Old bicycle tubes cut into half inch pieces make great fire starters. I think they're called ranger bands. I wrapped them all over all kinds of my outdoor gear.
I love watching people out in the woods camping trying to light fires, then see them get frustrated when it goes out. Everyone needs to learn the basics whether they are extreme outdoors people or yearly caravan park campers. Great video
Wow my daughters talked me into making a channel they said I needed to show what I learned in 20 years in military and 45+ years of backcountry hunting well now that I’ve seen your channel I can stick to hunting tip you my friend are a genius of bushcraft and I don’t normally commend anyone 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻great channel
I go with hot pink. That's the lighter, the handle of the knife, ferro rod, charcloth tin... Anything that might get dropped, and is small enough that it could be difficult to find. Yellow and orange blend in too easily in the fall. I teach a few small classes here and there in my spare time, and I always tell the people (the guys) who have issues with pink, "you're not going to feel very tactical when you drop your knife, and you can't find it because you had to have a black blade with a camouflage handle". Some of them even listen, lol.
A hi vis yellow works really well, even when obscured in the woods due to fall leaves and the like just due to it existing on that chromatic sweet spot. Yellow is in the brightest part of our visual spectrum so it is really easy to spot. The human visual cortex is hardwired to seek out reds, so even though they aren't nearly as bright as yellows, we can pick out a red object with comparative ease. Florescent pink works well because it's nearly as bright as yellow, has enough red in it to draw our eyes, and is a very rare color in the natural world.
Some people are just like a horse with blinders... As my father taught me at a young age. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. When I think of fire I think and have several different ways of getting that fire going since it is one of the most essential things to have to survive. Great video as always thank you for what you do. I'm trying to do the same thing just getting started out with my channel to try and get people to understand the importance of certain things in being survival prepared!
Greetings once again from nova Scotia, thank you for everything you do, and all the practical tips on how to enjoy our time in the bush. I really wish I could travel again, I would love to take in one of your classes. I love your approach to teaching, you were born to do what you do!! Thank you for your time and attention to this comment, wishing you all the best in the year to come, best regards, Arthur
You are right on Dan. I was in the woods on the ADK and I needed to light a fire to boil water. I always carry a lighter 24/7. Thé weather was very cold and super wet, I first when to my lighter, just like you said my hands were cold and wet. I had trouble, on top of it all it was a small Bic lighter ( not good). I did not know about the safety feature. Well I had backup and got a fire going. This is a great video, thanks. Take care.
I did an experiment with Bic lighters. I put 5 in a Ziploc baggie and left them in the back of my truck for a year, exposed to the elements. When I decided to test them only one would spark despite my drying them. One out of 5 is not good, but it's meant as an example to carry multiples. They all were full of butane btw.
Yet another well done "quickie": 1) A bit longer than one of your 3-minute tidbits, but packed with information 2) "Stupidly" brilliant: a) "stupid", because *I* should have thought of the idea and b) "brilliant", because, well, it is a great idea. In particular, tearing the Gorilla tape into strips and make a ball/bird nest … I should have known. 5/5 stars for this tip.
It might look overkill, but I attach my bic with one end on my belt and the other end under the gorilla tape on kayak trips. I use a piece of bank line long enough that I can freely extend my arm in all direction. When I'm done, I roll the bank line around the lighter and put it in my pocket. That way, I won't forget it on the ground. If I have a hole in my pocket, it will dangle on my leg and I won't lose it. The best part is that your buddy can't lose it for you as you can't let him have it now! Most important, carry multiple source of ignition!
Its a great idea. I use a key pull chain( think janitor style) and make a lighter holder from duct tape to attach it to the key ring. It keeps the lighter either on your belt or clipped to a pocket and extendable just like your idea. It also keeps friends from " bic-ing your bic" or how we say "pocketing your lighter " And , until now I had not thought that it also means I'm carrying tinder
Great simple trick Dan. I've been carrying tape on my lighter amongst other items aswell long before "bushcraft" was a hyped thing. I do alot of river floating and it comes in handy there more often, for me atleast then my land based camps. Always be prepared, keep those doggies rollin in 2020!
I got one of the Exotac lighter cases for a Bic. That way: it's ALWAYS orange (regardless of lighter color), it floats better and is waterproof, it's more insulated from hot/cold, and the tape on the outside of it's cap survives even after the Bic runs out of gas. I go back and forth between that and a Clipper with some tape and cordage on it for EDC. Have a happy New Year, Dan!
Have one also.. but got the black cover.. It's been dropped into the water God only knows how many times at work (I smoke and work on boats, goes with the job) and it has never failed me. Strange how after retiring from the Army I'm working boats.. Life is weird. LOL.
Lol, anyone who had juvenile relations with Mary Jane knows all of these inside out ! I used to carry a clipper lighter. Because it is possible to remove the sparker, unscrew, add extra flint, and re assemble. This means you've got plenty of back pressure from the spring, and plenty of flint to waste on drying it out with a leg rub ! Great channel, you're a likeable guy. You give good advice, and it's well presented 👍
Another thing you might want to wrap around your Bic lighter is some Humboldt Hemp Wick. It's infused with beeswax so it will adhere to the stalk of your lighter as you wrap it around and around. Unwind a little, light the end, and now you have slow-burning wick to ignite your fire while, at the same time, preserving your Bic's fuel.
#36 bankline fits neatly under the fuel fork (part you push down to let fuel out) this stops unwanted fuel leaking whilst in your pocket. Another great video.
And again, Practice practice practice, light your home fires with bush methods, scrap of tissue and woodchips with a ferro to get your bbq on, magnifying lense to light a firedrum/pit etc, the skills we practice at leisure are the skills we can rely on under pressure. Cracking vid as always :-) That's kinda catchy reading it back, practice at leisure to depend on in pressure... idk, work in progress lol.
So, funny thing happened the other day, I have some brush that has been sitting in the open for the past year and I went to use my bic lighter to start the fire. Nothing would catch because of the 98% humidity and dampness. So there was a piece of cloth in the pile and that was the only thing that would ignite. I thought to myself, so much for and easy way out. Great tip.
I kept a mini-bic with the kid proof spring still fitted, in a coat pocket for a couple of years. When I finally went to use the lighter it wouldn't spark because the flint had deteriorated and just crumbled away. I think moisture had accumulated under the spring, causing corrosion of the flint. So I would definitely say remove that safety spring! Nice informative video - I've subbed!
Also a good modification for us septuagenerians... my fingers have lost their range of motions somewhat and it can be hard to operate a Bic sometimes.... took off that child-proofing strip and it made one hell of a difference !
This is probably THE best fire starting advice out there as it will work 99% of the time. Cold? Just keep the lighter in a pant pocket or inside your jacket.
Great show. I carry several lighters, BBQ starters, 1/2" x 6" ferro rod, many kinds knives, saws, tools, shelter makings, raingear, canned / freeze dried packaged food, water, stove, pans, sleeping bag, a ton of other survival things, in my truck. I always have since I was old enough to drive. (Boy Scouts with a Coast Guard Captain Scoutmaster).. I figure if I have them, I won't need them. So there's the dilemma. I've been doing this for years, and I haven't needed it yet. But I do rotate out the old stuff. And as soon as I stop keeping all of that in the truck, I'm going to get stuck and need it. I just know it........ Take care!
Always carry the element of fire, always. My tip, cut small strips of asphalt tar paper and carry in your wallet. They weigh nothing and are fantastic fire starters.
I always carry a lighter for choice 1. I also always carry a fire steel in case the lighter fails, too (and a knife and..) I like the tip about a bright color... I never thought about it... but it's very true
Good tips! Here's one more. Get a discarded mt bike inner tube for free from any bike store. Cut a wide rubber band for each of your lighters. Double up the band, and scrunch it onto your lighter. Now you have already made emergency tinder always attached to your fire starter. It lights even if it's completely wet, and burns great for several minutes (admittedly with nasty toxic smoke, this is emergency use only.) That combined with the gorilla tape gives you a couple of options.
Excellent video. I never knew about the child proof ring and the duct tape wrap is great for immediate tinder. Always worth watching your videos . Thanks and Happy New Year!
In addition to choosing a brighter colored bic is I added a band of reflective tape. If lost in dark or low light and you have a flashlight, it will help greatly.
Gorilla tape, and before that became common duct tape, is always in my kit. It has si many uses. I've patched many a tarp, small wound, blister, and shoe with it. A multitool, a lighter, and a small roll of gorilla tape are essentials to me
I like to cut a guitar pick in half and place them under my tape on the lighter. Great video 👍. Of course make sure the guitar pick is made of celluloid.
Mr Dan Great Video . One thing that should be added to it is be sure to protect the red button so you don’t accidentally dump the fuel in the lighter and we all know two is one , one is none ! Please keep up the videos!! O an tell the CEO Hi for us 👍 Take care .
Thanks for the Gorilla tape idea, never thought of that. I have a lighter as a backup, also if I meet someone who smokes it's good for making friends, so the tape would help with that as well situation. Your advice about the char cloth box in another video was a great help as well.
Thanks for the video man. I did some looking and Gorilla has Blaze orange tape. My Camping and Woodcraft book and Camp Cookery book are coming in today. Very excited about that. Now to hunt down the tape.
Well damn... I ran into a major issue on a long hike recently where the wood was "beyond" soaked, I mean I was finding even the core of the wood to be wet in any thinner pieces of wood and for the life of me could not start a fire that would last long enough to dry out sticks that were more water than wood. Eventually had to give up after 3 hours with the sun setting, I wish I had known gorilla tape was such a viable fuel source, as I always carry a 1 inch roll with me on every trip for tent leaks and general purpose use. Thanks for the tip. (I'm not a lighter-only guy, but do carry one with me as a backup.)
@@TheGiveittomeall I love it. I camp with my children so it provides a level of security and most of them offer primative camping along trails for a more 'authentic' experience ☺️
@@katosthoff yeah we don't get to do the "outdoor" thing too often because the weather here in Missouri is either miserable hot or miserable cold. Camping here is done during a short window in either fall or spring. *Edit* And that's why state park camping is convenient for me.
I do have a couple set up like that in my fire kits just cuz but when there cold(no worky)I like zippo always works&to keep the fluid from evaporating I put a pice of Innertube arownd the lighter were it opens lasted up to a month&1/2 so fare You know them ppl ain’t gona care!But good deeds to ya enyways mate👍🤠🔥
A Bic will work fine when it's cold. All you have to do is hold it under your armpit for about 1 minute to get the fluid up to a reasonable temperature. Or you can put it in your mouth (lighter side out of course) and it actually works faster.
With bright tape, you can tape small handy items to the bic. I like a snake wrapped paracord lanyard on my bic. Attached to my carabiner, and if I drop my bic, it just hangs from my belt
A friend of mine keeps all his recipe from CVS, that are usually almost two feet long and keeps them in a ZipLock bag. They start and burn quickly even if it is damp out. Probably works in a light rain but probably not more than that.
I have exclusively used Bics for all my hiking. I carry 3 in different locations, all waterproof in case of rain or river crossings. I have made a bow drill (And successfully started a fire, as well as a hand drill), used flint and steel, but lighters are by far a faster and more reliable way to start a fire. I always wonder why all the hate on lighters. Knowing how to build a fire, create good tinder even in wet conditions are important skills, but to start the first flame Bics are amazing. I have taken to carrying a Fresnel lens and it's a nice backup since it's always in my wallet. (Though less useful up here in the Pacific Northwest for 3/4's of the year. haha)
W@W what a Super Tip!!! Who knew that you could use Duct Tape as fire starter? ( next to Nachos aka Doritos or Fritos! Lol!) Thanks Dan for your videos!! Always enjoyable for hints how-to and a laugh out loud or two !😉😃 Happy and Safe Holidays!!! 🌲😇
didn't know the duct tape trick. I always wrap a rubber band sround my lighter so it does not slide out of my pocket. I also prefer a transparent lighter so I can see how much fuel is left. Thanks for the video.
mushercdn buy the bics with the decorative cover over them. Peel that crap off and you have a white translucent bic that you can see your fluid level in
I've only recently come across your channel, I'm loving your video's. I just want to get into the woods. On fire lighting, I've also come across plasma lighters, they seem an excellent idea, no gas and are rechargeable.
Get yourself a 100 count sack of ziplock pill bags for a couple bucks at any hobby store to put your Bics in. Makes it totally waterproof! And of course, ALWAYS carry at least one spare! Two is one and one is none. Personally, I got myself a little peanut lighter (totally waterproof) that uses zippo fuel. and that's pretty much all I use now. Works so much better than butane when it's cold.
I prefer lighters over ferrorods because they are a three-in-one solution: ferrorod, striker/sparkwheel and fire-starter/fuel. Along with some ducttape I wrap it in a piece of rangerband, which gives a very hot and long lasting flame. To protect it from getting wet I make a small roll-top-bag using a bag sealer and HD plastic (those plastic bags from your butcher are incredible stuff!), twice as long as the lighter. My backup lighter is sealed at the very end, my primary rolled up and closed with ducttape - never let me down yet. Laughing about people who carry a 4"x1/2" ferrorod - they don't get more fires out of them than with two Bic-Maxi (unless carefully watching how Mors Kochanski used his 'metal match'-R.I.P.).
Try a zippo with a can of fuel. you can carry an extra lighter or flint if you use up the flint. Even if dropped in the water they can be dried out pretty easily. The can of fuel can be used also.
I prefer a Clipper lighter over the Bic. The quality is equal but The angular shape of the wheel is much easier to work with cold hands. Also I wrap a rubber band around the gas release lever so that it does not get depressed by mistake or accident and all the gas escapes.
Chipper lighters are good to get as well. They are round though, so they do not fit as well in a pocket. The upside is they are reusable though. You can replace the "flint" and refill the butane. I personally just use BIC lighters though because they are slender and are emergency dedicated, so I do not use them unless in an emergency. At least the ones in my kits that is.
Your the BEST... I actually always carry with me a Bic lighter and some sort of a swiss knife...or any multi tool.. I actually wrap my lighter with the Camo Gorilla Tape
You could also stick a magnetized sewing needle - pre-threaded with a couple feet of dental floss - under the tape. You could use it for emergency clothing repair or set the needle on a leaf, in a puddle, as an emergency compass. BTW: Duck Tape brand sells glow-in-the-dark tape, if you can find it.
I just picked up an electric lighter, rechargeable, won't blow out in the wind. Has a 150 lumen flashlight built in, with 1/2 power & SOS option. Lanyard, can recharge with solar, waterproof.
Save the flints and throw them in the bottom of a zippo. Bic flints are larger than zippo so take the spacer out of the zippo spring. No fluid? No problem. Just carefully roll the wheel and get yourself a good pile of flint dust then ignite it with a spark. Vwalla tee da you have made fire. OK? K. awesome peace stay in da woods! 😊
If a lighter is out of fluid you can SLOWLY turn the wheel and grind off a little pile of ferro shavings into a tissue then hit it with a spark and it will burn hot enough to ignite the tissue. Desperation time.
I always bring a can of Sterno when camping. Makes starting fires easy. Dip a few twigs and ignite at the bottom of a bundle, this saves lighter fluid and any chance of damaging the lighter. Here's another tip. Don't be like those assholes walking around in the dark looking for firewood.
One extra thing I do is put a Colson around the gaz button so it can't release gaz without removing it first. No more empty lighter in your backpack when you need to use it !
Your video presentations are brief, to-the-point, informative, well organized and sensible. Please keep it up.
You my friend are a number one Micgguyver
No time for bs thanx
game changer for people with arthritis-removing child safe band. Thank you!!!
Old bicycle tubes cut into half inch pieces make great fire starters. I think they're called ranger bands. I wrapped them all over all kinds of my outdoor gear.
I love watching people out in the woods camping trying to light fires, then see them get frustrated when it goes out. Everyone needs to learn the basics whether they are extreme outdoors people or yearly caravan park campers. Great video
Wow my daughters talked me into making a channel they said I needed to show what I learned in 20 years in military and 45+ years of backcountry hunting well now that I’ve seen your channel I can stick to hunting tip you my friend are a genius of bushcraft and I don’t normally commend anyone 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻great channel
Thank you!
What makes the gorilla tape combustible though, the adhesive?
Hah! Never thought about Gorilla tape as a combustible. Thumb up for the education. .
The more you know!
Paracord bootlaces with duct tape aglets.
And, even after running out of fuel, as long as it still sparks, you can start a fire.
In prison they rub their socks to get lint and stick in the end of the lighter.
@@viciousKev which prison do they allow lighter? Must be a cold one.
Good stuff, don’t fret about what the city folks say, you’re providing a great service thank you!
Cotton balls slathered in Vaseline works very well as fire starters. Just cram a bunch of them in an old plastic pill bottle.
I go with hot pink. That's the lighter, the handle of the knife, ferro rod, charcloth tin... Anything that might get dropped, and is small enough that it could be difficult to find. Yellow and orange blend in too easily in the fall. I teach a few small classes here and there in my spare time, and I always tell the people (the guys) who have issues with pink, "you're not going to feel very tactical when you drop your knife, and you can't find it because you had to have a black blade with a camouflage handle". Some of them even listen, lol.
@@jackwoods535 It really does stand out great 👍🏻
A hi vis yellow works really well, even when obscured in the woods due to fall leaves and the like just due to it existing on that chromatic sweet spot. Yellow is in the brightest part of our visual spectrum so it is really easy to spot. The human visual cortex is hardwired to seek out reds, so even though they aren't nearly as bright as yellows, we can pick out a red object with comparative ease. Florescent pink works well because it's nearly as bright as yellow, has enough red in it to draw our eyes, and is a very rare color in the natural world.
@@olinseats4003 Exactly! Cheers 😊👍🏻
@@jackwoods535 of course once you wrap it duct tape it is all moot. lol
Some people are just like a horse with blinders... As my father taught me at a young age. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. When I think of fire I think and have several different ways of getting that fire going since it is one of the most essential things to have to survive. Great video as always thank you for what you do. I'm trying to do the same thing just getting started out with my channel to try and get people to understand the importance of certain things in being survival prepared!
Subbed
Greetings once again from nova Scotia, thank you for everything you do, and all the practical tips on how to enjoy our time in the bush. I really wish I could travel again, I would love to take in one of your classes. I love your approach to teaching, you were born to do what you do!! Thank you for your time and attention to this comment, wishing you all the best in the year to come, best regards, Arthur
You are right on Dan. I was in the woods on the ADK and I needed to light a fire to boil water. I always carry a lighter 24/7. Thé weather was very cold and super wet, I first when to my lighter, just like you said my hands were cold and wet. I had trouble, on top of it all it was a small Bic lighter ( not good). I did not know about the safety feature. Well I had backup and got a fire going. This is a great video, thanks. Take care.
I did an experiment with Bic lighters. I put 5 in a Ziploc baggie and left them in the back of my truck for a year, exposed to the elements. When I decided to test them only one would spark despite my drying them. One out of 5 is not good, but it's meant as an example to carry multiples. They all were full of butane btw.
Yet another well done "quickie":
1) A bit longer than one of your 3-minute tidbits, but packed with information
2) "Stupidly" brilliant: a) "stupid", because *I* should have thought of the idea and b) "brilliant", because, well, it is a great idea.
In particular, tearing the Gorilla tape into strips and make a ball/bird nest … I should have known.
5/5 stars for this tip.
Lots of good advice here, my friend! Thanks for all you do for the bushcraft and survival community and have a wonderful and Happy New Year!
I remember folks saying that Fritos are great to eat, plus there is so much fat in them that they burn. Thanks for the great video!
I've used tortilla chips too. When they go stale, they still work as fire starters.
It might look overkill, but I attach my bic with one end on my belt and the other end under the gorilla tape on kayak trips.
I use a piece of bank line long enough that I can freely extend my arm in all direction. When I'm done, I roll the bank line around the lighter and put it in my pocket.
That way, I won't forget it on the ground. If I have a hole in my pocket, it will dangle on my leg and I won't lose it. The best part is that your buddy can't lose it for you as you can't let him have it now!
Most important, carry multiple source of ignition!
Its a great idea. I use a key pull chain( think janitor style) and make a lighter holder from duct tape to attach it to the key ring. It keeps the lighter either on your belt or clipped to a pocket and extendable just like your idea. It also keeps friends from " bic-ing your bic" or how we say "pocketing your lighter " And , until now I had not thought that it also means I'm carrying tinder
Great simple trick Dan. I've been carrying tape on my lighter amongst other items aswell long before "bushcraft" was a hyped thing. I do alot of river floating and it comes in handy there more often, for me atleast then my land based camps. Always be prepared, keep those doggies rollin in 2020!
I got one of the Exotac lighter cases for a Bic. That way: it's ALWAYS orange (regardless of lighter color), it floats better and is waterproof, it's more insulated from hot/cold, and the tape on the outside of it's cap survives even after the Bic runs out of gas. I go back and forth between that and a Clipper with some tape and cordage on it for EDC. Have a happy New Year, Dan!
Have one also.. but got the black cover.. It's been dropped into the water God only knows how many times at work (I smoke and work on boats, goes with the job) and it has never failed me. Strange how after retiring from the Army I'm working boats.. Life is weird. LOL.
Lol, anyone who had juvenile relations with Mary Jane knows all of these inside out ! I used to carry a clipper lighter. Because it is possible to remove the sparker, unscrew, add extra flint, and re assemble. This means you've got plenty of back pressure from the spring, and plenty of flint to waste on drying it out with a leg rub !
Great channel, you're a likeable guy. You give good advice, and it's well presented 👍
Another thing you might want to wrap around your Bic lighter is some Humboldt Hemp Wick. It's infused with beeswax so it will adhere to the stalk of your lighter as you wrap it around and around. Unwind a little, light the end, and now you have slow-burning wick to ignite your fire while, at the same time, preserving your Bic's fuel.
This channel is no BS and all solid information for anyone and everyone. Subscribed.
SO VERY HAPPY to have found your channel!!! Thank you so much for teaching the things you teach in the way you do!!
#36 bankline fits neatly under the fuel fork (part you push down to let fuel out) this stops unwanted fuel leaking whilst in your pocket.
Another great video.
And again,
Practice practice practice, light your home fires with bush methods, scrap of tissue and woodchips with a ferro to get your bbq on, magnifying lense to light a firedrum/pit etc, the skills we practice at leisure are the skills we can rely on under pressure.
Cracking vid as always :-)
That's kinda catchy reading it back, practice at leisure to depend on in pressure... idk, work in progress lol.
So, funny thing happened the other day, I have some brush that has been sitting in the open for the past year and I went to use my bic lighter to start the fire. Nothing would catch because of the 98% humidity and dampness. So there was a piece of cloth in the pile and that was the only thing that would ignite. I thought to myself, so much for and easy way out. Great tip.
Glad I came upon your channel short snd info packed.
Thanks bro I’ve been stuck in the woods for 3 months😊
Will grab a couple and throw em in my bag. Awesome.
I kept a mini-bic with the kid proof spring still fitted, in a coat pocket for a couple of years. When I finally went to use the lighter it wouldn't spark because the flint had deteriorated and just crumbled away. I think moisture had accumulated under the spring, causing corrosion of the flint. So I would definitely say remove that safety spring!
Nice informative video - I've subbed!
I can not go forward without giving you a sub. Great info in every video I've seen from you
Yep, Bic is the one!
Gelukkig nieuwjaar, Dan!
This is why I became a sub to your channel. Keep it simple. Love the idea...I also saw your other video when you made mini logs of Gorilla tape.
Also a good modification for us septuagenerians... my fingers have lost their range of motions somewhat and it can be hard to operate a Bic sometimes.... took off that child-proofing strip and it made one hell of a difference !
This is probably THE best fire starting advice out there as it will work 99% of the time. Cold? Just keep the lighter in a pant pocket or inside your jacket.
Great show. I carry several lighters, BBQ starters, 1/2" x 6" ferro rod, many kinds knives, saws, tools, shelter makings, raingear, canned / freeze dried packaged food, water, stove, pans, sleeping bag, a ton of other survival things, in my truck. I always have since I was old enough to drive. (Boy Scouts with a Coast Guard Captain Scoutmaster)..
I figure if I have them, I won't need them. So there's the dilemma. I've been doing this for years, and I haven't needed it yet. But I do rotate out the old stuff. And as soon as I stop keeping all of that in the truck, I'm going to get stuck and need it. I just know it........
Take care!
Always carry the element of fire, always. My tip, cut small strips of asphalt tar paper and carry in your wallet. They weigh nothing and are fantastic fire starters.
I keep the dusters I use to wax things with in little ziplock baggies, just one more means of fire.
I always carry a lighter for choice 1. I also always carry a fire steel in case the lighter fails, too (and a knife and..)
I like the tip about a bright color... I never thought about it... but it's very true
Great idea. Thank you.
Good tips! Here's one more. Get a discarded mt bike inner tube for free from any bike store. Cut a wide rubber band for each of your lighters. Double up the band, and scrunch it onto your lighter. Now you have already made emergency tinder always attached to your fire starter. It lights even if it's completely wet, and burns great for several minutes (admittedly with nasty toxic smoke, this is emergency use only.) That combined with the gorilla tape gives you a couple of options.
Excellent video. I never knew about the child proof ring and the duct tape wrap is great for immediate tinder. Always worth watching your videos . Thanks and Happy New Year!
In addition to choosing a brighter colored bic is I added a band of reflective tape.
If lost in dark or low light and you have a flashlight, it will help greatly.
Gorilla tape, and before that became common duct tape, is always in my kit. It has si many uses. I've patched many a tarp, small wound, blister, and shoe with it. A multitool, a lighter, and a small roll of gorilla tape are essentials to me
Excellent basic info on lighters.
Great video as usual fine Sir ! With maintenance a ZIPPO will never let you down though.
I like to cut a guitar pick in half and place them under my tape on the lighter. Great video 👍. Of course make sure the guitar pick is made of celluloid.
what's the pick for?
@coalcracker bushcraft. I think you're going to save my life one day 😅. Cheers for all the videos!
Mr Dan Great Video . One thing that should be added to it is be sure to protect the red button so you don’t accidentally dump the fuel in the lighter and we all know two is one , one is none !
Please keep up the videos!! O an tell the CEO Hi for us 👍 Take care .
Excellent! Thank you for teaching me this!
Excellent information. Thank you.
Great video thanks for showing us, great tip that putting tape on as tinder, just subscribed I want to see more 👍🇬🇧🍻
LOVE your channel. I do the same thing. But i also wrap shock cord to the lighter with gorilla tape.
That is a very nice coat.
Thanks for the Gorilla tape idea, never thought of that. I have a lighter as a backup, also if I meet someone who smokes it's good for making friends, so the tape would help with that as well situation.
Your advice about the char cloth box in another video was a great help as well.
Thanks, Dan. Good tips and great advice.
Thanks for the video man. I did some looking and Gorilla has Blaze orange tape. My Camping and Woodcraft book and Camp Cookery book are coming in today. Very excited about that. Now to hunt down the tape.
Good advise, Bics R best and lighters are easy when you make them workable
Well damn... I ran into a major issue on a long hike recently where the wood was "beyond" soaked, I mean I was finding even the core of the wood to be wet in any thinner pieces of wood and for the life of me could not start a fire that would last long enough to dry out sticks that were more water than wood. Eventually had to give up after 3 hours with the sun setting, I wish I had known gorilla tape was such a viable fuel source, as I always carry a 1 inch roll with me on every trip for tent leaks and general purpose use. Thanks for the tip. (I'm not a lighter-only guy, but do carry one with me as a backup.)
This was incredibly helpful for a state park camper. Thanks 😊
Lol...I would camp in a state park.
@@TheGiveittomeall I love it. I camp with my children so it provides a level of security and most of them offer primative camping along trails for a more 'authentic' experience ☺️
@@katosthoff yeah we don't get to do the "outdoor" thing too often because the weather here in Missouri is either miserable hot or miserable cold. Camping here is done during a short window in either fall or spring.
*Edit*
And that's why state park camping is convenient for me.
@@TheGiveittomeall same thing here in Texas actually.
@@katosthoff Texas? Ugh, sure is the same
Good to know, thank you. Love the extra tape idea.
Good intro, used my grandpa's zippo in a firepit and the only thing that burnt was carboard.
What a great freaking idea!
I do have a couple set up like that in my fire kits just cuz but when there cold(no worky)I like zippo always works&to keep the fluid from evaporating I put a pice of Innertube arownd the lighter were it opens lasted up to a month&1/2 so fare
You know them ppl ain’t gona care!But good deeds to ya enyways mate👍🤠🔥
A Bic will work fine when it's cold. All you have to do is hold it under your armpit for about 1 minute to get the fluid up to a reasonable temperature. Or you can put it in your mouth (lighter side out of course) and it actually works faster.
Tooclean Slobo yeah no dah
Like I said already
Love this channel. I gave you shout out on my small channel. Anyone going in the bush should watch this guy..
With bright tape, you can tape small handy items to the bic. I like a snake wrapped paracord lanyard on my bic. Attached to my carabiner, and if I drop my bic, it just hangs from my belt
A friend of mine keeps all his recipe from CVS, that are usually almost two feet long and keeps them in a ZipLock bag. They start and burn quickly even if it is damp out. Probably works in a light rain but probably not more than that.
awesome channel. each shot, each bird.
Great tip for the newbs. I would pre core the end of the tale into 4 sections so they have 4 even sections to rip of and 4 possible fires. Thanks
I have exclusively used Bics for all my hiking. I carry 3 in different locations, all waterproof in case of rain or river crossings. I have made a bow drill (And successfully started a fire, as well as a hand drill), used flint and steel, but lighters are by far a faster and more reliable way to start a fire. I always wonder why all the hate on lighters. Knowing how to build a fire, create good tinder even in wet conditions are important skills, but to start the first flame Bics are amazing. I have taken to carrying a Fresnel lens and it's a nice backup since it's always in my wallet. (Though less useful up here in the Pacific Northwest for 3/4's of the year. haha)
Very wise information. Multiple lighters would increase a persons fire starting efforts 100%.
W@W what a Super Tip!!! Who knew that you could use Duct Tape as fire starter? ( next to Nachos aka Doritos or Fritos! Lol!) Thanks Dan for your videos!! Always enjoyable for hints how-to and a laugh out loud or two !😉😃 Happy and Safe Holidays!!! 🌲😇
didn't know the duct tape trick. I always wrap a rubber band sround my lighter so it does not slide out of my pocket. I also prefer a transparent lighter so I can see how much fuel is left. Thanks for the video.
mushercdn buy the bics with the decorative cover over them. Peel that crap off and you have a white translucent bic that you can see your fluid level in
@@kenbarrett2500 Great tip that is good to know. Thanks.
@@kenbarrett2500 👍
I agree! People dont realize how hard it can be to actually get a fire going if you never done it before. Especially with a lighter.
I've only recently come across your channel, I'm loving your video's. I just want to get into the woods.
On fire lighting, I've also come across plasma lighters, they seem an excellent idea, no gas and are rechargeable.
Get yourself a 100 count sack of ziplock pill bags for a couple bucks at any hobby store to put your Bics in. Makes it totally waterproof! And of course, ALWAYS carry at least one spare! Two is one and one is none. Personally, I got myself a little peanut lighter (totally waterproof) that uses zippo fuel. and that's pretty much all I use now. Works so much better than butane when it's cold.
Smart trick with the duct tape wrapped around the lighter as a fire starter. I'm gonna use that one. Thanks!
I prefer lighters over ferrorods because they are a three-in-one solution: ferrorod, striker/sparkwheel and fire-starter/fuel. Along with some ducttape I wrap it in a piece of rangerband, which gives a very hot and long lasting flame.
To protect it from getting wet I make a small roll-top-bag using a bag sealer and HD plastic (those plastic bags from your butcher are incredible stuff!), twice as long as the lighter. My backup lighter is sealed at the very end, my primary rolled up and closed with ducttape - never let me down yet.
Laughing about people who carry a 4"x1/2" ferrorod - they don't get more fires out of them than with two Bic-Maxi (unless carefully watching how Mors Kochanski used his 'metal match'-R.I.P.).
Try a zippo with a can of fuel. you can carry an extra lighter or flint if you use up the flint. Even if dropped in the water they can be dried out pretty easily. The can of fuel can be used also.
I've been into survivalism for a very long time,
but I didn't know about the child-proof mechanism.
THANKS!
@iPac9mm Because I use manly micro-torches instead of children's BIC lighters.
I prefer a Clipper lighter over the Bic. The quality is equal but The angular shape of the wheel is much easier to work with cold hands. Also I wrap a rubber band around the gas release lever so that it does not get depressed by mistake or accident and all the gas escapes.
Chipper lighters are good to get as well. They are round though, so they do not fit as well in a pocket. The upside is they are reusable though. You can replace the "flint" and refill the butane. I personally just use BIC lighters though because they are slender and are emergency dedicated, so I do not use them unless in an emergency. At least the ones in my kits that is.
Great video. Thanks.
I have my bic wrapped in waxed hemp rope works really well
Very informative. Hope you have a Happy New Year. Cheers!
Excellent
Buy the small bic lighters and you can carry 2 to 1 as far as available space. I typically keep 2 or 3 in my pocket as edc
WOW dude,,, thank you very much for that! ! !
Your the BEST...
I actually always carry with me a Bic lighter and some sort of a swiss knife...or any multi tool..
I actually wrap my lighter with the Camo Gorilla Tape
Yeah.. camo.. real smart if you drop it...
What's with all the camo? Who are you at war with?
Great tips ! Thanks.
🥶💥🔥🥵
Happy New Year, thanks for the video
Coalcracker .
You could also stick a magnetized sewing needle - pre-threaded with a couple feet of dental floss - under the tape. You could use it for emergency clothing repair or set the needle on a leaf, in a puddle, as an emergency compass. BTW: Duck Tape brand sells glow-in-the-dark tape, if you can find it.
Can also go to a toy store and buy some glow in the dark stickers dirt cheap too!
I just picked up an electric lighter, rechargeable, won't blow out in the wind. Has a 150 lumen flashlight built in, with 1/2 power & SOS option. Lanyard, can recharge with solar, waterproof.
Great information! As always 👍🏽
Save the flints and throw them in the bottom of a zippo. Bic flints are larger than zippo so take the spacer out of the zippo spring. No fluid? No problem. Just carefully roll the wheel and get yourself a good pile of flint dust then ignite it with a spark. Vwalla tee da you have made fire. OK? K. awesome peace stay in da woods! 😊
I've done that several times while in the woods over the weekend.
(but trust me - the first time, I learned that by accident/desperation)
It works!
Really great idea, and if you ever "just" need some tape you have it...
Good stuff!
If a lighter is out of fluid you can SLOWLY turn the wheel and grind off a little pile of ferro shavings into a tissue then hit it with a spark and it will burn hot enough to ignite the tissue. Desperation time.
I always bring a can of Sterno when camping. Makes starting fires easy. Dip a few twigs and ignite at the bottom of a bundle, this saves lighter fluid and any chance of damaging the lighter. Here's another tip. Don't be like those assholes walking around in the dark looking for firewood.
Cool, I didn't know that trick
One extra thing I do is put a Colson around the gaz button so it can't release gaz without removing it first. No more empty lighter in your backpack when you need to use it !
You can take a small zip tie and lock the button so all the fluid doesn't piss out also. Easy enough to cut off. For packed away lighters..