Not what you think: Fireworks on Independence Day

[L Bow]

Okay, we have a deal with my son this summer. He will be entering 5th grade. He is a bright kid but not independent. So part of the deal is that we have s he is to read everyday. He reads his choice for half an hour and then something we recommend for the other half hour. I chose a book I loved at his age, My Side of the Mountain. Today we read the first two chapters in which the protagonist is trying too start a fire. So then, my son and i gave it a shot. We had a flint and steel and scraps of paper. It was alot of fun, We did start a fire but not until we introduced magnesium scrapings. We agreed that we would work to be able to start a fire with just the flint and steel by the end of summer.

My EDC? well it did not include fire starters, but they are in one of my layers or rings or whatever. My micro card knife was key in actualy getting sparks to fly off the flint. It takes practiced to get a fire going.

[ToolFool]

Nice work, L Bow! Practicing a valuable skill AND spending valuable time with your son...you are a wise man! Happy Independence Day to you and your family!

[scríbhneoir]

"Nice work, L Bow! Practicing a valuable skill AND spending valuable time with your son...you are a wise man! Happy Independence Day to you and your family!"

:agree: That is terrific! Good on you two and your son! And what a great book!

And for the firestarting--konrad and our 11-year-old daughter took some of the dryer lint I've been hoarding to practice with the other night. Two strikes on the flint and steel--FLAMES. We burned up my entire supply (I'll make more!).

[Lunal_Tic]

dryer lint

Man I must be going brain dead. I was thinking how could you possibly get anything useful from a hair drier. :idiot2:

-LT

[Topper]

I give dryer lint two thumbs up. Is vasilene coated/soaked cotton balls cheating? I have had sucsess with plain old steel wool 0000 give it a try.
Topper :)

[ADBF]

My Side Of The Mountain. :) I was, amazingly enough, just thinking about that book the other day, for some reason I can't recall. That was a great story and I read it twice when I was a kid. I was fascinated by the idea of a kid who had the skills and courage to go live, basically by himself, on a mountainside for a whole summer. Good for you taking the time to teach your son some basic outdoor skills. He'll remember it forever. O0