Some say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but this old dog learned a good one not so long ago….remember the use an orange to light a fire?  Well, I learned from that one quickly.

So, I have heard of another way to start fires in situations where you may not have very dry twigs etc.  Only this time, before I blurt out the hows and wheres and why, I am going to try it first and then I’ll let you know, but only if it works.

Stand by for the upcoming event and I will post whether it works or does not work.

Bears Butt

August 22, 2012

Later:

So, I opened up the cupboard and pulled out all the chips we had.  Sour Cream and Cheddar chips, Original chips, Doritos Scoops (small), Fritos, Ritz and even some mini marshmallows.

I grabbed an old metal pan and some strike anywhere matches.

Temp 83 degrees, slight breeze, humidity high for here at 32%

Starting with the Original chips, I put two on the metal pan, stacked but slightly off center to give a broader area.  Struck one match and held it to the wind side of the chips…almost instant fire on the chips.  I layed the still burning match on top of the two chips and observed.  The wind fanned the fire into and under the two chips.  The fire reached approximately 4 inches high at the highest point.  As it burned oil came running out and around the chips.  Total burn time was just under 2 minutes.

Next came the Sour Cream and Cheddar flavored chips.  I used 2 medium sized and 2 small ones.  Again spacing them one on the other and in an arc to catch the wind underneath them.  Lit another match and it to caught fire almost instantly.  I layed the match on top of the chips and observed.  It burned for almost 2 minutes and had oil coming out from around the chips when it stopped burning.  The flame was about the same height as the Original chips, 4 inches at it’s peak but the chips did not completely burn like the original did.  However, there were glowing portions of the chips up to one full minute after the flame went out.

It was now Doritos Scoops time for testing.  I stacked 4 of the smallish chips on top of each other, but not one inside the other, they were off set.  Lit a match and it was almost instant flame.  The breeze blew the flames in and under the small cup like chips and really heated things up.  The flames reached nearly 10 inches high at the peak and the chips completely burned up.  It burned higher and hotter than either of the other two tests and about the same amount of oil as the Original chips produced.

Ritz crackers came next.  These little round bad boys should prove to be real winners.  Bigger than the other test guys, thicker and they have to have more oil in them.  Seven matches later they had chard edges but did not burn.  I’d say at this point to save them for the Kipper Snacks.

Fritos is up to bat now.  7 of the little guys were stacked so I had some space underneath to catch a flame on the edge and the fire could go into and under them.  A very quick flame, not as quick as the Dorito Scoops, but still pretty quick.  They burned for just at 2 minutes with about a 7 inch flame at the peak, they burned completely up and had about as much oil around them as the Doritos.

Lastly, I had the mini marshmallows to try.  My cute little dog had snuck in and eaten my test samples while I was watching the Fritos.  So I had to go get 5 more.  I stacked them close together and lit a match.  The first match only charred one edge.  A second and then a third match finally got them burning but the fire went out quickly.  I stacked 8 matches on top of them and lit another match.  They burned while the matches burned and then went out leaving a very sticky melted mess on my pan.

My conclusion.  Doritos Scoops or Fritos should be included in your survival packs.  Seal them in air and water tight containers and guard them with your life.  They should be enough to dry out tinder or smallish twigs and save your life.  If you try these, I suggest you put some twigs underneath them to catch the oil that is coming off of them as they burn.  It just might be enough to catch fire and save your bacon.

But, even though I am voting for the two that burned the hottest and highest any of the other dry chips would work as well.

Good luck out of doors and I hope you never have to put these to the true test.

Bears Butt

August 22, 2012

Shopping in a store I saw a package of fried pork skins and thought I might try them and see how well they burned.  The conditions were similar to my last experiment and so I set up the same way.

10 strike anywhere matches later and burned edges on two stacked chicharrones proved they do not work.  Don’t waste your time burning them just eat them.

August 29, 2012