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Penley Strike anywhere matches are better than Diamond strike anywhere matches.

 

My favorite and most reliable way to start a fire is with a half stick of a Coleman fire starter and one Penley match.

 

 

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Matches? We don need no steenking matches.

 

Late summer/fall there's a weed that makes these giant puff balls, like a dried dandelion puff ball on steroids. They are quite tall compared to the grasses the grow among. The stalk under the puff ball is also nicely dried out, and thick, almost woody. I don't know what it is, just know that it holds a flame nicely. ;)

 

I gather 3-5 of these, and can get a nice fire going with a hotspark.

 

Anne in Mpls

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ROTFLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like I can't identify a cattail ;)

No, these are on a somewhat tall stalk (thin and half the height of a cattail!!) and the seeds form a 3-4 inch diameter round ball that looks almost exactly like a dandelion puffball. They grow in dryish sandy poor soil, with mixed prairie-type grasses.

Anne in Mpls

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Something similar can be done with the dried seed heads from thistles. I think I know the one Anne is thinking about. It does look like a dandelion on steroids. You could probably also use the fluffy seeds from milkweed or cottonwood, just about anything with fine fibers like that.

 

To keep the fire, you can use dried grasses with these fluffy seeds interspersed with ground up dust from dry, rotten wood to create an Apache Match. Tie up all the grasses with the other stuff wrapped in them into a large cigar-shaped bundle about two inches wide. Then put a hot coal in the end and once it starts to smolder you can keep this fire for hours while you hike to your next campsite. If you make it well, it should smolder until it's burned up but if you don't make it well you might have to blow on it from time to time. Then you just take the sparks from the Apache Match to start your next campfire. Don't burn the leftover Apache Match unless you've used most of it already, they can last a long time - but they don't really take that long to make.

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By the description of the plant, it sounds as if it might be Yellow Goat's-beard (Tragopogon pratensis). It's a plant about 3' tall and it's large, yellow, dandelion like flowers form large seed heads - abour 3' in diameter, like a dandelion on steroids as Anne states.

 

Even a hotspark is too hi-tech. Nothing beats plain old Flint and Steel (though it should be called Flint and Iron).

 

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A match is a match is a match, natch.

 

Good tinder is the most important part. And it can come from any one of hundreds of sources.

 

My personal favorite is (are?) pine shats. They're in great abundance around these parts, and it doesn't take more than a handful to get the kindling going.(This message has been edited by shortridge)

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I like strike anywhere matches in a waterproof container over the waterproof matches (they are harder to light)

 

I like the mini torch stormproof matches.

 

I've used all sorts of fire starters. For bigger fires and faster coals , you can't beat the waxed, stuffed, egg crate homemade firestarters.

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Packsaddle, you are amazing! I had tried hunting online to identify it myself and got no where. Yes, I'm pretty sure you've identfied it correctly. The range and habitat fit, as do all the descriptions, including the grass-like leaves. I'll have to look more carefully this year and see if I can identify it in flower.

No idea it was an edible plant as well...very cool!

Anne in Mpls

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So sorry!

How to correct this gaff?

CalicoPenn - thank you! Yer awesome!

 

Packsaddle, you are nothing to me!

 

That better? ;)

 

Anne, always trying to be the tactful one, in Mpls

 

Nah, I appreciate Packsaddle too! Hugs!

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