Last summer I upgraded my entire Bushcraft/OffGrid standalone FIRE KIT into the smallest Maxpedition pouch they sell, the MICRA.
Everything here essentially is tied to making fire for heat, food, boiling / purifying water, signal fires, etc.
I also picked this pouch because Maxpedition gear is water resistance treated and they use top notch YKK zippers - there is not much point in cheaping out what you carry your fire elements in, if they get wet!
It was a challenge for me, and I did well. I tend to overpack and I identified my issues early in my bushcraft career lol.
I purposely bought the smallest pouch they offered, so I would be FORCED to really pare down items and weight, and be forced also to really think about things, what to take, skills I need to work on for fire/primitive fire, etc.
This is my standalone firekit pouch, very light, I have a LOT of stuff packed in here!
There is a Leatherman Micra Multi-Tool in this too you cannot see and like 7' of paracord, about 20 ways to start a fire in here, and just a few first aid (IFAK) basics.
At the far bottom R. of the picture you will see one of the many very small/lightweight flashlights you can buy today that are also very high quality. It is a NiteCore Tube. It weighs only 9g, is rechargeable, and puts out 45 lumens (that is a lot for something this side) - and it is water and shock resistant. Light is part of fire.
-- Photos taken on my Samsung phone inside and outside the hammock!!
If you spend about a minute really looking at this kit in the 2 photos you will see many things you can commonly find, source or buy and that you recognize.
There are sleeves inside the pouch too, you can slide flat or small items into, and that sort of stuff is hidden from view here.
In brief to help you start your fire kit:
Dried out bark - birch here has oils in it meaning increased flammability. Same with "fatwood" shavings - usually pine or related genus of tree as the sap soaks into the wood and provides waterproofing and has increased flammable properties built in.
Ferro (Ferrocerrium) Rod (green handle) - wet or dry,- these are cheap to buy and easy to find -- the sparks/shavings from this scrape off with a knife (carbon steel is best for fire starting but dampness rusts/pits the blade) - at around 2500 degrees and is highly flammable! Lasts a long time, is compact, -- the staple of outdoor life!
Hand Sanitizer wipes contain alcohol (flammable) plus you can wipe things / clean wounds. (multiple purpose aka kit redundancy)
Paracord - Always keep some on you -- it does burn (slowly, and some cords like Firecord have special fibres in it FOR burning) for gear repairs, and to tie things up or off, -- and create a ridgeline to hang your shelter above / around you. Repair a bootlace, or hold a broken pack zipper area together, etc. Paracord is key. If you replace your bootlaces with paracord, you will always have it on you too.
Cotton wipes clean wounds but are also soaked in vaseline = flame extender/flammable.
BIC lighters - the trusted choice in overall reliability. The smallest ones pack really really small, but the regular size does not take up much room either.
Paper -- to write on and is flammable. We all know paper burns easily.
Small pocketknives, folding knives or multitools fit easily in these kits, obvious, but this is new to some of you reading. Always keep one on you, tied / clipped to your body with carabiners/paracord/chain anyways. Carbon blades are tough, and can scrape / flint off for fires (covered in this post)
You can wrap some of these messier items right in foil. It acts as a signal mirror (although not the best) - helps water proof your goods and protect them- and you can re-wrap things in the foil to protect the goods/mess/ or use as a dry base to lay out and start your fire on top of. (dry fire base is a fire lay - it is important)
A battery - spare for your devices + batteries can be used to start a fire with some steel wool laid over the 2 contacts! Many people do not know this. This is a AAA battery here, not a lot of power to do that but just so you are aware.
If you liked this blog post - please Resteem it and share good content with others!
Some of my recent blogs:
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If you feel my posts are undervalued or you want to donate to tip me - I would appreciate it very much.
Bitcoin (BTC) - 18J6RRuzX4V7b2CDbx7tWZYNBLkkGWsvWX
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Synereo (AMP) - 1KnrL6wFHaT4gjJ2YJ5f6WmKTDJNsaBS8s
ZCash (ZEC) - t1aCPEYELkGaf3GtgGTiCEDo7XfPm4QEwmL
Please note -- I will have limited internet access for awhile -- so PLEASE do not be upset that I cannot reply right away, or to everyone. I am dealing with some changes, and will have limited time online and will be happy if I get a few blog posts up a week.
Last summer I upgraded my entire Bushcraft/OffGrid standalone FIRE KIT into the smallest Maxpedition pouch they sell, the MICRA.
Everything here essentially is tied to making fire for heat, food, boiling / purifying water, signal fires, etc.
I also picked this pouch because Maxpedition gear is water resistance treated and they use top notch YKK zippers - there is not much point in cheaping out what you carry your fire elements in, if they get wet!
It was a challenge for me, and I did well. I tend to overpack and I identified my issues early in my bushcraft career lol.
I purposely bought the smallest pouch they offered, so I would be FORCED to really pare down items and weight, and be forced also to really think about things, what to take, skills I need to work on for fire/primitive fire, etc.
This is my standalone firekit pouch, very light, I have a LOT of stuff packed in here!
There is a Leatherman Micra Multi-Tool in this too you cannot see and like 7' of paracord, about 20 ways to start a fire in here, and just a few first aid (IFAK) basics.
At the far bottom R. of the picture you will see one of the many very small/lightweight flashlights you can buy today that are also very high quality. It is a NiteCore Tube. It weighs only 9g, is rechargeable, and puts out 45 lumens (that is a lot for something this side) - and it is water and shock resistant. Light is part of fire.
-- Photos taken on my Samsung phone inside and outside the hammock!!
If you spend about a minute really looking at this kit in the 2 photos you will see many things you can commonly find, source or buy and that you recognize.
There are sleeves inside the pouch too, you can slide flat or small items into, and that sort of stuff is hidden from view here.
In brief to help you start your fire kit:
Dried out bark - birch here has oils in it meaning increased flammability. Same with "fatwood" shavings - usually pine or related genus of tree as the sap soaks into the wood and provides waterproofing and has increased flammable properties built in.
Ferro (Ferrocerrium) Rod (green handle) - wet or dry,- these are cheap to buy and easy to find -- the sparks/shavings from this scrape off with a knife (carbon steel is best for fire starting but dampness rusts/pits the blade) - at around 2500 degrees and is highly flammable! Lasts a long time, is compact, -- the staple of outdoor life!
Hand Sanitizer wipes contain alcohol (flammable) plus you can wipe things / clean wounds. (multiple purpose aka kit redundancy)
Paracord - Always keep some on you -- it does burn (slowly, and some cords like Firecord have special fibres in it FOR burning) for gear repairs, and to tie things up or off, -- and create a ridgeline to hang your shelter above / around you. Repair a bootlace, or hold a broken pack zipper area together, etc. Paracord is key. If you replace your bootlaces with paracord, you will always have it on you too.
Cotton wipes clean wounds but are also soaked in vaseline = flame extender/flammable.
BIC lighters - the trusted choice in overall reliability. The smallest ones pack really really small, but the regular size does not take up much room either.
Paper -- to write on and is flammable. We all know paper burns easily.
Small pocketknives, folding knives or multitools fit easily in these kits, obvious, but this is new to some of you reading. Always keep one on you, tied / clipped to your body with carabiners/paracord/chain anyways. Carbon blades are tough, and can scrape / flint off for fires (covered in this post)
You can wrap some of these messier items right in foil. It acts as a signal mirror (although not the best) - helps water proof your goods and protect them- and you can re-wrap things in the foil to protect the goods/mess/ or use as a dry base to lay out and start your fire on top of. (dry fire base is a fire lay - it is important)
A battery - spare for your devices + batteries can be used to start a fire with some steel wool laid over the 2 contacts! Many people do not know this. This is a AAA battery here, not a lot of power to do that but just so you are aware.
If you liked this blog post - please Resteem it and share good content with others!
Some of my recent blogs:
--
If you feel my posts are undervalued or you want to donate to tip me - I would appreciate it very much.
Bitcoin (BTC) - 18J6RRuzX4V7b2CDbx7tWZYNBLkkGWsvWX
DASH - XgZvsvSZgPkNbmGbRhc3S1Pt2JAc7QHwiS
PIVX - DA3azxQqJiX9t7EviuacpamfNhMi2zGAUh
Expanse (EXP) - 0x819b9cce8630ab638198eabfd7496786c20d629a
Monero (XMR) - d8ecb02c09f70ec10504b59b96bc1f488af28b05933893dfd1f55b113e23fbff
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Ethereum Classic (ETC) - 0x5ab2b08d4ce8d454eb9d1ecc65c6d8b0c5f9784c
LiteCoin (LTC) - LKdsnvSXk9JW99EiNicFMGKc1FXiBo9tUE
Stratis (STRAT) - SNsJp6v1jXvKWy4XcXSXfNQ9zhSJJppJgv
Synereo (AMP) - 1KnrL6wFHaT4gjJ2YJ5f6WmKTDJNsaBS8s
ZCash (ZEC) - t1aCPEYELkGaf3GtgGTiCEDo7XfPm4QEwmL
Please note -- I will have limited internet access for awhile -- so PLEASE do not be upset that I cannot reply right away, or to everyone. I am dealing with some changes, and will have limited time online and will be happy if I get a few blog posts up a week.
Some of my recent blogs:
--
If you feel my posts are undervalued or you want to donate to tip me - I would appreciate it very much.
Bitcoin (BTC) - 18J6RRuzX4V7b2CDbx7tWZYNBLkkGWsvWX
DASH - XgZvsvSZgPkNbmGbRhc3S1Pt2JAc7QHwiS
PIVX - DA3azxQqJiX9t7EviuacpamfNhMi2zGAUh
Expanse (EXP) - 0x819b9cce8630ab638198eabfd7496786c20d629a
Monero (XMR) - d8ecb02c09f70ec10504b59b96bc1f488af28b05933893dfd1f55b113e23fbff
Ethereum (ETH) - 0x3Ad69Ff057C9533ca667B2d7E3E557F5eeFd4477
Ethereum Classic (ETC) - 0x5ab2b08d4ce8d454eb9d1ecc65c6d8b0c5f9784c
LiteCoin (LTC) - LKdsnvSXk9JW99EiNicFMGKc1FXiBo9tUE
Stratis (STRAT) - SNsJp6v1jXvKWy4XcXSXfNQ9zhSJJppJgv
Synereo (AMP) - 1KnrL6wFHaT4gjJ2YJ5f6WmKTDJNsaBS8s
ZCash (ZEC) - t1aCPEYELkGaf3GtgGTiCEDo7XfPm4QEwmL
Please note -- I will have limited internet access for awhile -- so PLEASE do not be upset that I cannot reply right away, or to everyone. I am dealing with some changes, and will have limited time online and will be happy if I get a few blog posts up a week.
Bitcoin (BTC) - 18J6RRuzX4V7b2CDbx7tWZYNBLkkGWsvWX
DASH - XgZvsvSZgPkNbmGbRhc3S1Pt2JAc7QHwiS
PIVX - DA3azxQqJiX9t7EviuacpamfNhMi2zGAUh
Expanse (EXP) - 0x819b9cce8630ab638198eabfd7496786c20d629a
Monero (XMR) - d8ecb02c09f70ec10504b59b96bc1f488af28b05933893dfd1f55b113e23fbff
Ethereum (ETH) - 0x3Ad69Ff057C9533ca667B2d7E3E557F5eeFd4477
Ethereum Classic (ETC) - 0x5ab2b08d4ce8d454eb9d1ecc65c6d8b0c5f9784c
LiteCoin (LTC) - LKdsnvSXk9JW99EiNicFMGKc1FXiBo9tUE
Stratis (STRAT) - SNsJp6v1jXvKWy4XcXSXfNQ9zhSJJppJgv
Synereo (AMP) - 1KnrL6wFHaT4gjJ2YJ5f6WmKTDJNsaBS8s
ZCash (ZEC) - t1aCPEYELkGaf3GtgGTiCEDo7XfPm4QEwmL
Please note -- I will have limited internet access for awhile -- so PLEASE do not be upset that I cannot reply right away, or to everyone. I am dealing with some changes, and will have limited time online and will be happy if I get a few blog posts up a week.