Maintaining a hobo fire.

[EarlyStarter]

I'm trying to make the simple fire in a hole punched tin can fire for my AT hike. The only real info I have on how to properly make a fire comes from T.V. and movies (very reliable). I can get a spark and a decent flame but it goes away in like 10 seconds. My fuel is nothing more than dead grass, leaves, and twigs. Could somebody give me some info on how to properly build and maintain a fire of this sort that doesnt involve me having to use alcohol or gas or anything like that?

[Manwich]

Tinder is your dry grass. This will not maintain a burn for long. This has to get the kindling (small twigs) burning and then the kindling needs to get the bigger peices of fuel to burn (bigger chunks of wood) then charcoal.

This setup is not unheard of on the trail buts it's extremely inefficient and you're screwed if it's rained for a week straight. Plus, your going to scar everything you put over the fire with black soot.

[Grinder]

http://www.backpacking.net/makegear/falk-woodstove/index.html

Here's a link to the design I used.

I stoked it with small swigs and added larger as the fire grew. the fuel stands on end inside the stove. the largest fuel was about the size of my thumb.

I have to admit to using a splash of alcohol to ignite, but good dry grass, birchbark or similar, generally accepted tinder ahould work just fine.

HTH
Tom

[Ranc0r]

http://bushcraft.se/

You need to have better than average fire making skills to expect to make nightly use of a hobo or cook fire while hiking. I'd suggest you start working on those skills, then decide whether or not that's how you intend to thru-hike. If you can't make a fire now, the future of your hike is pretty much certain.

There are some excellent wood stove plans, just search here and google. There are stoves you load once, then are either naturally drafting or make use of a small battery powered fan to draft the fire, others you can continually add fuel for longer burns. You can make a self drafting one that will boil 2 cups of water per load of sticks out of two stacking cans. You still have to know how to make a fire to get them started, and you have to be able to find dry wood, every night, and you need to carry a sooty stove, pot, windscreen, and fire making supplies. It's part of a system - you need to know how to make it work for you. For me, I'd still want an alcohol stove and a couple oz of fuel as a backup - that has to work within the system too.

Ever watch Survivor, and see how they get all excited about the flint? The largest part of that bar is magnesium, which you shave off and light with the sparks from the the thin little flint rod on the side. The magnesium is the tinder, which lights the kindling, which lights the twigs, sticks, etc. I love watching them scratch their flint to nothing, trying to light a pile of sticks and leaves.

Start making fire. HYOH, bring your own lighter.

Ranc0r
.

[drastic_quench]

I have a commercial wood stove for hiking. No fan, batteries, or gizmos. The advice upthread is all you really need. I plan to thru with mine eventually. There's some significant bonuses like not having to carry and never giving a thought to fuel conservation and purchase. You can cook for as long as you please once you get a fire going. If everything's been soaked for a week, I carry a lot of food that doesn't need cooked anyways. And I've also burned wet wood as long as I scrounged up some tinder or used hand gel.

[Wise Old Owl]

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg275/MarkSwarbrick/stove2007.jpg

This nested tin can system kind of worked and it didn't. Even when it was loaded it required a lot more twigs at some point

The width had something to do with a lack of draw. - And yes fire skills require a lot of patience.

[Egads]

This question is directed to those of you who cook with wood, how do you keep from getting everything in your cook set & pack dirty with carbon soot?

[drastic_quench]

Put my pot and stove in a plastic grocery store bag or two. Weighs nothing.

[Feral Bill]

I imagine authorities in places/times that forbid fires might get grumpy.

[Wise Old Owl]

I imagine authorities in places/times that forbid fires might get grumpy.


this makes the fire a lot safer, and managable.

[Feral Bill]

this makes the fire a lot safer, and managable.

All true, I was just thinking of legal issues.

[LaurieAnn]

This question is directed to those of you who cook with wood, how do you keep from getting everything in your cook set & pack dirty with carbon soot?


I've been playing around with a commercial twig stove called the vital stove. Works wonderfully but it takes 2 AA batteries and has a fan.

Here's a video of Kevin using it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1tdahnqn4w

Also, I coat the bottom of my pot with campsuds and then the soot just wipes off.

[Uncle Tom]

I have complete instructions plus video of making your own backpacking wood stove on my blog. Cost is either free, or less than $5 if you buy materials. Double wall construction, efficient.
Check it out at :

http://tjamrog.wordpress.com/2008/12/22/the-evolving-backpacking-wood-stove/

[JJJ]

Looks good, U Tom.