Fire

On Sunday I started another series of survival/preparedness class's. I gave a lesson in alternate navigation and time telling skills and one of my favorite skills, fire. We made a bit of char cloth in a mini Altoids tin and I showed how to start a fire using a bit of char cloth and a ferro rod to set it off. That way you can save the petroleum jelly cotton balls (PJCB's) for more inclement weather. I recently read a post over at Bushcraft USA about the little item pictured below. Its called a tinder tube. Here's how it works and its very simple. Get some 100% cotton rope like clothes line and a short piece (about two inches will do fine) of brass tubing. Push the rope through the tube and tie a knot so it isn't pulled through. Take a lighter or match and char the end of the rope. Now, pull the rope back into the tube about halfway and hold your finger over the end. This snuffs the burning ember. Now you have a new way to start fires. This works with flint & steel or ferro cerium spark rods. One spark will start the whole tip to glowing. Its simple and it works.