Number 37 Start a Fire without Matches

November 7, 2009

I thought this would be more fun if I actually had a reason to make a fire rather than just creating random flames SO, this fire will occur as part of a camping trip to cook our weenies and smores. This worked out well because my adventure companion, Vivien was recently married and she and her husband, Todd, had received a tent as a wedding present and couldn't wait to try it out.

I've never made a fire from scratch before so I had to do some research. This led to the discovery of nine different ways to make fire:
1) Friction-based methods- These would be your rubbing sticks together, hand drill methods.

2) Flint-based methods - As the name implies, this involves striking flint

3) Lens-based methods - This is the magnifying glass way to make a fire but I learned that it can also include the use of an ice cube, a coke can and chocolate bar and even a condom!

4) Chemical methods - this involves the combination of chemicals and a cool electrical chemical way of making fire with a battery and steel wool.

BINGO!! This is the one I wanted!

So....

Off we went to George L. Smith State Park for our camping trip on the most beautiful day of the year!! Look at that sky!! We had a campsite right on the water; it was gorgeous!!!!

There was still plenty of daylight left when we arrived so we decided to hit the lake before we even set up camp. the water was so still, it looked like a mirror.

Todd sat in the front and steered while Vivien and I paddled. We actually managed to get ourselves wedged between two of those trees in the boat just after this was taken. I'm glad there were three of us. (Right) Todd came dressed appropriate to the occasion

It started to get dark so we set up camp, hunted for wood and got down to the business of the day.

I went with the battery and steel wool method. It was highly effective! I barely had to touch the battery to the steel wool before it started sparking.

Rubba-Rubba-Rubba...

Spark Spark Spark... ...pick up the burning bit...

toss it in the fire ring...

Puffida-Puffida-PUFF! and whaddya we got kids?

FIRE!!!

Of course then we had to use the fire for cooking hot dogs and making 'smores and singing campfire songs

This is a view of our campsite in the morning - still beautiful!

The Happy Campers