Building a Fire in Adverse Conditions

[@BarnyTrubble]

Whenever I sit at a fire, the smoke always comes straight at my face no matter where I sit. Whenever I watch Paul sitting at a fire, the smoke still comes straight at my face, regardless that I'm not even there.

[@drizler]

You ain’t alone 😅

[@MarkJones-sk6vk]

That was great haha.

[@MalleusSemperVictor]

This is caused by the body blocking air flow to the fire. Make sure that the fire has adequate airflow or a wind break and this will prevent this phenomenon.

[@brian96597]

Beautifully said, and 100% factual information.

[@KeithCarmichaelInFL]

My life in a nutshell! A cold, blind, choking nutshell!

[@ndplayed]

He’s a legend. RIP Paul Harrell

[@christurner8255]

Now that's what you call a real man, kids. IYKYK. Godspeed Paul, you were one the greatest ever.

[@FountainCityVol]

This is one of my favorite Paul Harrell videos.

[@PaulHarrell]

Once again, you haven't won a prize. That's a scam. There's also been a lot of commentary about the steel wool. Most people are positing that it needs to be 0000 wool from the hardware section, not a SOS or brillo pad. Many people have also mentioned vaseline coated cotton balls. Does it really surprise anyone that I do not possess cotton balls or vaseline? Looks like we'll do a part two of this presentation and demonstrate a few more things.

[@chrismaverick9828]

I suspect the difference in the SOS vs hardware steel wool is the very fine oil they use on the hardware stuff to keep it from rusting in the bag. Te soap coats the SOS and keeps it from rusting, but I have no idea how well that might burn.

[@mrd7067]

Lessons learned: Just carry a peacock pocket warmer, lighter fluid + a BIC lighter. Better 2 of everything. If it has to be a fire espit works but it can get relative expensive and big. You could cook a meal or boil water on it though. 2 cheaper ways are rangerbands and oil oven igniter strips (100 or more in one package, i think they come with paraffin wax on it, i have them in a few places). A alternative is a long burning tealight or gravelight combined wih aluminium foil to reflect the heat. A other alternative, especially when wearing this parka is the black Bundeswehr shoe polish combined with the hardtack of the military rations. Put the creame on the cookie and light it.

[@wolveryne42]

Couple of bottles of zippo lighter fluid and a zippo. Works great even in a moderate wind and damp and very cold conditions plus a pack of flints. Save yourself alot of time and grief. When it's 20 below out you don't want to play around getting a fire going. Side note, makeup removal pads with crisco works great, was fiddling around with that last year. I deep fry quite a bit and my wife is a hair dresser so it's not like I'm lacking for supplies in that department.

[@NotFound-lt9jq]

Paul, I’m really not surprised that you don’t possess cotton balls, but in todays economy EVERYONE need’s copious amounts of Vaseline! 🤣

[@jasonlee7129]

I've been a lot more interested in hiking & survival topics lately and I'm literally in the process of building several kits for different times of the year. - Thank you for trying the steel wool bc I've heard the same info but never tried it!! I think you're right with the smaller sized of the wool

[@WojciechP915]

Remember kids, if you spent an hour watching Mr. Harrel this morning, you had better spend 3 hours out in the field practicing.

[@theforcedmeme]

Aye. I try to get in the field once a month when able. Simple over night camp in the woods to practice the skills.

[@JJoker69]

Softy.... it's a sleep over type of thing....

[@danielcurtis1434]

If you have parents saying that crap then you should end up fine!!!

[@mtgAzim]

*Harrell >: )

[@carlosspeicywiener7018]

One hour a day and 3 hours on Sundays.

[@tedcollins4684]

Rewatching Mr. Harrell's old videos because they are better than 99.999% of this platform. I've learned more from what he doesn't say than all others combined. Thank God for him and his legacy. Praying for him and our country. Thank you, Sir.

[@nmr6988]

Yes.

[@Levis-l8l]

You learned what? This fire explanation is ridiculous

[@tedcollins4684]

@@Levis-l8l you just use a flint & steel, right?

[@Levis-l8l]

@@tedcollins4684 I would use whatever I have with me. I'm just saying that this was a bit long winded

[@corwinchristensen260]

We miss you Paul ... lots of wisdom here. Last winter, there was an incident nearby where a couple of snowmobilers found themselves in a situation where they had to wait for rescue. Too cold for lighters (they had several but didn't understand how to warm them up to make them work.) They had gasoline as accelerant (spark from non-functional lighter would have lit it), cotton fabric from t-shirt (to get the gasoline out of the tanks), anti-bacterial ointment and cotton in a first aid kit (again, spark from non-functional lighter), batteries in the snowmobiles with fine wire (spark or direct short will get HOT), a single serving bag of Frito's (EXCELLENT FIRESTARTERS once you have an open flame) ... quite a few ALTERNATIVE ways of getting a fire. They didn't think of any of these other methods and ended up with some frostbite and other issues because they didn't understand what options they had. Taking the time to do exactly what Mr. Harrell has demonstrated here in trying multiple methods and thinking outside of the box is an important exercise. Learn to make fire as many ways as you can. Learn to go from a spark to a flame (steel wool method can work if you have that skill). It can be lifesaving.

[@nicktrue7915]

I am so thankful that he didn’t go into the woods in the snow and somehow proceeded to make a fire out of two sticks and a bow. Keeping it down to earth and humble is his credence and his brand at this point.

[@thystaff742]

A bowdrill isn't easy, nor ideal, but doable under the right conditions with limited resources. What people aren't prepared for is that it can take a long time.

[@culther0r0]

I mean he literally glossed over a really water proof fire starter that they market to anyone who has been interested in survivalists, a bar of magnesium + fire steel. a small magnesium bar will last you the rest of your life and the fire steel will provide the spark.

[@insboswiz]

I saw a video on the Far North Bushcraft channel where the guy did just that, fashioning a bow drill and getting a fire started in wet conditions. It is possible but something that you would need to practice a lot before you relied on it for survival.

[@JohnB-dr8sk]

@@culther0r0 Yeah, Paul is great for guns, but he is not exactly a fire guru lol. No mention of lifeboat matches or mag starters, which have been around forever and are must haves. No mention of carving feathers out of wood to get to drier wood. All 101 skills. But I still appreciate the video because it shows a lot of folks how hard it can be to start a fire in the winter in the Northwest where it's very damp. This will spur some people to prep a little better which is a good thing. But yeah, a bushcraft guru Paul is not lol.

[@jimbob465]

The day you are in adverse conditions trying to get a life fire going with a bow drill, you have seriously fucked up!

[@rcs9358]

That candle idea is a life saver. Long duration flame + insulation = fire... The fact that they're small and practically waterproof....it's genius! Subscribed because of this thank you!

[@WisdomThumbs]

Candles for survival are so practical and well-used, they’re still part of pen & paper adventure games like Dungeons & Dragons.

[@OTOss8]

Yes, and they're very easy to conceal on your person.

[@kane357lynch]

Carry with matches and a lighter, a box of candles is fuel to a fire

[@BLEACH366]

Im sorry but if it came down to me freezing in the day light or night id want the fire not to prove i can do it with some matches when i could bring something fast and even if the lighter got broke the lint will catch just with a spark from metal on rocks or the right kind of rocks spark off each other or using a shorted battery or magnifying glass like using the sun and a pair of glasses

[@chrish3720]

I am a smoker I alway have a lite. Simple BECOME A SMOKER

[@adirondacker007]

When I was a kid, I was what I would call a Functional Pyromaniac. Growing up in the Adirondacks and practically living in the woods, I figured that the ability to make fire was pretty important. My survival kit lived in a surplus gas mask bag. I dipped stick-anywhere matches in wax... I dipped them in lacquer and tested them in the rain. I bought the magnesium fire starter and used it a lot. I had the Coughlan's waterproof matches (the box was flimsy back then too). I read every survival manual I could get my boogerhooks on. I learned that if you have a firearm, you can make fire with it by removing the projectile, wrapping some of the powder with paper or cloth, putting it in the cartridge or shell, and firing it into your tinder. I tested it out with my .22 and my 12 gauge. I got it to work with both, but it was kinda hit or miss, pun intended. Regarding vehicular breakdown situations, I keep a few road flares on hand. Making a fire with one of those isn't even sporting. I am blessed to have a wood and welding shop. About a year ago, I put some sawdust from ripping pine in the pockets in an egg carton and poured in melted wax. I cut them apart and tested one out... one swipe off the old ferro rod, and I had 15 minutes of fire (not fame). If it weren't for weight and space constraints, I would actually carry a MAPP torch in my day pack. As an Adirondacker, I don't think I would ever recover from the embarrassment of freezing to death. Great video Paul! I damn near choked from the "my day" bit! Merry Christmas!

[@1pcfred]

Yeah me and everyone I knew went through the pyromaniac phase. Finally we burned this field up the street and the fire department showed up and that was it for me. I actually took off before that fire got lit so I wasn't technically responsible. I told them it was a bad idea.

[@jaynecobb3701]

Nothing beats a trigger start Mapp gas torch to get your campfire going.

[@warpedweirdo]

@@jaynecobb3701 That's what I use. Works great!

[@kevinedwards7206]

we put rolled up strips of corrugated cardboard in tuna fish cans.. add wax.. used them to cook with but they would make great fire starts..

[@kentuckyboy541]

​@@1pcfredexactly. I singed off all my bangs and eyebrow sometime in the eighties making a "bomb". Essentially a giant molotov cocktail. Lmao

[@OperatorDanger]

I can listen to Paul talk all day long. I feel like I’m sitting right next to the fire with him. Just a wonderful human being.

[@Owens_Racing]

I’d pay to go listen to him teach us mortals the way.

[@IAmNotAHorse]

@Fou maybe even the sub cockles

[@michaelmartin6476]

never know what NEW stuff you might learn.

[@robertfoote3255]

Watching all Paul's older videos again...... Keeping the legend alive!

[@tedcollins4684]

Amen.

[@burnthompson286]

This has to be his best video

[@reanbowlerd5988]

He really has a good catalog of useful videos and information, from cleaning guns to lighting fires.

[@robertfoote3255]

@@reanbowlerd5988 Being one of his first subscribers..... it's like visiting an old friend.

[@arniegrammon6255]

As a youngster, I read "To Build a Fire" by Jack London. This short story is about a newcomer to the Yukon trying to build a fire in extremely frigid conditions. He eventually freezes to death. The story crawled into my brain and stuck with me. I practiced building fires in the rainy/snowy cold of the Cascade Range of our Washington property. I would often bring only 2 matches on my damp, snowy walk, and see if I was going to freeze to death that day. lol Good stuff, Paul.

[@J-BiRTH]

I could be misremembering but I thought the protagonist of "To build a fire" wasn't said to be a newcomer but an experienced outdoorsman, and it was his overconfidence in his abilities that caused him to get caught in the conditions in which building a fire became a life or death situation.

[@bBlaF]

@@J-BiRTH Somewhere in between, my memory says he was an experienced frontiersman, which is somewhat distinct from an experienced outdoorsman, and perhaps relatively new to the particular frontier of the Yukon.

[@gw5436]

​@Eric Nunya sounds like you're perfect mate

[@jasonbourne5702]

That story is stuck in my head as well! The first thing I thought of when Paul's video started is "oh no, he's building a fire under a tree, in snowy conditions". Obviously there wasn't much snow left on that large tree for that tiny fire to affect, but still.

[@solomonstello]

I love Washington. 😊

[@NickJayy212]

You know when you see a 50+ minute Paul Harrell video, it's going to be phenomenal. Edit: I was rooting for that little fire on the side the whole time.

[@stsw4314]

You got that right! Merry Christmas to us! 🎅

[@DANO-4899]

The little inferno that could.

[@NickJayy212]

@kipskip_ shit, good point. 🤣 I didn't even see that til now ngl.

[@tommylitchfield3450]

Me too! Paul actually made a pretty good effort to put that match-headed Coghlin fire stick out when he moved it to the side and it just blazed right up and kept a'goin! If you listen closely, you can hear that little fire saying "Back in MY day!" you couldn't put out a Coghlin's fire stick that easily! :)

[@Hjerte_Verke]

Have you seen all the Thanksgiving Specials? Those are all super plus good phenomenal!

[@Ironsight_Army]

I was taught to save the lint from the trap in the dryer machine and melt wax over it. It makes a great fire starter. We put the lint in egg cartons, pour the wax over it & then cut the pieces down to size / individual pieces. I call it the lazy mans fire starter, we grew up with a wood stove as our heat source for our home.

[@NS-hs6lt]

Dryer lint doesn’t work if there is a lot of animal hair in mix FYI

[@assbread5950]

@@NS-hs6lt well don't put animals in the dryer mate

[@JesusSaves86AB]

Cotton lint is perfect but polyester and other synthetics just fizzle and melt.

[@Tiger_Simple]

@@assbread5950😂😂😂

[@dwightehowell8179]

@@JesusSaves86AB Cotton balls and Vaseline burns.

[@moonasha]

If you're into crafting/making homemade firestarters, I don't think there's anything better than pitch. What you do is gather up a lot of sap, like a tin can's worth. What I do is drill tiny holes in the bottom of the tin can, then sit it in a larger can, like a tuna can. Then you cook it over a fire. The sap will melt, and impurities will be left behind behind the holes. The good stuff will flow into the lower can. You just have to be careful to not cook it too much or else it turns into turpentine. What you're left with is a black goop, which you can dip some small sticks into. You don't need much. Once the goop hardens, it's like a plastic and totally waterproof (they used to coat ships with it) and catches fire instantly. But it's not an aggressive fire, just a steady one, and burns for a very long time. Works extremely well... and smells good to boot

[@elonmust7470]

I can't tell you how many hundreds of pitch warming fires I've started in the pouring rain up in the Southern Oregon logging woods. I'm pretty sure that I could start a pitch fire underwater haha. All I ever used was just pitch wood laying on the ground.

[@trooper6762]

Only Paul can make an interesting 50 minute video on fire starting that basically teaches us, “buy a good fire starter, have redundant starting tools, use them so you know what you’re doing.” Thank you Paul. As my inner Boy Scout days kept thinking of all the “stick rubbing” techniques I learned during this presentation you once again have simplified the process down to a level that I would have to be a fool to try the old ways as a primary, or even a secondary.

[@matthewryan9323]

Not even sure they *really* teach "stick rubbing" techniques to Boy Scouts any more, either, although it's probably flint/steel or ferro-rods for the most part nowadays...

[@YodasKitchen]

Paul reminds the best of us to think about what we have, what we carry, what we do, and what we drill on !

[@tedcollins4684]

Had a boy scout fire starter: rock, steel and tinder. Tried and tried and tried, but never earned that badge.

[@flashwashington2735]

As a man who forgot the poles for the 14' family tent, then proceeded to pitch it with paracord, dead branches, (for horizontal poles ), a child's fishing rod, (to cast sinkered line over high tree branch, then pull cord over high branch of a huge pine tree. Your father and the cigar lighter, like my riveted audience tent spectacle, Are the things of legends. Friends, wife, and children still talk about it to this day. People love the dog and pony shows. God bless you sir.

[@legacy1776sibes]

I would love more of these kinds of videos from you. This, and similar videos y'all have made, is actually about staying safe while outdoors, and not some subtle advertisement or apocalyptic stuff from a channel with the word "survival" in it.

[@ScrappyXFL]

👍Yea, I'd rather see the content of the video rather than "how to survive using yada yada"

[@nonamegiven]

+1 for more of these videos.

[@williamflowers9435]

I concur… I especially love it when Paul decide to “bore” us

[@williamflowers9435]

@@ScrappyXFL yeah, it doesn’t take long to recognize that your actually watching an infomercial for whatever product sponsored or sent free stuff to the channel… I’ll take Paul’s Shatneresqe pauses and speech impediments any day.

[@williamflowers9435]

Have you watched all his holiday specials?

[@cummins24421]

Cotton balls covered with Vaseline works as well. Nasty black smoke but they light easily and burn a long time in just about any conditions. Keep a bunch in a tin or a container with a lighter and/or matches.

[@moosemaimer]

I keep a tin with a ferro rod, cotton balls, and a stick of lip balm.

[@warpedweirdo]

Those cotton balls covered in PJ work wonders.

[@cmikewilson]

The black smoke is what kept me looking. Currently I like waxed jute rope through a metal tube. You can fray it to take a spark and control the size of the flame. Or cut a piece off and use it. (And yes I made some and keep it in my cargo pocket with a few other things. :)

[@warpedweirdo]

@@cmikewilson If the wood to be lit is moist, I'll ignore the minimal black smoke and be thankful I have something that burns well enough and long enough to light off relatively wet kindling. And I'll light the cotton ball off with a Bic lighter. If that lighter fails, I'll resort to a 2nd Bic lighter. If that fails, I'll resort to those stupid storm-proof matches. If that fails, maybe then I'll use a fero rod, assuming I bothered to bring one. (My experiments with one in the Sierra-Nevada mountain range were very discouraging.)

[@elonmust7470]

Pitch wood is better.

[@peteraugust5295]

I experiment a lot with charcloth and traditional firemaking. One thing I do for that reason is picking up some tinder early in the day. The dry grass you see around you might be wet, but if you keep this inbetween your T-Shirt and your jacket for a few hours it will easily be dry enough to function as tinder.

[@SamTheEnglishTeacher]

Instructions were unclear, I now have mulched grass all around my scrote.

[@seniorchonkza997]

Itchy

[@sportosp-0158]

@@seniorchonkza997 Not really effective if you sweat the way some people do. *points at self*

[@rin_tinsilver3593]

also can make you sweat, plus not comfy

[@69CamaroSS]

A clump of dryer lint is almost as good as charcloth….AND FREE!!

[@Prosecute-fauci]

Jack London wrote a short story called “to build a fire”. In the end, the guy ends up dying because he built his life saving fire under a pine tree, the fire melted the snow on the tree and it fell into his fire, extinguishing it. Be careful under trees with your fires.

[@Matt-xc6sp]

That guy deserved it for trying to make his dog into a pair of mittens.

[@tikkidaddy]

I almost mentioned that. One of my favorite stories. "It certainly was cold...Ill be alright, Ill be in camp with " the boys" mentality can in fact kill if a lack of forethought and preparation is a factor😂

[@jeffreyleonard7210]

Truth. Start close to the tree, not under the snow-packed and wind-shaken fan. Find a tree with a big, low, live branch & tent some green boughs to protect the fire. Or 'build a fire' under some makeshift lean-to of sorts. That story occupied my country boy mind, kept me up at night, got me in trouble at first for the smoke while tinkering with how-to. My dad understood the effort. He had read that story too.

[@SnakeSea]

I remember reading this short story in school! Great reference and cautionary tale. Quick edit: if the tree Paul is sitting under is anything like the others in the background of this vid/environment, then thankfully there is little-to-no snow on the branches and there isn’t too much of a hazard IMO. Still something to be aware of though, for certain.

[@tombowombo-]

I watched 23 minutes in before I came to post this exact comment, so thank you. Jacob Geller's video "Fear of Cold" details just how brutal winter can be.

[@richardthomas6602]

If you carry a folding saw and a knife suitable for batoning, dry fire wood and fire starter can be found in the wettest of conditions. The wood inside larger (4" diameter and above) dead fall will remain dry even during days of heavy rain. "Let's put it to the test."

[@kiwi_comanche]

The 5 Ps. Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance. I've taught my 3 kids that building a fire in adverse conditions is much the same as going though life in general. If you take the time to prepare fully, the better your chances of success. My 8 year old daughter can light a fire no problem now!!! She recently went on a "Residential" which here in the UK is a trip lasting a few days with school. A great deal of it was bushcraft, and Kenzi ended up being asked by the instructors to help with the teaching!!!! Proud father right here!!!!

[@simonsimons1252]

If Paul made an hourlong "How to sit and wait to make sure your paint's dry" video, I'd watch it.

[@Tycoma509]

I used to camp in the desert a lot and many times I’d run out of paper or any kindling. With a breeze and no kindling or any decent grasses or plants available I found that Doritos, corn chips and misc processed snack foods worked well! The oils will burn easily and can withstand the wind and get the materials going. It saved my butt a few times! Thx Paul for the never ending plethora of outdoor and hardware knowledge! Happy holidays!! 🤙🏽

[@quantumkids9659]

Thanks for this tip

[@bombomos]

This is a fucking life saver

[@cuntontheweb2657]

I always take a bag of stale chips with me when I'm going to make a fire, even if I don't need it it's pretty fun to throw it on all at once lol.

[@murphylhunn]

Good advice! Works weirdly well. I prefer Cool Ranch for the irony.

[@ctdieselnut]

I've found this out by putting some chips that fell on the floor into my woodstove, they caught and went up like I dipped them in kerosene lol. Remember, calories is a unit measure of heat (1 cal = 1°c temp rise of one cm³ of water iirc). You may be surprised how well most dry food burns, and anything oily usually helps. A piece of bread, popcorn, uncooked ramen, etc.

[@Chudchanning]

Forever a legend, RIP sir

[@fryingpan9812]

I appreciate him unboxing the battery on camera. He new people would say the battery was dead in case it didn't work.

[@rcfokker1630]

The battery might have worked better if it were warmed up. I'm speculating.

[@saccaed]

Having started fires with steel wool(in a wood shop) as soon as he said it wasn't fresh that clued me in. Fresh steel wool, 00 or 000 ideally, starts right up and will gladly burn down your shop if a battery tips into a bag full(happened in my uncles shop where thankfully he had a bucket on hand to quickly take the burning wool outside). I wouldn't carry the stuff around for starting a fire, but fresh steel wool does work.

[@earlyriser8998]

It does work with fine steel wool but not sos pads which are coarser and have chemicals

[@SuperUncleRyan]

Steel wool works so well that I consider it a fire hazard in my shop. I make sure to keep it in a safe place. Of course it does need to be the finer style. I believe it's 000 or 0000. I'm not sure that an SOS pad is the right "grit."

[@GeoffCostanza]

I've also made a fire with this trick, but only once. It worked very well for me, but it also burned out quickly.

[@chaimafaghet7343]

Can we get a round of applause for the Coughlin's Fire Stick valiantly trying to set fire to the woods for damn near 10 minutes.

[@ORflycaster]

You bet. I was watching it with respect the entire time Paul was talking.

[@smportis]

13-14 minutes if I looked at the timing Mark’s correctly.

[@shadowman8787]

Here, here! Lol😂😂

[@BAdventures]

I use cardboard tube fire starters. Cut the cardboard tubes to desired size and pack them with lint, cotton buds, or more carboard. Also a spray can of WD-40 to lubricate my bow/hack saw blade and accelerant fuel. I carry a disposable lighter and box of matches in a plastic zip bag. Simple and effective. Good demo I enjoyed watching your methods 👍

[@dandlong]

As a longtime hiker I have carried exactly what Paul carries and I really mean exactly. I always thought it might be to much, or not very sporting or challenging,and I just couldn’t change my way. I can say I have never not had a fire if I wanted it in any weather condition including in the rain. To the homemade fire starter people and primitive starters out there I say, just because I could do it,doesn’t mean I would. I feel some redundancy’s are very important in life. Thank you Paul

[@solomonstello]

Flint strikers, storm proof matches, steel wool, lighter fluid. That's how I roll. Forget the silliness of trying to use friction to start a fire. 😆🙄

[@stevel3o7]

Butane torches and fire starter material such as cotton ball / paraffin.

[@wyattlewis7137]

@@solomonstello I carry storm matches, a flint, and Vaseline cotton

[@papimaximus95]

My fire kit: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZu5h2qrq5Klm7c

[@FRANK45CASTLE]

Its one thing to challenge yourself to make a primitive fire, but relying on it miles from civilization is really not a good way to gamble with your life. As long as you got a fire who cares how its made. Ive seen primitive fire making experts not be able to make a fire due to weather and its not worth better your life on. Sometimes having a fire is life and death scenario.

[@Archangel144]

Multiple layers of redundant equipment stored in several different places is my key takeaway. Trying to find a way to start a fire without modern conventional means may be a nice exercise in cleverness, but avoiding the need wins every time.

[@twestgard2]

Two things that would make this better: grocery stores have tons of paraffin soaked cardboard, which is super light, fairly waterproof, and is amazing at building a tiny flame into something that can sustain a fire. Also my primary kit includes a pack of char cloth because there are many ways to make a tiny spark or hot coal, but it’s the char cloth that turns a spark into something you can use to get tinder going. Yes, it’s a backup but it’s a fantastic backup that opens up a lot of options.

[@mpetersen6]

Haven't camped in over 40 years. But when the wife wants a fire on the patio paper grocery pags help. One source of coated paper products I can think of is cereal or cracker boxes. Keep it in a ziplock bag. If you are in a campground and not backpacking a self lighting propane torch is handy.

[@halfseamusracing9073]

This will date me, but when I was backpacking as a youth, I'd carry two film cannisters as emergency fire starting kits. One had cotton balls smeared with vaseline, the other had a dozen or so strike anywhere matches in it.

[@itsapittie]

I don't remember a lot from my military survival training decades ago but one of the things that has stuck with me is that if you can build a fire you probably won't die.

[@stevecooper2873]

Unless it attracts unfriendly fire ;-)

[@itsapittie]

@@stevecooper2873 LOL! Yeah, there is that part.

[@dragonhealer7588]

For super adverse conditions, my go-to is a road flare. I don't routinely carry one in my regular pack, but I always have 3 in my road kit. Also, you are not mistaken about strike anywhere matches. The ones available today suck. As a dabbler in fireworks and similar pursuits, I have learned to make my own strike anywhere matches. Please note, DON'T make your chlorate tip chemical too sensitive! Also, gum Arabic is a better binder than shellac. Also, nitrocellulose lacquer makes a good waterproofing, just the tip please 😊

[@soulesailor]

One thing I like to bring along is a torch lighter. For those who aren't familiar it's a lighter that runs on refined butane, is refillable and throws a torch flame that won't go out in the wind. Very handy and very popular on trips. Everyone borrows it. I actually carry 2 in case one runs out of fuel.

[@carlrasmussen3267]

Blazer brand for instance

[@KevinSmith-os5yz]

They also throw the flame any direction you point it, not just up. That's why they are about all I use these days. In fact they can be cheaper to purchase than a Bic also.

[@arnox4554]

One thing I'm very curious about though is electric rechargeable lighters. Think it would be insanely handy to have a very durable waterproof solar-charging lighter... If they actually work.

[@chaimafaghet7343]

@@arnox4554 They'll light a cigarette, but you really want a flame to light up literally anything else.

[@arnox4554]

@@chaimafaghet7343 If it could light a cigarrete though, then why wouldn't it be able to light some tinder?

[@kenboyles72]

To add to the list of possible fire starting methods, is a regular stick candle. You can cut them into shorter lengths, around 2 inches long or so and you can get many pieces from it. Since they are bigger, they are also a lot stronger than cake candles and are less likely to break, plus they burn a lot longer. Yes, I do have some in my pack. Also, if you a compass with a magnifier lens on it, it can start a fire as well, takes some time, but it does work. Yes, I have tested it. In my pack right now, I have 8 different ways to start a fire, cause if you are stranded, fire is crucial to survival. Not just for warmth or light, but for cooking.

[@solomonstello]

What are your eight methods?

[@Rugsadventures]

A lot of people better be watching this man because we are going to need these skills the way things are going

[@frankbergstrom7621]

Living in Southeast Alaska where it is sometimes wetter in the woods than standing in the bay, I am all for the wax-sawdust ball, commercial fire sticks, a half dozen lighters, and a torch butane lighter in a little dry bag. But, the unit you can count on is the road flare in a Foodsaver vacuum bag. 15 minutes of white hot heat that will dry and ignite damp/wet wood. Great video, many thanks.

[@Henry-lz3vi]

I use the wax sawdust balls along with dryer lint, that stuff catches fire easily as well. I carry them in one of those tall pill bottles with my ferro rod. I carry a road flare sometimes too, those things work great. I never thought of vacuum sealing them if they are already in a package but it’s not a bad idea and il probably try it out.

[@2centsam927]

Frank, u took the words out of my mouth.

[@BBQDad463]

The best thing about the road flare, IMHO, is that it is almost totally foolproof even if one is shivering and one's fine motor skills are pretty much gone. I added two of the 30-minute flares to my fire kit right after I saw the idea on Far North Bushcraft. When I absolutely, positively _must_ have a fire, I want a road flare, and another road flare.

[@takingbacktoxic7898]

There are always 3 road flares in my pack as my emergency fire starters. There is nothing better for a fire starter.

[@frankbergstrom7621]

@@Henry-lz3vi Outstanding! Thanks for the reply.

[@mountainman971]

Fwiw, all of my kits also include a ferrocium rod. Quick anecdote. I thought I knew how to start a fire, my dad taught me "one match fires" growing up, basically exactly like you showed with a bit more attention to preparation and conserving resources. I brought a box of the good old style strike anywhere matches and a trusty bic. Couldn't get so much as a flame from either. (Winter in the Rockies, high elevation.) When I got back to town, I shared my experience with my dad, he got a skeptical look on his face and agreed to come up the next weekend and "show me what I did wrong." He too was unable to produce flame. I had done research that week and purchased my first Ferro rod which I brought along. Fire was had, student became teacher. It's a phenomenon that I describe to people as not enough oxygen. Probably just too cold for the lighter but, too cold for a match too? Ferro rod burns at a higher temperature and apparently is less susceptible to "no oxygen." And when your hands are cold and lacking dexterity, Ferro rod is easier to use (with adequate handle on rod and striker/ knife.)

[@kriskodisko]

The higher you go, oxygen is thinner. Ferro doesn't burn so much as it just sparks. The "burning" uses oxygen regardless, so a successful fire means fire can thrive in that environment. The physical properties of things change as they get cold. Such as the materials that make up a match getting brittle and gummy, or the ability of the butane in a BIC to properly disperse - more of an aerosol mist when warm, a sluggish whisper when cold.

[@8d4o0c4]

Thank you for talking about the dramatic drop match quality - I noticed that a couple of weeks ago when building a campfire with my kids. We went through almost an entire little box of matches before getting one to light!

[@jimbob465]

Matches are a novelty now. Crap people keep over the fireplace or next to the scented candles at home. I've noticed winter coats aren't very warm anymore. It's all skiing gear, no one makes a good stand outside in -10 all day coat anymore.

[@hansjohannsen6722]

The last us book match co is nearby..look for "D.D. Bean and sons" on the spine

[@Bucky1836]

@@hansjohannsen6722 i got a package of em they strike good, here in texas we get mexican matches on cactus tines they strike well too

[@agentoranj5858]

​@@jimbob465 I think we're victims of a continuous cycle of product revisions that leave them a little bit worse but a little bit cheaper to the consumer and a lot cheaper to the manufactuer, or revisions that add useless but marketable new features at the cost of making the product worse at what it was originally supposed to do. We also have a lot of people who either aren't willing or aren't able to pay good money for good quality, and are trapped in the false economy.

[@Louzahsol]

@@jimbob465 filson mackinaw cruiser, an old surplus pea coat and a wool sweater are my go to’s because they will keep you warm

[@warped8425]

The steel wool with 9v battery thing does work well. You just need to find the steel wool from the hardware section. This has no soap, only the very thin oil layer from the manufacturing process.

[@billj5645]

And there are different grades of steel wool which relates to how thin the individual fibers are, I wonder if the grade with thinner fibers would work better.

[@ottojones3162]

OOOO steel wool teased, will burn well.

[@lornemarr]

I have found 0000 bulldog burns really hot and a couple drops of gun oil speeds it up. great for damp kindling. If you put gasoline on it and short your 9v it will burn you.

[@paulgrogan8032]

As much as I love the shooting data,holiday specials,reviews ect. These survival video's are fabulous.

[@hornmonk3zit]

A quick note about starting fires under trees in the winter is you should always be aware of tree wells. If there's a ton of snowfall you shouldn't go anywhere near the underside of spruce or pine trees, it may look like you have a nice ready-made shelter to build a fire under but it's pretty easy for all that snow trapped on top of the tree to dump right on top of you and bury you. There's no escaping six feet of snow on top of your head, maybe camp under an oak or something. Edit: Also you can make your own version of those instant fire starters by wrapping a strike "anywhere" match in duct tape. Duct tape burns like no tomorrow and it has a million other uses, I recommend tearing out the cardboard from the middle of a roll so you can squish it flat and tossing it in your pack.

[@benscoles3067]

Jack London made a short story about that, "to start a fire" I think it was. Good short read

[@benkempf]

First thing I thought when he said that the tree protected the ground was that meant all the snow was up in the tree.

[@kane357lynch]

No tree is holding enough snow to bury a man under 6 foot of snow. You can put out your camp fire and dump snow down yourself and ensure your death yes but not being buried in snow. Its freezing to death because you lost your fire and are covered in water from melted snow that went down your jacket.

[@hornmonk3zit]

@@kane357lynch kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIqZhIewl9Sfirc Literally a kid almost dying on video right here. First result on google.

[@crankygunreviews]

Another great survival video from a I guy we can all trust- because he has not corporate sponsors, and actually does this stuff

[@maxlutz3674]

Yep. And it doesn´t cut from scraping a few sparks into semi-dry tinder to a blazing fire.

[@jackhall290]

It was nice of Paul to show us his extensive fire starting implements, and I think it's fairly evident that he's had those implements for a very long time 😂

[@matochkinsaasia7350]

This asmr video lasts a very long time. Joke. I use engine oil on a cotton shirt lit by a bic lighter all stored in a slide lock bag.

[@jamessmith-ow1bf]

@@matochkinsaasia7350 Soaked cotton rope, cotton balls and shirts will work but his candle suggestion seems simplest and most practical. However I use larger candles.

[@brianmccarthy5557]

I can hardly wait until.Oregon and Washington ban firestarting gear due to "global warming" or air pollution. Fortunately Paul has this video to prove he's owned these things for a "veey long time"!

[@dougbotimer8005]

I’m happy to see a fire making video using the simple, every day ignition sources and good fire building techniques. Truly useful rather than a gadget show. And 100% agree on spending a couple bucks for commercials fire starters versus intentions to make the ultimate fire starters. By the was, some of those intended for lighting charcoal grills are the cheapest and most reliable.

[@h20bp]

One (dry) briquette of match light charcoal will go a long way...

[@350legend3]

I use cardboard egg carton cups. Fill the cups with dryer lint then pour melted wax over them (not too much wax, just enough to cover the lint). Then cut them into individual cups. You light the underside of the egg cup and it will burn up to 20 minutes. Coughlans fire sticks work too, I usually have some of them and some of the egg cups. Thanks for another good and thought provoking video!

[@BerZerker1963]

I learned this as a Boy Scout way back in the 70s! I still collect the lint after every load and make something similar for fish camp, camping in general, outdoor and indoor fireplace at home (cardboard egg caddies are hard to find around here nowadays. Mostly plastic). So now I line a cookie sheet with wax paper, lay out a layer of lint, pour a small amount of paraffin over it, then another layer of lint, let it dry somewhat, then roll it up lengthwise. I cut that into finger size portions and take what I think I’ll need in a ziplock bag. I’ll cut a slice off, coin size, loosen the outside edge to make a little wick, cover with tinder and that’s that. Don’t need much. Good way to dispose of your lint, too.

[@winowarrior9392]

You may have seen this, but you can use facial pads the round wipes (big roll very cheap) and soak them in wax then stamp them into fourths and you can stack them up, doesn't take TOO much room, and then for every "biscuit" you have four fires. The cotton stays dry under the wax, they are totally waterproof and even if you have already broken it up and it gets wet, it will still burn. Tested and true. I stole it from KZbinz so I cannot take any credit, but this is a great way to have a firestarter for super cheap. Plus, what do you do with your old wasted candle-wax!!? THIS hahahahaa

[@thystaff742]

You can cheat by using beeswax and lint/cotton. No need to melt the wax. Cotton balls work best, and will burn for 5 minutes. Plenty of time to get a fire going.

[@CHNO-ev4rg]

seconding this, the lint will catch a spark from a flint on the first try if it is dry and you expose some of it too and the long burn time gives plenty of opportunity to get the fire going.

[@edkuehn9884]

Great presentation. 1 thing paul didn't mention that many folks often have is alcohol wipes including prep pads in 1st aid kits - highly flammable and work like a wick until the alcohol burns off. Thanks Paul. Awesome channel.

[@nirfz]

And since covid, some people may have some hand sanitzer gel around... the stuff i tried is like liquid fuel tablets in a convenient little bottle.

[@himemjam]

Thanks for this fine gift Mr. Harrell. I learned how to safely make fire as a cub scout many years ago. It became the cornerstone of my knowledge of the outdoors. Today, thanks to you I added to it. There are not many better uses of one's time than sitting by the fire and learning something that may save your life one day from Paul Harrell.

[@blkmoon33]

Growing up in North Idaho, I forget people don't know the basics of outdoor survival. I think I learned how to build a fire when I was 5 or 6. The birthday candle idea is a good one. You make this look way easier than it actually is Paul.

[@danielmacdonald8358]

It really is scary how many people don't know how to start a fire I grew up in the north western parts of Pennsylvania in the Appalachian mountains starting a fire was like learning to swim you did it very young and had to be proficient....

[@blkmoon33]

@@danielmacdonald8358 Absolutely we had to learn lots of what people consider survival skills. I've always thought of it as just life skills. One thing we've always used is wax poured into egg cartons with drier lint and wood chips. Hamster bedding works in a pinch. Cut the carton up when it solidifies, you get 12 starters per.

[@1pcfred]

I was a pyromaniac when I was younger so I have no problem starting fires now. It was a phase all kids went through. Who remembers making vooters? Man we used to love to burn plastic and let it drip. Voot, voot, voot. The king of vooters is wrapping a trash bag around a branch. VOOT!

[@danielmacdonald8358]

@@1pcfred I almost burned down a garage full of expensive cars when I was a kid burning plastic bags on sticks...my dad beat the pyro out of me I was about seven or eight.....good time taught me a valuable lesson lol

[@1pcfred]

@@danielmacdonald8358 fire is mesmerizing. It's really what put sapiens on the map. The use of fire stretches back at least ten timers longer than our species has even existed. Which is some mind boggling stuff.

[@chuckpoore]

When I was younger I and my buddies did a lot of backpacking, and most of the time we did so under good conditions, so starting a fire normally was no big deal. But we did have several occasions of rainy weather and at least twice we were starting a fire at night in the rain. We didn't plan this, but it did work. All of us carried a roll of TP in a zip lock bag for obvious reasons. We found that you could wrap the twigs in the TP, and roll up little bunches of it under the tinder. It was very easy to light and it did stay lit long enough to dry out the smallest tinder and get it going. We did hold our poncho over it to shield it from the rain while we were working with it, because of course wet TP is useless. But we found if we were careful it did work to get a fire going. I wouldn't recommend that as a primary process, but it's an example of using something you had for another purpose. And it did work, and I used it on several occasions. It's a bit redneck, but then so am I.

[@jayoutdoors07m96]

A good ferro rod with cotton ball and Vaseline is a great firestarter in wet / high winds as you can light it very low to the ground / inside your fire bundle. A ferro rod will work with natural tinders as well but I requires some time and processing.

[@joshevans7175]

Love these style videos! If you ever need to save money on ammo, bushcraft is a great topic.

[@TerryC69]

Hi Paul! I always watch and leave a like, but normally don't comment. Today will be an exception. I want to express my appreciation for all the valuable information you have shared on this channel over the years AND the unique and very entertaining way you choose to present it. Merry Christmas!

[@dirtfarmer7472]

I agree with you. Mr Harrell, for all the work that you do for us the viewers of your videos Thank You Sir I know there are many things that I need to do for or that, I just don’t do them. It’s not I’m gonna I just don’t.

[@WolfShadowhill]

I’ll admit in all my years backpacking and starting fires under averse conditions I’ve never thought to bring candles but that’s actually brilliant! I can also see a tea light being a good choice due to their flat profile and ease of lighting, I’ll certainly be adding some to my ruck

[@arctanx4745]

A note on preparation. Gathering tinder and wood before starting a fire really means gathering enough wood before lighting the fire. And enough means "when you think it's enough, gather more". It's just like butter in cooking. Nothing is worse than letting an already existing fire go out because you don't have enough (of the right) wood to keep it going.

[@stedmanwheless5372]

If you happen to be a bee keeper, wax covered paper towels are easy to make, extremely light, and you can mold them to whatever size you want for whatever container. They also burn brightly, are waterproof, rigid and burn very slowly. Might be an interesting alternative.

[@thystaff742]

You can get beeswax from black women's hair product section.

[@jwalters9089]

My bees are always giving us things.

[@bunhelsingslegacy3549]

I was just gonna comment that! It's what I use for lighting my smoker when the pine needles aren't dry enough! Though if you don't have bees or wax, cooking oil or bacon grease does the trick too. Paraffin from cheap candles would also work.

[@prototype3a]

Thank you, Mr. Harrell.

[@dlondon1144]

When I did my NRA course in Montana back in 1975, we used a brillo pad (rinsed free of soap and dried) and a "D" cell battery. It worked every time -- same with 9v's. When I did my fieldcraft course with the British army in 2011, they had another idea that was even more fun. We each carried a small vial of potassium permanganate in our first aid kits to purify water and to make wound washes. Likewise, many of us had alcohol gel hand sanitiser. If you had the really thick gel, you could mix it with the potassium permanganate and in about 15 seconds you would get an energetic "exothermic reaction." Funzies! (Brake fluid works even better!) Oh, and duct tape makes a great accelerant as well.

[@MrDugbo171]

I live in British Columbia and were lucky to have birch trees everywhere, their bark burns great even soaking wet. Also I'm a guy who tends to sweat a lot so corn chips are in my pack with water to supplement salt loss and dehydration, corn chips also burn very well. Find what works for you and practice :) Great video Paul.

[@elonmust7470]

pine pitch wood... Every old rotton pine stump/ log has some in it. Carve up some shavings and they'll go in the pouring rain.

[@donscheid97]

A trick I learned (and do carry and have used often) is use an egg carton and stuff the cells with dryer lint and melt Paraffin wax into it including the carton. Break the cells into individual fire starters. Dry, super easy to light and produces a large flame.

[@captaincodebook3200]

Paul, those dried lower level branches close to the trunk are "fatwood". They contain a lot of the pine tar and if shaved take a flame like its gasoline soaked.

[@bbb462cid]

that's not heartwood and that's not a dead tree...pine tar good but not all wood with tar on it is fatwood

[@jeffreyleonard7210]

Pine cones, the brown ones, as well

[@tikkidaddy]

Fatwood is often best found in DEAD pines where the wood fiber has decomposed. The remaining wood has been soaked full and saturated in resin, it can also be found in dead pine stumps, red pine is an excellent source. But...shave it thinly and scrape it , and yes it will go up quite nicely

[@seanoneil277]

@@tikkidaddy There's also more fatty pine, often grown in SE USA tree farms for various purposes, and sometimes found w/ luck in nature otherwise. These little fatty pine grow fast & close to the ground, and are harvested much faster than even a lodgepole of the kind found in PacNW USA.

[@jamesjames3146]

@@bbb462cid You're right, and that's not a Pine tree, it's a Fir tree.

[@rilesmattix5217]

Good point about trying to be a "dont" person instead of a "wouldnt" person. This idea really struck me when I went to the range in below freezing conditions; I wore my full kit and half my gear failed. The gun oil was too viscous and the gun light primer strikes half the time, for example. Really taught me a lot.

[@nirfz]

Reading that it makes me realize that some of us have an "unfair" advantage. I am from an alpine country that still has conscription. My basica training was during winter, and one thing we were told was to wipe our guns dry form lubricant before going out in freezing conditions. Dry always runs better than with freezing lubricant. So some of us even got paid (although very little) for getting told stuff and trying it out.

[@lisamcqueen8509]

Yes Paul, good intentions! Now, yes, my wife and i, use to mke firestarter with wax and newspaper. Used mostly to light charcoal grill, unburnt candles, canning wax melted, poured over layers of newspaper. Works great! Thanks for sharing, Steve

[@NotFound-lt9jq]

Ahh, progress! I would agree wholeheartedly that today, things like matches have been ‘improved’ to the point that their SO safe, that they no longer work. Thanks ‘progress’, you’ve been so helpful in making me so ‘safe’ that I can no longer intentionally start a fire!

[@jerrywhitfill2236]

Just like cigarettes that won’t stay lit for safety…bet you couldn’t light dynamite fuses with todays cigarettes! Maybe cigars / cigarillos. And Paul, new cars don’t have lighters only power outlets!!

[@paulhare662]

I went to the store to buy mini blinds so I could hang myself with the pull strings. I was horrified to find that mini blinds with strings are illegal now and no longer sold.

[@coloradoprofessionalinspec720]

My personal favorite is Vaseline soaked cotton balls in a ziplock bag. I have them squirrel away in all of my vehicles, backpacks, and other emergency supplies here and there. They seem to work well under almost all circumstances as tinder. If you live in the East there is the option of birch bark, but since I'm in the west, like you Paul, this is what works best for me.

[@elonmust7470]

a matchbox sized chunk of pine pitch wood is 10x better.

[@georgee.juscott2686]

@@elonmust7470 ; Now you, my friend. Indeed know what you’re talking about. It doesn’t take 50 minutes to start a fire. Or to even explain how to start one. You can start one with a BIC lighter that’s out of gas. That and one simple item. Instant flame! I am in the process of starting my channel. Mine is in no way geared around marketing! A lot of people are losing their homes. I just want to help my fellow man or woman to survive off the grid. Would you be interested, in exchanging ideas? Guys like us, are the real deal outdoorsman. I could tell that the instant I read your reply. Thank you for posting that.

[@elonmust7470]

@@georgee.juscott2686 Sure I guess.

[@justinl9677]

Awww, a budding bromance! Now THAT warms the cockles of MY heart!

[@bryanepp5340]

Birthday candles! Never thought of those. Great idea!!! After several hours of interruptions I finally got to listen to the whole video. It is refreshing, watching someone do this candidly, without cuts and splices to the video. Gives a much better idea of how fire starting/making actually looks like.

[@Hawk1966]

I was a scout leader and exploring advisor for a decade or more. One day I stopped by my local hole in the wall deli, ordered a sandwich and while they were making orders I browsed around the few shelves they had I came across a dozen, dusty, Diamond strike anywheres. I grabbed them all. Store owner was suspicious of me buying a dozen boxes of matches until I showed him my Exploring leadership ID. I kept two boxes (still have 3/4s of a box left 28 years later) gave my dad one and the rest I gave to my senior advisor. Like gold they were.

[@markchase5323]

I know how hard these are to find. I usually get them at the Co-op store in Snohomish, WA or at the Grange store in Issaquah, WA. These are both farm and ranch membership stores that sell to the public, as well. There may be one near you that might carry those strike anywhere matches.

[@readtherealanthonyfaucibyr6444]

It can't be a complicated recipe to make effective ones. One of those things that if someone could make reliable ones and make them in the USA, they'd be sittin' on a gold mine.

[@ElainesDomain]

A very good shortcut is a cotton ball covered with Vaseline starts easily. Also carry a few charcoal briquettes. Those burn hot and add a good foundation for adding large pieces of firewood once it's burning. EDIT. Spelling

[@perniciouspete4986]

I've made a few charcoal briskets in my day, but they're expensive and too bulky to carry more than one or two.

[@ElainesDomain]

Briskets? LOL. I'll fix my post. Thanks..

[@ReichenbachEsq]

I love the story about your father improvising to make a picnic fire without matches or a lighter! I have 4 children. I hope they each have a cool story to recount about their old man like this as well ❤️

[@trevorwilson6609]

Too bad most newer cars don't have cigar lighters anymore. Power sockets, yes, but no lighters.

[@maiyannah]

I always tell people: dreams and ideas are fine, but nothing replaces getting out there and actually testing these theories.

[@captainwyattoutdoors1636]

I love the "one take" format. Well done. Very entertaining, educational, and relaxing to watch.

[@tapioperala3010]

The importance of having multiple layers of tools to start a fire was drilled in me in FDF. I've got at least a box of large (maybe 5 cm long) matches, at least two boxes of normal sized matches, at least two boxes of normal sized matches in a Minigrip bag (to make sure no moisture can get in) *and* a gas lighter designed for windy conditions. If everything else fails, I've got tinderbox equipment. I also always carry something to with starting the fire (newspaper magazines, etc.) just to make sure that when I want a fire, I'll be able to get a fire. Trust me. When you need a fire, you got to have means of making that fire. It is the most important thing. Edit: A fine fire starter "equipment" is also "fire starter rose"; you take the egg cell (the thing that holds an egg) and soak it in melted candles. They can be really nice looking and they light up like a vegan in a meat shop. These can easily work as ie. presents for people who go out camping, etc. I haven't done a single one, at least so far, but my ex-wife used to make 'em. The only downside of these is that they take a lot of space, so they're not as convenient as ie. that fire puck. But they are cheap and they work, and they are pretty much impervious to moisture.

[@Kratos_God_of_50_BMG]

I like to keep at least 2 or 3 windproof/waterproof "torch lighters" that have never failed me. I also keep a magnesium fire starter kit handy as well.

[@JamesgnuoY1]

Bic lighters (you can carry multiple and they are cheap) they are easy to waterproof and if you have some 100MPH tape wrapped around your gear somewhere, can be used as firestarter (like what you used the matches/candled, etc. I wrap my lighters with a few strips of 100 MPH tape just for this purpose (And this is part of my EDC, I found that a handle on the cheap metal clamps you can get at home depot fit really snug over the top of your bic lighter which gives me some waterproofing (and can double as firestarter), but the 100MPH tape works great and I like to keep it wrapped around the lighter so you sort of have a handy firestarter kit handy enough to EDC.

[@jstefa2]

bic lighters are kinda crap... what i carry is one of those jet flame lighters... its always nice standing on the bow of the speed boat and light your cigar while everyone else huddle in the cubby todo it :D if it lights at 25 knots in the wind it will light under a tree. and its a cheapo plastic one 2 dollars and it has been going strong for the last 6 years.

[@Charles-A]

Clipper lighters are a good upgrade to those. Replaceable stones and rechargeable

[@kaleozoberst8965]

This was an interesting and valuable topic. I have 4 comments: 1. I think you may have been misinformed by someone about the 9V/steel wool ignition method. The way I learned it, you carry a few tufts/balls of the wool impregnated with petroleum jelly. You carry them in something like a plastic 35mm film canister--remember those? That works a lot better than without the jelly for tinder and ignition. 2. There is a brand of compressed sawdust+wax firestarters called "Lightnin' Nuggets. They're made for starting woodstove fires. They're medium sized and come in various sized boxes. Pretty cheap. I carry 3-4 in my pack. Maybe evaluate those? 3. Was there a reason you didn't evaluate the Milspec magnesium firestarters? 4. In really wet conditions, there's always room in a pack for a DOT highway flare. Better yet, if you can find coal "mice", which are basically just mini-flares with a wire fuse, made to start coal fires. Cheers

[@botox9907]

With the tiny candle: light them all at home for a few seconds. The blackened pit will light easier in the field with just a tiny short times flame.

[@foxcm2000]

Obviously you checked the weather forecast for where I'm at in the midwest Paul! Oh, and when building a fire under a tree, remember the lesson from Jack London's To Build A Fire: don't do it under a tree that's heavily laden with snow that can avalanche and bury you & the fire.

[@jctedsap]

I was thinking about that Jack London story myself.

[@dorbie]

My favorite part of this video is pulling out the lighter to start the fire. Finally, some sensible fire starting advice.

[@Storm_Dev]

Hey Paul, I don't know how much this will mean to you coming from a young whippersnapper, but your content always makes me smile! The fact that you can do what you do, at your age, have fun with it and connect with tons of people, is amazing. It's super wholesome and goodhearted to see you, and any video guest pals get along. Thanks Paul! You take care!

[@GeoffCostanza]

Haha he's not that old! I think he's only around 50.

[@fixerupperer]

@@GeoffCostanza yeah, this comment made me feel old and im 46

[@jamesmainstream3112]

@@GeoffCostanza Probably means relative to his own age, but I agree that I do not consider Paul 'old'.

[@markp6062]

Thanks, Paul! Most solid piece of advice is always "Get out there and do the things with the stuff." Don't wait for the opportunity to be freezing and wet cold to figure out all the ways it can go wrong.

[@youtubeisasshoe69]

One of the things I started carrying years ago was dryer lint in a baggie, almost weightless and packs down small. Works great as dry tinder.

[@jamesr792]

A bit of dryer lint and a few small bits of dry wood go a LONG way.

[@jman1121]

That's what boy scouts taught us. Dryer lint, and flint, plus a knife. Don't have dryer lint but have a flint and steel? Use the knife on your denim pants or other material. You can scrape enough together to get something going. Having said that, I wouldn't do that as a primary. I do like a good zippo personally.

[@jamesr792]

@@jman1121 Yessir that’s where I learned it! I love a zippo, but since I quit smoking there doesn’t seem much point in continuing to refill it, so I usually rock a Bic and a flint and steel around my neck.

[@joer6248]

Awesome video. Your discussion about people and the ideal kits they never get around to making is spot-on. As with any emergency kit, the simple and limited kit that is actually with you is worth exponentially more than the perfect kit that exists only in your mind.

[@solomonstello]

Very true.

[@leadrfly2004]

thanks Paul. i really do enjoy your information given freely.

[@rledmiston462]

Great video Paul, I also carry a variety of starting stuff in fire kit. The prank birthday candles are the best for wet situations. A really great thing I keep in my kit is an old fashion pencil sharpener for making kindling. When a fire is needed, everything is a big deal. Especially in adverse conditions.

[@thatsrich944]

As a 30-year smoker, out of the hundreds of disposable lighters I've gone through, I've had maybe half a dozen malfunction to the point of uselessness (usually after considerable use). They were all off-brand, cheap lighters. Never had a Bic malfunction. No problems in Wisconsin winters, the Rockies, desert Southwest or various tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world. I feel comfortable carrying one without a backup. I do carry a small credit card style flexible magnifying glass in my wallet as a buy-and-forget backup. They don't work at night or on a cloudy day, but they're fine in ideal conditions. In less than ideal conditions, building a fire can be frustrating regardless of the ignition source. Now, if you want to get damp or wet material going, just mix up a little thermite and keep it, along with a length of a sparkler in an airtight, waterproof container. The lighter is for lighting the sparkler, and the sparkler is for igniting the thermite, since an open flame won't do it. Thermite burns at a temperature of around 4,000°F (and even burns under water), so you gotta be careful. Formulas and instructions are available online. If you burn your hand or face off, don't blame me. You've been warned. 😁

[@chaimafaghet7343]

@Fou He's right you know. If you absolutely need a fire right now, sparklers, magnesium, and thermite are your best friends.

[@shawnr771]

@@chaimafaghet7343 yep. Never thought of the sparklers. I always have a couple of military heat tabs also.

[@shawnr771]

Smokers can get a cigarette lit. I saw a guy manage to light one in the back of an open 21/2 ton truck going 40 mph in a rainstorm. I was impressed.

[@chaimafaghet7343]

@@shawnr771 I personally don't fuck around with "bushcraft", I shove a small Esbit stove full of hexy tabs and a bit of magnesium strip in each piece of outdoor kit. They're not much bigger than a pack of cigs and that's 6 brews/fires right there.

[@markfergerson2145]

I never could get a magnifier to work at night, not even in the blazing Arizona moonlight. ;) Thermite will indeed light a fire if your material (waterlogged wood etc) was ever capable of burning.

[@jamesmartin7282]

Paul, I always carry a Bic lighter and I don't smoke. In my hunting pack or daypack, I like to place it inside an old prescription bottle to protect from inadvertently pressing the butane button.

[@proonguice8386]

Every disposable lighter since 1993 has a child lock safety, pill bottle for lighter + kindling isn’t a bad idea though

[@johnklein10]

My take away is be prepared and have a lot of patience. Paul takes his time and gets it done right the first time

[@therealdvaden]

Merry Christmas , folks. I think many of us relived a bit of out childhood with this video. Thanks Paul, and Merry Christmas to you, my friend!

[@jamesvatter5729]

Good stuff, Paul. Two things I've carried as "fire starters" over the years are cotton balls saturated with Vaseline and small squares of Celotex soaked in paraffin. Both work quite well. You got that, "Back in my day" nailed. You just forgot the, " I used to walk ten miles to school, uphill through three feet of snow in subzero temperatures...and then twelve miles back, again uphill, in even colder temps!" I guess I should add the cotton balls I carry in a heavy zip lock. Some folks insert them into a section of a sealed plastic straw. Compact for a kit, but I find that unnecessary and a PITA.

[@donwayne1357]

Cotton balls and Vaseline, works every time. A C-ration cracker will also work as a fire starter.

[@drizler]

Damn, you just made me feel a little better about having to stomp out and wait for the 😼🫣 bus.

[@BertPaulson]

Candle wax poured into a paper egg carton and cut into chunks works well

[@seanoneil277]

@@BertPaulson That's a good one I'd never heard/seen before Bert, thanks.

[@jstefa2]

@@BertPaulson especialy if you stuff it with a cardboard spiral before you pour the wax in... burns like hellfire.

[@jebadias1468]

Great video. I've used the steel wool / 9 volt battery method several times over the years. It's not something I carry in the field, just something at home when I'm starting a bonfire when either I discover my lighter is empty or I want to show the kids "Science stuff". It works, but you need the thinnest wire you can get. Also, I have only tried it around the house in the summer. Perhaps the ambient air temp was too cold when you tried it and the steel wool shed heat too fast. You should have seen the look on my ex-wife's face the first time I started disassembling a smoke detector and rooting around under the kitchen sink saying I was going to start a fire. I also find dryer lint works as really good tinder, but nobody is carrying a pocket full of that around with them either.

[@smportis]

The steel wool he had was too thick. Too much resistance. The really fine 000 stuff goes up like gunpowder.

[@kelakakku]

I was out of things to do and then Paul swoops in and saves the day as usual.

[@BushcraftingBogan]

I never thought to pack birthday candles. One other tip that I learned and use from watching Sootch was cotton balls and petroleum jelly. I keep it in old pill bottles in my back pack. Those are my "be prepared" back ups with a ferro rod. So far I've never had to go beyond the boring bic. But I will use them just so I don't get rusty every now and then.

[@SuspiciousGanymede]

Paper towels or toilet paper soaked in cooking oil are a better alternative if you're starting a fire to cook on.

[@BushcraftingBogan]

@@SuspiciousGanymede Great suggestion! I'll give it a try. Thanks!

[@videodistro]

Chris R. The thing about cotton balls and petrol jelly is that you can easily.zip lock bag them up for long term storage and also carry with you. They last along time before and during use.

[@highdeserthare]

I was a cub scout in the mid thru late 70s and a project we did was we all had to bring in dryer lint and cardboard egg cartons to make fire starters. You fill egg cup halfway with dryer lintt and then add melted wax. The wax soaks thru cardboard nicely then once wax is hardened cut out each cup and i now cut the 4 corners from waxed lint up to top and fold in top over to create a lid and have 4 tabs for an easier way of lighting. Store in a baggies so you don't make a mess. I remember when we made them in cubscouts none of us had enough lint to make more than a few. They work great lint is free and if you buy cheap eggs there is your cardboard egg carton and wax can be had from old candles that are burned down too far or store bought wax. So start saving your dryer lint and give it a try! Actually works!!! decent.

[@GeezerWheels]

LOVE your vids, Paul. As a life long shooter (post retirement age geezer), reloader and competition, I find myself agreeing with you virtually 100% of the time. One tip I learn after moving to the wilderness 15 years ago, is that pine tree's lower, dead limbs break off FAR easier if you push up on them. Apparently they are designed to hold snow loads and are not strong with upward pressure. It works for limbs up to 2 or so inches in diameter. Also learned to find pine fat wood, as well as the pitch (sap) you mention. Never had to build a fire in snow or winter - alway had a Coleman stove, but your info is so very important for situations where someone may be lost, etc. Thanks LOADS for some of the best vids on KZbin.

[@YodasKitchen]

I carry serveral firestarting things in several places arranged into various of my kits: tea-candles, magniesium bar with ferrocium + SAK, a big ferrocium + SAK, and a few mini-bic lighters + a butane stove (eg pocket rocket) and/or a swiss notkocher 71 (refillable with fondue gel-alcohol). for those with a piezo-electric lighter on their butane pocket stove, that could be a firestarter too, one could start with kindling instead of tinder, and once the kindling was on fire, add larger fuel and shutdown the butane stove (keeping it well away from the fire afterwards or course) Part of my repair kit is duck-tape which I wind around my BIC-lighters, and appearantly ducktape burns well. The back of the saw blade of a SAK works really well on a ferrocium rod.

[@JustinHolloway307]

I agree with Paul carry many backups for fire I like the ideas I’ve gathered here

[@TheWeatherbuff]

Paul, this was like listening to Mister Rogers and Bob Ross, combined. And I say that with great appreciation. Great info, and a calm, organized presentation. Thank you!

[@garethbarry3825]

Paul often mentions his 'speech impediment'- I can honestly say I have never noticed it, even though since he mentioned it I find myself looking for it...on the contrary, I think most would agree that his spoken voice is absolutely fantastic- articulate and soothing

[@TheWeatherbuff]

@@garethbarry3825 I haven't noticed it either, and I "am what you'd call a professional", (on-air meteorologist for radio and internet). Paul has an excellent delivery and presentation.