Get Out There! 3 Hours by the Shenandoah...

Hi folks, it's Jack from the Bushcraft on Fire Radio Show, Thursday's 8-11PM EST part of the ATS Live family of shows, and I had the opportunity to get OUT for a couple of hours this afternoon for some dirt time, fresh air and enjoying nature, and I thought I would share with the fine folks here on ATS...

It was a short hike from my parked car, camera in hand, observing the change from winter to spring, identifying wild plants, edible, medicinal, and toxic, if you are going to learn, and it takes time... a long time.. I am into my 4th year of learning the plants, and no better time than the spring IMO to get back to learning.... but I digress..

I wanted to start a small fire with available tinder, kindling & fuel, and whilst checking out the surroundings, I stumbled upon a downed 6" diameter tree, with bark shedding in a way that reminded me of all the birch bark videos on YT, I took a small bit and lit it with my lighter, and lo and behold, it burned much the same as the valued birch bark, that I have never found in my area. I looked in the immediate area, searching for a live version of the downed tree to no avail, 100 yds in either direction.. nada... So I had nothing to compare it with, anyways, I decided to try and ignite some of this bark scrapings with a ferro rod, and IT WORKED!!

Here's a picture of the bark, in case someone can recognize it:

Mystery Bark


I gathered and processed the necessary materials, used an existing pit and here's how it looked:

Fire Prep

Close Up, mystery bark, tinder, kindling

My ignition source was a ferro rod and a modified bayonet as the striker..

Ignition!

Here's the development of the fire:

Tinder Lit

Kindling stage1

Kindling stage 2

Fueled and sustainable!!

Now that the fire was good to go, over the winter I have been putting together some off the wall stuff, mainly utilizing, or retasking things to help complete missions on the survival level, call it being cheap, frugal etc, no worries for me, if I had to buy all the stuff folks are selling, I would be homeless but well prepared I simply refuse to go that route, and find it much more exciting to take what already exists, and turn it into tools I can use to accomplish the same stuff folks shell out $$$ for.. case in point, a mentos canister, and a nice thick strip of cotton material from a 100% cotton placemat...

Mentos Can small hole in bottom accomplished by center punch

Toss into Coals with Cotton inside

Leave in Fire until there is no more flame or smoke from the can

side by side charred vs uncharred


While I set the mentos char can back to work, I had the opportunity to try out the new char with, for me, a new method.. utilizing a reflector from a trashed Ozark trail 6v lantern bttry flashlight...

Thin piece of fresh charred cotton and reflector

Did it work?

Like a Charm!

Granted, this method requires sunlight.. I had plenty today, and this method works just as well as the mag lens, without the blinding effects of trying to pinpoint the focal length of the mag glass... for me at least, it's a keeper

Here's a scenic shot of where I spent time this afternoonThe mystery tree where the wonderful bark came from is the one you see laying across the scene, yes, I gathered up this resource )

Shenandoah River

I was also fortunate to spot some Morels as well as the false morel:




Morels

FALSE MOREL ..danger


Thanks to all who made it through this lengthy process, I hope you enjoyed it, and invite you to join us on Thursday evenings for the Bushcraft on Fire Radio show on the ATS Live family of shows...

Here's to everyone being able to GET OUT THERE soon!!!

a reply to: JacKatMtn

Thanks for taking the time to take pics and post all this
Love the step-by-step on the 'how to' with the fire
Good to show how to start a fire slowly without smothering it of air to quick

Oh, and the good vs. bad mushrooms

Thanks!!


S&F

* Will save for future reference....LOL*

a reply to: JacKatMtn

S&F!

Mystery Bark



Oh I see now ...

So I had nothing to compare it with, anyways, I decided to try and ignite some of this bark scrapings with a ferro rod, and IT WORKED!!

So your basically saying the mystery bark went woof up in flames!

I deeply appreciated your moral on the morels! Great pictures!

a reply to: JacKatMtn

Hi JacKat awesome thread & love the how to pics.
This week has been so beautiful in our area (same as you)
& I'm happy you had a chance to get out.
One of the things I want to do in the future is shrooming
& I'm glad you posted the good & the evil Morrels.
I have no clue & I hope I can at some point go into
the woods with someone who knows all about mushrooms
as they are my favorite veggie.

Awesome fire work! Sorry I have been gone the past 2 wks
me mum just passed 2 wks ago. I will have to listen from
afar if I can. I miss you guys & cannot wait to be back in full!

Cheers
Ektar

a reply to: snarky412

Thanks, for me, fire starting is mainly prep.. staging the materials, making sure you have more than you think you're going to need, then make sure you feed it as it wants, not as you want...

The largest sized wood used was 1" Diameter, the pit was about 20" circumference, so a small deal, but all I needed to accomplish heating up lunch and creating the charcloth..

a reply to: DietJoke

I was stunned that this bark acted just like the birch bark, I even lit some from the wet side of this downed mystery tree and it took off like it was dry, had some sizzle, but there was more than just plain bark there, something within it extended the burning time immensely, much like a wick uses candle wax as fuel?

Plenty of knowledgeable folks around here, hope someone can positively ID from the pic..

a reply to: Ektar

So sorry to hear of your loss My condolences to your family...


I am a big mushroom fan, and while I know there are quite a few out there in the wild, so far, I am only comfortable IDing the morels, giant puffball, and chicken of the woods for eating purposes...

It's definitely something that takes years of training and hands on, expert instruction...

Much like the plants, it's as much if not more important to learn what can HARM you as it is to learn the one's you use to supplement your food.

I was fortunate enough to work with a local native Valley resident when I was employed full time in the National Guard, he took the time to teach me about them merkels, as he called them...

a reply to: JacKatMtn

yeah JacKat I noticed since I have been using real wood
in my Weber Grill to cook with that I really have to watch the fire.
The wood burns much quicker than charcoal, like really quick uless it's
a good size log! Who has time to use a log unless it's a party.

One of the greatest things I have learned, besides using the dryer lint
for starters, is that wood burns CLEAN! Wood burns so much cleaner
than charcoal & leaves hardly any ash if any.

I can no longer go back to being a true charcoal griller & I cook
most of me food outside. Thanks for all your tips & tricks!

Cheers
Ektar

them thar morels look scrumptious. hope you were able to bread and fry them properly. [yum!!]

we collect and then vaccuum seal the drier lint, so that's always a good on-hand fire starter.

Glad you were able to GET OUT and ENJOY THE SPRING .... it's been a long time coming for y'all up in the northeast.

a reply to: 12m8keall2c

I've never heard of vacuum sealing dryer lint. I just
learned about using dryer lint on here ~ 6 months or
so ago. I have a few empty pill bottles stuffed with it.

Thanks for new info!

Cheers
Ektar

a reply to: Ektar

oh. we stuff the plastic bags from the grocery store hanging next to the drier... and when it gets full enough we just put it all in the vaccuum sealer and presto.... a heck of a lot of fire starter .... in a tiny little pouch.

it 'shrinks up' REAL GOOD!

[ETA]

and it only takes a pinch or so ... depending on the kindling you're using

a reply to: 12m8keall2c

Lint? Lint?! GET OUT THERE!!

Don't make me vacuum seal my lint and send it to you


Nature provides, all it takes is knowledge, and intuition based on knowledge to get what you need... sure, pack your lint just in case... why not expand boundaries, increase your knowledge base?

Great thread. I am so going to practice starting fires without matches/lighter this year. What is the purpose of the mentos can and cotton?
Do you create the charred bits to save for later use to start a fire with the reflector?

a reply to: tinner07

here's a quick quote on charcloth:

wiki

...It is often made by putting cloth into an almost airtight tin with a small hole in it, and cooking it in campfire coals until the smoking slows and the cloth is properly charred.
Charcloth ignites with even the smallest spark, and is therefore commonly used with a flint and steel.

Mag glass, reflector, flint&steel, ferro rod all good forigniting the charcloth, I prefer to use the thicker cotton cloth as it isn't as fragile as thinner cotton charred material though I am sure it's just a personal preference.

You can also char other things to keep in your fire kit, mullein pith comes to mind though I have to try and experiment with other local items to build the knowledge base..

Hope you are able to Get Out There soon

a reply to: JacKatMtn
Thanks for sharing your adventure with us.

You remind me of my hubby as he also repurposes and reuses the things other people throw out. In fact, he's even made himself a little bit of money selling things people just put into the trash! It's incredible what people will throw in the trash, thinking it is broke with no chance of fixing.

a reply to: lovebeck

Sounds like we are in tune on the retasking deal for sure, it makes sense to me, we are so much a throw away society, with many things being tossed that can be very useful if you put your mind to it.

It keeps my mind fresh, and though you can't expect to have success with every idea, the joy felt during the times where it works out far outweighs the disappointment of less successful ventures..

Keep learning, build up your knowledge, and since it's weightless, does not impact what you may choose to pack be it a bug out bag, a car emergency kit, etc etc...

We had a frog strangler day of rain yesterday, so I am sure that there will be more of those tasty morels popping up in the next few days.. sounds like another trek is in order, I will try and come up with another skill to test out for this one..

a reply to: JacKatMtn

No fire starting pictures but did do a little recent scouting for some wild edibles.

Some wild violets for a salad


And some ramps for frying with some potatoes, zucchini and squash


And the leaf for identification

a reply to: Ahabstar

Almost time for the spring violets, ramps & morels !!!!!

a reply to: JacKatMtn

For you maybe. Still a couple more months up here. Late April to mid-May is about right. Of course an early Spring can speed it up a bit.