To build a fire...

[islandlogger]

Some of you folks on here have likely read Jack London's short story "To build a fire" if you havn't you should...

It dropped water from the sky all last night and well on through the morning here. Today first thing I met up with my Forester buddy who is in charge of a Management Plan for a twenty acre wood lot that has been heavily logged and high graded a few different times and the new land owner wants to get the health of it back and promote the Doug Firs and Cedar back in where the White Fir and Hemlock are currently dominating. We trudged around through the chest high under brush for 3 hours marking all the doomed "weed" trees and coming up with a plan of attack. When we made the circle back to my Jeep we were both wet through and through, a cup of hot coffee wasn't quite enough to perk us up and with the rest of the morning and all afternoon of cutting in front of us we decided it was time for a job site warming fire. We all know there is nothing better then a good warming fire (when the season allows) to hunker by at break time and generally get the spirits back in order and at least get the clothes steaming for the illusion of dryness. At any rate we set about getting said warming fire in order, but as luck would have it when it came time to ignite the blessed thing all the slapping of my pockets just would not produce my trusty lighter! I am ashamed to admit I am a heavy smoker and therefore usually have a few lighters or matches kicking around the truck, of course my darling wife decided to clean it out for me over the weekend and so not a lighter or match could be found, so now can I not only light the ciggy dangling from my mouth but our beloved warming fire was looking like it may have to wait a spell. We were drenched, dripping and really needed that bit of pick me up, I was thinking of that Jack London story when I had a thought...I went to the saws and grabbed one up, sloshed a bit of saw gas over our waiting burn pile, pulled the plug on the saw and got it next to the little trickle of gas I had trailed from the fire and gingerly pulled the starter cord and hey presto with a steady woomf the warming fire came to life AND I was finely able to have that ciggy....We had a great day of it, a little fire helps make a wet day go a lot better.....
That poor guy in Jack London's story sure could of used a saw, it's such a multi purpose friend to us!

Stay warm and work safe!

islandlogger

[Phorester]

Having been intimately involved with fire all my life, from my career as a forester doing controlled burns and fighting fires started by arsonists, some of whom are intrigued by fire in a negative way, from being a Boy Scout leader for many years, and having studied fire both formally in classrooms and informally through observations over a lifetime, I think there is some sort of deep primal connection in the human psyche with fire.  It is an elementary and powerful natural force on this planet, having been here since this planet formed.  Every plant species on this earth evolved in the face of fire and either died off because of it or learned to adapt to it. Our human ancestors were no exception. We harnessed it for utilitarian reasons, but also for the companionship of fire.

As a Scout leader, I've seen young Scouts crying from homesickness suddenly lose these feelings when a campfire is built.  They are drawn to it and either play with it or simply sit staring into the coals, as do me and the rest of the leaders. If you are missing a Scout or two, build a campfire.  Every one will flock to it and be as close to the fire as they can get.  

Humans use fire for forest, wildlife, and agricultural management, for ceremonies, as a social gathering point, for cooking meals, for warmth, for light.  A mighty friendly and useful tool is fire, for lots of reasons.

[islandlogger]

Well said Phorester!!!

islandlogger

[timberfaller390]

Here is a link to a cool poem that is about a mans love of fire... sort of.
http://wordinfo.info/unit/2640?letter=C&spage=26

[islandlogger]

you bet, good find, I have the complete works of Robert Service on my shelf here somewhere, I tend to dig it out on the long winter nights, he's great, my dad used to read him to me when I was a boy, I'm going to see what my 3 year old daughter thinks of his rhyme and verse this winter...

islandlogger

[WDH]

That is one of my top three short stories.

[Norm]

Jack London is one of my favorite authors. For some reason though I've never read that one, thanks for bringing it up.

[Corley5]

Is that the one where the guy builds the fire under the snow laden tree and...... ???

[northwoods1]

you bet, good find, I have the complete works of Robert Service on my shelf here somewhere, I tend to dig it out on the long winter nights, he's great, my dad used to read him to me when I was a boy, I'm going to see what my 3 year old daughter thinks of his rhyme and verse this winter...

islandlogger

I've got most all of Londons books, & Robert Service, Stewart Edward White, probably 50 books by Seton. Grew up reading that stuff no wonder I ended up working in the woods nothing like a fire when the temps get chilly and a toasted sandwich beats cold and soggy anytime :D , you know I have actually started a fire the way you mention with a chainsaw, that and use the cig lighter out of the truck which is even a little trickier. Just have to have the right kind of tinder! I have to show a couple pics of a gadget I made called a fire piston. I found this old one on ebay the guy who was selling it didn't know what it was. It looks to me to be about Federal Period, about 1800-1810, with that eagle and shield motif like that and the cow horn it is made out of looks to be that old. I made a copy of it as you can see and it works. I use tinder fungus from a birch tree for the starter it is placed in a little depression in the end of the rod and when you insert the rod into the shield and give it a hard wack it will ignite the punk into a glowing ember. That tinder fungus you can't hardly put it out when it gets going.

[Dean186]

A great ebay find and nice work on the duplication.

[Magicman]

And, you can buy them new:  http://www.wildersol.com/

[northwoods1]

And, you can buy them new:  http://www.wildersol.com/

You could make one pretty easily with just a few simple pieces, all you need is a piece of tubing closed on one end and something for the piston. You can use a little rubber O-ring for a tight fit between piston & cylinder, or some string wrapped around it. You need lubricant on the packing I use bear lard. It has to be tight enough to fire like a diesel engine in fac they say that is where Mr. Diesel came up with the idea, but seeing one of these. The old one I have has a notch cut into the side of the shield part to hold some grease, just like they did to rifles back then they had a hole in the stock or a box for some grease, also has some holes in the bottom for tinder which is still in there they used hemp or jute rope. I like the tinder fungus I always collect it if I find some in the woods, hard to find.

[arojay]

Yes Corley, that is the story.

Dryer lint is excellent tinder.  I carry some in a ziploc with a swedish army type spark lighter, in my fanny pack which goes with me whenever I leave my truck/boat for a little walkabout.  Wet or frozen Bics are useless. 

[Kansas]

Here is another one.

www.primitivefire.com

We sell them some fireboards that he uses on some of the kits. I think the Boy Scouts are his biggest customer.