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On Fire in Emergencies

il Offline pomsbz

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #60 on: January 07, 2019, 06:29:40 PM
I've been thinking this through recently. Firstly it's usually hot here. Very hot. No need for fires. That said I had a wake up call recently due to trying to light a fire in heavy wind and driving rain, a month or so ago. My mini Bic didn't stand a chance. My Zippo worked for 20 seconds until it was too wet for my finger to get any purchase on the wheel to strike. After some wet minutes of frustration I kicked myself, took out my UCO Stormproof matches and you know what? They were storm proof. Period. Worked perfectly. They burn down fast in the wind but they just worked. As a result the fire kit in my bag is out. No more waxed jute, firesteels and slivers of fatwood. Instead my Zippo for when the weather is ok (filled up before leaving on a trip) and a whole bunch of Stormproof matches for when it's too tough even for the Zippo. I've usually got a mini bic around, one in every coat, bag, etc but it's no longer considered an emergency solution.
"It is better to lose health like a spendthrift than to waste it like a miser." - Robert Louis Stevenson


us Offline Aloha

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #61 on: January 07, 2019, 07:09:39 PM
Storm proof matches are nice.  I've got some as well.  Still gonna keep my lighters with me however my Zippo would never be a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd choice. 
Esse Quam Videri


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #62 on: January 07, 2019, 10:29:32 PM
I have one of those arcing lighters on order.  I won't be leaving my matches at home just yet, but I was curious about them.

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline Aloha

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #63 on: January 07, 2019, 11:33:12 PM
I have a USB lighter.  No flame but it sure does hold a charge for a while. 
Esse Quam Videri


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #64 on: January 08, 2019, 01:56:45 AM
I have a USB lighter.  No flame but it sure does hold a charge for a while.

I have one too. It uses a tiny coil like the one on an electric stove.  It's handy but I hate that it needs to contact things to light them.  Trying to light a tinder with it can be problematic.

The arcing lighter arrived today and I will post pics of it in the next little while.  It looks pretty neat and has a small blue LED on it when lit in case you can't see the two bolts of purple lightning or hear the sizzle of a semi controlled short circuit.

So far it seems pretty freaking cool....  let's see how long it works before I break it.... :facepalm:

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #65 on: January 08, 2019, 11:04:45 PM
I just posted my initial thoughts on the arc lighter here in case anyone is interested:

https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,80272.0.html

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


ch Offline Etherealicer

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #66 on: January 09, 2019, 01:11:39 PM
I just posted my initial thoughts on the arc lighter here in case anyone is interested:

https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,80272.0.html

Def
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It wouldn't be the internet without people complaining.


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #67 on: January 09, 2019, 03:20:30 PM
For the record, today is one of those days where it is plus one degree Celcius, with heavy wind and pissing down rain, hail and snow. I would love to see Dave Canterbury survive on a day like today.

Def
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us Offline SteveC

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #68 on: January 09, 2019, 04:04:54 PM
 :rofl:


us Offline Aloha

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #69 on: January 09, 2019, 05:33:48 PM
The true survivalist, those working in such conditions day after day, year after year.   :salute:
Esse Quam Videri


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #70 on: January 09, 2019, 09:01:42 PM
I was outside for about an hour when the rain started to seep through my rain gear.  I was completely soaked inside and out by the time we were done.

Even my awesome waterproof winter boots, rated to -40C were no match for the water and cold today.  Unfortunately my boot dryer is in Ottawa, so they will be wet for days now.   :facepalm:

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline Aloha

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #71 on: January 09, 2019, 09:26:12 PM
Cold is cold but to know you will out again and again cold and wet  :salute:.  Its not like you can build a fire or shelter and bunker down. 
Esse Quam Videri


us Offline SteveC

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #72 on: January 10, 2019, 01:07:37 AM
I was outside for about an hour when the rain started to seep through my rain gear.  I was completely soaked inside and out by the time we were done.

Even my awesome waterproof winter boots, rated to -40C were no match for the water and cold today.  Unfortunately my boot dryer is in Ottawa, so they will be wet for days now.   :facepalm:

Def

Should have had yer wellies  :D


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFIBVNhjs7E
« Last Edit: January 10, 2019, 01:09:08 AM by SteveC »


de Offline Shuya

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #73 on: January 10, 2019, 07:59:39 AM
Lessons learned on  a dayhike trial (1°C, spray rain, heavy rain and snow the last 4 days, everything dripping wet, wind) :

A firesteel is a neat piece of equipment, playing with it is fun (have one in my camping kit for my camping stove, those piezos have failed me before).
But if you really need a fire, in bad situations and non optimal conditions, they suck. Really.
Imagine beeing numb and stiff from the cold, everything is wet and you need to get proper, dry and flimsy tinder and scrape that small piece of metal?  :twak:

My sollution for if I ever need a firekit: get the biggest, longest burning stormproof matches you can find and add one or two solid fuel tablets.
Most likely these: https://www.ucogear.com/uco-stormproof-matches-25-pack-mt--sm1--uco
You should get a first fire almost in every situation ASAP. And that first fire is the most important. You can add a firesteel for longterm fantasies.
« Last Edit: January 10, 2019, 08:04:25 AM by Shuya »


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #74 on: January 10, 2019, 11:53:21 AM
After the driving rain and snow the temperature went from +3 last night to -8 this morning.

I'd hate to be a giant barefoot hippie caught in the woods yesterday.   :ahhh

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline WECSOG

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #75 on: January 13, 2019, 06:47:52 PM
I've been out on a motorcycle before, quite a ways from home when a warm day turned into a chilly, drenching downpour and I had no rain gear. After awhile I became hypothermic from riding while completely soaked. Riding 100 miles back home with hypothermia is not an option. It's far better to stop at a likely spot and warm up and dry out with a fire.

I can see the same thing happening while out on the river in a small boat.


us Offline nate j

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #76 on: January 24, 2019, 12:02:47 AM
Fortunately, I haven't been in a make-fire-or-die situation.  I can think of a number of potential uses for it, though, including keeping warm, drying wet clothes, cooking, boiling water for drinking, sterilizing instruments for medical purposes, signaling, etc.


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #77 on: January 27, 2019, 06:39:17 PM
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #78 on: March 18, 2019, 07:39:00 PM
I am working on a post to share the hike that Megan and I were on a few days ago and it reminded me of this thread. 

We started our hike in the morning (around 10am) in the sunshine, and by mid afternoon the temperature had dropped and started to rain, which continued overnight.  Temperatures were near freezing, and a few degrees on either side at different times.  Had we gotten lost or hiked longer than expected, we would have been caught in a very unpleasant situation in which fire very likely would have been required.

While there would have been a lot of wet wood, I forgot one important thing about fire starting here in NS- Old Man's Beard and other mosses are very prevalent here.





It may not show up very well in the photos, but the trees are quite heavily covered in the green, stringy moss that is quite easily lit.  It doesn't burn long, but in the quantities you could gather in just a few minutes you should be able to make a large enough tinder bundle to get something more substantial lit.

I would say that in this area, we could have gathered enough in just a few minutes to fill a decent sized backpack.  Admittedly it isn't this heavy everywhere in the province, but you don't usually have to look too far to find enough to get started.  In fact, there is even a reasonable amount in the trees in my yard.

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline Poncho65

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #79 on: March 18, 2019, 07:42:03 PM
Always great to see natural tinder in an abundance as this :tu: I am sure you could get a fire going with a backpack sized amount of this :o :like:


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #80 on: March 18, 2019, 08:30:07 PM
If you couldn't find twigs, you could probably make a decent (although short lived) bonfire out of just Old Man's Beard!   :ahhh

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline Poncho65

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Re: On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #81 on: March 19, 2019, 04:06:20 PM
 :o :like: :like:


Offline EricBTTA

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On Fire in Emergencies
Reply #82 on: March 20, 2019, 12:23:29 AM
The only time I can say me or the group I was in truly needed a fire; is when I was on white water canoe trip in late November. We were paddling in a snowstorm and we came upon a set of rapids. The majority of the group decided to portage around as it wasn’t worth flipping a canoe in or near subzero temperatures (Celsius), but a young couple thought it would be worth running it (despite being advised otherwise) and needless to say they flipped the canoe and were swimming.

We then as a group rescued the boat and started a fire so these two could warm up. They were clearly suffering from hypothermia and without the help from us, making that fire and pulling them out of the water they likely would have died.

Moral of the story, don’t be an idiot and understand that cold water kills. Having the ability to make a fire is crucial, even though we may not “NEED” it most of the time.

-Cheers


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