Starting A Fire Using The Flint And Steel Method

Items needed:

Char cloth (with metal holding container)
Chert, Flint, Quartz or Iron Pyrite stone
Carbon Steel Striker (the one in the photo is made from an old file with the sides ground off to a smooth finish)
A tender bundle made of fine grasses or other material that will catch fire easy and quick

You can make your own Char Cloth. You will need some type of metal container. The one in the photo is an old Altoids candy tin. You can you shoe polish tins or something similar that can be placed in a fire. Next, you will need cotton cloth. I used an old cotton t-shirt. Cut the cloth in 1 inch x 1 inch squares. In a container this size, you don't want to make no more than 8 to 10 squares at a time.

The next step is to punch a small vent hole in the front. The hole should be just below the lip of the bottom portion to where when the lid is closed, the hole gets covered.

Place the cotton squares inside the container and close the lid, bit do not cover the hole. This is where the reside being burnt will escape. Place the container in a small fire. Watch the container. There will be smoke coming out of the small vent hole. When the smoke stops coming out, remove the container and close the lid all the way down covering the vent hole.

Allow the container to cool and then check the cloth. If the top pile of the cloth is still brownish, instead of black, turn the material over and place it back on the fire as you did before. You will not have to leave as long. Remove the container, allow to cool, and then give it a test with your flint and steel.

The Char cloth takes a spark real easy. Watch the video and practice the technique until you can catch a spark in less than a minute.

The stone material can be found in river beds and quarries or on the side of roadways. The stone should have a smooth glassy texture and appearance. Test it with your steel and see if it will throw a good spark. If it does, take it with you. You can split off or Knapp small chunks to keep in your kit. The chunks need to have sharp edges for striking against.

Make sure you keep your Char cloth air tight. Moisture will ruin the whole batch. This technique of fire starting does not work very well in high humidity. So, it is one more reason to learn how to start a survival fire in more than one way.

Once mastered, this technique will be one more skill set in order to survive in the wilderness.

Stay Prepared! Stay Alive!

Charlie

71 Uses For A Bandana

There are over a 100 uses for a bandana. It is about as handy as cordage and duct tape. They are light, compact, and are really inexpensive. A bandana is a must have in your Survival Kits, Bug Out Bag or Urban Survival Gear. Here is just a short list of possible uses for a bandana. There are many more uses, but I listed only a few to save room. Use your imagination for those ideas that are not listed here.

1. Signal
2. Neck Gaiter for cold weather
3. Tourniquet (But for Snake Bites use a Sawyer Extractor)
4. Pot Holder
5. Collecting Wild Edibles
6. Sun block for neck
7. Sling
8. Sling (as in David and Goliath)
9. Sling (for a staff )
10. Cordage  (strips or as is)
11. Washcloth/Towel (Bathe out of a Collapsible Bucket)
12. Sweatband
13. Waist pack/pouch
14. Hobo Pack
15. Padding a hotspot
16. Cleaning Patches for Firearm
17. Bullet Patches for Muzzleloader
18. Gun Wipe Cloth (with oil)
19. Toilet Paper
20. Mark a Trail
21. Dish Rag
22. Napkin
23. Eye patch
24. Pre-water Filter (like Coffee Filters)
25. Clean Glasses and other lens
26. Ear Muffs
27. Bind a stone and toss a line over a limb?
28. Dust Mask
29. Wet and wear for Hot Weather
30. Sneezing
31. Wash/dry feet after fording a creek
32. Clean muddy shoes
33. Wipe mud/rain off ground cloth
34. Wipe up spills of all kinds
35. Plug sink drain
36. Shade head/eyes/neck from burning sun
37. Muff ears from freezing sleet
38. Forehead sweatband hiking up a hill
39. Clean/dry eyeglasses
40. Wipe a tear
41. Blow a nose
42. Muffle a sneeze
43. Cover a cough
44. Cover face to take a forest nap after lunch
45. Neckerchief to dress up going to town
46. Washcloth
47. Towel
48. Pad shoulders carrying a load
49. Pad elbow resting on the ground while eating Roman style
50. All-terrain sitting cloth
51. Pillow stuffer
52. Filter dust/smoke/bright lights
53. Filter water coarsely
54. Apply hot/cold/medicinal compresses
55. Bandage/sling/tourniquet
56. Suppress rattling of jumbled items
57. Collect loose items
58. Forget-me-not reminder for clothes drying on a bush
59. Flag a passing motorist
60. Distract a charging wild animal
61. Whisk pestering insects
62. Coax a spider out of a corner
63. Capture a caterpillar or an assassin bug for non-violent removal elsewhere
64. Bind stone to toss a line over a tree limb
65. Thermal insulator for hot handles/bowls
66. Bib/lap napkin
67. Wash/dry inside of pot/bowl/spoon
68. Tablecloth
69. Cover exposed food
70. Carry out/store leftovers
71. Open a stuck jar

Stay Prepared! Stay Alive!

Charlie

How To Choose A Good Survival Knife

Choosing the best survival knife you can afford can mean the difference between life or death in a emergency situation. It can mean the difference of being able to get the job done that it was designed to do or to be a hindering piece of junk.

Note: The knives shown in the video are for demonstration of the different shapes of blades and handles. Some of the knives are of lower quality than the ones I prefer. 

Here are the things to look for in a good survival knife:

1. Full Tang- the metal blade should start at the tip and end at the butt of the handle. This allows the strongest design, rather than one that has a hollow handle where a survival kit would normally be stored. The hollow handled knives could break under strenuous applications.

2. Length- 6-12 inches. Anything longer could be in the way, unless it is a machete and you are in a jungle. In this case you should have a machete or similar and a survival knife.

3. Thickness- The blade should be 3/16 to 1/4 inch thick.
4. Steel Type- There are generally two types of metal blades- carbon steel and stainless steel. I prefer carbon steel blades because they are easier to sharpen and hold an edge longer. The only drawback is that carbon blades can rust. Stainless steel blades are harder to sharpen, are more brittle and the sharpened edge does not last as long. Stainless steel will not rust.

Stainless steel type- S60V, BG-42, S90V, CPM S30V, CPM 154

Carbon steel type- D2, A2, 01, carbon V, CPM 154

5. There are 4 basic blade geometry shapes: (see diagram)




Blade Geometry

6. The spine of the knife (top edge) should have a flat spot where it can be hit with a piece of wood to assist in cutting through wood.

7. The cutting edge of the blade should not be serrated, as this requires a special sharpening tool verses being able to just use a rock to sharpen the blade.

8. Sheath- should be of strong material, have a lanyard at the bottom for securing the knife to your leg; a belt loop; the handle securing strap should be able to keep the knife from falling out; the handle of the knife should have a hole for applying a lanyard; should have a place for a sharpening stone or tool.

One knife for one person may not be right for another. As long as you get a knife that meets the basics as listed above, you should be able to depend your life on it.

Remember- you get what you paid for. But, I have found some decent survival knives for under $30 that I would depend on in a survival situation.

Note on hollow handled knives- I have nothing against these type knives. I actually like them, as long as I realize that I am limited to how much abuse I can put them through.

Stay Prepare! Stay Alive!


Charlie