FIRE SKILLS FOR THE OLD GUYS
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- ONE OF THE PROBLEM WE FACE AS WE GROW OLDER IS THAT SIMPLE TASKS CAN BECOME HARD TO DO. TAKE FOR EXAMPLE START A FIRE WITH A FARRO ROD. TO SOME IT WILL SEEM LIKE CHILDS PLAY. BUT TO ONE WIL ARTRITIC HANDS IT CAN BE A REAL PAIN. IN THIS VIDEO I WILL SHOT A WAY THE FIRE CAN BE STARTED WITH LITTLE STRAIN OR PAIN FOR OLD HANDS..THANKS FOR WATCHING
#bushcraft , #camping , #bushcraftkit , #secrets , #woods , #woodsmen , #stealth , #firebuilding , #fire , #fireplace , #CAMPFIRE, #campfire_cooking , #campfirelegendz , #CAMPFIRE
the old silver or grey wolves who still want to go camp and be outdoors but time has caught up a little here
are a few tips for fire starting
Don't work harder! Work smarter! An old man affliction!!!
and when i dont work find a way to work around it growing old aint for sissies
I’m 57. When I get on one knee I need my staff to get back up. But I’ll never stop
I drag my walker .😉
I get down on 1 knee for GOD
but the other is held together with 10 inches of steel it is a little hard to bend and stand back up on
amazing ? have I been censored ? 😮 😢 😕
As long as you can get up, never stop
These old guy tips are just what I need to hear! Excellent advice!
glad to help
Thanks Blackie love 💕. I’m 56 and your right my hands definitely don’t work like they did??? I was actually called Gripper at work. Nobody could turn a tap on if I’d turned it off!!!!! I was the only person that could open big jars of Beetroot or stuff. But now??? Geez it’s flipping hard these days!!!! Thanks Blackie for this video. 💖🙏👍🇬🇧💕❣️❤️🇬🇧
Thanks for sharing!!
I can't thank you enough for making this video and the future ones for us 50 plus guys. And not only over 50, but I have had MS for twenty years.
So these videos and your tips are precious for me and my ablility to still get out into the woods.
Thank you, Mr. Thomas!😀
(Above edited for clarity)
Glad it helped!
Strikes close to home, comes to us all!
thanks for watching
Hell NO we aren't done yet. Still lots of campfires waiting to get started ! If this channel were 24/7, it'd be all I'd watch !
awesome
I'm only 29 but I definitely enjoy the knowledge!
thanks for watching
Be a wise 29 and respect and listen to your elders like we had. There is truly wisdom; often untold to the youth. Why? Because, somehow they "been there and done that" ( as if they were born at 100 years old and grew down in age? ). Age does bring wisdom, that only age can bring. (JF)
Blackie , Thanks for sharing your knowledge and wisdom and passing on the craft. I like the pull method for me it's easier to control. I'm 61 years old and Yes I'm a Silver Wolf as you called it I've enjoyed your channel for years being a U.S. Army and a Old Boy Scout , after I had my Spinal Stroke 18th February 2021. You helped me with my recovery wanting to try what you had taught me and you are a Great Teacher . Thanks Again Yes You Are The Master Woodsman and Buschcrafter. Tim L.
Yes, Tim, Blackie is the Master. With a few medical idiosyncrasies just like us. He has motivated me like none other !
@@baronedipiemonte3990 Oh Yeah, Yes he is.
hang in there were not done yet
glad to do it
@@BLACKIETHOMAS I Greatly Appreciate It,
Thanks Blackie, for thinking of us Old guys. At 74 it's amazing how much grip and lifting strength, flexibility and stamina I have lost in the last year or so. Good tips for us and also are safe measures for all! Always learning!
Absolutely
Much more than Smartphone Generation! They are done.
I am so grateful that you are covering this subject. I have severe RA at 49 and it has really changed my camping habits. These ideas are invaluable for anyone who deals with that debilitating mess. I really hope you do more videos on this subject. Thanks very much Blackie!
Glad it was helpful! i will do more
Hello my friend and brother! You are singing my song with this one! Thanks! Regards and best to you and yours, Pink.
hang in there brother we got lots of campfires yet to go
Your right about the old guys(including me)Thanks for the wisdom.Have a great weekend
my pleasure
Hi Blackie...I feel like you wrote this post for me. At 80, things that used to be a single-handed deal are now a two-handed job thanks to arthritis in my hands. I don't walk on slippery logs anymore, due to the balance issues you mentioned. But I'm nowhere ready to quit going to the woods. I'm developing new ways to do stuff and your content in this post is right on the money. I know that all us "silver wolves" out here appreciate your consideration and look forward to future posts.
Watched your shows for a very long time I’m from Canada and it’s nice to know that someone will talk about getting old and hands not working so good in the cold thank you
Thanks for watching!
Thanks Blackie I had a stroke almost 4 years ago. Always been an outdoor guy but not able to do like I use to. Looking forward to a series for older guys. Love the videos.
Amen and wishing you a daily improvement on your health
@@primafacie5029 Thank you wishing you all the best.
My late father inlaw had a stroke and subsequent mini strokes later in life. Even though we have never met, I'm glad to hear your on the mend and hope your rehab has got you back in the bush enjoying what you like.
hang in there
@@Danceswithempties Thank you. You are very kind.
As always very useful information. Old guys rule. - Tennessee Smoky
The quote you are looking for is something like...
Age and treachery beats youth and strength.
everytime lol
For anyone saying you can’t get a good spark from a ss knife on a ferro rod, just yesterday I experimented with a nice piece of flint on one. The flint had a decent edge, one I’d get a good spark from a steel with. It tore showers of spark off my ferro rod.
Edit; I usually hammer my knife point first, edge facing away from me into a stump or log. Not too ridiculous but till it’s good and solid. I then take what I need to cut or scrape and drag it toward me against the edge. With my beat up hands this gives me the control and fitness to scrape fatlighter shavings or carve feather sticks very well and safely. Works well using an axe driven into the base as well, just edge away from you and pull the material toward you. Should be little to no chance of slipping and cutting yourself.
Yep at 61 I’m having a knee replacement Oct 10, sure hope the operation helps me, time will tell.
Prayers sent 🤗 i had 13 surgeries befor 30 🥴 my 60 are gonna be fun 🥴
best of luck to you
Best regards and wishes Trooper ! Keep your eyes on the prize & you'll get it !
Thanks Blackie,
I’m 70, cataract surgeries, carpal tunnel surgeries, quintuple cardiac bypass surgery. Like the song says, “I’m not as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I ever was”. LOL
Keep us old guys in your thoughts and prayers.
I'm 64, and I really appreciate your tips.
Rock on!
Hey Blackie. I got a recommendation for a product that can help out around camp and in the Bush for you to check out. It's a Stanly trim plane, and it's sold usually in any hardware store. Really useful for making stuff around camp and making tinder bundles. It's small, light, easy to throw in a belt pack, can be worked like a draw knife or spoke shave, and is easy to use for people with nerve damage and on arthritic hands.
Thanks for the tip..oh I picked up 2 "woobies" excellent..stay safe
wonderful
I'd started using the method you used to scrape the fatwood with the back of my SAK saw but with a ferro rod. One of my SAKs is getting a little old and loose so this was a safety precaution. It hadn't dawned on me it was an easier method on the hands, just easier! I'd gone a different route with the ferro rod, found a brand that was comparatively soft, sparks easily but obviously doesn't last as long. Will have to go with the bigger ferro rod eventually. Yes, have a few problems with thinner handled knives with prolonged use as time goes on and have had to retire a few to light hiking duties. Thank you Blackie for taking us Grey Wolves into consideration, much appreciated!
glad to do it
Good tips Blackie , thanks for sharing , God bless !
No problem 👍
My first time making a fire was thought to me by may great-grandfather. We used two rocks and the shavings that you showed. It has worked for me for 59 years. It served me well in Vietnam.
I clicked on this video because I wanted to see what the old guys are doing. Then I realized... dammit I'm an old guy too. Not sure how or when that happened but quite frankly I'm glad to be in the club.
Thanks Blackie for all you do
welcome
Blackie, my favorite tool for creating tinder is the band saw. It's hard to get in a back pack though....and even harder to transport with my walker. 😁
I joke, but a whole lot of things get a little less easy after 55.. it's true.
Right on
TBH Blackie I have CP and I'm 50ish. So there's mobility issues from the get go, can't do bow drill, hand drill either. I've had to figure around this stuff in the outdoors all my life. I use a square mill bit lathe blank in high speed steel epoxied into a hunk of wood for a scraper and striker and save the spine of my knives. It will make any Ferro rod sling sparks, 4 edges, or a 8.5 x 11 inch page magnifier, not the pocket card
way to go adapt overcome keep going forward
Hi Blackie, enjoyed your live session yesterday. Both striking methods you showed are great at any age, an added benefit is that they help avoid making those horrible ridges on the ferro rod!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank the good Lord that I don’t have arthritis. I’m not comfortable with a lighter. Thanks for the knife tips Blackie, haven’t tried putting my thumb that way.
Blackie, ty always good info from you…
i try
Ah Blackie, this one takes me back to last summer's camping trip.
Daughter in law had never started a fire with a ferro rod. So, i showed her a similar technique.
I showed her how to make what I call a "fireball".
It is a mix of natural tinder (thistle tops in this case), fatwood shavings, pinewood curls in a newspaper sheet.
Then taught her the "pull start" method of striking a spark with a ferro rd on my knife spine.
The newspaper is used like an envelope to move the "fireball" into the middle of the fire pit, as the tinder bundle begins to burn more. then add more tinder and kindling to get the fire building.
Thanks for sharing
My pleasure
Enjoyed the video, some really great tips, my friend!
Bless you for this.
thank you for watching
One of the smallest lightest fire starters in the world is the Guitar pick made of RESIN you shave it like this then hit it with your fire starter !!!! Just a OLE TIP for ya!
Dad used his wore out ones ..he was musician ..i carry a few cheap ones outta habit also dad showed me how to shave pvc and strop my knife on my jeans to generate flint shirt works too
Lint*
@@Bucky1836 Dont forget the top of your truck window will put a edge on your knife just the same as the bottom of a ceramic coffee cup
Blackie you are a joy to watch and I love your content always informative
So you can teach an old dog new tricks.😂 Thanks Blackie for all you do!
Any time!
Great stuff Blackie! I'm one of your well over 50 subs 🤠
Thanks for the sub
this video makes perfect sense! it seems sometimes in life the simplest way or idea evades our thinking because sometimes we just over think it!
Thank you again for sharing your vast knowledge on Bushcraft!
ATB Sam from Vietnam
Thanks for this, Blackie. I’m not silver or grey, but that’s only because the grey hairs fell out😂😅 ! Still the knees creak a little going up and down, and I will definitely take any bit of advice I can get to make getting out there a fun experience, and not a chore.
I'm going to be 62 and I have pain in my hands especially in the winter thank you for your advice 😊
In my Rondivous days we referred to old farts like us as gray beards!
ATB,Sam from Vietnam
Great video
Hello Blackie- Im in my early 50's and work outside pretty much every day. Over the past couple of years, I have developed RA in my finger joints and I am certain that these tips will help as Im also into bushcrafting stuff. Thanks for these tips and look forward to your vids. Be sneakey safe out there-
Yea, I hear you Blackie! 68 years old, arthritis, replaced knee... I'M AN OLD FART!
Son's of Authritis. That is definitely me. Getting old is getting ruff. 63+ and trying to still hang tuff. Lol 😆
Hey Blackie another trick is to take along a pencil sharpener and use little sticks in it to make your feather shavings as it works really nice.
Good stuff! Thankee...!
Thanks for watching!
These ideas can help everyone. Thanks for the video
😂 I can get down on my knees, getting back up is the problem 😂
Great job Blackie. These techniques will really help me.
Glad to hear it!
Great tips even tho not old! but still have arthritis.
Good video. God bless. From Glenn CATT in Massachusetts.
At 69, I’m one of those guys you are talking about. I still love bushcraft, camping and hiking, but I’ve found that I have to do some things a bit differently than I used to. I had bilateral knee replacement 4 years ago and that went very well. However, I can’t kneel or squat now. Your suggestions are very helpful.
i will do what i can to show you a few tricks
@@BLACKIETHOMAS And you do it very well! Much appreciated!
Blackie as always great video you may have heard of a company called fire steel saw demo on prepared wanderer the company makes 3 sizes the largest of which is called trekker it’s amazing I have purchased several good ferro rods over the years bur nothing come close to this Ray Charles and a seeing eye dog can start a fire with this not cheap but will last for an eternity a senior citizens best friend.
Great vid Blackie! Now show the young pups how to cook bacon & eggs out of a waxed paper lunch bag & they won't have to do dishes at camp LOL!
Great idea
Thanks for the tips Blackie. My hands still work pretty good. But getting up off my knees is starting to get a bit tricky. 🐺👍
Good to hear
Would love to still be able to do things that I used to do but, just aren't able to anymore. Thanks Blackie for giving a fellow silver wolf more options on a very important skill. Great video sir.
Any time!
Great tips. I’m one of your grey beard viewers. 😊
You rock!
lots to learn thank you very much
Thanks Blackie ,will do.😊
Thanks!
Welcome!
oh i've been known to shave it up before going out and bagging it in myself!! doesn't take much time at all to get a quart sized ziplock full! keep ya` a bag or two ready to go do it in a evening every so often sitting in front of the TV maybe 30 to 40 minutes! if you're going to start it high and move it down maybe have a metal plate of some kind as a base so you can move it easier! say a wide bladed trowel or a folding shovel blade!! you know Blackie you the ones who can't handle a bic anymore but still want a lighter they should look around the hardware and farm stores, normally in the soldering and welding stuff you can find refillable butane torches that are pretty much just overgrown bic lighters but they're a inch plus across and easier to handle! smoke shops have some good sized refillable cigar torches too!
Thanks Blackie you been reading my mind
glad to help
Great information as usual!
Thanks again!
72 yo, none of it is easy, lol. You got the greatest finesse tips. Kudos
I appreciate that!
Awesome!
Thanks!
Good job Sir.
Thanks
Thanks Blackie. Take care.
Thank you too
First!😎🤙 Hey Mike👋👋
hello!!
Hi Blackie. Thankyou very much for making this video. Muchly appreciated. Just a thought if time permits maybe you could make a elevated fire like in swamps , just a thought, what are your thoughts. We al need these video, thankyou
Thanks Blackie
I like the blade edge on the stump method best for me. I figure the sparks hold a tighter pattern that way. I am not that long in the tooth but do have some dexterity issues from a stroke so I am always looking for the easiest way. Thanks for another great video
Me too. I’ll have too keep my eye out for a good stump🤷♀️🙏💕🚴🏽🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Thanks for sharing!
@@janetburrows137 Does this mean something else in your language besides the part of a tree left in the ground after being cutdown?
I want in on this joke!
At 60 I can Relate to things being a little bit more Difficult. ( Got the Same Shirt and it's a Favorite)
I had the same problem getting up off the ground on my knees I just got to keep exercising and do it everyday that way you can get up and down easier and easier
thats what i have found as well you got to keep using it and keep it flexed
My experience is I get a better spark from a sharp SS steel spine and it needs less attention, while softer metals may need the occasional re-work to straighten the spine edge and remove stuck carbon residues (sometimes even molten steel from the spine).
It IS much harder to give that stainless steel spine a good sharp and perpendicular edge though...
Thanks blackie
We aint done yet! We need to show these young pups how it's done. And done right. I do have a question, and maybe a suggestion for a future vid... Packing up. At my age I can't hump a 100 lbs ruck like I used to. My back says no way.
ok i will think on that
Hey I can't hump 100lb anymore either. So I cut back from a 45/50liter to a 28/30. All the stuff doesn't weigh much by themselves in your hands, but when it's all done and packed. Just going to have to carry the water + mess kit (2 canteen cups etc) on my GI belt.
I just use cheap lighter or matches to get fire started. Worked well so far. As a backup ferro rod is useful though.
That kind of big knife is silly and to get shavings by scraping is quite pathetic. Real outdoor men of north have used for centuries puukko type knives which are much smaller (blade is 3" - 4" long) and capable to take clean shavings from wood which make fire starting easy. (Correctly made tinder has even a name, "kiehinen" )
You need some skill with puukko but it is never too late to practice
I’m 48 but it aint always about age.. it’s about mileage!.. I’m going on 124…..
very true
I carry with me in my pack two zippo lighter, with extra flints tucked inside and a couple tins of lighter fluid. A little bit of lighter fluid helps to start the fire but do add it once the fire is lit.
Shot knees, the main reason I went to hammock camping.
never seen the use of hand sanitiser to light a fire (about 70% alcohol, 15-20% gliceryn) even if I use it for some years now... wonder what is your opinion on that?
Try gloves that fit tight, thin ones. Aviator ones if you want to spend money, or one or two cotton ones. Helps me.
good tip
That's a good idea. Those are all leather on the palm side for extra dexterity
@@baronedipiemonte3990 The problem come with how delicate they are. Remember they are meant to operate in a cockpit, not out in the woods or for yard work. Fine work without a lot of abuse, they are great. Wearing them while using many tools is fine.
@@kamaeq Oh I know. I wore them on freight ship inspections. I could (past tense) get free replacements at the CG Air Station. They're about $30 a pair now
Im "only" in my 30s but between the Fibromyalgia and two botched Spinal Surgeries my Hands, Back, and Knees dont work nearly like they should, so I need all the help I can get. O.o
hang in there
Don't let any more of those "healers" finance their new cars off your backside... ! Be well !!
Some very good info hey blackie what's ur contact info trying to get a blackbird2
Ok my question is once you scape the coating off the ferro rod and it’s going to be a long time before you use it again , does it need to be re-painted !? Thanks Brother!
Not at all it will oxidize by itself
Where can a guy pick one of those knifes up at ?
stichedgear.com randy will get you set up
@@BLACKIETHOMAS Beautiful, thank you !
Forgot to say, having XXL/XXXL hands, I sympathize with folks trying to use small items...hard to find things that are comfortable.
Ya man hands dont like me anymore lol
hang in there brother
Carry a Bic Lighter with ya
yep always
Now ik I'm old lol
Can anyone tell A UK 🇬🇧Lass? What wood is fat wood?? 😊❤
Pine usually , or any resin tree , eucalyptus is solid gasoline basically
Ah not many eucalyptus trees, but we do have pine. Many, many thanks🙏🙏🇬🇧Have a great weekend. Thanks 🙏 again. God Bless Love 👍💖🙏🇬🇧❤️👍
it is the heart core of a pine or conifer that has the orange core i n the dry wood it will smell like fuel
🤨 Who are you calling old? Never trust your demographics (computer). Our job is to BS the computer/internet/those that think they're collecting data on people. Always be not yourself when visiting the inter-world. Tit for tat.
On the other hand; I resent (resemble) that title (kind of). I intentionally stopped keeping track of age. It works. Because I now need to be reminded of my birthday and need a calculator to figure out my age if need be. Seriously, I don't have to use a calculator, but like electing to forget my age is now I decided to clear out the clutter in my mind of all that crap I learned many moons ago and don't use that much. Just like most things I do in life: I don't listen to others telling me that you CAN'T. I have always kept a Can Do Attitude. If I don't know how, I will figure it out. If I can't do something, I will find a way. I stay young this way. It has only been in recent years that I needed to listen to my body. When I talk back to my body I say: Shut the hell up and watch me ... I will crawl there if need be!
Now, if you compare "Older" people (their generation) and what we have today; well I do believe society has managed to reverse the roles? Many "Older" generations are in better shape, wiser, healthier and tougher than the generation before us today. It is sad that most are unfit for military service.
56 here next week and my life moto is " you are only as old as you act"..grab a couple grandkids and go outside..These you turds 20 -30 yr. olds can't make it aweek without video games..Tender Bundle is a reference to their crybaby feelings..Have a good day, Sir.
Amen!