Did you happen to read the Jack London story I linked to in my earlier post? Its rather short but it is absolutely worth the read. I have to hand it to London, he really wrote a very good story in that it conveys the increasing terror and horror of the main character as he realizes he’s going to have some frost nip, to losing a few toes, to losing his hands, feet, and part of his face, to finally realizing he’s going to die. What’s marvelously well done is that at each realization, the man recognizes the damage hes going to take but plays it down and accepts it…the notion that he’s actually in danger of losing his life doesn’t come to the end. Normalcy bias.
Anyway, in the story his fingers and hands are starting to freeze and he can’t manipulate his fingers into holding or lighting his matches. So he manages to hold one in his teeth, light it, and ignite the entire batch of matches in his frozen hands. Hardcore stuff.
Like I said, I carry a lighter, I carry lifeboat matches, and I even carry those cute striker devices. But if my hands are starting to freeze, and I’ve got maybe a minute until my fingers are frozen meat-n-bone popsicles, then I need a fire and I need it right now. Thats when I stop screwing around and go for one of these two devices:
Orion Safety – Fire Pit Pro – Fire Starter for Campfires, Bonfires & Fire Pits – Ignites Damp Wood & Burns up to 7 Minutes – Eco-Friendly – Self-Contained, Waterproof & Windproof Ignition
These babies are basically a sawed off road flare. In fact, a road flare, if you have room for it, is my first choice…theyre cheap and pretty easy to find. The Orion wind up being about $8 each in the 12-pack which is the economical way to go. I mean, you’ve got more than one pack and hideyhole that needs these things, right? Might as well get the dozen.
But, there is still a degree of manual manipulation required to light them. Not much more manipulation than striking a match, but when your hands are swinging from the ends of your arms like meat clubs, you need something with less dexterity requirements. For that last resort option, I love the marine hand flares.
Simply yank the string with your teeth and let ‘er rip. I buy these at gun shows for about $5 each and I always carry two in my bag. Always. They’re available on GunBroker apparently. The ones I get are expired from marine survival kits and lifeboats. As long as theyre in good condition, they work fine. I’ve used ones that expired well over a decade ago and they work perfectly…they have to, they were designed for some serious conditions.
While I’m coming to the end of my thoughts on this subject, I wonder if anyone took away what the real message of that Jack London story was. The message wasn’t that you should have a way to start a fire, or that you shouldnt build your fire under a tree weighed down with snow, or that you should keep your feet dry. No, no, no. The moral of that story was don’t ignore the warnings given to you by more experienced people. Not only should the man in the story have never gone out alone, he should not have gone out at all. He was warned by the old timer that the weather was far too cold, and the danger and risk far too great, to be out there. But the man didn’t listen, and as he came to realize the old man had been right, it was too late. The first rule of surviving any disaster is…what, guys? I’ve told you this before. Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? No? The first rule of surviving any disaster is: don’t be there.
If it’s -75 degrees out, don’t undertake to walk several miles in the snow to a cabin that will still be there in a few days when the temperature is warmer.
But, as I’ve said, even in Montana it can be a lovely July day that quickly becomes a hypothermic episode in the blink of an eye. So, forget what Smokey Bear says and always have at least several ways in your pocket to burn down the forest.
I always carry a few foil packets of surplus triox to use as firestarters along with matches, butane lighters, fire sticks, etc…….
Good idea.
I also carry a road flare. That fire is going to light, I don’t care how long the woods been soaking in water.
A local online auction site here just sold a bunch of these out of date marine flares this past several days. Parachute flares also.
Several years ago at a local gun show I ran across quite an assortment of marine parachute flares made in Sweden. Independence Day was approaching and I had two young nephews to impress, so of course I bought one. On the Fourth I was with those nephews, helping with a modest backyard fireworks show and having a good time. They knew what the climax of the fireworks show was to be and couldn’t wait. I unwrapped the tube, took off the end cap and held the flare tight in both hands as I depressed the “trigger.”
HOLY CRAP! I knew the thing was described as a rocket flare, but I had no idea. Something came flying out of that tube with a blast of fire and hot exhaust that could cause serious injury if held wrong. When I realized I didn’t seem to be injured, I looked skyward. Hmm, didn’t realize this thing was rated to reach 300 meters altitude. Then the parachute deployed and the bright flare came slowly floating down, resulting in me delivering some fervent prayers to God because we were in a residential area. Having no idea whether the flare would burn out before hitting the ground, we jumped in a vehicle and gave chase. Thankfully the flare did burn out and didn’t set any homes on fire. The point of my tale is that marine parachute flares, expired or not, are serious tools, so keep them away from kids and from adults (like myself) who may think of them as super-size sparklers.
https://www.courthousenews.com/marine-reservist-blamed-for-326-million-fire/
Along the lines of your story. Here, $300 million’s worth of bad — with jail time
If you have ever been to 29 Palms Marine Corps Base,you know it is a huge impact area littered with ordinance and commands discourage return of unused munitions as both costly and a hassle. A lot gets buried to avoid paperwork
Marines. When you absolutely, positively need it burned to the ground.
Some friends used to throw a big new years party – and lived close to Disneyland….So, after the disneyland fireworks display, we’d get our leftover Independence Day fireworks and fire them off.
Well, friend had a special toy. What he thought was a mil-spec parachute flare. He opened it up, managed to fire it, and it went up about 30′ and into the top of the neighbors Royal Palm tree….Set it afire.
And being 30′ up in the air we couldn’t get to it with garden hoses.
Turns out it was an aircraft ilum flare – designed with just enough lifting charge to get it away from the airplane…..but it was supposed to be a few thousand feet in the air when that happened.
So, neighbor got paid for a new tree…They moved out of California.
“They moved out of California”
I love a happy ending!
Says the guy living in an entire nation of California.
Sort of. Moved to Portland, Oregon
I was in my teens when I first read ‘To Build a Fire’. In fact, I think it was in our textbooks–that’s how far we’ve gone. It had a great effect on me, and I’ve never lost it. I’ve endured hard things, but the idea of that growing knowledge that you are doomed…
Of course, we all ARE doomed, but I’m a Christian, so it isn’t that big a deal, eternally; still, you have to endure the event, with all that entails, no matter how strong your faith.
Every true Boy Scout knows that the most reliable way to start a fire in adverse conditions is….accelerants. And like you CZ, I always have several fire starting tools close to hand.
I was amused to learn that Jack London was lounging on a beach in Hawaii when he wrote that story.
Sylvan Hart (The Last of the Mountain Men) was once asked what he was afraid of in the wilderness. His reply: “I’m afraid of one thing….a cold wind. That’ll kill you for nothing. You’ll just die like a damn fool.”
When I lived in Ottawa, Ontario I discovered that -40F/C was not really a big problem to deal with – I could park my car and walk 100 yards to the hospital wearing a parka, gloves and scarf over regular work clothes.
If it was at all windy, however – boots, windproof snow pants, wool cap and hood up, face covered…. And the thick gloves, or mittens.
Your Amazon link says &36 for a 12-pack.
A lot of the reviews say they only got two when they ordered
If you order something from Amazon and the number of items in the description does not match what is sent they will often refund your purchase price
They sell two packs and twelve packs.
Back in my backpacking days, early 70’s, (holy chit I’m old), the one thing I always had with me was a road flare. They were cheap, not too heavy and readily available. The railroad used millions of them and many times some could be had by a broke teenaged homeless kid by simply walking the tracks and picking them up.
Coming off a mountain once at eight pm I realized the noises I was hearing was a mountain lion stalking me. Having subscribed to the plan that items can and should have more than one use, and this was before I acquired my first handgun, I kept the flare in my hand ready to strike it off. I figured as hot as these things burn, even under water, that I could protect the back of my neck with my backpack which should give me enough time to plunge the flare into the eye socket, ear, mouth, or genitalia of said beast before it could kill me. The downside was if it didn’t work the flare would burn out in 15 minutes, so I doubled my speed down the trail.
Luckily a ranger was making his final rounds and gave me a lift to the main road. Don’t take risks and be prepared.
It’s articles like this and the pertinent thoughts by the blog author that keep me checking this site almost daily .
The prescience to point out as you did that it’s more important not to put yourself into the wreck than it is to carry the matches .
My mind curdles at the amount of times I have carelessly went on day hikes Ill prepared .
Gonna have to quit that habit!!!
Your comment about the weather changing suddenly reminded me of The Children’s Blizzard by David Laskin. True story of the 1888 blizzard with lots of info about what happens when you freeze to death. I read it almost every winter – it’s a good reminder to not take chances.
“How do you assuredly win a gunfight?”
“Don’t be there.”
Nuke’em from orbit, it’s the only eay to be sure
No guarantees: Your opponent gets a vote too.
Thanks for posting the link to that story. I had never read it and really enjoyed it. My only quibble with it was that the traveler was maintaining a pace of 4 miles per hour. That’s fast for walking for most people, let alone in the bitter cold, in snow, wearing all kinds of layers etc. Otherwise I really enjoyed it.
Yes, concur. Road flares by the .gov case sizes. The 26.5 combloc flare guns are nifty in spicy times as well. AC Unity was making repo copies of the hk polymer frame flares gun as well. Maybe those RTG Parts chaps have them. The cold war stocks of flares supply may be near depleted unless more are produced. Add an EG18 smoke grenade as well to the flares kit and you will be good to go.
I picked up a package of these on sale from local place and I was pretty impressed with how it lit up. I really don’t know the waterproofness of them or the durability of the strings after several years though. It worked in the firepit pretty well, I could see some other uses for this in grid down or troubled times.
https://pullstartfire.com/
I have seen it as a recurring theme for years here in alaska, pilots , fisherman and hunters getting a a case of “ get home right now” !
This country will kill you and eat you with no thought or care at all , mountains ,rivers,weather
Tides are unforgiving for the foolish, unlucky, or unprepared . You won’t even leave a greasy spot.