You may recall my video blog, where I went to French Creek State Park to showcase my skills. While I was up there, I learned my final skill: fire-starting. It wasn't too rough-and-tumble; I didn't bang rocks together or twist a stick into a log like Survivorman.
Cotton balls covered in Vaseline. I made them in preparation for the overnight. They're fantastic fire starters for planned trips. They're
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| *Disclaimer* That's not me :( |
Instead, I used these!
- Lightweight, making them perfect for backpacking
- Cheap
- And easy!
The only negative I can think of is the mess after you make them. Your fingers get pretty gross.
🔥 Now for the mandatory fire safety tips! 🔥
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| He's right! |
In my vlog, I have a clip of me building a fire in a stone fire ring.
That was not allowed. It was dangerous and, upon reading the park rules, I realized shouldn't have done that.
The stone ring was not made by the park. It was made by some reckless person before me. The fire almost escaped the ring. That's how forest fires start. So please learn from me and read the park rules before starting a fire.
Established campgrounds provide fire rings made of metal, so they're far safer. And they have grills to cook food and boil water on, so they're very handy. Start your fires there! If you aren't in an established campground, start your fire away from low hanging branches. Keep the surrounding ground clear of debris, especially dry plant material that could catch fire quickly. To contain the fire in a non-established area, make a stone ring or a rock wall to keep the embers from flying away.
Putting out your fire is pretty easy in a campground. It's already well contained, so if it's still smoking when you leave, you don't have to worry. If your fire is not in a metal ring, you have to be more careful. This is the easiest way to remember how to put out a fire:
Pour water on it, stir the ashes with a stick to smother the embers, and pour more water on it. That's as safe as you can get.
Now let's dive into the "how to"! But why tell you when I can show you?
https://truefilms.com/survivorman/
That's all for my firestarting adventure. See you in the audion!
- Emmie
Sources-
https://www.eparks.com/product/142846/Wood-Smokey-Bear-Magnet/https://truefilms.com/survivorman/
Hey Emmie, your blog is fire. Haha that was stupid. Anyway, this blog was really interesting. Is it bad that I laughed when you said the fire wasn't allowed? Maybe. Regardless, you have obviously done more than enough research and are implementing it very well. I wish I could watch your presentation tomorrow, but I'm sure you'll do great! -adora
ReplyDeleteUsing cotton balls and Vaseline is an interesting way to start a fire. But wouldn't you need tools to make sparks, like flint and steel, matches, or a lighter? As you say, fire safety is a responsibility of backpackers such as yourself. I think you did the right thing when you researched fire safety and although a bit too late, read the park the park rules. Nice work!
ReplyDelete