On Building Fire With Natural Tinders In Winter

   It had been more then a month, since I saw my friend Sticker. Not since the middle of December 2012, had we had some time to get out for some good ole "dirt time." But on this particular Saturday he showed up and I was glad to seem him. We both needed some good dirt time and a chance to play in the cold and snow.
   We decided to try for lighting the fire using good old flint and steel and natural tinder gathered on site. On our way out to the camp, we didn't even bother to try and harvest any good cedar bark or cottonwood bark or try to find any cattail or thistle or the like. We just kept hiking, until we got to where we wanted to be and than we started looking. It was really part of the experiment I guess. To use natural tinder, found on site, and use it to get fire going with flint and steel.
   But as we were looking, we really came up short. There were only dried grasses. Even the cottonwood inner bark we did find, was "frosty" and when thawed, felt moist to the touch. I even tried the dried grass with a firesteel and it would light, flame for only a short time and then go out. Nothing sustainable. We were up against the 4°F temps and the little bit of moisture that was frozen and locked up in the tinder we tried.
   After much exploring for good tinder and without much success, Sticker gave it a try a few times, until we succumb to using the firesteel and some jute twine and the grasses.
   Here is the video of our great outing and when it was all said and done, we really did have a good time. It was good to see my friend Sticker again and to share the adventure. We are determined to figure out this winter firecraft with flint and steel, as it is a fun puzzle to solve.

   After we got the fire going, the hot cocoa went down good and we replenished our depleted charred cloth reserves to be ready for the next time. It was a great learning experience. I hope you my friends get a chance to get out and enjoy the challenges of winter. Until next time, Happy Exploring.

A New Friend Learns About Old Fire Making Method

   It was the regular Saturday morning meet-up and my friend Sticker and I waited the usual thirty odd minutes for any other members to show up. But to no avail, no one else did. We decided to head down to the river and we were already thinking about the next Bushclass lesson that he was going to work on. That was the "Student Practice for Making a Pot Hook" lesson. This was going to be fun.
   The weather was nearly perfect and we were both joking about how, as we walked thru the woods, we were looking for resources. Soon he had a good piece of birch bark from an old dead fall, which in the end we never did use. He told me how it is with him now, when he comes out of the woods, his pockets are full of natural tinders and things to try for fire starting. I could not help but smile. I do the same thing.
   Today, his partner in life, member "Callmekris",  had decided to sleep in or at least to take it easy and get some more rest after working a late shift and I could not help but start to wonder how we could now make her jealous of our trip and leave her wishing she had come along. Sticker said she likes "playing with fire" and that was the perfect queue for me to suggest that he get the fire going with my flint and steel and some of the charred cloth from our last adventure. I also mentioned that I would get it on video, so he could show her later. I think we had hatched the perfect plan. Smiles all around.
   So here is the the video of our latest adventure and it covers our fire prep, his flint and steel work and the pot hook lesson. I also tried an experiment with charring some natural tinder. You can see how that turned out. I hope you enjoy watching.

   We definitely had a great time and in the end, Sticker had a good piece of video to submit for his lesson and we were able to make Callmekris quite jealous. He told me later that she said she was "definitely going to go next time" I guess that means mission accomplished.
   I am hoping to that given enough time, even more members will begin to wish that they too had joined in on the adventure. There really is so much to do and so many things to learn together, no matter what the situation is like. The BushclassUSA lessons make it easy to share the experience.
   I am hoping one day to have a video of several members all working on various lessons and skills, to essentially showcase what we are accomplishing here in Minnesota and that the members here are getting out and doing it. Until next time, Happy Exploring.