Tag Archives: fire building

What We Did This Week To Prep 4/13/12

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As the weather gets nicer (sort of, Spring is slow in coming to the Northwest) we are spending more time outside. Last Sunday was the first time we ate outside this year (on the picnic table Ryan built last summer). Alison asked if we could have a fire that night in our outside portable fireplace, and I said sure. As it was starting to get dark I had Alison, since it was her idea, gather up the needed items to start the fire. From the kindling box she got small twigs and kindling. She assembled her kindling teepee over a vaseline cotton ball, with her larger kindling nearby, and lit it with a lighter –  we’re still making it easy, trying to guarantee success. There was a little bit of pressure, because the whole family was watching her, but everything caught fire nicely. She slowly added in the larger kindling until we had a good fire going. Sarah, Alison and I ended up sitting out there for a while enjoying the fire, night air, and somehow stumbled into a physics discussion explaining to Alison the relationship of the sun, moon, Earth, atmosphere and gravity (keep in mind Ali is 10 y/o). It was a nice night.

Sarah took the day off on Monday and we borrowed my friend’s truck and headed for the hardware store; we needed to get all the things, that wouldn’t fit well in our subcompact car, for our ongoing/upcoming projects. We got polycarbonate panels for the outside of the greenhouse; not only is this greenhouse taking longer to finish than planned, but has the added benefit of coming in over budget. We also got lumber for a rabbit hutch and a potato box, and bought a half whiskey barrel to move our live christmas tree into. The truck bed was pretty full. I now have the materials I need for my next several projects.

We hit Costco on the way home (early this month, but we had the time). We didn’t really get much special, mainly just replaced what we had used in our SWYE and got a couple of OTC meds and, of course, Costco pizza for lunch.

When we got everything unloaded from the hardware store Ryan, Sarah and I went out to put up the polycarb panels. They were more work than we anticipated, go figure, and we only got one half of the roof done. But that part was the hardest part because it had to be done on ladders. The rest should go faster and we hope to have it done this weekend during the predicted sunny weather.

I got together with a couple of my prepper friends, Rick and Mike, this week for coffee. Rick and I try to meet on a regular basis, and this was the first time Mike joined us. I’ve met both of them through the online prepper community. It was nice to just sit for a couple of hours and discuss projects we’re all doing, our families, the progress we’re making, and the goals we have as like-minded friends who “get it”. We each have our strengths and weaknesses, skill-sets and experiences. Again if things ever do go bad we can’t do it alone; take the time now to develop your personal (regional) community before “it” happens. If anyone lives in/or is visiting in the Seattle area, get ahold of me and let’s meet over a cup of coffee.

What did you do?

(Monday: DIY Potato Box)

Teaching The Kids (& Learning More Myself) – Fire Building

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Fire Building 101: An Introduction
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Fire building is an essential survival/prepper skill. Of our five basic needs, fire is energy. In the wilderness fire may be the ONLY type of energy available. I decided this would be the first prepper skill I formally teach the kids (after chainsaws of course…).

Last summer, when we were talking about building fires, I realized that Emily and Alison had never used a lighter or even lit a match. Somehow I had taken for granted that they had. But since we don’t have a fireplace or go camping very much (though this summer we hope to do more), and simply because they are the younger ones and have had fewer “outdoor” opportunities, they had never been taught. So I got out matches and lighters and demonstrated the safe way to use them. I had them both do it, then sent them outside to practice with the lighters and light as many matches as they wanted. In the interim months we’ve continued practicing with both, and now they feel pretty confident.

Yesterday I sat all the kids down in the family room (including Chanse), and discussed how to build a fire (classroom portion). We started off by reviewing that fire needs three things: 1) fuel, 2) oxygen, and 3) an ignition source. We briefly discussed hypothermia and how fire can literally be life-saving. I talked to them about the dangers of fire and how it’s important to keep your fire contained. Then, while still inside, I used some kindling to show them how to set up a small teepee-style stack (with pieces not much bigger than toothpicks), and how I’d leave an opening toward the wind. I laid out additional kindling, of gradually larger pieces, I’d have on hand to use to build the size of the fire. After all had practiced making their kindling teepee, we went outside for the ‘lab portion’ of the class.

It was a gray, chilly, and wet outside. They took their kindling and set it up on the grass. Since I wanted to maximize success, and teach them to use what we have in our kits, I had them use vaseline soaked cotton balls to start the fire (they had previously helped make them for our fire starting kits). They each built their kindling teepee, with the opening facing the wind, over top of their cotton ball (first pulling it apart to separate the fibers). They could use either lighters or matches; we discussed using your body to block the wind and cupping your other hand around the fire to protect it more. They got their fires going, then added larger kindling to make it just a little bigger. All were successful, though it took some longer than others (it’s hard with an age range of 10 to 17 in the same ‘classroom’).

Next time I’ll have them find their own kindling, including making a pile of shavings to get the fire started. Eventually I plan to get them, and Sarah and I, to the point of confidently making a fire with flint and steel.

Teach your kids–and spouse–the skills you know; you may not be around when they are necessary. And remember, “To teach is to learn twice.” -Joseph Joubert

(Wednesday: Sarah’s View)