yes i have and once the fire was started we boiled a cup of water in under 3 minutes....my troop was into camping and survival techniques. matchless fires were my patrols specialty.

You feeling better? Maybe we need another Houston meet, even without foreigners..

Thinking of fires, we need a house warming for Scott

Never used or even seen one but these are cool. Fire piston. Uses the heat from rapidly compressed air to light an ember (think deisel engine). There is a how-to for making one out of a mag light. Neato.

Fire piston - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Never could do that... A magnify glass was very doable though. Also used a Jack knife and flint stick that worked just fine. Waterproof matches are the way to pack if need be.

Yes Boy Scouts....same as post 12

Ive done it using a fire plow. Thats where you lay a piece of wood down flat. and rub a groove into it with another stick.
But pretty much after I got the fire going, my arms were too tired to do anything with it.:D

That's it--Klondike Derby. Couldn't remember the name for the life of me. And yeah, we had a couple years where there was patchy snow--not fun carrying a sled outfitted like a wagon over grass patches.

I still have the patches somewhere in the attic.

The grass patches or the patchy snow? Why/how would you save those?

Yup. Used the bow-and-stick method. Quite difficult, but it can be done. Dry tinder is very important.

Flint and steel......piece of cake.

ha ha--Just realized the poor structure of my post. What I meant was the patches that they give you for participating.

I've never had to try the two sticks...but I have lit a fire with a chainsaw.

Luby,

Son, it sure sounds like we need to have a UPM/2 in Vegas. I would personally chip in a good amount of $$ towards getting your tubes blown out!

Joe A

+1 while in Boy Scouts.

Been awhile fo sho...

I watched this guy do it once he got some air under the wood. He was talking to a volleyball named Wilson at the time.

Did it a few times in USAF Survival School years ago. It was pretty cool and somewhat easy to do. Vinman's post #27 was the prefered way.

My son can do it with 2 sticks and a shoelace. He has spent allot of time camping in the Boundary Waters for the last 8 summers. He also knows what vegetation is edible. I'm amazed at his survival skills.