042: SPARK: The Fire Episode

Today on The First 40 Miles, fire has met its match. Learn five ways to light a fire that you may not have heard of before. Then on the SUMMIT Gear Review, Heather’s obsession with stoves is fueled with a piece of gear that not only burns sticks, but burns smoke as well. On the Backpack Hack of the Week, learn how to make a cotton ball into a charpuff that can be the slow-burning nucleus for the perfect fire. Then we’ll leave you with a little trail wisdom from a man of few words—six words to be exact.

Show Notes: Episode 042

Opening



* What is it about fire? What do you love about fire?

* Feels like it’s alive

* National Parks Service reports that as many as 90 percent of wildland fires in the United States are caused by humans. Some human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, negligently discarded cigarettes and intentional acts of arson

* The remaining 10 percent are started by natural causes (lightning and lava)



The Top 5 Impressive Ways to Light a Fire

Fire Piston





* Rod slips tightly into a shaft and the pressurized air raises the temperature so rapidly that the char cloth turns into an ember



Everstryke “Match”



* Ferro rod with a wick that is dipped in butane

* When you strike it, the spark, wick and butane all light up and it makes a pseudo match



Magnifying Lens



* Pro: Relies on skills you developed as a seven year old in your backyard.

* Con: Can’t light fires at night



Cell Phone Battery and Steel Wool



* Check your cell phone battery to see if it can spark steel wool

* Even a “dead” battery can start a spark



SOTO Pocket Torch



* “Sparked by nature”

* Puts out a superfine blue flame that reaches 2300 degrees Fahrenheit

* Windproof

* A disposable lighter increases its lifespan by 60% when used with the Pocket Torch.

* 8 oz.

* May not work above 5000 feet or at very ow temperatures



Two cool ways to get the fire started:

Fire cord: 550 paracord, but it has a strand of waterproof, cord inside that’s a fire starter.

Live Fire: is great for catching sparks. It comes in a tin and all you have to do is fluff it up with your fingernail, and it’ll take and hold a spark til it yells “Uncle”

SUMMIT Gear Review™: Solo Stove

Structure



* Made of 304 stainless steel, nichrome wire

* You can also buy a pot into which the stove will fit perfectly

* Stove assembles easily

* Doesn’t break down flat like the Enberlit Fire Ant, but it does something that the Emberlit FireAnt doesn’t. It gives you a secondary burn!



Utility



* Solo Stove is an inverted downgas gasifier stove or a Secondary Combustion Stove.

* It relies on forest debris as its primary fuel source

* Burns wood (feed it in through the top or side)

* 8-10 mins (32 fl oz of water)

* Can fit any size pot on top



Mass



* Height 3.8 inches, Width 4.25 inches

* Weight: 9 oz.



Maintenance



* Let it cool, then package it back up in stuff sack

* Store in stuff sack to prevent your gear from getting sooty



Investment



* $69.99



Trial



* Requires a little more clean up afterwards because it will blacken your mug, so be sure to bring along a dedicated rag for cleaning up the soot

* We used it on a recent trip and loved it, however we won’t be bringing it on our upcoming trip because of all the forest fires.



Backpack Hack of the Week™: Charcloth or Charpuffs in a Tuna Can

Clean out a tuna can.