Fire, master and servant

Fire is that magical creature that is either going to save your life, or get you killed. Knowing its secrets and how to use it in a sedate and safe manner will carry you far.

Making fire: one of the easiest ways of making fire is the ubiquitous BIC lighter. But they don’t always work, especially if you have wet hands, or they take a soaking like while walking in the rain, or kayaking, or,,,, SO you may want to carry an alternative. THIS is one of my solutions. It rides inside my ‘bug-out’ coat along with one of those little aluminum pill bottles full of petroleum jelly infused cotton balls(see bottom of post for details). it will hold about 3 cotton balls, but you won’t need a full cotton ball unless your tinder is soaking wet. Each ball will burn for about 5 minutes with a hot flame, can be struck to light even if wet, and typical winds will not blow it out. (I’ve never tried it in gale force winds,,,). Now, how to USE fire without attracting undue attention,,,,

Dakota stove on the fly: dig hole. about 5″ diameter, about 8″ deep. take a stick, about the thickness of your wrist, sharpen one end, and drive it into the ground at an angle near the hole you just dug (alternatively, drive the stick, then dig your hole to the stick) and remove once you penetrate the first hole. Small sticks and twigs are your fuel, what the Natives called “squaw wood”. You don’t want or need a big fire, you definitely do not want smoke when in stealth mode,,, the Dakota stove answers both issues.

NOW, there may be a time when you do want smoke. Like curing excess meats that you may have acquired: Fish, venison, whatever (not people,, NEVER people,,, We don’t suggest long-pork EVER!!!) When that time comes, hopefully you will know the difference in what wood you get. Oak, Poplar, and some other hardwoods (with maple being an exception) are horrible for smoking meats. What you want are nut or fruit trees (yes, the acorn is a nut, but its so full of tannin, only a deer would find it palatable. Keep in mind though; many acorns soaked in water make a hella tanning soak for hides, and after several soaks, can be ground up into a flour for eating,,,) Smoking meats can be done on a simple rack over a smokey smouldering fire,, not enough flames to touch the rack or hanging meats, but enough to keep the wood burning/smoking. A wet blanket hung from ropes can make a ‘chimney’ to funnel the smoke over the meats to speed up the process. Thin cuts of meat smoke faster, and become jerky that will keep for a long time. Thicker sections will keep for several days.

None of the above is ‘suggesting’ you run, or become that refugee,,, I highly discourage that status; its not safe, glamorous, or romantic. BUT, if you find you must, KNOWLEDGE will serve you far better than an 80# ruck of toys. People have survived for millenia using the stuff I am describing in short form. They have survived some of the most blistering environments using techniques similar to what I am describing here. Look to the Esquimaux/Inuit living in some of the most frigid environments, as just an example. Water, Shelter, Fire, Food: those will be your tools if you MUST boogie out.

(making fire starters with cottonballs and petroleum jelly. using a waste dish, like an old soup can, cleaned up, melt a heaping tablespoon of petroleum jelly. once its liquid (caution, its hot, and will stick to you, and is VERY flammable at this stage. Think Napalm burns,,, NASTY!!!) start dropping in cotton balls. Using a wooden stick, ‘moosh’ the cotton balls down into the melted PJ. Keep forcing in cotton balls until you stop seeing the melted PJ ooze to the top. Let cool, divvy up the cotton balls. They will be about the size of a nickle at this point. To use one. fluff it up, and strike your flint onto it; one good placed strike will ignite the ball.)

Bug-out Coat: I keep one coat that has a certain amount of gear that I carry when I am out walking anytime other than full on summer. You don’t need my suggestion of an old Field Jacket (mine is tiger striped leftover from Vietnam, with a removable liner. Found it for $10 at a thrift store.) but you do want POCKETS,,, the more the merrier. It has the mora-light my fire knife, the bottle of fire starters, a Lifestraw, one mylar space blanket, a ziplock with some fishing tackle, 25′ paracord, the real stuff with internal 7 strand cords. and some other odds and ends. With a walking stick, I don’t look ‘odd’, I am not carrying a lot of gear that could cause ‘temptation’, yet I am able to establish a camp anywhere, be comfortable and get some food in me and rest, AND NOT carry a rucksack. I may not have luxuries, but I wouldn’t be hurting either. (other than the usual aches and pains of age and exercise.). The key? I know what my gear is capable of, I know how to make it do ‘tricks’, and I practice with it regularly.