FIRE IN YOUR POCKET

MAKING FIRE THE MODERN WAY


Man is the only animal in the forest that can make fire. This puts us in a very unique situation, we gain all the wonders fire makes possible but accept the responsibilities that go along with it.
Fire is our friend simply because we have evolved beyond the thick fur our ancestors had to keep warm, the claws and fangs to rip raw food and the sharp sensitive eyes that hunted in dim light.

Fire allows us to compensate for all these things. It keeps the dark and predators at a distance and gives us a feeling of well being.

I will cover primitive and semi-primitive methods of fire making on another page,
For now, lets take a look at some modern fire making tools.

Starting with the most obvious.



Paper matches have no place in the bush, they are hygroscopic (they absorb water) and fall apart. The flame they produce is both slight and too short lived.
Camp matches such as the BLUE DIAMOND variety you see above are the MINIMUM you should ever carry afield.

The white canister on the lower right contains "LIFE BOAT" matches. More like a miniature flare, these are water and wind proof. If you must use matches..........these are it.

The lighters are pretty straight forward, butane lighters are just too handy and inexpensive not to include in your kit. The rather odd looking lighter on the upper right is a "lighter cover" it uses the exact same lighter you see pictured but has an added sliding "wind screen" for use in bad weather. Dumb looking but it works.

Some thoughts on lighters for your survival kit:

1) Buy lighters with transparent fuel capsules so you can monitor butane consumption.

2) Pick a bright color, if you drop it you'll want to find it.

3) Use one with a child proof safety, not only to protect the kiddies but to help keep the lighter from rubbing against gear in your pack and discharging..............you need it = it's empty.

4) Carry more then one and in different locations, Remember......Pocket/Pack/Paw

More Serious Tools

If you are a frequent wilderness traveler, you will at some point opt for a "Fire Tool".
More often then not a Ferrocerium rod attached to a handle or Magnesium rod/bar or both.
These things are a true survival tool and life saver. Nearly indestructible and capable of producing thousands of lights per unit. Simply running your knife or similar edge across the rod produces a shower of hot sparks..about 1100 degree sparks, that should coax a flame from dray tinder. If not a few shavings from the magnesium rod will easily ignite and burn even hotter. Damp tinder gives birth to flame with a strike or two.



This is a Ferrocerium / Magnesium combo in a Wood handle.
I just love this thing. I added a cut down Sawzall blade with a bit of bright paint and a leash to keep em together.



The Zip Lock contains Dryer Lint............Poof........Fire!

Above.........behold the STRIKE FORCE fire tool by Survival Inc! No Magnesium, just a crap load of Misch Metal / Ferrocerium in a handy plastic unit (with a compartment for tinder) and sporting a built in scrapper.
I've added some reflective tape to the sides of the unit just in case.

These things come in all sorts of handy sizes (I have a small one on my key chain) and colors and are worth the few bucks you'll spend on them. Pick one up, practice with it and rest easy about heat, light, signaling and comfort in the bush.

Remember........be careful with Fire !

Safe Travels
RJ

The White Gas Stove

The Gods gave Man Fire (Lightning from the sky)

Man harnessed Fire and made Steam (burning Wood / Coal)

Steam gave Man Electricity and the power to mass produce other machines even conquer the Atom!

kool huh?

And someplace during all that a man named Coleman invented the white gas lantern and the Gods looked down and knew they had not wasted their time.

It wasn't long after Mr. Coleman's lantern that he came up with the stove. A simple yet nearly perfect device in both form and function. Some men tinker with Coo Coo Clocks, others mess with antique Italian sports cars........me? Stoves.

I buy em at yard sale or E-bay and rebuild them, play with them and take them camping with me. I love taking an old stove that may not have seen use in years and bringing it out for a weekend of fun and food. The stoves, like old Cast Iron Pans just love the attention. The more you use em the better they are.

This page will show some of my favorite camp stoves. maybe they are not the lightest, quietest, koolest new bit of high tech kitchen gear one might posses but they are tough and dependable and in a survival situation they can save your life.

Lets look at some.

These stoves are for camping not carrying.

A 1970 Coleman 502

The Pocket Stove. Used in WWII and Korea

The Duel Gas Stove

These were and are the Classic American Stoves, Known for their reliability and long service life. However, across the pond those pesky European Alpine trekkers were craving hot Espresso and Tea and they had a few good ideas about how to get the job done.

Some really great gas Stoves were coming out of Germany and Switzerland and England.

Names like Optimus ,Primus and Svea were making reputations for the same reliability.

And earning it the hard way...........at altitude!

Not all American stoves have been what you might call a good idea, some were just dumb. As an example I present the gelled fuel stove. Stinky, slow cooking and heavy cans of gel, you needed allot.

Please note that I am a collector and this item is merely one of the many types of cooking kits I have found over the years, not something I'd place much stock in.

This will keep your pouched fish warm but not cook a meal in a wind.

This Coleman "Heat Drum" design was offered for a while but never really caught on. A 502 was marketed as the answer to the campers prayer, hot food and warm hands. I still see a few of these on frozen lakes each year, Ice fishermen like the idea.

This is a European Army mess kit complete with Alcohol Stove.

It's not a bad set up but to really "Cook" a meal requires much fuel as Alcohol burns cooler then Gas. They also hate the wind thus the wind screen.

Now the winners of the best all round Hiking, Camping, Survival Stove....in my Opinion.

The Coleman "PEAK 1" Series Multi Fuel Stove!
Burns white gas, Automotive Gas, Kerosene. if this thing runs out of fuel just pull over to a station or farm (or friendly neighbor's tank) and fill up. No canisters-Bottles or gels. No worries about Cold or Altitude or the tank not being full enough to pressurize. Just cook with it and keep it clean!
It's light enough to carry anyplace Horizontally or Vertically and puts out plenty of BTUs even in a wind. These are tough stoves, built to handle the work load. I'd trust my life to them anytime. And for all you "cartridge stove whiners".......yes they do simmer, so piss off!

Try one
Safe Travels
RJ

SAWS and AXES

The BIG jobs call for the BIG tools

Honestly, I seldom carry a saw or axe. Having the right type of belt knife might just make that unnecessary. However if you are set up in a remote area and plan on being there for an extended period of time then to not have one if not both of these tools is planning to do things the hard way.

I own a bow saw or two, a Hudson bay axe and a stout hatchet. All seldom used.




Fixed Pruning Saw



Small Bow Saws





If you have ever seen any of the old outdoor life books printed for the outdoors men of the 1950's you'll notice that there was always some Norman Rockwell type picture on the cover of a white man with hat tipped back on his head plaid shirt selves rolled up (as well as pant cuffs..whats with that?)
and holding an axe........was this guy a hunter? a camper? Lumber Jack?

I'm not sure but one thing was certain, outdoors men carried axes! youbetcha!

It was just the way things were back then, trees were always going to be in our great forests and in enumerable amounts so chop away old boy, build that fire or fence or cabin, lake side dock, tool shed to keep your axe in.


Today we know that was a dream that could not last. Trees like people need space and when people need more space the trees suffer first. felling trees is just unnecessary and wasteful to the causal camper. It should never be done.

My favorite "large" tool is the pruners saw. If I must use wood thicker then my belt knife can handle then this saw does a truly excellent job.



Inexpensive to boot.
Lite and portable and can cut through a six inch log without too much effort.


I, like most outdoors men today visit the wilderness, I don't live there. I don't need "permanent" shelter. I wont be building corals for live stock or a barn for feed, my axe is seldom used. Even the Hatchet has seen little use but I own them and know how to use them just in case.

We are taught to make efficient and economical fire sets when ever we camp. We use the same fire rings whenever possible and only use wood from the forest floor. This is a long way indeed from our axe toting friend on the cover of the book. We love and enjoy the forest as much as he ever did but we understand better now that these things are finite and we are the stewards of the forests and all wild places.

Big tools have their place, have them and learn how to safely use them in case a survival situation presents itself and you must build (semi) permanent shelter. For week end camping or two week vacation along the A.T. perhaps...leave em home.

On to the Survival tool. I hesitate to call these things knives, their just too big to be a knife.


When Crocodile Dundee said "Now that's a knife" he should have said "Now that's a big heavy chopper/cutter misfit of a tool". These things are small wonders and practically useless all at the same time. Too big to be a knife too small to be an axe/machete. In its search to be all things it does none of them very well.


In the movie CASTAWAY, Tom Hanks opens coconuts with an ice skate....Kool.

I guess I would too if that's all I had (with my luck, I'd have roller skates) but that's just the way you should look at survival tools.....not as good as the tool you should be using but it's all you have.




Sawback on the Ontario


Ontario Survival Machete






I've never seen one with a sawback that was worth a damn, yet they all tout the uses of the survival saw........poor designs at best. The Bowie styles are not bad for chopping under brush or killing hostiles but useless for real work. The thick and heavy slab sided ones claim to be good for prying and digging......not! they are too short or brittle for both jobs, like the Bowie they do one thing well.....chop!


What makes the perfect survival tool? Easy answer, it doesn't exist.


In order for you to have the perfect tool you would need to know what the terrain and vegetation was in the area you're traveling.
(Guatemala = machete / Canadian Rockies = axe) it's hard to say but what I can say with certainty is no one tool will ever do it all.....at least not well.


It turns out that the best BIG tool may not be a big tool at all. If you know what you're doing you can use a "Tool Seed".....

A WHAT? A tool seed is a tool that makes other tools. The Swiss Army knife for instance is a tool seed. It does some jobs itself but can aid in cutting, clipping and bending other things into tools. Didn't you ever see Macgyver ? Swiss army knife and some steel wool and he'd make you a Coffee pot or a Volvo or a helicopter or a time machine...........whatever.

You understand.



Swiss Army

Leatherman Multi Tool






Today we have the Multi tools....The Leatherman tool will go down in history as the tool of the working man, knocking the Swiss Army off it's pedestal forever.





The modern survival tool from which other tools come......................




Safe Travels


RJ

Basic Ice Tools

Other then Trekking poles and walking sticks the only other tools of forward motion I will occasionally use is ice tools.

Without making too much out of it, they simply consist of a walking (standard) axe and a good set of crampons.







A Smaller "second" Ice Axe might be carried if the rock features are steep but is usually not required.

Both are useful for self arrest.


Safe Travels

RJ

Hey! I'm over here!

Signals are so very important to the wilderness traveler yet it seems these tools are the most ignored and forgotten tools.

It's great if you are so at home in wild places that you could make a shelter and kick back for awhile but what if you wanted out, NEEDED OUT!

These tools will help you say HELP!


This is a STORM whistle, It's VERY loud.

Navy S.E.A.L. teams training under water are called back to the surface by their instructors with this whistle.





Much louder then the human voice and easier on the vocal cords, it is about a kazillion dbs.
The first time I ever blew one of these things my dog ran away with his tail tucked low.

I miss that dog.

Flash Mirrors have been around forever and work wonders at extreme range. The flash from a heliograph (mirror) can be seen a hundred miles away by aircraft.


The mirror on the left is from WWII and is made of glass.
The smaller mirror is circa Vietnam and is also made of glass.

Both do a great job but are fragile.







This reflector is made of Polycarbonate and is practically indestructible.
The reverse side is Red for use at night with a light source (flashlight)

If you really need to attract some attention you might use a "FIRE FLY" strobe. This piece of military kit was carried by downed pilots and Ranger teams seeking extraction.
The output of these little lights is dazzling and can be seen for many miles. They are weather/sea water proof and once activated will run for about two days before giving up the (your) ghost.

I have a few of these units and will provide them to group members when we risk separation.

Aerial signal flares..........Wow how illuminating.

Flares like these are suitable for boaters and open areas, be sure they are rated for "over land" use. We don't want to burn the forest down.

Although that WILL get you noticed.

My favorite flare kit is the TRU-FLARE pen style signal. With an altitude of 300 ft and guaranteed to come down cold, it has everything I look for in a pyrotechnic signal devise.

GOOFY GRAPE

The military style smoke signal has been used to identify ground troops as in the movie Apocalypse Now. But is also used by forest fire fighters and rescue crews.

High volume output make these babies THE day time attractant but they are expensive and a fire hazard to under brush.

Last on my list is DYE MARKER. A harmless chemical compound with one interesting distinction. If you mix it with water it turns an annoying "antifreeze" green color.

Just a little bit goes a long way.

Try not to get it on your hands or you'll be going to the next Halloween party as the Grinch!

Dye marker is not just for water.............

............broadcast some over the snow and you'll stick out

LIKE A ROACH ON A WEDDING CAKE!

Safe Travels

RJ

FIRST AID

OUCH !.....That Hurts

FIRST AID KITS

Only a dope would venture beyond medical help and not take a first aid kit with him. Remember, a cut or burn at home is an inconvenience but in the bush it could lead to a serious problem.

Over the counter kits are okay if that's your only choice but I very much prefer to assemble them myself.

Nobody knows what I need more then I do!

Pack what you think you'll need based on the terrain and weather and remember to include individual "special" requirements members of the group might have.

For example I carry Mydol and Nitro spray depending on who might be hiking with me.

This is my standard kit, It has everything I might need to handle "basic" medical incidents.
Change the contents every year to ensure your supplies are fresh and bags are still water tight.


This small kit slips into my hydration pack.

Just for cleaning and dressing simple cuts, scrapes. It also has some antihistamine for allergies or insect sting.

I don't ask too much of it, if the possibility for more supplies is ever suspected I move up to the larger kit and don't mess around.




For vehicles or base camp where weight and size are not issues but numbers of patients are, I use a rather larger kit.


This is a military "Butt" bag. It is a handy sized carrier for all that large stuff you just can't put into a backpack.
It also has room for the numerous "single use" items like rolls of tape and bandages that you'll hopefully have enough of in stock.

Man if it ain't in here I don't want to have to deal with it. Short of gun shot wounds and radiation burns you can pretty much get what you need out of this bag of magic tricks.
Meds, Scalpels, Tourniquets, Gauze, Packing, Anti-biotic, gels, creams, powders and pills.
Hemostats, cauterizing device, skin stapler (and puller) suture material, thermometer, some Q-tips, sting/bite kit and a partridge in a pear tree. All sterile and wrapped to keep it that way.

The outside of the kit sports a window that I have slid an alert card into, it contains:

Names, ages and address of everyone in the hiking party as well as medical information and special allergies and blood type. This card could be used by rescue members to speed treatment and pass on to helicopter medivac crews or hospital staff.

Emergency contact numbers are on the reverse side.

Last but not least, know how to use the kits you carry, study and practice. Some great reading.



Safe Travels

RJ

LET THERE BE LIGHT

ILLUMINATION....................FLASHLIGHTS

If I know anything about Flashlights it's this........
They can be heavy for their output.

The wilderness traveler has to consider what his/her needs might be before carrying what could very well be too much light. Usually searching a back pack or readying your bedroll is about the most you will ever really NEED a light for.
Of course if you are the type that feels compelled to swing your searchlight beam into the forest whenever you hear a twig snap, you may need super candle power. These are usually the same group that needs to look under the bed before going to sleep.

I find that a good LED lamp (standard incandescent bulbs are as obsolete as oil lamps) or two will serve you under nearly all conditions if thought out ahead of time. What's to think about? Lets look.


Hikers, Hunters, Campers and the like all have one thing in common.
They Move! A headlamp is indispensable. This Energizer Multi LED is the ticket. It sports two focused SPOT lights, two separate FLOOD light LEDs and two RED LEDs for saving night vision.
The out put is impressive, the head adjustable to point down for varied terrain and the band is comfy. Uses common AAA batteries.
Illumination range about ten yards.........not bad $20.00


For a sporty hand held focus adjustable beam in a small package with high out put (a full WATT) I like the Dorcy Mini, powered with three AAA batteries like the Energizer headlamp, it is easy to feed and sips power. The one WATT out put throws it's beam 100 ft...................believe it!
Price $10.00


My "Every Day Carry" light is a GERBER Infinity single LED lamp. It uses a single AA battery and lasts about..............forever.
The out put is more then fair and will keep you on the trail or get you out of a sudden "Dark" situation. It's built like a Tiger tank and has a pocket/hat brim clip. $25.00............gotta love it.

As a service light I carry a larger sized DORCY (one WATT) It's beam cannot be focused but it is concentrated to throw light about 125 ft. WOW! That's about what a standard four cell Mag Light will do but without the added weight.
Oh I still carry a Mag Light in the car for sleazebags and trail dogs but believe me I don't carry it around with me.
AAA batteries sip power and it has a pocket/belt clip.
$25.00

If you haven't guessed I don't care much for rechargeable power cells. I like standard sized AAA or AA batteries that can be purchased anywhere and are easy to monitor. Rechargeable cells just die.............BANG! your light has a heart attack and you're in the dark. I hate surprises. If that happens, it's nice to be able to cannibalize batteries from another light.

Remember, when you're in the dark and you are the only one with a light.....you make the rules

SAFE TRAVELS
RJ

THE COMPASS

NOT ALL WHO WANDER ARE LOST
(But you could be without a Compass)

The wilderness traveler needs at least two (2) good Compasses.
A really good plotting Compass to do map work and shoot azimuths with and a quality back up.

The Silva Ranger is a top of the line navigational instrument.I have used one for years. My first was crushed under a VW Rabbit and destroyed, my fault. Hang em around your neck or put em into a strong secure case when not in use.

I keep this one on my belt in an Military issue first aid dressing pouch.
This is a SUUNTO wrist Compass. Not just another wrist compass, it has a sighting window and sites built into the body of the housing enabling you to shoot an azimuth with a quick glance.

A quick reference Compass or Combination thermometer is a handy addition to your Pack strap.

This inexpensive instrument has a wind chill graph on the reverse side so you can have something to read as you freeze to death.

Safe Travels
RJ