Re[3]: [at-l] cola cans

[Clifford R. Haynes" <chaynes@megalink.net (Clifford R. Haynes)]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob C." <ellen@clinic.net>
 Wood wet
> from rain is mostly surface moisture. It burns almost as readily as dry
wood.
>
> With  surface moisture, wet wood is marginally more difficult to light,
but once
> lit, it burns as well as "dry" wood.
Just to expand a bit on what Bob said;    A couple years ago I spent the
summer working at scout camp. Like most folks today, my staff instructors
and the boys in cooking and wilderness survival merit badge classes got
upset right from the first week because I insisted they go by the book and
use wood fire as well as stoves. There problem was as far as they were
concerned it was impossible to find tinder due to heavy nightly dew and or
rain. Part of the problem was somewhere they all got the idea that dead pine
needles and leaves off the ground were good tinder, suppose they got that
from TV. They are useable as tinder, but aren't really a very good choice.
Anyway, I sent out all 60 boys to find the wettest dead pine limb they could
find that was on the ground. Of course they came back with a good supply of
dead pine limbs. I took one broke out a piece about a foot long and 2" in
diameter (knotless cause I'm lazy) and tossed it in a puddle, I next had one
of the boys stand on the stick and hold it underwater while I gave the 60
boys and staff instructors tell me why I couldn't use that stick to start my
fire. After about 5 minutes I retrieved the stick, whittled of about 1/8
inch of wet wood, whittled off a pile of dry pine shavings, and lit the fire
with a piece of steal and a piece of quartz off the ground.
Dry wood along the AT is never a problem, only takes a little thinkin and
common sense.