in a fire-starting competition, is it cheating to impregnate your tow with flamables like bacon grease, to improve your fire-starting time? Unless there is a reason it will not work, then I can't imagine how it would not be HC to do so, and therefore not cheating, but using natural, period ingredients to make a fire. Has this ever been mentioned as a legit approach?
Flint and Steel
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It is likely that your technique above would make it more difficult to start a fire, not easier. Personally, I've found tow to be inferior to nearly everything else when it comes to fire-starting, as it is oily and doesn't catch a spark very well. I prefer charred material (bark, rotten wood) for catching my initial spark, and dry, shredded inner bark or even grass for my nestOld Virginia Joe said:
There is some history to impregnating flammable materials with gunpowder or potassium nitrate...
I got a hunk of pyrites...fools gold, about ten years ago. Throws good sparks, some so hot they caught in a nest of tow and lit it unchared. The spark had missed my rag tinder. This has happened several times while lighting a fire in wet conditions.
This is my 'emergancy back up for wet weather. Lots of other natural fibers work real well as Black Hand states. Greases tend to slow stuff down.
This is my 'emergancy back up for wet weather. Lots of other natural fibers work real well as Black Hand states. Greases tend to slow stuff down.
Yes, you can be found cheating if your using a technique that those around you are not predominately using.
That said,, your not really going to "discover" a new better way of starting a fire with flint and steel that hasn't already been though of.
Sorry, but the technique is centuries old and if there was a better way we'd all already know about it.
Flint/steel, char and a fluffed nest of clean dry TOW will catch flame in 3-5 seconds, I usually clock in around 5-7 seconds and there are folks quicker then me.
Beat that,
The only real cheat I've heard of was a guy that cut a groove in his steel and added a strip of Magnesium,, he got caught quick because of the color of the sparks.
That said,, your not really going to "discover" a new better way of starting a fire with flint and steel that hasn't already been though of.
Sorry, but the technique is centuries old and if there was a better way we'd all already know about it.
Flint/steel, char and a fluffed nest of clean dry TOW will catch flame in 3-5 seconds, I usually clock in around 5-7 seconds and there are folks quicker then me.
Beat that,
The only real cheat I've heard of was a guy that cut a groove in his steel and added a strip of Magnesium,, he got caught quick because of the color of the sparks.
That's just to get flame. Building a fire or doing something like light a candle or burn a string is a different ball game.
Brian Heap
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How about cotton balls? They were around back then? I also use dryer lint in my emergency kit, but that would be cheating here I think. :idunno:
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Cheating.... :td:
Why go to all the effort and trouble of killing, butchering, curing and cooking a hog just to get bacon grease to try to cheat with.... :shake:
Learning how to make fire would be a lot easier...
fire requires 3 elements, known as the fire triangle.
Adding bacon grease simply adds more fuel to your fire. This will choke your fire... To make your fire burn faster, you need to also add more heat and oxygen.
Gasoline for example burns very quickly because it easily vaporizes (mixes with oxygen) and heat accelerates this.
Rather than adopting the "hold my beer while I grab the gas can" mentality, let's take a look at how plants function....
Different plants burn better (faster) than other plants, Why?
One reason is water content....Even seemingly dry wood can contain up to 20% moisture.
Plants and trees are essentially water transport structures moving water by capillary and osmotic means...The cell structure of ...YADA! YADA! YADA BLAH BLAH!.. :haha:
Long story short, the amount of water in dry wood is directly proportional to the air temperature and humidity.
But the important part is that water robs Heat, fuel, and oxygen from the fire triangle, and fire has to remove it from the wood.
The more water that is trapped in your material the longer it takes to be removed.
Solution?........Dehydration....
Try dehydrating your tinder...and keep it well sealed from moisture.
Why go to all the effort and trouble of killing, butchering, curing and cooking a hog just to get bacon grease to try to cheat with.... :shake:
Learning how to make fire would be a lot easier...
fire requires 3 elements, known as the fire triangle.
Adding bacon grease simply adds more fuel to your fire. This will choke your fire... To make your fire burn faster, you need to also add more heat and oxygen.
Gasoline for example burns very quickly because it easily vaporizes (mixes with oxygen) and heat accelerates this.
Rather than adopting the "hold my beer while I grab the gas can" mentality, let's take a look at how plants function....
Different plants burn better (faster) than other plants, Why?
One reason is water content....Even seemingly dry wood can contain up to 20% moisture.
Plants and trees are essentially water transport structures moving water by capillary and osmotic means...The cell structure of ...YADA! YADA! YADA BLAH BLAH!.. :haha:
Long story short, the amount of water in dry wood is directly proportional to the air temperature and humidity.
But the important part is that water robs Heat, fuel, and oxygen from the fire triangle, and fire has to remove it from the wood.
The more water that is trapped in your material the longer it takes to be removed.
Solution?........Dehydration....
Try dehydrating your tinder...and keep it well sealed from moisture.
Old Virginia Joe said:
It is a competition. The conditions must be equal and level for all. If in a survival situation, anything goes. But, it is a moot point. At most ronny's or where there might be a fire starting competition the tow is provided. Besides, cheating ain't no fun. Cussin' and griping when you lose is though. :grin:
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It's been some years since I was in a competition, but it was well regulated and inspected.
Once we has one where you had to gather your materials from the landscape.
Sizzling, popping and smoking bacon grease would be a dead give away to a judge.
Most groups are pretty tightly woven.....I'd hate to be branded a CHEATER! :nono:
Good materials and technique :thumbsup: That's the best way to win.
Once we has one where you had to gather your materials from the landscape.
Sizzling, popping and smoking bacon grease would be a dead give away to a judge.
Most groups are pretty tightly woven.....I'd hate to be branded a CHEATER! :nono:
Good materials and technique :thumbsup: That's the best way to win.
Rules are laided down at the start of the match. You wouldn't be cheating if the rules didn't mention it. However how would you feel if you won and you were the only one doing it. Kinda like having a trade gun fitted with a rifled barrel, track sells them, and winning because the rules didn't say ' smooth bore trade guns' .
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These days I prefer to challenge myself, by starting a fire with the unthinkable and in challenging places. The harder I challenge myself, the warmer the fire eventually feels. :grin:
A man can easily do without fire on a warm sunny day.....But soaking wet, in cold, or snow and throw in some wind........And fire becomes pretty important and necessary.
I also like to handicap myself by eliminating one or more of the essential components necessary to make fire with a flint and steel. Sometimes I eliminate the flint, sometimes the steel, maybe my knife or tomahawk for processing material. sometimes I limit the material.
Setting a tinder bundle on fire doesn't count either....I must build a sustainable fire.
The harder I challenge myself and the more I fail, the more I learn.
A man can easily do without fire on a warm sunny day.....But soaking wet, in cold, or snow and throw in some wind........And fire becomes pretty important and necessary.
I also like to handicap myself by eliminating one or more of the essential components necessary to make fire with a flint and steel. Sometimes I eliminate the flint, sometimes the steel, maybe my knife or tomahawk for processing material. sometimes I limit the material.
Setting a tinder bundle on fire doesn't count either....I must build a sustainable fire.
The harder I challenge myself and the more I fail, the more I learn.
It's good to learn one or more friction methods too.
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Totally agree! :thumbsup: I have not mastered it yet..
Although I'm presented with a conundrum.
If I need a metal cutting tool to make a bow drill set I can use that same tool to make a flint fire. so the real challenge is to make a friction fire from the landscape without a knife or hawk... :hmm:
Although I'm presented with a conundrum.
If I need a metal cutting tool to make a bow drill set I can use that same tool to make a flint fire. so the real challenge is to make a friction fire from the landscape without a knife or hawk... :hmm:
I've made friction fire, would hate to have to depend on it if weather went south. :thumbsup: :hatsoff:
Yup, canoe flips, horse runs off, lost/stolen gear and rainy weather,
Folks died.
I can get a drill going a couple of ways,, but rainy/wet weather and no knife??
I think I'd be in trouble.
Folks died.
I can get a drill going a couple of ways,, but rainy/wet weather and no knife??
I think I'd be in trouble.
Dieing in the woods is ok with me; in 30 years or so. It's smart to particle it. I should follow CC's example
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