Any fellow survivalists utilize their truck?

Yup I'm a official tinfoil hat wearing member of the SHTF Preparedness Group
Center console holds a Walther PPS .40 with an extra mag, Leatherman MUT multi-tool, zippo.
Also in the truck is a high powered D cell LED flashlight and an extensive med kit.
The truck is new so I'll be adding more as time goes by.

 

Yup its just me. There's some stuff I would add or double up on if I had kids.

 

For the med kit did you piecemeal that together or did you supplement one big kit?

 

Careful w/keeping a Zippo for SHTF situations. I got one many years ago and planned to do the same but what I didn't know is the fuel will evaporate out. I recalled my grandpa constantly filling his when I was a kid and I thought it was because he used it. I loved the smell of it too so when I was buying a lighter for my SHTF kit I just assumed a zippo was rugged and reliable but the fact of the matter is they're pretty shitty for that use actually. There are better lighters that won't be empty when you need them most and actually perform better in inclement weather too. If you use your Zippo regularly you'll probably be fine but I now know that I wouldn't trust my life to a Zippo lighter.

 

I pieced most of it together. I had a cheap $10 Walmart special that I emptied into the kit, the rest is stuff I got from work or while I was still in the Army. I keep adding to it as I come accross things that are useful. I keep a tourniquet with my range bag, but I might add one to this kit as well.

 

Agreed.

THe firesteel is supposedly the most reliable, but also requires tinder and a fair amount of skill.

I friend of mine told me "Cap, I've been smoking for 40years and you better believe smokers no more about reliable fire sources than anyone. I'm here to tell you a Bic lighter can not be beat in 99% of situations."

Since then the Bic has been my go to, with a fire steel as my #2. I've found very few times that the Bic wouldn't work.

 

I don't smoke but it's tough to beat a simple BIC lighter for many reasons. This is why my kits include both a BIC and a cheap spark thrower. If I can't start a fire with those I deserve to die.

 

Learn to bowdrill. I teach primitive skills and I can tell you there were times where I was on my own and lighter pooped out and I was able to get fire with bowdrilling.

Quartz and steel, flint and steel also work great if you have char cloth.

 

I think the moral of the story is:
-have more than one method to start fires
-know how to actually start a fire

Having the tools doesn't mean squat if you don't know what to collect and how to actually make it burn

 

I'm intrigued by this. While I don't think a firesteel is so easy that anybody can pick one up and make sparks fly, of all the fire starting methods (outside of instant flame-matches and lighters) it is without a doubt the method that requires the least amount of skill.

Regarding the need for tinder, this is where all methods lack outside of instant flame devices. One thing that the firesteel has over the other ways to produce an ember/flame is that it doesn't rely on additional resources beyond the tinder itself, which is something they all require. A wet Bic lighter is of little use, so it's definitely wise to have a firesteel as back up.

Let me say that I'm not at all challenging your statement, I'm genuinely interested in the discussion and opinion sharing.

 

Same thing with you, Dave! Not picking apart your comment - just trying to learn and share.

Are you inferring that a bowdrill is a preferred backup fire starting method? It's definitely a primitive skill, and to me is something to know in case plan A, B and C don't work to start a fire. I have 3 redundancies in my fire kit, not including different tinders.

 

I'm all in favor of discusing this one.

I'm gonna throw this thought out there as well.

Ruling out the Bic my #2 method is the magnesium block fire starters. You don't see people talk about them much anymore. Reasons I like them though
-it has the fire steel/fero rod attached to the side which can be used by itself or with the magnesium
-the magnesium acts as it's own tinder, which means less time and energy for me to collect tinder. It is kinda a pain to scrape but scraping burns less calories than wandering trying to find tinder
-they're CHEAP. I've gotten a bunch from Harbor Frieght for $2-3/each. Most ferro rods I've found were in the $10-20 range. They are so cheap that I buy a couple every time I go to Harbor Frieght and I now have them stashed all over the place.


I've tested them a number of times, they seem to work well.

 

What about a small inverter style generator like the Honda EU2000?

 

Pain to scrape for sure! Had a few of those in my day, I don't carry one anymore

I found a website a while back that looked at the composition of a Doan's, Coghlan's and Harbor Freight mag bars and IIRC the Coghlan's had the least magnesium, HF second, and Doan's was 100% IIRC. The magnesium content was really small on the Coghlan's and HF which is probably why they're difficult to scrape. Tried looking for the article really quickly for this post, but my Google Fu didn't find it.

I carry all my tinder, which is ultra compacted dryer lint (#1) in a film canister or pill bottle, when compressed you can fit A LOT of tinder and it fluffs up really well (it's also completely free). I have cotton balls in a similar sort of container and similarly compressed, also fits a lot in a very small package and super lightweight. As a back up to that, I have a redundancy of Germ-X which I have already to disinfect my hands, it takes a spark like gasoline and burns really slowly if I have wet kindling or windy conditions that give me a problem keeping the small flame going until I can build the fire up.

 

You lost me, for what?

I would love a generator though.

 

Only owned 1 generator in my life, but for generators - Honda can't be beat.

 

My favorite is to shave down the duraflame logs or store bought firestarters. I take a snuff can and pack the sides with that stuff, it's kinda sticky, then in the center I put a cotton ball with petroleum jelly. THe can is more or less waterproof, the plastic burns away pretty quickly too. One or two good sparks will get it going and it will burn for a good 20-30 minutes.

YOu can light the whole thing or break it up and use a little at a time

 

Never thought of Duraflame kindling. Great idea

I have a shitload of fatwood but haven't had the time or need to process it down.

 

Great idea, I'm stealing this one! Thanks for the idea.