Hello to all lovers of homemade products and especially lovers of hiking and fishing trips and in the forest!
Now spring is coming, and not far off and summer!
Summer, as you know, is the best time for various hikes, fishing, trips to the forest for mushrooms and berries.
That is why, already now, it is advisable to start slowly preparing camping equipment for the summer, as well as various things and items needed on hikes.
Perhaps one of the most important camping accessories (which absolutely no hike can do without) is an item that allows you to get fire, such as matches or a lighter. Although matches still represent a simpler and more reliable option and are most often used in various campaigns.
However, matches have one very significant drawback. They are very susceptible to moisture and can quickly get wet, for example, during rain or when dropped into water.
However, matches can be very easily protected from dampness and getting wet if they are coated with a thin layer of melted wax or paraffin. After hardening, a layer of paraffin will reliably protect the matches from getting wet. Moreover, such matches can be kept in water for hours and they will not get wet and will always be ready for use.
At the same time, I want to note right away that there is no need to protect a whole box of matches from dampness in this way. It is enough to cover 5-6 matches with paraffin, as well as one or two strips of sulfur from a box and store them in NZ (emergency reserve).
I, for example, usually during a hike, always carry one full-time box of matches in the side pocket of my jacket, right at hand, and I use it to get fire or kindle a fire.
However, in case this box gets damp or gets lost, I always have a few paraffin-coated matches in my NZ (usually in the inside pocket of a jacket or in a backpack), which are just intended for emergency situations. Therefore, even if I get completely wet in heavy rain or, say, fall into the water, I can always use these matches to make a fire and warm myself.
So, to make such waterproof matches, we need a box of matches, an oblong tin can, tweezers, a source of fire (for example, a candle) and paraffin residues from incompletely burned candles.
Making waterproof matches
To begin with, you need to select 5-6 pieces of good matches from the box (strong enough and with large sulfur heads) and, just in case, dry them for two to three days over a heating battery.
Then, you can start coating our matches with paraffin.
As a source of fire, you can use anything, for example, a gas burner or even a lighter, however, it is quite convenient to use an ordinary candle.
By the way, in order not to keep a can of meltable paraffin over the candle all the time with my hand, I decided to make just such a stand out of wire and fix the can on it.
Now you can put pieces of paraffin left over from incompletely burned candles in a tin can.
After that, light a candle and put it under a jar of paraffin.
When all the paraffin has melted, we take a match with tweezers and dip it into the melted paraffin.
We do this several times, with intermediate cooling for a few seconds. For better cooling, you can blow on a match. Dip the match, you need to quickly enough so that the previous layer of paraffin does not have time to melt, and a new layer forms on top of it.
The melted paraffin at the same time should not be very hot. To cool it down, you can simply move the burning candle a little to the side.
We do this procedure with all matches until a layer of paraffin 1-1.5 mm thick is formed on each match. As a rule, this thickness is sufficient.
After that, you need to additionally protect the head and tip of the legs of each match. To do this, several times we dip each match in paraffin with the indicated parts.
Also, you can protect with paraffin and strips with a layer of sulfur.
To do this, cut off two strips of sulfur from the box.
Then we put them together, with a layer of sulfur inside, and also dip them into molten paraffin, first with the edges, and then in their entirety.
You can also take a small brush and apply paraffin to it.
And now, our waterproof matches are ready!
But I already put them in a plastic bag for storage.
However, just in case, you can test our matches.
To do this, take one match and strips of sulfur coated with paraffin and place them in water.
Let them soak in water for a few minutes. Although, to be honest, they can be kept in water for several days - they still will not get wet.
Then, pulling them out of the water, we clean them from paraffin.
And we'll light our match.
As you can see, the match lit up normally.
At the same time, such a match covered with a layer of paraffin has another great advantage. In fact, it is a small candle and burns for a very long time, three to four times longer than a regular match.
In general, the burning time of such a match depends on the size of the paraffin layer on it. Therefore, if desired, a thicker layer of paraffin can be applied to the matches. Then they can serve not only as a means of obtaining fire, for example, to build a fire, but also as sources of light, that is, like small candles.
Well, that's all for me!
Goodbye everyone and happy travels!
Many people enjoy hiking, traveling, canoeing on rough rivers. Therefore, if you are going on another hike, well, or just relaxing with friends, do not forget to bring matches for the fire. After all, it will be very difficult to really eat without fire. Quite often, vacationers on hikes are overtaken by bad weather, rain. And it is not always possible to have time to hide all things in a dry place, especially matches, which get wet quickly and dry for a very long time. So that you do not stay on a campaign without fire and once again Surprise your friends with your ingenuity We offer you a simple design of a waterproof case, in the court you can keep your matches dry on a hike.
Previously, a similar design was added on the site, be sure to check it out.
To make a waterproof match case, we need the following:
- 2 necks from a plastic bottle with corks;
- Matchbox;
- boron machine;
- glue gun;
- blade.
So, let's get to work. first of all, with the help of a boron machine, we need to cut off from plastic bottles necks, exactly under the rim near the twisted lid. If you don't have a drill, you can use a knife and lighter to make the cut as straight as possible. When the necessary cuts are made, it is necessary to trim the cut, make it smoother.
As a result, we get two identical, even and neat blanks. It is necessary to try on so that they fit as closely as possible to each other in places of cuts. If necessary, if everything has any irregularities, trim again.
Workpieces connected to each other must match the size matchbox so that a match could easily fit there.
With help glue gun Gently coat the edges of both blanks. Do not feel sorry for the glue, try to smear each one as carefully as possible.
After the slurry is applied, we connect the workpieces with each other in places of cuts, pressing tightly against each other. Leave under pressure until the glue dries completely.
When the glue is dry, with the help of a blade, very carefully cut off the excess glue that protrudes at the place where the workpieces are joined.
The waterproof match case is ready. class="subtitle">
Campfire set, or how easy it is to light a fire?
The first thing the future campfire should do is to take care of the campfire set. He must do this before the trip. And no need to spare effort and time in order to alleviate your future fate.
So, there should be matches in the set - where without them? Only storage boxes are not suitable: the slightest rain - and even dry matches strike to no avail on wet paper. And if you wrap the boxes in polyethylene, it will get wet sooner or later anyway ... Therefore, matches in the campaign are stored in waterproof packaging: a plastic jar of film or tablets, which is hermetically sealed. Here, by the way, you need to put a couple of "graters" from the box, on which the matches are kindled.
Matches are the only mandatory item in a campfire set. Everything else - is taken at will, depending on the skills of the campfire. But even the most experienced campfirers can't do without little tricks saved up for extreme case.
Such tricks are dry fuel, a piece of plexiglass or rubber (even pieces of a damaged bicycle tire are suitable), a small candle or a piece of paraffin. With them, making a fire is accelerated many times over. True, anyway, in this case, the fire will need care, it will not magically flare up ... The more tricks you take, the better: if something does not work, there is always the opportunity to try something else ...
It is better not to take gasoline with you. Despite the fact that he will reliably fulfill his role, there are a couple of nuances in his carrying. Firstly, it has a weight greater than the aforementioned dry fuel, and this is clearly felt in a heavy backpack. Secondly, if a bottle with a combustible mixture bursts inside a backpack, at best the backpack itself and the things in it will smell like it. At worst, all the food carried by the unfortunate campfires. And gasoline vapors are poisonous - so, by the way.
Some thrifty campfires carry birch bark with them, pine chips, flint and flint, etc. But this already applies to individual tricks, which you can come up with an uncountable number.
Of course, the standard (and, in fact, optimal) means of starting a campfire in wet weather is dry fuel. It does not spill, does not have bad smell, and burns even when slightly damp. In an emergency, they can bask in a tent if they periodically ventilate the released ammonia vapors.
Dry fuel also needs to be able to use it correctly. In the hands of an experienced campfire, even half a white tablet works perfectly as that first kindling, which is so lacking in a thoroughly wet forest. In order for dry alcohol to work effectively, you need to prepare enough thin dry branches even BEFORE you set fire to the pill. And during combustion, just in time to put new and new chips and shavings, gradually increasing their thickness.
WATERPROOF MATCHES. In any campaign, each participant must have matches in a waterproof package. True, sometimes the packaging “fails”, and the matches still get damp. To prevent this from happening, O. Kuznetsov from Engels advises to dip each match in melted paraffin beforehand, and to seal the match grater on the box with adhesive tape. Matches prepared in this way are placed in a sealed plastic bag. Before use, so that the grater does not deteriorate, paraffin is scraped off the head of the match with a sharp knife.
BATH IN THE DAY. And when traveling, you can take a bath if you take care of it in advance. After the hike, collect large stones on the river bank and make a hill up to 1 m high from them. Light a large fire around the stones for 3 ... 4 hours. By the way, its heat can also be used for cooking. In the meantime, the stones are heating up, make the frame of your future barrel from dry and not very thick trunks. Clean the red-hot stones from coals and ash, install a frame over them and cover it with an awning made of polyethylene film ip tarpaulin. The bath is ready.
PARAFFIN LANTERN. The cool lamp offered by N. Smirnov from Chisinau resembles a lantern " bat". Its fuel is paraffin. The lantern is economical, odorless, reliable and safe in terms of fire protection. In addition to its direct purpose, it can be used to heat a sleeping bag before going to bed, and if necessary, heat a can of canned food on it or boil a mug of water. The lantern consists of several parts. For tank 1, a coffee can is taken and two parts are cut: 10 and 30 mm high. Two curved pieces are soldered to the bottom of a high workpiece from the inside. copper wire 3 mm in diameter. Clip 2 made of tin is put on them. Reconciliation - the same sudb "No. clip for regulating the height of the flame. The inner clip should be filled with pieces of thin copper wire of the same length - they form a wick. Having finished work, the upper part of the can is inserted into the lower one, and the joint is soldered. From above, the reserve-Euar is covered with a lid 3, which protects the molten paraffin from splashing. On the lid there is a support for glass 5. It can be made of iron. Cut out a disc with a diameter 10 mm larger than the diameter of the bottom of the glass. Slice into anyone in the radial direction! 5 mm teeth and bend them alternately up and down. The upper teeth will hold the glass, and air will flow through the holes in the lower ones to the wick. Glass 6 for a lantern is best made from a thin glass, in which the bottom is cut off on an emery machine.
Lantern cover 7 consists of two parts: base and cap. The base is made in the same way as the glass stand, only the teeth here are pyramidal in shape and all are bent down. From the center along the radial lines, cuts are made on the lid, forming eight triangles. They bend upwards and hold a cone-shaped cap with their ends. From the sides, two tin loops are soldered to the tank, into which wire staples are inserted. The upper ends of the brackets are compressed by curly bracket 4 and hold the glass cover. A hook for hanging a lantern is attached to the bracket. Before the trip, the reservoir is filled with molten paraffin - it must soak the wick abundantly. If the lantern smokes a lot, raise the control sleeve and adjust the height of the flame.
(Edited on 05/09/2018)
Matches are the lightest and available remedy receive FIRE.
No matter how many lighters or other means of making fire you have - still always take as many matches as possible - nothing compares to them.
The cheapest choice to use would be ordinary household matches. The best choice (especially in nature) would be hunting matches.
The main disadvantage of matches is that they are afraid of dampness. Therefore, do not put boxes of matches on the ground, they will dampen quite quickly from this.
Ordinary matches should be stored in a hermetically sealed container, packed in such a way that they do not strum, rub or ignite. To do this, just put a piece of cotton wool in this container.
To have enough matches for more long term, they can be split lengthwise into two or more halves.
To light a split match without breaking it, press the sulfur head against the ignition strip with your finger. Be prepared to burn that finger.
But this is an extreme case, it is better not to use it: one whole match is better than two or more with a high probability of not being able to light a fire.
To light a damp match, strike it not along the ignition strip, but obliquely.
Often you can come across the advice "If your hair is dry and not very greasy, then rub a damp match on it. Static electricity will dry the match."
But this does not always help, especially not at home. Our matches may not ignite on the boxes, what can we say about wet matches? .. And if the matches are wet, then the box is wet. And how then to ignite?
Now why is it possible to ignite. Didn't find an exact answer. But I think that not because of static electricity, but because the head sweats more often, and during sweating fat deposits are released. Naturally, hair becomes oily, and when you start rubbing a match against your hair, sulfur is saturated with natural fat and, accordingly, ignites much easier and faster.
Each time you light a match, you can also light a candle. You can light a lot of things from it, while saving matches. Even a small candle will last a long time if used carefully.
Some types of matches may have colored heads.But, for the most part, it doesn’t matter what color the match head is - they burn any.
The figure below shows EXAMPLES of some of these matches.
Let's look at what matches are.
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Household (ordinary) matches
Ordinary matches, to which we are all accustomed since childhood.Matches that are produced in Russia and in the post-Soviet space are short (about 42 mm.) wooden sticks about 2 mm thick with an incendiary head. Such matches are intended for domestic use, therefore they are not adapted to adverse conditions, in particular weather. And it can be difficult to apply them in nature. However, for making a fire, such matches have been used for decades, and continue to be used in various conditions because of its low price. This is the cheapest type of matches.
Storm matches
Burning in the wind, in the damp and in the rain. Such matches do not have a head, and the “body” coating is much thicker than that of hunting matches. Their incendiary mass contains a lot of bartholite salt, so the ability to ignite (sensitivity) of such matches is very high. They burn for at least 10 seconds in any meteorological conditions, even in stormy weather at 12 points. The addition of some salts to the incendiary mass makes it possible to obtain colored fire: red, pink, blue, green, violet. Also, some of these matches have a limited expiration date, after which they lose some of the declared characteristics. |
| Storm matches "UCO Stormproof Matches" |
Outwardly similar to hunting or storm matches.
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| Wind matches 1990 |
Thermite matches
Developing a higher temperature during combustion and giving more heat during combustion of the head. Designed for ignition of thermite-muffle checkers, thermite cartridges or kindling fires.The standard length of thermite matches is 60 cm.
Especially dangerous, because they can ignite from friction between themselves.
It is advisable to use them only after taking them with pliers or fixing them on a wire so as not to get burned.
signal matches
Matches that burn a colored (red, blue, green, yellow) flame. The height of the flame can reach half a meter.photographic matches
Gives an instant bright flash, used when photographing.Now, as far as I know, such matches are not used and are not produced. Matches with a length of up to 30 cm. Designed for igniting fireplaces.
Designed to ignite gas-burners, plates
Decorative (gift, collection) matches
Limited edition boxes with various patterns (like postage stamps), the matches themselves often have a colored head (pink, green).Some of these matches can be bought in a set consisting of several boxes. For example, a set of boxes from the history of the Russian state consists of 18 boxes.
Box-sized label sets were also produced separately.
Household matches
These are household matches that have, as they now say, "economical packaging."cigar matches
Special matches for lighting cigars and pipes. Cigar matches do not contain sulfur in the ignition head, which negatively affects the taste of cigars. They are thicker than regular matches and up to 10 cm long.
Such a match burns for a long time, but is not protected from weather conditions. Can be used to light fires in calm weather. Not much for extreme conditions. the best option than household matches.
I will give examples of some unusual matches
iron matches
Made on the principle of sparklers: combustible mixture on the wire. The length of the combustible layer is 13 cm. The burning time is 1 min. They ignite through one, the combustible layer crumbles when bent, they are afraid of moisture and wind. The flame is very hot, but the burning time is not enough to ignite. Suitable for home use.
Triangular matches made of pressed wood dust impregnated with paraffin. Package - cardboard box. Burning time - 6 min.
Burn confidently, with high temperature flame. Wet, refuse to burn
In the process of burning, they emit a temperature of more than 1000 degrees Celsius! The melting point of aluminum, for example, is about 660 degrees Celsius! Accordingly, if you throw a burning match into a cola can, in theory it should burn it.
