Fire-Chips

 

A tip that I found on "Corporal's Corner" on YouTube; potato crisps ('chips' in the US) have a high oil content, obviously since they are fried in oil. They can be lit with a lighter or matches and burn for long enough to light a fire. A second good point on this method is that if they go out they retain a glowing ember on the charred part, and this can be used to relight a tinder-bundle. If you look closely at the video you can see the oil running out of the crisps as it burns. 

I used Kettle Crisps which are sold as 'British Potato Chips' and the oil content can be seen in these; it is the oil that burns quickly, but it also flares up as it burns making it ideal for fire-lighting.

A tinder-bundle of Fireweed (Rosebay Willow Herb), small birch shavings, and thistle-tops makes ideal natural tinder. It is always best to use natural tinder where it is available, and to pick it, store it, and dry it out when it is available, usually in the summer-autumn period. Taking tinder with you is sometimes necessary, but collecting it from the field, drying it and storing it has got to be cheaper than buying tinder. Fat-wood shavings have a high resin content and they too are something to consider collecting and drying out.

Why dry out? Well, some stuff like fat-wood and birch shavings will catch a spark when wet, but stuff like Fireweed and Thistle-tops will not do so. I find it wise to collect when available, dry out (to make catching a spark easier) and storing in a container for use in the autumn-winter period when it is wetter and colder. 

After writing the above I went out for my daily one 'legal' walk with the dog - for the second time today - and whilst out I collected some useful tinder because for the last couple of hours it had rained. The best place to collect drier tinder in such conditions is at the top of a the field where it is higher up and the ground stays drier. Here the grass is drier in places even after the rain, and carefully picking from the side where the wind is blowing I got some moderately dry stuff. Lower down I collected some very dry dead tops of stinging-nettles which can easily start a flame. Trying these with some more crisps (chips) I got a fire started easily. (Cannot show the video I made because I managed to mess the whole thing up!)

Taking the idea of the 'Fire-Chips' one stage further I got some cotton-wool and slightly soaked it with some Sunflower Oil, then finishing by dabbing some Vaseline around it. Ensuring that the 'Cotton Ball' was pulled apart so as to let the air in, I lit it in a tin using an electronic lighter. Now, having had problems lighting the crisps outside due to the wind, using an electronic lighter rather than a gas-filled lighter seems to be a step up. The added advantage is that this needs no fuel whatsoever and can be recharged again and again, and this can be done through a small solar-panel or any small portable charger (which can be charged via a larger solar-panel. The cotton-ball would, of course, have taken a spark from a Ferro-Rod to light it, which potato crisps may not do. Again, the idea is to go prepared, but in an emergency crisps could be a life-saver. 

The video goes on for just over a minute, but the cotton-ball stayed alight for over five minutes after this, which is ample time to light a tinder-bundle and kindling-bundle.

Another tip from "Corporal's Corner" is to use an old Emergency Blanket (Mylar-Type) which can be cut into small strips and placed in a 'Fire-Bundle', and will light by a spark from the Ferro-Rod. Not tried as yet but will certainly do so (would have saved money if I had kept an old one that has just been thrown away). This is another tip, always try these things out for yourselves to ensure they do work.