I like tradition, too, but I keep some things in my emergency pouch that aren't traditional. I keep three Esbit fuel tabs that are wrapped in petroleum soaked cotton balls. These things are a fire in and of themselves, and can boil water. But they're also the best fire starters I've ever tried. Thirteen hundred degrees for fifteen minutes can get just about anything burning. I also keep a few storm proof matches that I've dipped in candle wax, and half a dozen of those small, trick birthday candles. I can slide either of these back into a bundle of tinder, or even directly into the wood, and they burn long enough to start a fire. In the deep winter, I also have an Alaskan Match in my emergency kit. It's a camping size road flare, and you can shove it into a bog stack of any kind of wood, dry, or pretty wet, and have a fire going in nothing flat. Nothing says "emergency" like falling through the ice when it's below zero F., and you have a strong wind pushing the wind chill down to double digits. I had a friend who fell through the ice, and we got him out quickly, but his cloths were frozen solid, and he was shaking uncontrollably by the time we reached shore. Fall through the ice, and you need a fire right this minute, and no fooling around. As for gathering tinder as you see it, yes, but I don't like carrying any kind of tinder or fire starter into the woods, other than my small emergency kit which I will not use unless my life is on the line. I think it's very good practice to find what you need, wherever you are, and whatever the conditions are. I start looking for tinder after I'm in the woods, and by noon coffee/lunch break, I nearly always have plenty. If not, a good feather stick and a BIC lighter or a match is enough. Find just a little bit of tinder that a ferro rod can ignite, stuff this into a good feather stick, hit it with some sparks, and you have a fire. I also think it's good to use a friction fire a fair amount of the time. If you practice enough, a friction fire, whether hand drill or bow drill, should not be difficult. I know Dave Canterbury says a hand drill is an out west thing where material is naturally dry, but it's isn't difficult in the east, either. I have a couple of friends who are a lot better at hand drill fires than I am. One of them routinely gets a usable ember in thirty seconds or less, and he lives in Georgia where it's damp and humid most of the year. It takes me three or four minutes on average. About the same as a bow drill. But I've never HAD to resort to either. If nothing else, the featherstick is almost always enough. It's actually pretty difficult to walk through the woods where I am without seeing several kinds of tinder. I think it's wise to have some certain, easy way of starting a fire with you. but I also think it's smart to pretend you don't have anything, and to start your fires using only what you can find in the woods as you need it.
How do you fashion your Alaska Match? My ears/eyeballs perked up at the mention. I've been looking at commercial flares and have them on my buy list for purchase, but if I can DIY some for wet weather firestarting, I'd be much appreciative if you would be so kind to share your 'recipe'. Thanks for considering!
Don't throw out that old leather jacket folks! The cargo pockets from mine are now tinder pouches and the swatches from the sleeves and back have 101 uses.
Randy is a awesome craftsman. I had some time to come look at your channel and your preaching what the latest video I just did. I have multiple bags of dry goods for fire starters. But The video is made for those who give up when the fire did not last. You said it best. When the resource presents itself get it. My 8 year old keeps on my dash a ziploc bag of dry's for emergency road break downs for me lol. If I take it off dash and put in the middle console. He says you need more flash? Thanks for sharing your wisdom.. ATB Mike
I saw Praxxus55712 take the insides of a dry milkweed seed pod and set it on fire and it did a super fast flash burn. I found one and tried it out and, sure enough, it took off. Sounds like the bull thistle does the same thing based on the description (?). I never considered or knew about the bull thistle until now, but will keep an eye out for it from now on. I'd rather leave the milk thistle for the monarchs and co.
Merry Christmas sir, to you and yours! I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your videos, they are as refreshing and informative as reading Kephart. Thank you for taking the time to make them!
Great looking pouches. I like the traditional look and feel of leather as well. the chances of my being in a survival situation (that term is used to death), or an emergency situation are very, very small, as due to my health I don't go trekking in the woods as often as I would like, but I still want to have a way to make fire in a hurry. A tinder pouch is a nice thing to have, a necessity if you will. Thanks for sharing your pouch video Blackie.
Blackie, I went ahead and ordered one for myself. I was using a simple cotton bag, it was time to get something proper. Thank you for the recommendation, Merry Christmas to you and yours brother, -Stephen, Ohio
Thanks for sharing. Appreciate traditional, too. Also, appreciate the concept of "putting away for a rainy day" within your video. A goodly portion of fine fire tinder is only available seasonally, as you noted. Kinda hard to find an appropriate dead cedar in a hardwoods forest. Thumbs up, my friend. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Thanks for sharing! There are alot of great stuff like this that is shared that can help us who might not think of these things. Well, you know what I mean! LOL! Take care Blackie, Pray You and the family have a Very Merry Christmas and a Healthy Happy New Year!
yep in my canoe box i carry a few road flares after a bad dunking in the river one winter with it raining..i started carrying them even if it is wet make a pile stick the flare to it and it will burn
I can't agree with ya enough Blackie - yes we have plastic etc. available, but I like traditional. After all, our ancestors made it long enough to make us, so they obviously did something right.
I like the big one, and am very tempted, what’s holding me back is that it is chromium tanned, not veg tanned, now I may be wrong but I thought that chromium tanning causes the leather to (slowly) disintegrate, so am worried about this falling apart, however I stand to be corrected, if I am wrong I would love to know it as this looks like a great piece of kit...
like any natural material..a lot depends on the cow..i have leather shoes from swedish dairy cows (dryers moccs) and they have lasted 25 yrs in living history use..then again i have had leather sheaths totally fall apart at the first dunking..the leather seems to be of really good quality and how ever he is treating them for water seems to be very well done..only time will tell..but i have noticed dave canterbury ..coalcracker bushcraft..and several more using it..and i know i will be putting it thru its paces..time will tell..thanks for the comment..safe journeys
Awesome piece of kit
Have had one I made for over 20 years. Great piece of gear.
I like tradition, too, but I keep some things in my emergency pouch that aren't traditional. I keep three Esbit fuel tabs that are wrapped in petroleum soaked cotton balls. These things are a fire in and of themselves, and can boil water. But they're also the best fire starters I've ever tried. Thirteen hundred degrees for fifteen minutes can get just about anything burning.
I also keep a few storm proof matches that I've dipped in candle wax, and half a dozen of those small, trick birthday candles. I can slide either of these back into a bundle of tinder, or even directly into the wood, and they burn long enough to start a fire.
In the deep winter, I also have an Alaskan Match in my emergency kit. It's a camping size road flare, and you can shove it into a bog stack of any kind of wood, dry, or pretty wet, and have a fire going in nothing flat. Nothing says "emergency" like falling through the ice when it's below zero F., and you have a strong wind pushing the wind chill down to double digits.
I had a friend who fell through the ice, and we got him out quickly, but his cloths were frozen solid, and he was shaking uncontrollably by the time we reached shore.
Fall through the ice, and you need a fire right this minute, and no fooling around.
As for gathering tinder as you see it, yes, but I don't like carrying any kind of tinder or fire starter into the woods, other than my small emergency kit which I will not use unless my life is on the line. I think it's very good practice to find what you need, wherever you are, and whatever the conditions are.
I start looking for tinder after I'm in the woods, and by noon coffee/lunch break, I nearly always have plenty. If not, a good feather stick and a BIC lighter or a match is enough. Find just a little bit of tinder that a ferro rod can ignite, stuff this into a good feather stick, hit it with some sparks, and you have a fire.
I also think it's good to use a friction fire a fair amount of the time. If you practice enough, a friction fire, whether hand drill or bow drill, should not be difficult. I know Dave Canterbury says a hand drill is an out west thing where material is naturally dry, but it's isn't difficult in the east, either. I have a couple of friends who are a lot better at hand drill fires than I am. One of them routinely gets a usable ember in thirty seconds or less, and he lives in Georgia where it's damp and humid most of the year.
It takes me three or four minutes on average. About the same as a bow drill. But I've never HAD to resort to either. If nothing else, the featherstick is almost always enough.
It's actually pretty difficult to walk through the woods where I am without seeing several kinds of tinder. I think it's wise to have some certain, easy way of starting a fire with you. but I also think it's smart to pretend you don't have anything, and to start your fires using only what you can find in the woods as you need it.
He did actually pull the tinder he saved out of a plastic bag.
How do you fashion your Alaska Match? My ears/eyeballs perked up at the mention. I've been looking at commercial flares and have them on my buy list for purchase, but if I can DIY some for wet weather firestarting, I'd be much appreciative if you would be so kind to share your 'recipe'.
Thanks for considering!
Don't throw out that old leather jacket folks! The cargo pockets from mine are now tinder pouches and the swatches from the sleeves and back have 101 uses.
Great video! Curious to how it’s holding up years later?
Thank you for another excellent tutorial Blackie! Very informative. Gave me some ideas.
Randy is a awesome craftsman. I had some time to come look at your channel and your preaching what the latest video I just did. I have multiple bags of dry goods for fire starters. But The video is made for those who give up when the fire did not last. You said it best. When the resource presents itself get it. My 8 year old keeps on my dash a ziploc bag of dry's for emergency road break downs for me lol. If I take it off dash and put in the middle console. He says you need more flash? Thanks for sharing your wisdom.. ATB Mike
I saw Praxxus55712 take the insides of a dry milkweed seed pod and set it on fire and it did a super fast flash burn.
I found one and tried it out and, sure enough, it took off. Sounds like the bull thistle does the same thing based on the description (?).
I never considered or knew about the bull thistle until now, but will keep an eye out for it from now on. I'd rather leave the milk thistle for the monarchs and co.
Love my tinder pouch from Stitched Gear. Awesome products.
Merry Christmas sir, to you and yours! I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your videos, they are as refreshing and informative as reading Kephart. Thank you for taking the time to make them!
I like,it also
Great looking pouches. I like the traditional look and feel of leather as well. the chances of my being in a survival situation (that term is used to death), or an emergency situation are very, very small, as due to my health I don't go trekking in the woods as often as I would like, but I still want to have a way to make fire in a hurry. A tinder pouch is a nice thing to have, a necessity if you will. Thanks for sharing your pouch video Blackie.
Blackie, I went ahead and ordered one for myself. I was using a simple cotton bag, it was time to get something proper. Thank you for the recommendation, Merry Christmas to you and yours brother, -Stephen, Ohio
i am sure you will enjoy it safe journeys
Nothing like quality leather gear, especially if it is gear you need to count on.
Thanks for sharing. Appreciate traditional, too. Also, appreciate the concept of "putting away for a rainy day" within your video. A goodly portion of fine fire tinder is only available seasonally, as you noted. Kinda hard to find an appropriate dead cedar in a hardwoods forest. Thumbs up, my friend.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Thanks for sharing! There are alot of great stuff like this that is shared that can help us who might not think of these things. Well, you know what I mean! LOL! Take care Blackie, Pray You and the family have a Very Merry Christmas and a Healthy Happy New Year!
thank you! MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AS WELL
For a last ditch EMERGENCY fire kit nothing beats a small road flare. Flare - Kindling - Fuel - Fire - Live
yep in my canoe box i carry a few road flares after a bad dunking in the river one winter with it raining..i started carrying them even if it is wet make a pile stick the flare to it and it will burn
Just got my large tinder pouch , I keep fat wood in it
Saving lives. Good video
That is a beautiful and highly functional tinder roll and pouch, very cool.
Can some one please tell me what knife he is using in the boy scout bag video Thank you
condor kephart knife in a custom sheath is what i drop into the pack
It’s a bag… ya ain’t gotta complicate it! 🤨🙄
I can't agree with ya enough Blackie - yes we have plastic etc. available, but I like traditional. After all, our ancestors made it long enough to make us, so they obviously did something right.
I like the big one, and am very tempted, what’s holding me back is that it is chromium tanned, not veg tanned, now I may be wrong but I thought that chromium tanning causes the leather to (slowly) disintegrate, so am worried about this falling apart, however I stand to be corrected, if I am wrong I would love to know it as this looks like a great piece of kit...
like any natural material..a lot depends on the cow..i have leather shoes from swedish dairy cows (dryers moccs) and they have lasted 25 yrs in living history use..then again i have had leather sheaths totally fall apart at the first dunking..the leather seems to be of really good quality and how ever he is treating them for water seems to be very well done..only time will tell..but i have noticed dave canterbury ..coalcracker bushcraft..and several more using it..and i know i will be putting it thru its paces..time will tell..thanks for the comment..safe journeys
possum mentality....
don't give me none of your *bull thistle* :)