On the subject of backpacking...
 

"Sum Ting Wong" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 6 Feb 2006 19:29:06 -0500, "Mr. Opus McDopus"
wrote:

I found a very light weight survival type gear...PING-PONG BALLS!

If you need to make a fire quickly, in wet conditions, ignite a ping-pong
ball under some kindling.

Coleman fuel in a squirt bottle... OR a highway flare. ; )

S.T.W.

I think the emphasis was on "light-weight." If I carry fuel, I'll need it
for cooking. If I carry a "highway flare," I ain't campin', I drivin'.

Op

On the subject of backpacking...
 

"Mr. Opus McDopus" wrote in news:S_8Gf.879$bW6.381
@bignews7.bellsouth.net:

Various pine barks, cones and needles are also very good.

Even when saturated by rain?




I agree with your point. You don't carry a firestarter because you can't
use natural materials-- you carry them because it sometimes seems like when
you need natural tinder the most, natural forces collude against you.

--
Scott
Reverse name to reply

On the subject of backpacking...
 

"Wolfgang" wrote in news:44qc5vF3g7gjU1
@individual.net:


"Scott Seidman" wrote in message
. 1.4...
Ken Fortenberry wrote in
news:lHSFf.42178
:

You can make lightweight, cheap emergency fire starters from
dryer lint and candle wax.

--
Ken Fortenberry



Fine steel wool also-- no prep at all.

Birch bark. No prep, no carry.

Various pine barks, cones and needles are also very good.

Wolfgang
who hears that mice will also do in a pinch. :)



Believe it or not, Fritos make a fantastic firestarter. However, one
good case of the munchies and you're up ****s creek.

--
Scott
Reverse name to reply

On the subject of backpacking...
 

"Tom Nakashima" wrote in message
...

What's so hard about starting a fire if you have a book of matches or
lighter?

If it has been raining for two days and there's not a dry twig to be found?
And I did say ignite with a lighter?

Ping-Pong balls = less room in your pack.

Can you honestly say that 2 to 4 ping-pong balls would take up room in your
pack that otherwise would have been used? Or are going to tell me that you
wouldn't want to be weighed down by them?

For our survival test, we were out in the wilderness for 7 days with just
a small plastic magnify-glass.

It's raining, you are huddled over a very small pile of twigs, you pull out
your trusty plastic magnifying glass, and realize that you will first have
to either part the rain clouds or levitate above the clouds to utilize your
magic tool.

I have no doubt that Navy Seals are prepared for anything that might come
their way. However, I challenge any Navy Seal to light a fire with a
plastic magnifying glass when there is no sunshine, unless he takes out his
survival lighter and ignites the trusty plastic magnifying glass to start
his fire.

Op --maybe ping-pong ball shouldn't be sold over the counter?--

-tom

On the subject of backpacking...
 

"BJ Conner" wrote in message
oups.com...
Good ideal , carry about 6 dozen in your vest and you won't need a life
preserver.


See this is what we need around he Intelligent thinkers!

Thanks BJ,

Op

On the subject of backpacking...
 

"Mr. Opus McDopus" wrote in message
...

"Wolfgang" wrote in message
...

"Scott Seidman" wrote in message
. 1.4...
Ken Fortenberry wrote in news:lHSFf.42178
:

You can make lightweight, cheap emergency fire starters from
dryer lint and candle wax.

--
Ken Fortenberry



Fine steel wool also-- no prep at all.

Birch bark. No prep, no carry.

Various pine barks, cones and needles are also very good.

Even when saturated by rain?

Pine needles.....not very.....unless there's a nice blob of sap at the end.
The rest? Yep.

Wolfgang
who hears that mice will also do in a pinch. :)

You ignite mice by pinchin' them?

Well, a pile of burning leaves will also do......in a pinch......but then
you wouldn't need the mouse.....ainna? :)

Wolfgang

On the subject of backpacking...
 

"Scott Seidman" wrote in message
. 1.4...
"Wolfgang" wrote in news:44qc5vF3g7gjU1
@individual.net:


"Scott Seidman" wrote in message
. 1.4...
Ken Fortenberry wrote in
news:lHSFf.42178
:

You can make lightweight, cheap emergency fire starters from
dryer lint and candle wax.

--
Ken Fortenberry



Fine steel wool also-- no prep at all.

Birch bark. No prep, no carry.

Various pine barks, cones and needles are also very good.

Wolfgang
who hears that mice will also do in a pinch. :)



Believe it or not, Fritos make a fantastic firestarter. However, one
good case of the munchies and you're up ****s creek.

The beauty of birch bark and pine cones......you ever eat that ****?
:(

Wolfgang
who knows there ain't no dope that good anywhere on THIS planet!

On the subject of backpacking...
 

"Mr. Opus McDopus" wrote in message
...

"Willi" wrote in message
...
Mr. Opus McDopus wrote:
I found a very light weight survival type gear...PING-PONG BALLS!
Don't do this in the house over the livingroom sofa.


I take it this is from experience!

Willi

No, not perzactly. The guyz at work like to get up a rousing game of PONG
during lunch, and having participated on a couple of occasions, I
witnessed one of the fellas ignite a cracked ball. The damn thing went up
like it was filled with gasoline! It just hit me then that it would be
good for backwoods survival, as I suspect a few balls would ignite wet
kindling in no time.

I haven't tried this yet, but plan to in the near future.

Ping-pong balls.......I've seen 'em burn.......nitrocellulose (or a close
cousin) would be my guess.

Start small. :)

Unfortunately, they'd probably be thoroughly useless for starting wet
kindling......they burn too fast.

Well......unless you've got like a shoebox full or something. :(

Wolfgang
ducking and covering.

On the subject of backpacking...
 

"rw" wrote in message
nk.net...
...The best firestarter I've used is fire "ribbon", which is basically
napalm in a tube. It may not be the best thing for backpacking, though.
And you can't carry it on a airplane, even in your checked luggage.


http://www.trackertrail.com/survival...dchocolatebar/

100% guaranteed TSA friendly. :)

Wolfgang

On the subject of backpacking...
 

Mr. Opus McDopus wrote:
"Tom Nakashima" wrote in message
...

What's so hard about starting a fire if you have a book of matches or
lighter?

If it has been raining for two days and there's not a dry twig to be found?
And I did say ignite with a lighter?

Ping-Pong balls = less room in your pack.

Can you honestly say that 2 to 4 ping-pong balls would take up room in your
pack that otherwise would have been used? Or are going to tell me that you
wouldn't want to be weighed down by them?

For our survival test, we were out in the wilderness for 7 days with just
a small plastic magnify-glass.

It's raining, you are huddled over a very small pile of twigs, you pull out
your trusty plastic magnifying glass, and realize that you will first have
to either part the rain clouds or levitate above the clouds to utilize your
magic tool.

I have no doubt that Navy Seals are prepared for anything that might come
their way. However, I challenge any Navy Seal to light a fire with a
plastic magnifying glass when there is no sunshine, unless he takes out his
survival lighter and ignites the trusty plastic magnifying glass to start
his fire.

Op --maybe ping-pong ball shouldn't be sold over the counter?--

-tom


You could cut the pingpong balls in two and nest them together. A
couple of dozen wouldn't take up much room at all that way. IF you
fall in the water they are not gonna help you float.
I would paint eyes on two halfs, that way if your sleepy at a clave or
something you can put them over your eyes looking attnetive while you
make a few ZZZs.
A pingpong ball factory must be a hell of a place. Class 1 divisin 1 &2
group everything.