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Daniel VanRenselaar & Jim LaJoie. Why Primitive Fire?. It WILL save your life… …That’s why. Heat Water Cook Animals Morale. How?. Even in the desert, nighttime temperatures can drop low enough to send you into hypothermia and kill you. heat.
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Why Primitive Fire? It WILL save your life… …That’s why.
Heat Water Cook Animals Morale How?
Even in the desert, nighttime temperatures can drop low enough to send you into hypothermia and kill you. heat
Without water you have three days before you die…if you do nothing but lie around. Drinking contaminated water can kill you in less than 24 hours. Being able to boil water will enable you to safely rehydrate yourself. Hot water can also be used to sterilize tools, utensils, and to clean your body. Water
Many readily available plant food sources are inedible or even toxic until cooked. Wild meat should always be cooked to prevent infection from parasites and poisoning from bacteria and viruses. Excess meat can be smoked and eaten up to two weeks later. cook
Most wild animals are driven away by the smell of smoke as it is a natural instinct to flee. Insects included. Nocturnal animals are nearly blinded by open flames. Keeping a fire between you and them is usually enough to discourage all but the hungriest of predators. animals
Creature comforts like warmth and light are a great morale booster, even when it is not cold. morale
Ok, so we know why we should be able to make fire, but why primitive fire? Why not just bring matches and lighters? SHTF. This prepperfav can take many different forms. Natural disasters on a global scale. Zombie outbreak. Nuclear war. Space invasion… whatever the cause, lets assume two things. One. Industry is not what it used to be. Two. You either don’t want to be found, or there is no one to find you. Your matches will all burn out. Your lighters will all dry up. Now what do you do? What’s next?
Methods… weighing the options • Drill and pump • Hand drill • Bow drill • Fire plough • Fire saw • Fire stick • Flint and steel • Fire piston
drills • Hand drill • Requires very little material, all can be found. • Requires a great deal of stamina and patience. • Bow and drill • Requires little material. • Requires either having cordage or the knowledge and patience to make it. • Drill and pump • Reliable, less effort required. • Only select materials will work.
Plough and saw • Fire plough • Very simple. Readily made. • Requires patience. • Fire Saw • Very simple. Readily made. • Requires patience.
Metal ignition • Fire stick • Quick, long lasting, reliable even when wet. • Finite number of strikes. Quality strikers can be expensive. • Flint and Steel • Long lasting reliable ignition. • Finite number of strikes. Can be scarce or nonexistent in certain areas.
Pneumatic ignition • Fire Piston • Fast, reliable, readily available fuel in all geographic environments. • Requires either the knowledge to construct one, or the preparedness to have brought one.
Now that we can create an ember, how do we keep a fire burning? • Built up • Tepee • Lean-to • Log cabin • Pyramid • Compacted • Swedish torch • Swiss cross • Dug • Cross ditch • Snake hole • Dakota pit • Yukon stove Every fire building method has it merits and disadvantages. A keen awareness of your current situation is essential to preparing the most effective fire for your specific needs.
Built up fires • Great if you have considerable time and resources available. • Hot burn. • Large long lasting coal bed. • Excellent signaling capability. • Large profile. Do not use in situations requiring light discipline. • Inefficient use of hard to obtain fuel.
compacted • Long lasting slow burn. • Minimal material required. • Provides stable cooking surface. • Portable. • Minimal warming potential. • Little light.
dug • Highly efficient. • Superior cooking fire. • Easily doused. • Safely contained. • Directional heat. • Contained light and smoke signature. • Considerable preparation.
