[Philmont]: Matches, lighters and other stuff

Bottom line. Carry both matches and lighters and not just one of each.
 
Now a little science information.
 
Come on Pholks. Everybody know that every Scout carries an Official BSA waterproof match container and every Scout can start a fire with two matches. That was in the old timey wood fire cooking days. Surely it should be a lot easier to light a gasoline or butane flame on a stove shouldn't it?
 
Modern technology has made it easier to start the "cooking fires" during NORMAL conditions, but Philmont can throw so inordinary circumstances at you.
 
The trick to the whole thing is you have to know the characteristics and limitations of the equipmen
 
Only a Tenderfoot would carry matches in a non waterproof container.
 
I happen to prefer strike anywhere matches, but the quality of these has gone down significantly in the last few years. Shop around, you can find good ones and not so good ones.
 
Matches.
 
Safety matches have compounds on the match and on the striking surface. Combining both are necessary for them to work. Both have to be reasonably dry. The glue holding them together is not waterproof. You have to keep both dry.
 
Strike anywhere matches contain ground glass in the white portion of the head to create the friction needed for ignition. They MUST be kept dry to work.
 
There are many ways to waterproof matches. I'll not elaborate.
 
Butane Lighters. Virtually all lighters are butane lighters. They are cheap and convenient.
 
Depending on the blend, butane stops giving off enough vapor pressure to work effectively when temps drop into the 40's. Thus if you keep the butane lighter in the stove outside at night it is not as effective as if it's kept inside your sleeping bag where body temps keep it warm.
 
WARNING Do not keep it in your sleeping bag for obvious reasons. These CHEAP lighters do come apart. Not often, but they do and if you have ever seen the fire when one does, it's scarry.
 
You may have experienced a butane lighter working poorly when it is cooler, this is the reason.
 
Think outside the box.
 
One Use a Zippo lighter. These don't depend on vapor pressure to work. They have been workign well for many years.
 
Two Use one of the striker fire lighters that have been mentioned earlier.
 
To light a stove with it, on a pressure cannister stove, simply turn it on and direct the striker spray of sparks at the burner.
 
To light a liquid fuel pump up stove, simply turn on the valve and let fuel accumulate in the cup, and direct the striker spray of sparks at the burner.
 
I co carry and have for 40 years carried the SAME striker in my SVEA stove. I don't need matches or lighters to start that stove, just that striker. I usually start it with a lighter of matches carried elswhere, usually in my pocket, but the striker is there as a bottom line.
 
Many times even in good conditions I have sttn people struggle to start a camp stove. Frankly ther is no reason for this to occur if you follow BE PREPARED.
 
It's part of the homework you need to do prior to going to Philmont.
 
Next time it rains, put up the tent you are taking and practice getting it up in the rain DRY on the inside.
 
Take a hike with your rain gear on and see how good or not so good it is.
 
Set your pack out in the rain and fine out wehre it leaks. Fix the leak.
 
Wet Boots
 
I was amazed at the story of a Scout having to hike in his camp shoes because his boots were wet. He's obviously not been to NT or he would know that you just dump them out, dry them out as best as possible and get them on. Afte4r a mile or two, change the socks and hang the socks on the outside of the pack and let them dry a little. Switch socks ever so often and before noon you have dry feet dried out by the heat generated by your own body.
 
We have a whole buch of good meaning adults who don't have the skills they need to carry with them to Philmont. As an adult, if you are going, you owe it to the crew members to gather these skills to carry with you.
 
There are multiple sources out there, seek and ye shall find.
 
John LeBlanc
 
 

                
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Received on Fri Sep 2 16:08:38 2005