Crossing a small creek to get to a great spot, I stepped on a loose stone and went head first into the drink. Had to pour the water out of my Ted Cash brass tinder box. Everything was sopping wet and it was now dark. Luckily, one of the "city slickers" had a BIC lighter. Very embarrassing situation.

So, not to be caught in that situation again, I made this little brass, waterproof, fire kit.

It holds a couple of strands of charred cotton rope and a few double ended sulfur spunks. The brass can, with a waxed leather washer, keeps everything dry (even if your dumb enough to fall in a creek). To use, I pinch off a piece of the charred rope and it catches a spark from flint and steel very quickly. Even easier, if the flint rifle or pistol is unloaded, is to put the piece of charred rope in the pan, close the frizzen and snap the lock. Either way, I drop the lit char into the cap of the can and touch one end of a spunk to it. One or two quick puffs of air and the spunk takes light.

The charred rope was also made over an open fire without the use of the usual tin or can with a hole in it.

Well.....might be a waste of time, but I sort of like the look of it..and making even useless things keeps me out of trouble.

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

That is beautiful! I fell in the Bay once... and have fallen more than my share into creeks. :thumbsup:

 

[Bon Sauvage]

Beautiful!

Sir, you have the soul of a poet.

 

[Birdman]

well all I can say is thats what ya call useless junk I sure nuff want to see what ya consider beautiful n important :haha: I would be proud to carry something of that caliber n well thought out piece of equipment any day a the week. And what yer carrying in it is smart too, I like the rope n sliver ideas, might keep a fella alive in short oder if needed :hatsoff:

 

[hoochiepapa]

Very nice work, Dave!

 

[Rifleman1776]

Well done and beautiful.
You could sell a version of those.
Would you describe the sulphur spunk thing? It looks like a primitive match.

 

[davec2]

Rifleman,

Sulfur spunks are indeed a primitive match. They have been around since the sixth century and are easy to make. Any sort of a wood splint will do, but I use fat wood and split it with a knife into thin sticks about 2 inches long. Powdered sulfur can easily be purchased all sorts of places and melts easily in any throw away metal container like a soda can or the like. Just a teaspoon of sulfur will be more than enough to make a lot of spunks. Melt the sulfur and dip the end of the splints in it. It will harden quickly and then I do the other end to get two usable ends on one splint.

Just dip them once. I dipped each end twice the first time I made them and, if you get too much sulfur, they will drip burning sulfur before the splint takes light. More sulfur doesn't make the spunk light any quicker.

There are a bunch of videos on YouTube on making them. As usual, some are good and some, well, not so much. If you want to light a pipe or a candle with flint and steel, these are much easier than lighting tinder and transferring the flame.

 

[cynthialee]

I keep a magnesium match and a small pocket knife in my purse. Never have had need of them but there were enough boy scouts in the family that the 'be prepared' thing took a hold on me.

That little firemaking kit of yours is rather spiffy. I think the guys are right in saying you could sell them.

 

[Glenfilthie]

I WANT IT!

:thumbsup:

 

[pc.knife]

That is beautiful!

:bow: :bow: :bow:

 

[tx-hunter]

That is great. Any woodsman would be proud to carry that!

 

[Flint311]

Very good idea and love the brass container! Well done :hatsoff:

 

[The New Guy]

Hmmm... Wondering how much one of those would cost me if the proud owner wished to make me one? I would be proud to carry that in my bag when I taught primitive skills to my local Boy Scouts. PM me please.

 

[TraprMike]

found these pill boxes. here looks like they would work pretty well. great idea.

looks like you put in a few hours beside the campfire doing that stuff..

site has listed 15 bux for a plain box. ya know my flint/steel works when wet. find some dry stuff and away you go.. good luck.

 

[chance]

Awsome!!!!!

 

[Rick Son]

I'll take one,how muchy,i love stuff like that for campin.I was raised using pine pitch,i wonder if that would work well or be too flamable,i live just below the big redwoods and we collect pine pitch up there and keep a stash of it in bags.I picked up an old military lighter awhile back that has that char cloth in it,acouple sparks and it lit right up..Hope it's ok to ask about your set up,that is way nice!!!

 

[davec2]

Someone asked if i had better pictures of this fire kit (without "PHOTOBUCKET" printed across them. I didn't know how to just update the pictures so this is a re-post of the original with the better pictures...

Long story, but sometime back, and in the winter, I was out hiking late in the day with some folks not too accustom to being in the out-of-doors. Long about sundown, I was going to impress them with my flint & steel fire making ability. Crossing a small creek to get to a great spot, I stepped on a loose stone and went head first into the drink. Had to pour the water out of my Ted Cash brass tinder box. Everything was sopping wet and it was now dark. Luckily, one of the "city slickers" had a BIC lighter. Very embarrassing situation.

So, not to be caught in that situation again, I made this little brass, waterproof, fire kit.







It holds a couple of strands of charred cotton rope and a few double ended sulfur spunks. The brass can, with a waxed leather washer, keeps everything dry (even if your dumb enough to fall in a creek). To use, I pinch off a piece of the charred rope and it catches a spark from flint and steel very quickly. Even easier, if the flint rifle or pistol is unloaded, is to put the piece of charred rope in the pan, close the frizzen and snap the lock. Either way, I drop the lit char into the cap of the can and touch one end of a spunk to it. One or two quick puffs of air and the spunk takes light.

The charred rope was also made over an open fire without the use of the usual tin or can with a hole in it.







Well.....might be a waste of time, but I sort of like the look of it..and making even useless things keeps me out of trouble.

 

[FishnRod]

That is "drop dead gorgeous" AND useful. You should make and sale these.

 

[Whitworth]

Wow!

 

[JamesA]

Long story, but sometime back, and in the winter, I was out hiking late in the day with some folks not too accustom to being in the out-of-doors. Long about sundown, I was going to impress them with my flint & steel fire making ability. Crossing a small creek to get to a great spot, I stepped on a loose stone and went head first into the drink. Had to pour the water out of my Ted Cash brass tinder box. Everything was sopping wet and it was now dark. Luckily, one of the "city slickers" had a BIC lighter. Very embarrassing situation.

So, not to be caught in that situation again, I made this little brass, waterproof, fire kit.

It holds a couple of strands of charred cotton rope and a few double ended sulfur spunks. The brass can, with a waxed leather washer, keeps everything dry (even if your dumb enough to fall in a creek). To use, I pinch off a piece of the charred rope and it catches a spark from flint and steel very quickly. Even easier, if the flint rifle or pistol is unloaded, is to put the piece of charred rope in the pan, close the frizzen and snap the lock. Either way, I drop the lit char into the cap of the can and touch one end of a spunk to it. One or two quick puffs of air and the spunk takes light.

The charred rope was also made over an open fire without the use of the usual tin or can with a hole in it.

Well.....might be a waste of time, but I sort of like the look of it..and making even useless things keeps me out of trouble.

That's quite nice, looks like something that might have a market.