What can be cooked from squid: quick and tasty

Trips

If the big city is not yours, you love to travel or want to get started, then you may need some information on what to do in extreme conditions, to survive.

There are many ideas on how to craft things to help you on your trip.

You can do a lot with your own hands useful tools, and you can find out about some of them below.

1. Fast lighting of a fire for active tourism

In wet weather, you may have trouble lighting a fire. So as not to bother you, make blanks that will help you quickly and easily light a fire.

You will need:

Fuzzies (threads) sticking to clothing or cotton fiber

Egg carton

Old candle wax

1. Place the fiber in the egg holes.

2. Melt the wax from the candles.

3. Pour the melted wax onto the fibers in the carton.

4. Wait for everything to cool and dry.

5. Cut the blanks as shown in the image.

When ignited with a match or lighter, each of these blanks will burn for up to 20 minutes.

You will need:

Two identical plastic cans

Baking paper

Wire or rope to create a handle

Small Battery Powered Candle

Glue stick

Adhesive tape

Drill or awl

Super glue

1. Clean the jars of any debris and grease. You only need one jar lid.

2. Measure and cut three pieces of baking paper to fit inside the jar.

3. Glue the ends of all three pieces together to form a tube that fits comfortably into the jar.

4. Make a hole on opposite sides of one plastic lid (from the can).

5. Insert the wire into the holes and bend it to form a handle.

6. Make big hole in the other lid. This time the holes are at the top.

7. Insert the candle inside the hole (there will be a switch outside). Secure the structure with glue.

8. Now glue the lid with the handle to the bottom of the can, and just screw the top lid (with the candle) back onto the can.

3. What a tourist should do in the cold - a hand warmer

You will need:

Calcium Chloride (or something that contains it)

2 bags of different sizes with a clasp

1. Pour some calcium chloride into a large bag.

2. Fill a small bag with some water.

3. Place the small bag inside the large one.

4. Upon contact with coolness, calcium chloride begins to heat up, and you have a comfortable hand warmer.

4. Wood-burning stove from cans for active recreation and tourism lovers

You will need:

2 cans (diameter approximately 7.5 and 10 cm)

Shears for cutting metal

Can opener

Screwdriver or awl

Ruler

1. Cut the bottom off a large jar. Make holes in it to turn it into a ring.

2. Slip the ring onto the smaller can.

3. In a small jar, make several holes (top and bottom, large and small).

4. Insert the small jar into the large one.

5. Mobile cooker for extreme tourism lovers

You will need:

Small metal box

1. Cut the cardboard so that it fits comfortably in the tin box.

2. Melt the wax.

3. Fill the cardboard with wax. Fill so that there are no empty holes.

Ready. It will burn long and hard.

6. What a tourist needs: odnor sachets of coffee

You will need:

Filter paper for coffee infusion

Dental floss

Measuring spoon

1. Place the filter papers in the measuring spoon.

2. Add 1-2 teaspoons of coffee.

3.Use dental floss to secure the coffee paper.

4. Cut off the excess (if the paper has a long tail).

5. Place all bags in a ziplock bag to keep them stored longer.

To brew coffee, use coffee bags in the same way as tea bags:

1. Place the bag in a cup and pour boiling water over ..

2. Wait a few minutes.

* Boiling water can be poured for free on the plane, airport, cafe and other places.

3. Before drinking coffee, take out the bag and throw it into the waste bin.

7. Very interesting ideas: mobile toilet paper holder

Toilet paper can get wet in the rain. But if you make such a holder, then you can get rid of this problem.

1. Prepare a wide plastic jar.

2. Remove the lid and put toilet paper inside.

3. Make holes at the top and bottom and insert the wire to make a handle.

4. Cut an oblong hole to push the paper through.

8. How to make an organic beetle repellent spray

You will need:

1 head of garlic

1 small onion

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 liter of water

1 tablespoon olive liquid soap

1. Place the garlic and onion in a blender and blend until liquid.

2. Add 1 liter of water and a tablespoon of cayenne pepper to the contents.

3. Cover the mixture and let sit for 1 hour.

4. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth and add 1 tbsp. l. olive soap.

5. Fill a spray bottle and use the contents to keep bugs away from your plants.

9. DIY compass

This craft can be done with your child, it is so simple.

You will need:

Plastic cover

Magnet (rod)

A piece of cork or foam

Some water

1. Use a knife to cut a piece of champagne or wine cork.

2. Slide the needle along the magnet several times, but only in one direction. If you did this enough times, the needle will also become a magnet.

3. In plastic cover pour water.

4. Place the cut circle from the cork on the water and place the needle on top. Take your time, make sure that the needle lies flat.

Soon, the needle will begin to rotate slowly and the tip will begin to point north.

10. DIY snowshoes

11. DIY water filter

12. DIY hammock

Shish kebabs and other dishes cooked on the grill have long become an integral part of many festive feasts. However, lovers of outdoor recreation and summer cottages know firsthand how difficult it can be to light a brazier and how the lighting methods differ depending on the type of fuel used, weather conditions and other factors. We will tell you how to properly and safely make a fire in the grill, what means can be used for this, and which it is better to refrain from.

In contact with

The most common charcoal is charcoal. With a relatively low combustion intensity, it emits a lot of heat, practically does not smoke, does not emit unpleasant odors. Charcoal for barbecue packaged in portioned packages can be bought in any supermarket, or you can stock up on a large amount of bulk goods in advance.

In any case, quality coal has the following characteristics:

Made from medium to hard woods such as birch or oak
firm, relatively heavy, does not crumble in the hands;
has a dark gray or almost black color, but not ashy;
dry, without signs of moisture ingress;
with a fraction of about 3-5 cm (the larger one can subsequently be crushed to the desired size).

If the coals you have purchased meet these requirements, you should not have any problems with their ignition.

How to light a brazier?

Unfortunately, difficulties with lighting the barbecue are quite capable of ruining the whole picnic. There are several ways to light coal. The choice of one or another depends only on personal preferences and capabilities. We propose to consider in more detail some options, to get acquainted with their advantages and disadvantages.

Method 1. Newspaper without ignition fluid

Coals can be diluted with a newspaper without the use of odorous chemicals. To do this, you need several large newspapers, they need to be rolled into a tube. They are then wrapped around a round object such as a bottle. The resulting structure is installed in a brazier, covered with coals, pulled out a bottle and set on fire. Details on the video:

Method 2. With dry wood

Practice has shown that you can easily do without liquid if you know a few simple secrets. The easiest way to cope with lighting the barbecue is by making an auxiliary fire. This method requires pre-prepared dry chopped chips. small size... They are placed on the bottom of the barbecue (or directly on the coals) and kindled. After they are well heated, a layer of coal is laid on top of them.

To speed up the ignition process, you can increase the flow of fresh air to the fire. The easiest way is to use an impromptu fan, but more complex designs such as a pump or a hair dryer are often used. It is known from the school physics course that the more oxygen enters the combustion site, the more intense the flame, but do not overdo it so as not to burn the coals ahead of time.

Method 3. Starter

The starter is a hollow metal cylinder with a conical grille inside. There are ventilation holes in the cylinder body, and a window is located at the bottom for igniting its contents. The principle of operation of the device is based on the physical law of movement of air masses - cold air goes down, and hot air rises higher and higher, displacing it. Due to the simplicity and reliability of the design, it is easy and convenient to use the starter:

The top cylinder is filled with fine coals and installed in the center of the barbecue.
Several tablets of dry fuel are put into the lower window, which are then set on fire with a match. If dry fuel is not on hand, you can use paper, cardboard and wood chips, but this does not always give the desired result.
When dry fuel or other fire source ignites, the lower embers will begin to smolder. The heat will intensify and rise higher, obeying the law of mass movement, until all the coals are ignited.
The starter is taken by the side handle, after putting on special gloves, and thrown into the brazier. The poured coals are evenly distributed over its surface with a spatula or a metal rod.

Many craftsmen independently make starters for a barbecue from sheet metal, steel pipes or other materials at hand. This allows you to save on the purchase of the device, however, factory designs in most cases are more efficient and safer.

Method 4. With a liquid for ignition

The most important task in this case is choosing the right fluid. It is strictly forbidden to use flammable household substances such as gasoline, kerosene, alcohol. All of them, when burning, emit extremely toxic gases that not only spoil the taste of the future dish, but can also poison your body. Better to spend a little more money and buy a reliable, safe paraffin-based product.

Attention! The disadvantage of this method is the strong smell of paraffin. Meat can have an unpleasant aftertaste. Professional brasters never use such liquids.

Using liquid correctly can be tricky too. The most common mistake is pouring over the coals and throwing the match right there. In this case, the only result will be a bright flash and several lonely tongues of flame, which will quickly die out. To ensure uniform ignition of coal, you need to proceed as follows:

The liquid is poured in a thin stream onto the surface of the coal, trying to cover as large an area as possible. Coals should not "float" in the liquid - its optimal amount will be 50-100 ml per 1 kg of fuel.
The fuel must absorb the liquid so much that it is almost invisible. This will take a while, so please be patient.
Now all the coal should ignite even from one match, but it is better to ignite it in several places. If combustion does not start, and pops and flashes are observed at the points of ignition, the liquid has not been absorbed well enough.

IMPORTANT! Special care should be taken when handling liquids. Under no circumstances should you bend over to the brazier, do not hold your hands over it, and if possible, use long fireplace matches to ignite the fuel. Protective gloves will not be superfluous, by the way, they will also help to hold kebab skewers and other hot items.

We hope that the information presented in this article turned out to be useful, helped to understand how and how to light the brazier in each specific situation. We wish you good luck and delicious kebabs!

Ignition is usually called special liquid chemical compositions for making a fire. As a rule, for the purpose of making a fire at a picnic or a short trip to nature, they use a lighter fluid sold in stores. By this word, we mean in general any means that help, including tinder and kindling.

Firelighters can be liquid, gas, solid, made in production and by hand, of natural and anthropogenic origin. Most often used as ignition:

Dry fuel, or, as it is also called, dry alcohol, is one of the most famous and most convenient means for lighting a fire.

Special liquids for starting fire, purchased and made by hand;
Flammable liquids intended for other purposes;
Ignition gels;
Dry fuel;
Plexiglass;
Plastic;
Rubber;
Paraffin and wax candles;
Impregnated cotton wool;
Plasticine;
Napalm surrogate;
Certain food items;
Paper;
A mixture of pine resin with wood.

Fire-starting liquids

These liquids are poured over solid fuel for example, coals or fuel briquettes, in order to ignite the fire faster. In finished form, such liquids are purchased in specialized markets and in stores.

Lighter fluids usually consist of hydrocarbons and liquid paraffins. Such liquids are relatively safe for cooking food, for example, barbecue, that is, when they burn, they almost do not emit toxic substances that can spoil food cooked on a fire. However, this safety is not absolute: accidental ingestion or inhalation of the lighter fluid can harm the body, causing poisoning. Therefore, it is worth keeping this product away from children.

There are many cases when a child drank a liquid for ignition, on which outdoor recreation, as a rule, ended - the poisoned child had to be taken to the hospital.

A person mistakenly cannot drink a large amount of such liquid, as it usually causes a burning sensation in the mouth. If a small amount is swallowed, vomiting often occurs, which, due to the inhalation of the volatile substances of the liquid for ignition and partly of the contents of the stomach, can lead to damage to the lungs, and if absorbed into the blood - to damage to the kidneys, liver and brain. It is difficult to talk about specific symptoms of poisoning due to the fact that liquids for ignition from different manufacturers can vary greatly in their composition.

Another feature of such liquids is the absence of a pungent odor, which, for example, gasoline possesses.

It is simple to use liquids for ignition, but you need to know that they must be poured strictly before starting a fire, and then throw a burning match into the fuel soaked in the liquid, or set it on fire with a long lighter.

Attention!

It is prohibited to pour flammable lighter liquids into an already burning fire, even if only coals are smoldering in it! Failure to comply with this rule has repeatedly led to burns, fires and even explosions of a container with a combustible mixture - the fire can spread along the stream. To extinguish a fire when it occurs, throwing the burning fuel with earth or sand: water poured into the burning liquid will only worsen the already sad situation.

The video shows what can lead to improper handling of gasoline when making a fire:

Despite their popularity, such fluids are not very suitable for tourism, since they perform only one function, while multifunctionality is inherent in tourist equipment.

Replacement with branded ignition fluids in tourism

In tourism, it is better to use alcohol from a first aid kit or gasoline from a car tank as such liquids. In addition, gasoline is sometimes carried in a backpack for burners, which are used when no other fuel is available, for example, in the mountains.

Alcohol or gasoline can simply be poured into a fire folded from wood, and then thrown there a match.

But this option is good for dry wood. In order to save these substances and kindle a fire in damp weather, a little sand is poured into a tin can, watered flammable liquid and set on fire. In this case, the fire will not be as bright, but the duration of its burning will be much longer, which will allow you to dry raw wood and light it.

This method has disadvantages compared to the previous one. In the case of alcohol, this is its price (branded ignition fluids are much cheaper), and gasoline is bad for its smell and ability to seep through any leaky dishes and spill into a backpack. In addition, both of these substances are flammable and, if handled carelessly, can lead to a fire and even an explosion.

Sunflower oil can be considered a good alternative to liquids for lighting in tourism. Many take it with them on camping trips to cook food over the fire. In addition, the oil is usually found in various kinds of canned fish.

Sunflower oil does not burn by itself, but allows the fuel to burn longer and brighter.

The fact that oil does not burn on its own makes it safe means for ignition. Plus, it's cheap and perfectly safe to splash on the body, which is not the case with branded lighter fluids.

Contrary to popular belief, smearing burns with oil and other fats (for example, whale oil or kefir after the same sunburn) it is forbidden. This will harm the victim.

Ignition gels

In fact, these are the same liquids for ignition, only in a different consistency.

Campfire gel. Its main advantage over liquid is that it does not flow out of the bottle.

Compared to lighters, gels burn longer, are safer to use, but like liquids, they are rarely used in tourism due to their unidirectional nature.

Dry fuel

Dry fuel (it is also dry alcohol) is a compressed mixture of urotropin with paraffin. Usually comes in the form of campfire pills.

By the way, dry fuel has nothing to do with alcohols as such.

In tourism and military affairs, it is used both independently, heating food on it, and for kindling other fuel, that is, as a kindling. In the second case, a burning tablet is placed under the kindling to help ignite the fire.

Dry fuel is compact, easily ignited from one match, burns long enough, but is sensitive to moisture and is not as cheap as we would like. Due to its compactness, it, along with several small metal plates that are going to a mini-oven, is part of some dry rations used by the military and tourists on field trips.

Instead of dry fuel for lighting a fire, for example, in wet weather, other options can be used, which will be discussed below.

Plexiglass

Plexiglass is one of the best options for igniting even damp brushwood. You can find it on the road among the garbage or prepare it in advance, being in locality... For example, I made my tourist line out of it, which performs many different tasks, but, if necessary, turns into an effective kindling.

Plexiglass is not afraid of moisture and is easily kindled from one match, having been wiped off previously on clothing. It is light, while burning, it almost does not emit toxic substances, it burns for a long time with an even flame.

Plastic

A number of plastics can be used effectively as a kindling fire. However, not all plastics are suitable: some types do not burn. For example, I never managed to achieve stable burning of a PET bottle. But the lid of such a bottle, cut to form a sharp edge for ignition, was set on fire by one match and burned, albeit very uncertainly.

It is not difficult to find a bottle with a lid to light a campfire on a hike: they, along with other garbage, are very often found along the roadsides and even in the trees, carried there by the river that overflowed its banks during the spring flood. By the way, among other rubbish, there are also many plastic products that can ignite a fire from damp branches by their burning.

Candles are good because they cannot get damp or go bad. If you take one of them on a hike and do not lose it, it will help make a fire in any conditions.

The advantage of plastic kindling is their ubiquity, light weight and insensitivity to moisture. However, not all types of plastics burn equally well (some do not burn at all), and those that burn can release toxic substances when ignited.

Campfire rubber

Rubber has long been used by tourists and various survival experts as a kindling fire for a fire. As far as I can tell, the most popular are strips cut from a bicycle tube. Although I personally used a strip of rubber cut from the side surface of my hiking shoes and a condom wound on a thin branch as a kindling, both options caught fire from one match and burned with a bright flame, however, they burned out quickly enough.

Rubber products, like plastic ones, are often found among the garbage brought even to uninhabited islands, so there should be no special problems with finding and making such kindling from improvised means, especially if you take care of this issue in advance.

The pros and cons of a rubber igniter are the same as those of a plastic igniter, but rubber is usually heavier and smokes heavily during combustion, unlike some plastics.

Paraffin and wax candles

Among tourists, candles as a kindling for a fire are even more popular than rubber and plexiglass, because, unlike rubber, they do not smoke so much, and it is easier to get them than plexiglass.

In addition, candles are often used for their intended purpose - for lighting in order to save batteries in flashlights. This, for example, I saw in a camp organized in the catacombs.

If the candle flame is not enough to light the fire, you can wrap, for example, toilet paper around the candle, which will act as a large wick. Of course, some of the paper should go beyond the candlestick. During the ignition, the paper burns out, ignites the wick, which in turn re-ignites it, but already soaked in molten paraffin.

Testing a piece of plastic for its ability to burn.

The candle prepared in this way burned with a trembling bright flame, and was lit by one match.

Candles burn for a long time, are easy to ignite, are not afraid of moisture and can be used for lighting, which makes them good kindling. However, such kindling is unlikely to be found in the wild.

Impregnated cotton wool

Unlike previous options, apart from the liquid for ignition, cotton wool has unique feature ignited by sparks that can be generated, for example, from an empty silicon lighter.

Cotton wool is usually found in a first-aid kit, but it can be replaced with a natural analogue - cattail fluff.

Cotton wool ignites easily, but also burns out very quickly, so it is not very suitable for kindling by itself. Quite another thing is cotton balls or tampons moistened with petroleum jelly or paraffin (wax) melted in a water bath. Such cotton wool quickly ignites, but it burns much longer. In addition, the cotton wool processed in this way is not afraid of moisture, because its impregnated outer layer reliably protects the dry inner one.

It is advisable to prepare such cotton wool before the hike, because petroleum jelly is usually not put in the first-aid kit, and if there are paraffin candles, then instead of cotton as a kindling, it is more expedient to use them.

But there is also a camping option that has not received widespread recognition - lipstick can help to light the fire: it is enough to lubricate the cotton wool from the first-aid kit with hygienic lipstick, and then set it on fire.

Despite all the advantages, this way has a significant drawback - it is necessary to spend a relatively long time to prepare cotton wool in paraffin, and in the case of petroleum jelly, you will have to store the cotton wool in a special container so as not to stain other equipment in your backpack.

Plasticine as ignition for fire

Plasticine is easy to kindle even from one match and burns for a long time, so it can also be used as a means to light a fire.

Plasticine is unlikely to be found in the wild, so you need to take care of its acquisition in advance.

The advantages of plasticine include the ability to form a piece of the desired shape and size, long burning and insensitivity to moisture. Among other things, plasticine can be glued to brushwood in a fire in any suitable place, which is very convenient when lighting it up. The disadvantages include the inability to find plasticine far from civilization and the soot released during combustion.

Surrogate Napalm-B

This substance is obtained by immersing polystyrene (polystyrene foam or appropriate plastic utensils) in gasoline.

Napalm-V was conceived as a weapon and was used as incendiary and flamethrower mixtures in various military conflicts. However, just as any peaceful invention can cause massive loss of life, so what was originally intended to destroy humanity can help in the struggle for survival. It's the same story with napalm: it was intended to kill, but it can help start a fire in a difficult situation.

In terms of plasticine, this surrogate may resemble plasticine, but when it burns, it gives a flame with a higher temperature (over 1200 ° C) and is able to adhere even to a wet porous surface.

Its advantages and disadvantages are the same as those of plasticine, but at the same time napalm must be prepared independently, it requires a special sealed container for storage and is more dangerous when used due to its sticky properties and high temperature burning.

What foods will help you build a fire?

In addition to the listed canned food with sprats and sunflower oil, which by themselves are not capable of burning, other food products can be used as kindling.

So, nut kernels, due to their high fat content, burn by themselves. You can also use their shells as a kindling, which, however, ignites worse and burns less confidently. For example, I had a chance to experiment with a walnut that grows in our region - its core flares up from the first match, burns for a long time in a quiet flame.

Another good option that came to my mind a few years ago and was successfully tried is lard. It is a high-calorie food that is often taken with you on hikes, especially during the winter when a higher fat intake is recommended.

Pork lard can be ignited by itself: it will burn when a little charred. That is why I would recommend not setting fire to a thick piece, but cutting off a strip with a pointed end from it.

But it is better to stick a match into a piece of bacon as a wick, which you then set on fire. Also, for these purposes, you can wrap the bacon in toilet paper, as was the case with a candle, and so that the paper does not unfold, pierce it with the bacon through with sharp chips.

Lard burns without additional tweaks, it can be cut into pieces the right sizes, and the fat dripping into the fire contributes to a faster flare-up. In addition, lard is not afraid of moisture.

It is also often suggested to use chips as a kindling, but this option is not suitable for a hike, since no one usually takes chips with them, and they are afraid of moisture.

Kindling from food is usually always with you, except for emergencies, and this is its big plus. In addition, neither nuts, nor lard, nor oil, nor canned food with fish and stew are afraid of moisture, which is also important for wild conditions, where you often have to get caught in rain, walk through fogs, and sometimes cross water obstacles. Such kindling usually burns for a long time, but it is not always easy to ignite.

Paper

This is the most famous and popular ignition due to its simplicity.

Paper, for example, toilet paper, taken from a pocket, is crumpled into a ball and placed under the fire. Set on fire, it quickly flares up, but just as quickly burns out and fades out. In this regard, it is similar to pure cotton wool, also because it can be ignited by a spark from a flint or an empty silicon lighter.

Therefore, using paper or cardboard, you can kindle a fire only if there are thin dry branches that can catch fire even from this short flame.

Despite its popularity, this option has a number of significant disadvantages: as already mentioned, it burns out quickly, and is also extremely sensitive to moisture. But at the same time, paper takes up little space, weighs almost nothing and is usually available in camping trips (toilet paper, notebooks, in extreme cases - pages from books), and in a mixture with hygienic lipstick or pine resin it can give a long burning.

Natural analogue of means of ignition of a fire

As such a remedy obtained from natural materials, there may be a small depression in the ground filled with pine resin torn off together with pieces of dry bark.

The resin protects the underlying bark from moisture, thus guaranteeing good results even in damp weather.

Of the advantages, one can single out the fact that such a mixture is prepared from scrap materials and can burn for a very long time. In my experience, I have observed an hour-long burning of pine bark, poured into a tin can. However, if you set fire to the resin in a recess in the ground, and not, say, in a tin can, it will hardly be possible to transfer it to another place if necessary.

But it may happen that good means for ignition will not be at hand. In this case, you need to learn how to kindle a fire without their help.

To be precise, the means of ignition in tourism are not intended for permanent use, but only for difficult situations when, for example, firewood is wet from the rain, but you still need to start a fire to dry out or warm up. But even in these situations, you need to know how to light a fire without lighting it up in the form of auxiliary "chemistry".

Lighting a fire without means of ignition

In order to start a fire even in damp weather in the classical way without using special means for ignition, you need to prepare dry tinder, kindling and fuel.

First, let's figure out the basic concepts in order to eliminate confusion in the future.

Tinder is any substance that can start smoldering or burning from a spark of the same flint, it was used to kindle fires back in the Middle Ages and continues to be used today. Tinder includes "burnt" or a specially prepared tinder fungus. I talked about how to make a good tinder that ignites from the slightest spark in

Kindling is what, with its flame, allows the main fuel in the fire to ignite. As a kindling, the options I listed earlier for lighting a fire can act, but here I would like to draw attention to the kindling that can be found in the wild.

Dry straw, grass and leaves are also suitable as kindling. After rain, dry kindling can be found at the entrances to caves, under large stones, as well as under spruce trees, which, with their thick spruce branches, protect the dry twigs on the lower part of the trunk from getting wet.

Nevertheless, even this kindling will get wet after long rains with fog. In these cases, the "filler" of a large anthill can act as a kindling in the forest. To do this, the upper wet part is removed from a small area of the anthill, the required amount of dry kindling is removed, which is a mixture of small dry twigs, dust and leaves, after which the removed wet part is returned to its place.

Such manipulation of the anthill will not be fatal for the ant colony, even in the harshest winter. Compared to what brown bears do with anthills, human intervention in the life of these insects is a drop in the ocean. So, if necessary, and even more so when a life-threatening situation arises, you can take dry material for a fire from ants without a twinge of conscience.

Birch bark (birch bark) - too good material for kindling, which, due to its water-resistant properties, remains dry even after prolonged rains and can be easily ignited with a regular match. It was not for nothing that in the old days, some peoples made canoes from birch bark for river rafting.

However, you should not cut the bark from a living tree: this can harm it. The bark that comes off the tree by itself is enough for kindling. In addition, birch bark can be removed from fallen birch trunks.

In its structure, birch bark is close to paper and is just as easy to set on fire.

If there were no anthills, no birch, or tarred bark nearby, and the prolonged bad weather did not leave a dry place on the surface of the earth, kindling can be done by cutting dead wood from the middle of the thick branches. The fact is that even long rains do not soak through thick branches with their moisture, and the middle remains dry.

The dryness of wood can be checked by touching the cut with your lips: wet wood will cool, dry wood will be warm.

The finer your wood fire is, the better.

Move on. Fuel is the basis of a fire, what it consists of. The task of the person who kindles the fire is to make the fuel burn. Only in this case, sufficiently large coals are formed, which support a steady burning of the fire.

As fuel, they use both branches, which can be picked up directly from the ground in dry weather, and whole logs of dry trees. In wet weather, you can take a dry middle from a chopped log as fuel for a fire. If cuts are made in such pieces of wood to form long twisted shavings, they will flare up faster and easier.

After the appearance of large stable coals in a burning fire, even raw fuel can be thrown into it, which will have time to dry out and ignite. Of course, before throwing such fuel into the fire, it is advisable to dry it before this very fire, laying it around the perimeter.

For urban conditions good option are fuel briquettes made by pressing sawdust... But they are not suitable for tourism, since no one in their right mind would stuff their backpack with them.

Now that all the components are ready, it's time to talk about the fire.

There are many different types bonfires suitable for different conditions... Here I will tell you how to organize the simplest and therefore the most popular bonfire. It is called "Shalash", or "Pioneer".

This bonfire, after the formation of burning coals in it, can, if desired, be transformed into almost any other.

So, in order to kindle a fire in the "Pioneer" fire, you need:

Put a little kindling on the ground or a flooring made of firewood (in case of wet weather or snow cover);
On top of the kindling in the form of a hut, put thin (no thicker than a match) twigs or chips taken from the middle of the log;
If there is a smoldering tinder, it must be placed in a kindling and fanned until a fire appears, and with a kindling kindling already set fire to the kindling laid in the fire. If there are matches, they ignite the kindling in the fire. It is most effective to light the kindling from below: this way it ignites faster and more reliably.
When the kindling and thin branches light up, thicker branches are gradually added to the fire. And so on until branches as thick as a thumb begin to burn in the fire. This is usually enough for cooking, drying things, and heating.
At this stage, if the fire stops burning due to a lack of fuel (although you need to take care of its supply in advance), it can be re-fanned with embers, having prepared the required amount of fuel. In addition, fresh extinguished coals are ignited by the slightest spark, carved, for example, by striking a flint on a cleaver.

Burned out and extinguished coals can be taken with you in a backpack - it can be easier to light them than even thin twigs, but recently exposed to rain.

It is useful to periodically inflate them while burning wood, especially if the wood is half-baked and does not burn well. At the initial stage, while the fire is small, you can blow with your mouth, but some use a special fan to fan the fire. For a tourist, a seat (five-point) made of foam acts as a fan, which, among other things, performs the task of insulating a person from cold ground.

Summarizing all of the above, I would like to note once again that from the point of view of a tourist, hunter, fisherman or just a lover of outdoor activities in nature, the means for ignition are intended primarily to simplify the task in difficult conditions. They require additional purchase costs, take up additional space in the backpack and add weight to the carried equipment. Also, on long hikes or emergency situations they tend to get lost or end quickly at the most inopportune moment.

In this regard, such funds should not become a reason for the lack of skills of "classic" fire-making, and in case of an emergency, you need to learn how to do without them.

Recently, on the Internet, I came across a recipe for making a means for ignition. Let me remind you that effective remedy for kindling, it should enter your NAZ, so that in wet, cold weather, with frozen, shaking hands, you can still make fire. The right brushwood allows you to get fire from almost one spark in all weather conditions. Lighters are now commercially available, including dry alcohol. So all these funds are not very well kindled even with a lighter, even dry alcohol requires certain conditions for ignition. Therefore, it is precisely for making fire in difficult conditions that something more effective is needed. And here homemade brushwood from your NAZ will come to the rescue.

Recipe homemade remedy for ignition is very simple. These are cotton balls and petroleum jelly. The main secret is that the cotton balls should be made of cotton. Nowadays, wadded products are often made synthetic. The synthetic cotton ball will burn instantly. This should be avoided and only the cotton one should be purchased. This must be indicated on the packaging. You can also check the material of the cotton ball using the ignition method. Synthetics will immediately begin to melt, while cotton slowly burns and smokes, and emits a "non-synthetic odor".

The second component of homemade brushwood is petroleum jelly. Vaseline is necessary well, but evenly coat the ball over the entire area. But inside the ball will remain dry, that is, there is no need to break the ball. This will give us the effect of a candle wick. When you need to get fire, you burst the ball from the inside, thereby exposing the dry core of the ball, which will serve as an excellent brush for kindling.

A couple of sparks are enough for the dry cotton wool to ignite, and then the outer shell of the ball soaked in petroleum jelly will take over, which will slowly burn for 3-5 minutes. The ease of kindling is the main advantage of homemade brushwood in comparison, for example, with dry alcohol.

Homemade brushwood must be pushed tightly into an airtight container, such as a film box, aspirin, or other medicine. By the way, it is worth noting that a well-soaked ball, even if it gets wet, will still not absorb moisture, due to the petroleum jelly shell. The shelf life of such homemade brushwood is practically unlimited, and the manufacturing process itself is simple and inexpensive.

Separately, I note that the balls can be made from cotton wool yourself, it will be even cheaper, and even more effective, since you yourself set the size of the ball. All ingenious, as they say, is simple!

Sometimes it is necessary to light a fire from wet wood, without the skill. Usually, means for ignition from the store come to the rescue, but these funds are unreasonably expensive, so we offer you several recipes for homemade remedies.

Soap gel

The first and the most convenient for me is a gel made from laundry soap and 96% alcohol. For 1 part of grated soap, add 3-5 parts of alcohol (the exact ratio is different each time, probably depends on the type of soap, but this recipe is based on the example of household soap). The soap can be melted in a water bath, or you can grate it on a coarse grater. As a result, you should get a thick mixture, more like a shampoo, from which it will very strongly reek with alcohol.

The advantages of this composition:

We coat a few chips in a future fire and set it on fire - first the alcohol burns out, then the soap, by this time the tree is on fire.
A good antiseptic, if diluted with water to the state of liquid soap, you get something that resembles an antiseptic "Soap Alcohol" (used when cleaning small wounds from dirt). You can use it without dilution - poured a drop on your hands, rubbed it, washed it off with water.
If a bottle of alcohol is opened in a backpack, then the alcohol, gradually flowing out, will soak all things and evaporate. If the bottle with this mixture opens slightly, then most likely nothing will leak out, although in case of a complete opening of the lid, you can put a bag on the neck of the bottle and tighten it with an elastic band.
There is no temptation to dilute alcohol with water and drink, alcohol is used only for its intended purpose.

Cotton wool

Cotton makeup remover pads soaked in wax work great as a kindling fire.

All you need to do is melt a candle in a saucepan, dip cotton pads in wax, hold them there for 2-3 seconds so that they are well saturated. And put on baking paper to cool. Paraffin candles are fine too. Only the pads soaked in paraffin will not burn so brightly and for a long time.

It is better to dip and catch the pads with long tweezers or kitchen tongs. And, of course, you should follow the simplest safety rules and put on at least an apron so as not to burn yourself with hot wax. Before setting fire to the soaked cotton pad, it needs to be torn slightly.

It is a pleasure to take this on small hikes: it burns well and weighs little.

There is another way to prepare such kindling: cotton balls and petroleum jelly. Vaseline is necessary well, but evenly coat the ball over the entire area. But inside the ball will remain dry, that is, there is no need to break the ball. This will give us the effect of a candle wick. When you need to get fire, you burst the ball from the inside, thereby exposing the dry core of the ball, which will serve as an excellent brush for kindling.

Natural types of kindling

Below we present several types of natural fires:

Rough dry last year's grass. A universally available, extremely effective kindling. Burian breaks (or crumples) into small pieces 15-20 cm long, loosely fits in the center of the campfire, a hut is built from thin dry branches on top. The fire is ready with one match! However, there is one "but". The effectiveness of this type of kindling decreases to almost zero in damp weather and during the winter thaw. Yes, and in frost, weeds, covered with a thin layer of frost, will not immediately light up. So the use of this kind of kindling is limited to hot summer days.
Small dry twigs of spruce or fir. In terms of characteristics and efficiency, they are close to the previous type of kindling, availability is determined by the presence of spruce or fir within reach. Compared to weeds, wet cobwebs light up much better; its flammability is better in winter. The "cobweb" is used similarly to weeds.
Birch bark. Birch bark is a real find for someone who has set himself the goal of making a fire. It burns perfectly in any form: damp, rotten, taken from a living tree. The availability of this kind of kindling is determined by the presence of mature birches, which, thank God, are one of the most common trees in our conditions. You can get birch bark both with your bare hands and using improvised means, but the best results are obtained by removing large layers with a knife. Two deep ring cuts are made on the tree trunk, the distance between which is determined by your desire. The annular cuts are connected perpendicularly, directed along the trunk. It remains to pick up the formed edge and rip off the birch bark in a layer. Further, the birch bark is laid in a compact heap in the center of the campfire, and a hut is built from thin dry branches on top. The fire is ready.
The bark of a dead spruce. Exceptionally effective kindling at any time of the year and in all weather conditions, it ignites perfectly when raw. Large chunks of bark are excellently used as a substrate for building a fire in damp conditions or in winter. Availability is determined by the presence of spruce and fir - trees in the middle lane are very common. The bark easily peels off in pieces of various sizes; you just need to pick it up with any means at hand. This is best done with a small hatchet. It should also be borne in mind that the most tarred bark is at the butt of the tree. The assembled kindling is used, similarly to the previous ones - as a basis for the "hut". In this case, pieces of bark are arranged in a "pyramid", and the branches of the hut must be thick enough, otherwise they will instantly burn out.
Coniferous resin beads. Everyone knows the specific feature of conifers to tighten resin damage. Initially liquid and viscous, over time the resin hardens into a solid opaque mass - this is the "old" resin used as a kindling. This kind of kindling ignites when wet and is considered the best for use in winter, even in severe frosts. Its availability is determined by the presence of any coniferous tree- again, lack of them middle stripe Russia does not feel. The resin hardens in two forms: either in the form of nodules with a size of walnut to the fist, or in the form of sagging around large cracks deeply soaking bark and wood. We'll need both. True, to get the resin, you will need an ax or a strong knife - both nodules and incrustations are removed with a piece of underlying bark and wood. Further use of the kindling is similar to the previous ones - as a basis for the "hut". The branches of the hut should be thick enough to avoid quick burnout.
Dry core of spruce, fir, pine. Perhaps the most laborious kind of kindling in the extraction and manufacture, the efficiency of which is much lower than resin, spruce bark and birch bark. Nevertheless, this method can come in handy during heavy rainfall, especially a shower, when there is no time to look for another kind of kindling, but you want to quickly dry yourself by a hot fire. So, the availability of this method is determined by the presence of a nearby dead (just standing, and not lying on the ground, dead) coniferous tree of sufficient thickness (about the thigh of an adult man, at least), with a whole top. Too thin a tree can be saturated with water to the very core, and in trees without a top, the core, as a rule, is already rotten and rotten. Trees standing in places with excessive moisture (lowlands, swamps), as well as larch, are not suitable for this purpose. These options will be either soggy through or rotten. Having found a suitable tree, we cut it down, easier and faster - using a saw. With the help of a saw, we cut into chocks and see that the core of these chocks is completely dry. The selected chock (or two) with a stake in 4 parts and a sharp knife we cut from the core a sufficient amount of shavings and splinters. Further, we construct a familiar "hut" from the material obtained, the basis for which will be a neat pile of shavings, and the walls will be splinters. At first, the fire requires attention, protection from rain and regular fueling (as the fire grows, the dimensions of the firewood increase), but, having matured, it burns hot and is not afraid of precipitation.