How To Start a Fire Using Flint and Steel

Hello, all! Here is the post I promised. How To Make a Fire Using Flint and Steel.

So, I'm not actually sure these are flint and steel. I got this at walmart, and it was some fire-starting device, but I threw the box away so I can't check to see what it's called. But it works like a flint and steel. Strike one against the other.

They slide into one another for easy storage.

Okay, so I had my tinder. A bunch of random stuff I hoped would catch a spark. I had twine; crushed dried leaves; teeny wood shavings; and ripped up paper towel, all in an old receipt. Honestly, guys, I was trying my best.

And then I got started. I arranged all the wood around it to be prepared, put the tinder in the middle of my wood triangle and tried to arrange it. Then I began striking. And striking. And striking. And striking and striking and striking.

After a bit I sort of figured out the best way to do it, and I had sparks flying everywhere. But time was going by, and all I had were a bunch of little burnt spots on all the tinder. Ten minutes, fifteen minutes, twenty minutes, and then . . .

My tinder burst into flames, right by my hands. I screamed in delight, and started shouting at Noah (my cameraman for this little escapade) to grab more leaves, or anything flammable, and tried to make sure it didn't die.

Everything was burning after that one piece lit, but, alas, it burnt my tinder away and I was left with a bunch of black ashes and barely heated logs.

I tried to bring it back to life, to bring anything back to life, but it was over. My one chance. I hadn't been prepared. I should have had sticks there instead of logs, I should have been ready.

I gave up on my flint and steel, figuring I had at least made flames with it, and went to matches.

I tried to work around my 17 month old brother as I tried to get this fire going. But nothing was burning, and match after match the logs refused to light.

I had to make dinner somehow, so I finally gave up when I was absolutely out of time.

Timmy shared in my pain.

We went back inside to cook hot dogs and hamburgers on an embarrassing gas grill, and had dinner ready in 15 minutes.

On Independence day I started a fire easily with those annoying matches, like a slap in the face. But I will not give up, and someday I will have it mastered. 

I'm glad I could share with you all, and I'll be back next week with another thing I learned.

Please follow me by email if you liked the post. Thanks for reading! Ta ta for now!

Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not;
neither decline from the words of my mouth.

Proverbs 4:5

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