QuietJourney Forums

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Posted by: Jim J Solo Posted on: Oct 24^th, 2009 at 1:46pm	Quote
Sometimes I think it compares to the difference between Andy or Barney,,,,the Ontario Parks and US Forest Service.

Posted by: Solus Posted on: Oct 23^rd, 2009 at 2:21pm	Quote
Contrary to the Forest Service, the Quetico handout suggests "looking for deadwood along the shoreline before you make camp".

Posted by: solotripper Posted on: Oct 20^th, 2009 at 6:47pm	Quote
I hope not too many people read that fire starter trick Last thing I want to see in the fire pit is a half burnt pair of some guys/gals funky Fruit of the Loom's

Posted by: jimmar Posted on: Oct 20^th, 2009 at 11:13am	Quote
In a recent article from Field & Stream, the author tried suggestions for various firestarting materials sent in by readers. According to him the winner for the best tinder was underwear. Ahh, the old Fruit of the Loom trick, eh! No mention of how long he'd been wearing it or any suggestion of it's flammablity being aided by some sort of volatile gaseous infusion.

Posted by: db
Posted on: Oct 20^th, 2009 at 7:16am

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Jim J - I'm not 100% positive about my branches comment. Trunks (especially ones that have that natural split and splits go flying at the mere sight of a hatchet) are always nice.... Anything gray and barkless is, as always, a sure winner when if not spongy if dripping wet as far as sparks go.

As for beaver stick rules, personally, I've always had a bit of an ethical(?) problem taking anything from someone's house when they weren't around, even after they've volunteered and assured me I could "help myself to whenever I wanted" - which a beaver certainly couldn't and a sane human would never do.

When no one is looking, rules, suggestions and serendipity all go in the blender and come out one end or the other seemingly right or wrong. The beauty part is knowing the difference.

Anyone ever try simple wax paper as a fire starter? Easy to come by and I bet it would work pretty well, kinda like oatmeal packets only bigger and twice+ as good.

Posted by: jjcanoeguide
Posted on: Oct 13^th, 2009 at 9:09pm

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Bannock, thanks for the rule clarification. I usually find all the wood I could ever hope to burn in downed or hanging dead trees & branches less than 20' from the shoreline, at least 100' away from a campsite. I typically won't take wood thicker than 4" in diameter, unless it's cold and I want a long buring fire. I often find hanging limbs in the trees. Seems like everyone is missing them because their eyes are down. However, if the wood is off the ground, it's much more likely to be dry, in my experience.

I'll echo the tinder, pine cones, twigs around camp sentiments on fire starting. I travel with a fire steel (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) and a film canister stuffed with cotton balls dipped in petroleum jelly. I also carry matches, but this is the fail-safe.

Posted by: Puckster
Posted on: Oct 13^th, 2009 at 4:01am

solotripper wrote on Oct 11^th, 2009 at 3:43pm:

Puckster wrote on Oct 11^th, 2009 at 12:17am:

S_T -- I made some of your lint/wax/egg carton fire starters and used them this year. Thanks for the tip. They worked fantastic, and like you said, were great during cold, wet periods like I had in June.
I'll be making more this winter. One question: what do you use to melt the wax? I found that the wax temp has to be just so...too hot and it melts right through the lint and the egg carton. Too cool and it want really absorb at all or set up. Any hints on the wax part of the deal?
prouboy

I take an old tin coffee can, and put the wax in after I break /cut it into smaller chunks. I put a inch or so of water in a large pot, and set the coffee can inside. I bend the tin coffee can, so it has a "spout". I used a wooden dowel rod and just stirred the wax till it was ALL melted.
Meanwhile I have the cardboard egg carton on a metal baking sheet, in-case of spills. I take the lint, and use my hands too ROLL it into a small ball, and set in egg cups. I have all my TRICK candles cut in half and ready to go. I pour just ONE egg cup, and see what happens? Either heat some more or let cool down. Once its right, I pour All the cups and then insert the Trick candle and let cool. I don't use a thermometer or anything, but I suppose you could. More of a FEEL thing.
Word of caution too anyone who wants to make these, Paraffin wax is EXTREMELY flammable. that's why I use the water bath method, rather than heating in old pot, over a open flame.
For those who are curious, TRICK B-day candles that you can't blow out, are that way because the fuse is made of powdered Magnesium which once ignited is almost impossible to put out, unless you deny it Oxygen. You light that fuse and even in pouring rain, it will ignite lint/wax, and even the most stubborn fire.

Thanks S_T -- I haven't used the candles, but I'll try them when I make the next batch this winter.

prouboy

Posted by: Ghost Paddler
Posted on: Oct 13^th, 2009 at 12:56am

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I'm with Bannock. I just use a candle to make my lint/pinecone/eggcarton starters. Great for long winter evenings dreaming about canoe country. I had also heard that using beaver wood is frowned on, I'm guessing as an effort to leave the lake shores in their natural state.
I just spent 4 nights on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage with a couple of friends. It rained a lot and was pretty chilly (had a great time, though). I used birch bark to light all of our fires but the last. On the day we left (last Tuesday) it was about 40 degrees and pouring rain. We still had a decent woodpile and were all chilly with breaking the wet camp so I started a nice blaze with one of my starters. Worked beautifully/impressed my friends. I usually save them for emergencies, but it sure was nice to have a good fire near the tarp to warm up next to as we broke down.
Cheers,
gp

Posted by: Jim J Solo Posted on: Oct 12^th, 2009 at 9:15pm	Quote
So it's the branches doing all or most of the sparking. Good to know, db. Bannock, Interesting rules you sight. I might be a bit of a scofflaw by BW & USFS standards.

Posted by: Bannock
Posted on: Oct 12^th, 2009 at 5:50pm

I’m not too picky. Dead and down with a good dry “snap” to it is good. Mostly I use breaking size wood with a few sawn wrist size pieces. I use the homemade egg carton/dryer lint/wax firestarters. I just light the candle and let the wax drop onto the lint.

I see that beaver wood is mentioned. I don’t know about the Q, but the BW frowns on its use … to the point where you could get ticketed. From page 2 of the BWCA Rules and Regulations under “Campfires”, (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links); “When making a fire only use dead wood found lying on the ground; collect it away from campsites, portages, and shorelines to prevent enlarging and defacing these areas.” Rangers will interpret driftwood, as well as beaver wood and overhangs falling under this rule.

In their “Angler Ethics” brochure, (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) , they spell it out better. Page 3, Item #4 Minimize Campfire Impacts: “Don't use driftwood, snags arching over water, or wood from beaver dams and lodges.”

I'm sure three are other references.

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