Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.
Ordered my new Kifaru pack last week. It will, I am given, be here sometime around the end of September. Thats cool since hunting season doesnt open until around November. Last year I used the PTR-91 to bag my Bambi. This year I’m toying with taking out the .44 Contender pistol. We’ll see, I need to go to the range and play with it a bit.
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The missus has been slowly but steadily putting together some gear to start her off in her newly developed interest in backpacking and kayaking. One of the things she wanted was some emergency firestarter. Personally, I use matches. After that I have handheld lifeboat flares. However, I do carry one of these and can recommend them highly. But, as I discovered, while I find it simple to use, the missus has a little coordination problem using it….her natural tendency is to pull away to the sides rather than at the parallel angle of the striker. The result was that she had alarming difficulty using the firestarter. Obviously when your hands are cold and youre in a bit of an excited state is no time to be fiddling with something as important as getting a fire started. So, the next step was a BlastMatch. Designed for one-hand operation, I figured it would be easier for her to use. After playing with it, I gotta say, its a clever idea although I am not entirely convinced as to its durability. However, she seems to be able to work it and thats whats important.
When I taught hunter safety we would always tell the kids to carry some firestarting equipment. Invariably there would be some kids who’d show up with flint and steel. While it does work, matches work alot easier. Sure, if the matches dont work then you have the flint and steel but why make things harder for yourself than they have to be? Start with the matches, then go to the exotic stuff. I find these steel-n-rod firestarters to be the last resort for getting a fire started in an emergency. If the situation is dire, Im soaking wet and the wind has picked up you can bet I’ll use whatever Ive got that will cause an instant fire. Way I figure it, if things are bad enough I need a fire, things are bad enough that Ive probably only got a minute or two until my hands are shaking and useless…so I want fire and I want it now. Matches, cigarette lighter, steel wool and a battery, thermite grenade, whatever….burn, baby, burn.
I tend to go a little overboard in this department…during hunting season I carry matches in my pocket, matches in my pack, a flare or two, firesteel, fuel cubes, and some tinder. Why the overkill? Well, theres one thing that works in almost every survival situation in the woods and thats to build a fire. Make a nice campfire, gather wood, get comfy and sit your wandering butt down and wait for someone to find you. Fire keeps you warm (and hypothermia will kill far more people in the outdoors than anything else), keeps you rooted to an area, and makes you visible. Fire good. Also, interestingly, sitting at the fire for a while calms you down and lets you get a clear head so you can think and possibly ’self rescue’ if you’ve just gotta do it on your own.
As I said, when Im out in the boonies theres matches in my pocket and in my pack. Why? Because you never know when youre going to lose your gear or otherwise be left with just whatever is in your pockets. This doesnt just go for matches either…I keep compass, matches and a knife on my person at all times while hunting AND in the pack as well. Cheap insurance.
