123.DieselBenz
45 Cal.
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2010
- Messages
- 706
- Reaction score
- 2
I got it figured out now . . . actually doing it, and then practice . . .
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Flint & Steel fire making for dummies
- Thread starter 123.DieselBenz
- Start date
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some people have a hard time they try to light pcs of wood that are to big like the size of your finger you need small stuff to work with and work your way up. As a scout we were always encouraged to build our fire and lite it off with one match.
Our leader would watch and make a big deal out of the one that had their fire going first and used only one match
Our leader would watch and make a big deal out of the one that had their fire going first and used only one match
Larry Pletcher
50 Cal.
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2006
- Messages
- 1,313
- Reaction score
- 67
LHunter,
I taught 4th grade and until I retired I did flint/steel fires with my students. They watched it done and then I had pairs try it. Most pairs got a fire going. A few had trouble getting sparks - usually not a quick enough strike or an angle problem. I would land a spark for them and let them finish.
Here is something not to do, especially with folks watching. Make sure you are not facing into the wind when starting the fire:
In one case, I lifted my birds nest up to blow on it. The wind blew the smoke back into my face, and I ended up choking while my char burned up completely.
In another, the breeze blew a piece of char back toward me, landing in my beard. I ended up trying to put myself out before starting a fire. I now insist that any fourth graders that try a fire be clean shaven.
Regards,
Pletch
I taught 4th grade and until I retired I did flint/steel fires with my students. They watched it done and then I had pairs try it. Most pairs got a fire going. A few had trouble getting sparks - usually not a quick enough strike or an angle problem. I would land a spark for them and let them finish.
Here is something not to do, especially with folks watching. Make sure you are not facing into the wind when starting the fire:
In one case, I lifted my birds nest up to blow on it. The wind blew the smoke back into my face, and I ended up choking while my char burned up completely.
In another, the breeze blew a piece of char back toward me, landing in my beard. I ended up trying to put myself out before starting a fire. I now insist that any fourth graders that try a fire be clean shaven.
Regards,
Pletch
Leon Renaud
32 Cal.
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2008
- Messages
- 7
- Reaction score
- 0
I have a piece of leather that's about twice the size of the palm of my hand that is in my kit. What I do is place my tinder on the leather place a fair size piece of char on the tinder and then fold this over like a taco shell around my flint.Now when I strike dopwn witrh the steel the sparks are cought right there in my hand in the char and tinder,Once I got a good spark in my char I remove the flint and get to blowing up a flame then place it under my already prepared kindling.this keeps my fire starting up off the ground, It's fine sitting or kneeling there next to your fire pit on nice dry ground but not in bad weather, And while I do have a small fire fixins kit in a neck bag for "Emergency"My strikers and such for ordinary use are big my strikers I make fit my whole hand that is they wrap 4 fingers and I like a big flint and fixins as well unless I'm in survival mode I don't worry much about the char either on planned trips or camps I keep a full supply on hand.If I had to survive a few days on my supplies then I would keep the use of char to a minumum.
