This month’s challenge

[Andy in NH]

thanks for the screenshot.

My pleasure. When you made a statement that turned out to be false, and then got called out on it, you damaged your own credibility.

You’re right. You have confirmed that no one can start a fire in bad weather. Terrible idea to practice backup skills.

Don't be dismissive with a feeble attempt to put words in my mouth.

It is not fitting nor appropriate; if you can't discuss the facts of your position on their own merit... well then, that speaks for itself.

Carry on.

I don't take orders from you.

Feel free to depart this discussion on your own volition.

Andy, I have film pictures somewhere, of me teaching battery/steel wool to a scout and his family in the rain and it works. If you know what to do. It is all in the prep and understanding the fire triangle. You have to remember that the battery/steel wool is just the ignition source. You still need to prep for a fire with adequate amounts of tinder, kindling and fuel.

Hi Matt, thanks for the well thought out and explained reply - I appreciate it.

Serious question: Who do you know who carries a battery/steel wool as a primary, secondary, or tertiary method of starting a fire?

No shit. again it's not the only way. You sure have a hard on for the way fires can be started.

Thank you for the compliment.

Yes, I have a lot of enthusiasm trying to keep people from getting duped by gimmicky fire starting methods that fail under conditions when they are really needed.

 

[Matt_SERE]

Hi Matt, thanks for the well thought out and explained reply - I appreciate it.

Serious question: Who do you know who carries a battery/steel wool as a primary, secondary, or tertiary method of starting a fire?

You're welcome.
Most likely no one. It was a teaching scenario of what might you have in a "scout camp or scout patrol box". If you aren't familiar with them. In certain camp outs these are carried in as a team building exercise, also in BLM or similar land, where vehicles are not allowed to go. So using a vehicle as a source for fire making was ruled out of the scenario.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHCBqFtv5Ug

 

[MisterHappy]

The point is to practice relevant survival skills that are successful under a wide variety of conditions.

A practitioner would be better off attempting to start a fire in a light rain storm with some petro cotton balls and a ferro rod than any of these circus tricks.

Once they can do that, then do it one handed, and then again with only the support hand.

After I learned to start a bow and drill fire, I stopped practicing it and tripled down on carrying better more and reliable fire starting materials; lighters, matches, and petro cotton balls/ferro rod.


The home page for some random bushcraft guy on YouTube?


Another circus trick that unless the conditions and materials are perfect, will fail you when you really need it.

This is something I tell students in Hunter Ed, when we discuss not dying in the woods - everyone knows to bring firestarting stuff....nobody practices with it. "Go home, and go into your back yard, with a butane lighter. Light a fire with what you can find in the back yard. Now, remember that when it's raining, it will be more important....go do it again, when it's raining."


Years ago, when the kids were little, we were going through this exercise. It was frikin' raining. Ms Happy leans out and says, "What are you doing?"

"Lighting a fire...."

"It's raining!"

"Yeah, we know....that's why."

OP's idea is good, but with all due respect, just getting a fire going with the right stuff is a task unless you do it all the time.

 

[Chevy 2 65]

My pleasure. When you made a statement that turned out to be false, and then got called out on it, you damaged your own credibility.

Don't be dismissive with a feeble attempt to put words in my mouth.

It is not fitting nor appropriate; if you can't discuss the facts of your position on their own merit... well then, that speaks for itself.

I don't take orders from you.

Feel free to depart this discussion on your own volition.


Hi Matt, thanks for the well thought out and explained reply - I appreciate it.

Serious question: Who do you know who carries a battery/steel wool as a primary, secondary, or tertiary method of starting a fire?


Thank you for the compliment.

Yes, I have a lot of enthusiasm trying to keep people from getting duped by gimmicky fire starting methods that fail under conditions when they are really needed.

View: https://youtu.be/9N0OHdRFcJA

 

[mcshooter]

9 volt and steel wool.

Along with proper kindling

 

[kiver]

So I tried the bow drill and had no success today. I used some old dry mountain laural but no luck. I even whittled it down and used a drill. Got smoke but no ember. Might have been too humid or the wood was too moist. Not an easy thing to do. But did get fire with a ferro rod in about 3 minutes

 

[MetalliCorey]

Serious question: Who do you know who carries a battery/steel wool as a primary, secondary, or tertiary method of starting a fire?

Crackheads

But on a serious note, check out what i stumbled across on the tube


View: https://youtube.com/shorts/smLNbKwGv5Q?feature=share