Survival Instructor Explains How to Start a Fire WITHOUT wood!

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Dan

[@M_Bamboozled]

One of my best memories is collecting pine cones at a Cub Scout camp in the UK. We had a fire made entirely of pinecones and cooked the best sausages I ever tasted. They were probably burned and not the best, but they seemed great at the time and nostalgia is a wonderful thing. Thanks for reminding me Dan 😃👍

[@darrenleigh201]

"nostalgia is a wonderful thing" - the best KZbin quote I have seen in some time! 👍🏻👍🏻

[@ddoherty5956]

I put some in my Kelly kettle, couldn't believe how much resin was in them.

[@howardheminger287]

Clear, concise and correct. All these other influencers take 30 minutes to get to the point.😊

[@edwardfletcher7790]

That's because Dan isn't an Influencer, he's an Instructor 👍 Influencers are human leeches...

[@howardheminger287]

You got that right!

[@meoka2368]

If you do find sap, you can also use the pinecones to scoop some up. Just scrape them along the tree and the sap will get stuck inside them.

[@j.j.savalle4714]

My backyard is loaded with pine sap covered cones this year. Did a bonfire last week and they lit fast and burned hot! Great fire tip Dan!

[@user-rf8fx2zx8s]

I love these videos!!!!!...... I also am a collector of pine cones on the trail , my friends just laugh at me until we get to set up our sites and my fire and water is already brewing before my tent is set up !!!...... then its a hot meal and coffee while they are still working to even get theirs going..... LOL......Maybe I should refer them to your videos !!!!!!

[@fjb4932]

"He who laughs last, laughs best." ☆

[@YetAnotherJohnDoe1776]

We have pine trees and heat with wood here, so I keep some 45gal bins full of pine cones for fire starters. Thanks for spreading the message about their utility! 👊 😊 Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃🍁🍽

[@brianthesnail3815]

A great demonstration of why you always need two forms of fire lighting.

[@offthearrowshelf]

what works really well round Christmas is dip them in white wax and the tips look like its snow. Then you have some really good fire starters.

[@paulzimmerman3895]

Great one! I use pine cones in my home wood stove all the time. Awesome resource. Stay warm and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

[@Dominick_Francione]

Great tip. I’ve been using pine cones a ton this year to get the wood stove started. 👍

[@brucehillbillybarthalow3786]

Great video. I used to use pine needles and twigs to start fires in my woodburner. Always started quick too. That's good to know with the pine cone.

[@geobloxmodels1186]

Hey Dan, I love your videos and I like to go out and try out the things you teach about. Trouble is, I live in Central Texas and a lot of the natural resources are very different. This video is a good example. There are the Lost Pines if I go east towards Bastrop, but if I find a pine cone in Round Rock it's only because I stole if off a neighbors Christmas wreath. It would be great to see you make a series of bushcraft videos in which you go into different ecosystems and teach how various skills can be adapted to what is locally available.

[@rubenskiii]

I don’t know anything about Central Texas but best advice i can give is to do research at what it is what makes something good firestarter(dryness, types of resin/fat, is it compact, solid or fluffy, etc, etc) and then apply that in looking arround in your environment. If you know what properties to look for you don’t need exact examples but can just go out and try stuff.

[@j.martin5504]

I live in central Texas too and have had the same thoughts. I thought about experimenting with cedar, to see if it’s a good source of fatwood.

[@jameshall5784]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

[@butchbinion1560]

Thanks, happy Thanksgiving. ✌🏻👊🏼

[@lethernek]

Short and sweet video. Thanks Dan. Happy Thanksgiving.

[@kevinmccarthy6718]

These are great! I have fat wood, but at home i have bags of these "fire starter" pine cones. They smell great too! My neighbor has the other kind, without the resin. She was bagging and throwing in trash. Now she gives to me and i call these these my charcoal. They burn slower, but leave nice coals and wonderful smell. They help keep mosquitoes away during Summer. Thanks again for your wonderful tips!

[@palainanoctem-im1sh]

I need to see that trap basket assembly, that was too quick for me lol And what in the world were those wonderful matches?! I've NEVER seen a match burn like that before, do you soak them in lighter fluid or coat them with flint dust?! That was amazing. I love your videos. They're short, simple and sweet (your jokes and laugh are helping to lift my spirit). Thank you, I hope your day has been good to you thus far

[@pascalbaute5835]

I used it many times. It works very well. Thanks for sharing

[@larrypaulsr.5346]

Kooll short adventure.

[@5T3V3N-ns9gg]

I will take note of this. Thank you for the video.

[@rubenskiii]

I really like your channel, straight to the point, u say what u gotta say and when said that’s the video. Really useful information, explained very straightforward. Thanks! Greetings from The Netherlands🇳🇱.

[@thevirginiabushcrafter8833]

Excellent, I'll be doing that "tomorrow".

[@johnduffy6546]

Amen! Those puppies catch fire like crazy. I use them daily in my wood stove! (and they smell nice)

[@gregoryluc2876]

I dig your shows!!! Your love and enthusiasm for your craft and the out of doors is apparent!! Happy Thanksgiving!!

[@wendellbenedict4793]

A trick that my Granny taught me is to look for a pine tree stump that is rotting. You dig down into the stump and get the wood out that has a lot of pitch (resin) and use it to start your fire. It works really well.

[@ronaldrose7593]

Great tip Dan, thank you for sharing this helpful tip. Stay safe out there. 😊

[@hdbinnc8583]

Well explained! Thanks for all you do.

[@Jason-xq5xx]

Love your channel Dan!

[@jasontraska2616]

I'm surrounded by all kinds of evergreens at home: white pine, red pine, Norway spruce, blue spruce, etc. I'm always making pinecone fires. White pine always seems the best at getting the fire going due to the large amount of sap on the outside. All the rest make great fuel. Another awesome tip from Coalcracker. Happy Thanksgiving!

[@earlshaner4441]

Good evening from Syracuse NY brother and thank you for sharing your adventures

[@michaelangelo7511]

Great presentation! 👍🏻🇺🇸

[@howardrichburg2398]

Pinecones and pine needles are great to get light from as well.

[@EternallyThankful-os6pz]

Cattails work fantastically as well !!

[@yogibru1]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAN!!!!

[@alanrice39]

I love pine cones, thanks Dan

[@ebony5766]

Happy Thanksgiving Dan!

[@user-hx9tp9cn2h]

When cleaning our 2.5 acre woodlot, I often collect several bags of pine cones to use for campfires & cooking in rainy weather. They work great! Excellent tip, Dan. Have a blessed Christmas1

[@philholman8520]

Terrific! Thank you for sharing! 🙏👍✌️🇬🇧

[@kagnewmp12]

My Uncle use to tell the stories of the Old CCC Camps during the Depression here in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He said they burned a lot of Pine Nuts in the big tent wood stoves and two Men would be on Fire detail all night to keep the fires going all night. He served in WW2 and he would be 106 if still alive.

[@dottnick]

Another great video 👆. Didn't know this about pine sap. Thanks

[@SteveBrownRocks2023]

Great advice! 👏🏼😎

[@memathews]

Great tip, I'll use this in Central and Eastern Oregon. Unfortunately, out native fir cones in Western Oregon do not light or burn easily, so this is something I've never tried. Thanks for the lesson!

[@pedroclaro7822]

We use pinecones to light our fireplaces and wood stoves in my village traditionally for decades. They have no other use, hence they’re perfect for this. One year old pines cones will have resin and be extra flammable. Older ones get brittle after a while, but still very much usable and useful unless yoy break all their ‘pins’ off.

[@jimbarron8688]

My father-in-law who was a great man, I mean really great and I don't offer these words frivoulously showed me this the first time. God bless his soul for everything he contributed to me becoming the person I am today. Love and deepest respect always Sir.

[@SirRantalot-tm1gu]

Great video dude.

[@garymeldrum949]

Another great video my man

[@beebob1279]

I've used pine cones for several years getting my wood burning stove started. Easy peasy. Pine cones get hot fast and get it going.

[@benjacques2304]

more great info, love your videos !. Happy Thanksgiving to you & your family. God Bless !!!

[@HARRISoutdoors1]

You can also rub 2 pinecones together to process them down to fibers that will light up really quick.

[@rubenskiii]

This video ties into one of my favorite items to take with me when out an about: a soft totebag, preferably from a waterproof material (like plastic). It takes up almost no space, weighs nothing empty(I usually jusy put one in my coat pocket so I always have one even without backpack) and comes in very handy when collecting stuff. Also makes for a great “cushion” to sit on when everything is wet, keeps your bum dry.

[@rubenskiii]

Jusy=just

[@whathappenedwas7083]

Love this idea

[@terrillschneider3778]

Great tip

[@quinntheeskimooutdoors6234]

Yep they’re good stuff. I just collected a bunch of them this past weekend at my woodlot 😊take care

[@rogueraven7603]

Good example of why you should have different fire starting capabilities too.

[@lens7859]

So true, when I clean up the yard, the pine cones go into the fire ring with the rest of the sticks on the lawn. No problem burning them. Happy Thanksgiving

[@bettyboop9148]

Thank you

[@jimgaines51]

I've used pine cones for many years to light my wood stove. I live in the middle of a pine forest and pine cones are very abundant. I go around every fall and pick up several buckets so I won't have any problem starting my fire the entire winter.

[@capthappy345]

Good info 👍

[@kentcostello5286]

I knew that and we love the smell of pine burning

[@paulward4717]

Cool stuff 😎

[@waveman0]

pine cones are a favourite of mine, and my best demo is lighting one with flint and steel using char cloth, usually in about 15 seconds. Most people do not believe you can light harsh tinders like a pine cone with charcloth but it is easy with a little practice.

[@kellywelch3]

Back in the early 90s we were on a road trip and stopped to get some sleep at a campground somewhere in Wyoming. There was no down firewood and it was cold! Pinecones were pilled up everywhere and we had a nice warming fire and cooked some hot dogs. They do make a good fire!

[@pal6636]

Right to the point and it wasn't full of really obvious banter to stretch it out . Thanks. Fyi "corn chips" also burn forever, slowly with a consistent flame, like a candle. I realised they're so oily Id sooner use them for that :)

[@user-ox1zs1kq8p]

I have collected pine cones for years. The Christmas tree shaped once I turned into a little mini Christmas trees. Fire starters are a bonus.❤

[@rajibjoshi9647]

yes I noticed that too and was surprised at how great they were along with other things like small sticks etc. so now I collect them for fire starting along with bark also good and evergreen dry branches also good straw also good I just light up a candle with lighter and lay it down in the pile and lo and behold my fire takes off once under way I pull out the candle and extinguish the candle ( my method )

[@JasonStPierre]

Saw the thumbnail and had a lol because this time of year I collect all the pinecones on the ground to use as dire starters, they work the best.

[@kathrynmannyng3885]

You can make a wreath out of them if you don't burn them, or ornaments for your fake tree, or put them in a clear bowl as a decoration. Dry pine needles will also work to throw on coals under the pine cones to get a flame going.

[@markcardwell]

Good tip

[@zerolegacy7821]

So dude started a fire.... with a lighter.... GENIUS survival training, thank you...

[@freddyoutdoors]

Ace tips for sure one for the bushcraft locker for sure

[@kevinstrade2752]

Pine sap is also a source of vitamin c. I've heard boiling pine cones and making a sap broth will give important nutrition

[@Sage-Preston]

As always good content. In western Washington we have fir and hemlock not good pinecones. I always head for the fat wood instead.

[@57WillysCJ]

I remember my dad teaching me that back in the late 1960s along with another that is rare to fine today, corn cobs. Even field corn that was dry would burn along with the stocks. Since it is all combined today that is a memory.

[@amsfanman]

Go CCD! good video.

[@willcool713]

Dried ruminate dung is also a good fuel. People all over the world rely on it as a fuel source for cooking. There are stoves specifically engineered for dung patties, meant to burn hot and clean and efficiently. Here in the US, on the prairie, buffalo dung used to be a much more common fuel source for fire. But in buffalo or cattle country, the patties dry light like bark and are mostly plant pulp and burn fast. You can keep a fire going, but you can't build coals.

[@bretjohnson6188]

Quite right! I've boiled water over dung fires several times (and yes, the coffee tasted fine).

[@margueritemitchell1829]

We had a few ponderosa pines outside our front door 🚪 ❤❤❤fireplace yes the needles burn 🔥 👌 🎉😂❤

[@CosmicTaco333]

Good vid.

[@Pygar2]

In grade school, 1968-ish, I read a Henry Reed book in which he found head-sized pine cones... always doubted it.

[@leestamm3187]

California Coulter Pines often have head-sized cones. They're very heavy, too. Google for pix.

[@jessemills3845]

The Type of pine cone varies with different species of pine tree you get also.

[@MikeycatOutdoors]

I collect kitty litter buckets full of pinecones for firestarters in my hot tent wood stoves. If I run out, theres also pine needles which work but not as ferocious as pinecones full of pitch.

[@yatta8729]

works well in the dry season. but when rain season come in, it's gonna be little bit harder to lit up, especialy in the tropical area. it is Wet

[@arthurlambart7115]

Pine cones have been my go to tinder source for years.

[@johnjones5229]

I use pine cones to start my coal forge and I also use it to light my homemade charcoal on my grill.

[@M_Bamboozled]

And don't forget the old weather predictor. When the cone opens up it's going to be wet. If it closes up dry. Not too precise though - always calibrate against a piece of seaweed 😂

[@jrobbin24]

I have White Birch And different types of pines But not as many pinecones for some reason so I collect the few that I have stack up some dead pine wood and then just light up some of that birch paper under the wood And it works even when it’s slightly wet which it normally is

[@kcarsonphoto]

I have paine trees near my property and I always collect them!

[@thomasmusso1147]

👍👍👍 A good alternative, often overlooked. However, here in Northern Switzerland, we are currently having a somewhat wet time of it and my local forest unfortunately has a dearth of pine trees .. the local 'Forstamt' cull them mercilessly (birch too). Also, at 73, getting wood is unfortunately becoming somewhat laborious and under the local circumstances, pine cones are definitely not an option. Need to do some lateral thinking on this one .. 😏.

[@OldNavajoTricks]

Don't forget pine nuts are tasty and full of oils. If you're longterming it you can harvest the nuts whilst you smash up the cones with a rock to get them nice and fibrous, even easier to light :-D

[@AriThecraftydragon]

Yes, pine cones and needles are great for kindling and will create a decent bed of coals.

[@tahoemike5828]

They smoke like a locomotive, but they do burn. They do like an 'open flame' to light, so they are more of an extender than a tinder. If you do have tinder to start a fire, and larger wood, but no really good way to process it down to kindling, dry pine cones make a good second stage fuel.

[@kekipark77]

i already do, but good info

[@enigma9971]

I made a coffee can stove and used nothing but pinecones to boil water in a kettle with it.

[@secondhandlyon2603]

Ponderosa pines aren't native to Kentucky where I live but they are everywhere in my area. The pine cones from those trees are loaded with sap. They'll burn like they're soaked in gasoline and I'm not exaggerating.

[@Hawgryder]

Green pine needs extremely flammable as well.

[@edwarddemedeiros3607]

Nature's fire-starting fuzz stick.

[@stephenarnold5981]

Yeah they smell nice, which is probably why burning Pine cones were used in ancient Rome during various ceremonies and occasions.

[@DriftlessWarrior]

Darn it, I think my neighbor just cleared all the pine cones out of his yard. I'll check tomorrow. He knows I'm learning bushcraft and wholeheartedly approves. Some questions: Best way to light a pine cone via ferro rod? Will pinecones work in my little wood gas twig stove? Would they work to put on hot coals if I had one of those stoves used for heat, where you put the chimney through the hole in the tent? (Thinking of getting a hot tent setup.) Thanks!!

[@tobystrickland8000]

Did you know that you can make tea with pine needles! You have to get the water boiling really hot with the pine needles. Not the best taste in the world but works!

[@bogsplash8612]

I bet there some out there thinking matches, lighters, What's that got to do with bushcraft? I thinking that's brilliant the primary option didn't but there was an alternative fallback option and the fire got lit. That's bushcraft... And the pine cones are great fire starters.

[@DriftlessWarrior]

Wonder if it would work to turn a pine cone upside down, scrape some ferro rod shavings into it, and light it that way? Not as efficient, but would be fun to experiment. Or maybe take the pine cone apart and do the shavings and ignite that? Hmmmm... 😊

[@dragonwithamonocle]

Hey, question... What hypothetical survival situation is this where you are in an area with abundant pinecones but no sticks? It's a fantastic trick. I love it, it's great. But I'm imagining someone camped out in a kitchy Christmas section of a Macy's or something lol