New FireSteel Thread
Thanks for planting the idea Dave.
I sell a lot of the LightMyFire FireSteels and every now and then, someone drops me an email with a question or comment. Too often, the ideas don't get passed on once they get to me! So hopefully, we can use this thread to add any ideas on different types of tinder, techniques etc that have worked for you with the FireSteels.
I've posted a couple of videos which can be viewed by clicking on the "Video Library" link. What you'll see is a technique that works for me but different parts of the country/world pose different problems. I've shipped the FireSteels to numerous customers around the world including Russia, Australia all over Europe and even Tahiti. So if you've got a tip to share or a question to ask, let's hear it!!! Somebody out there can no doubt help you out or better yet, you can help them.
I sell a lot of the LightMyFire FireSteels and every now and then, someone drops me an email with a question or comment. Too often, the ideas don't get passed on once they get to me! So hopefully, we can use this thread to add any ideas on different types of tinder, techniques etc that have worked for you with the FireSteels.
I've posted a couple of videos which can be viewed by clicking on the "Video Library" link. What you'll see is a technique that works for me but different parts of the country/world pose different problems. I've shipped the FireSteels to numerous customers around the world including Russia, Australia all over Europe and even Tahiti. So if you've got a tip to share or a question to ask, let's hear it!!! Somebody out there can no doubt help you out or better yet, you can help them.
Okay, so what's your favorite tinder for fire starting with the Fire Steel?
What natural tinders have you found work well for you, depending on your location?
I've found that making a "birds nest" from dry grasses works for me.
Something I used to use was the "paper" from a Paper Wasp nest, but I've not tried it with the Fire Steel as yet.
I just purchased my first Fire Steel about a week ago and am having a lot of fun with it. I used to pride myself in one-match-fires, so now I have a new challenge with the Fire Steel!
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Greg,
I'm still chuckling over this one so bear with me.
I just tried the petroleum jelly on the cotton ball that you suggested. Wife is gone, (good thing), so I got lazy and tried it in the house. I put the cotton with petroleum jelly on a paper plate and made one strike with the Fire Steel. This adds a whole new dimension to the one-strike-fire! I just about burned the house down! Good thing I was in the kitchen and close to water.
Amazing what some guys will do for fun.
Reminds me of the Red Neck's famous last words, "Hey guys, watch this....!"
Man, I gotta get me more Fire Steels!!
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Ya know, I usually restrict the sales of the firesteels to adults only........
I'll admit to doing equally stupid things. Just don't want to admit them online!!
When you start talking about different types of tinder, here's a good one to use in hunting/fishing camp sometime. Once you get your cotton/vaseline tinder lit, take a potato chip, frito's, or taco chips and hold them over the flame till they ignite. Then commence building a mini camp fire with chips. I've won more then a couple bets with that one. It's pretty amazing how combustible a bag of chips can be!.
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You guys are killing me!
Yes, it is definitely important to remember that firesteels are OUTDOOR toys!
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It's that experimentation that leads to new discoveries!!
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New Discoveries, eh?
Y'mean....like:
How long will it take the Fire Department to get here?
Will the living room carpet burn faster than the carpet in the den?
Is fire a good way to get rid of wifey's hideous drapes?
And...
How long does it take to get the smoke smell out of everything we own? (Of course, this one assumes that the Fire Dept. gets there before the concrete of the foundation starts to explode from the heat.)
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Well, we didn't say ALL discovery was positive. Maybe it's more like a learning experience.
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The good part is; the Fire Steels do work.
And very well I might add!
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So...being the wife I am guessing the first thing she said when she got home is, what is that smell!!!! Greg, along with the chips have you tried powdered coffee creamers? Goes up like flash paper but will work very well as a starter
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Your serious? Coffee creamers? That's one I've never tried. Your talking about the little packets you can grab at the fast food restaurant on your way into the wilderness.
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Yep, them cute little packets sprinkled on tender flash a real pretty blue!!!When I was in college my roomates boyfriend was stationed in Korea and part of their survival kit was that a large portion of the MRE is flammable, he showed us the creamer trick
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Well, I gotta try this one! Next time I'm in town I'll pick some up.
Probably try it outside this time though, (who says an old dog can't learn.....)
"Hey guys, watch this...!!"
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Naw, dear wife is up in Washington visiting. Plenty of time to air out the house and "practice" some more....
Marriage is a great institution. (Teaches one to be covert and sneaky.)
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I recently bought the fire-steel army model and I think it's a must have in any survivor-kit.
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Gotta get me one and a bag of chips
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I just returned from the Northwest Coast on a research/test evauation assignment. (Okay, some might call it a "vacation"). Of course my Firesteel went along as I wanted to continue trying various tinders.
Ocean beach grass, as expected, worked well and usually ignited with one strike. Started several fires with it.
Hotel room coffee provided an opportunity to try the coffee creamer trick and I liberated several different samples and tried them all. I was not able to achieve ignition on any of them with repeated attempts. I was not able to try the creamer supplied in the military MRE's that Jan witnessed so I still look forward to trying it.
Unfortunately I did not get in any "woods time" to try further tinder options so the "vacation" essentially was a bust. But the Firesteel was there and it was fun to experiment.
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I don't know Dave, it still sounds like a tax deductible trip to me! Now....the question just begs to be asked...where were you physically when you tried the hotel creamer trick? Come on, the truth...you were in your room weren't you??? I knew it.
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Hey, No. I was actually walking a nice trail along the ocean beach in the same area Lewis & Clark walked in November of 1805.
This is where I used the beach grass to start a fire to make a cup of tea.
Experimented with the various creamers to no avail. Then continued on the beach trail and tested out the beach grass a couple more times enroute.
I was fortunate in finding enough small pieces of driftwood to get a boil on the tea water but wood was scarce along the beach.
Enjoyed a five mile walk that morning. Not bad for an old guy!
(The only reason I didn't try the creamer in the motel room was 'cause they had my credit card and ID info.)
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aha!!! the last sentence says it all!! confession is good for the soul!
Too bad we wait so long in life to take walks like that.
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WOW, great walk huh! I will have to make a stop at the army navy store and see if I can get my hands on some MRE creamer packets. Nice to know they dont all flame up!!
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I tried 3 different coffee creamers, including Coffee Mate, an none would "lite my fire". Wouldn't even scorch.
I'd still like to see what the MRE creamer would do.
We have a military surplus store here so I will stop in sometime and see if they have any.
We also get a lot of military personnel who stop in at the knife shop and I will ask some of them if they have had any experience with the MRE creamers as fire starters.
We'll get to the bottom of this yet.
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Well I was in college at that time but I am guessing they are still using the same MRE's. They last like 300 years dont they?
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I remember the C-rations we had, before MRE's, and I think most of them were 300 years old.
The lima beans and ham definetly were!!
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YUMMY!!! Didn't they also give you cigarettes? Bad food and Lucky Strikes, what a combo. I bet the creamer was flammable too
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Yep. It's a wonder we all lived. At least one could trade the cigarettes for some of the "better" food items.
I can't remember if we even had coffee creamer in those rations....
Long time ago and I definetly have "CRS" these days.
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I'm lucky Dave, I have an incredible memory, I just can't recall much of it!!!
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Right on.
It's not so much that my memory is so bad, it's just that I can't remember where it went............I think...?
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Tax Deductible R&D Assignment?
Absolutely!
Deductible Medical Expense, under mental and physical therapy.
Kinda like goin' camping.......
(IRS hasn't caught me on this one yet!)
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Now you're gettin' it!!
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