Online Videos Now Available

Are you ready to learn how to start a campfire without a match?

We've converted our DVD project into 14 managable Flash video clips (.flv) that you can watch on your computer. (See Sampler here.)

Even if you have never started a camp fire before, you will feel at ease at the easy steps it takes to start a fire without a match.

Join Rodney East, creator of the Best Selling "Why Knot?" knot tying DVD, as he demonstrates Six Different Methods of starting a fire without a match.



The Supplemental Handbook




The 26-page downloadable Handbook is designed to be a supplement to the video. It begins with an introduction to fire, and the elements necessary for fire to occur.

Section Two shows the necessary steps needed to build a fire. It gives an overview of the different types of tinder and kindling you can use.

Section Three covers six different methods to start a fire without the aid of a match. There are also resources provided to show you where you can locate some of the items we use to start our fires.


You might be wondering, "Why can't I just use my Matches or Lighter?"

While matches and lighters may be quicker and easier, there are times where they, too, let us down. Sometimes matches get wet and sometimes the lighter fluid runs out. What will you do then? It's always good to have a backup plan.

This Fire Without A Match Video and Handbook Set will help you develop a backup plan for starting a fire when your matches or lighters are not enough.




Make your way to www.FireWithoutAMatch.com for more details.

Baking Bread On A Stick

Bread Baked On A Stick

To make bread on a stick, just mix water with Bisquick mix (you can buy this already prepared or mix your own before leaving home). Don't add too much water or you will have a sticky dough that you will not be able to handle. You want the dough to be thick like soft modeling clay. And be sure you don't add the water until just before you are ready to bake the bread. It is always wise to keep a little biscuit mix to flour your hands so the dough won't stick to them. Ordinary flour will also do the trick if you happen to have some at camp.

Along with preparing the dough, you must also prepare a baking stick. Get a stick about as long as your arm and as big around as your thumb. The stick can be a dead, dry stick, but a green stick from a living tree or shrub is best as it will not catch fire so easily. However, do not choose a stick from a tree or shrub which may be bitter, for it will make the bread bitter. Peel off some bark and taste the sap. This will tell you whether the stick will give the bread an undesirable flavor. Next you must peel off the bark for about six to eight inches or more at one end of the stick.

Powder your hands with flour or biscuit mix. Pull off a large pinch of dough from the mixture you made. Mold it around the end of the stick, pressing it until it surrounds the stick like a piece of bark. For best results, it is wise not to have this dough more than a quarter to a half inch thick at any spot, and whatever thickness you decide upon should be the approximate thickness all around.

Baking bread on a stick requires a fire that has plenty of hot glowing coals and little or no flame. How high above the glowing coals you should hold the dough in order to bake it at the right speed to produce a golden brown surface and get it well done is something that only experience can teach. Just remember that you cannot expect to bake such bread in less than ten minutes, and ten minutes seems like a long time to hold a stick over a fire. To avoid having to hold it, place a log or a rock at the edge of the fire, or drive a short forked stick or two cross sticks near the fire. This may require choosing a prop of a different height. The end of the stick away from the fire can be weighted down with a small log, a rock, or held in place by driving two sticks crossing it.

Watch the bread carefully. As it turns a golden brown next to the fire, turn the stick slightly and brown another portion. Keep up this process until the bread is brown on all sides. Remove the stick from the fire. Gently twist the bread off the stick. Put some butter and jam or honey into the center of this hollow biscuit. It will be delicious.

Remember to try not to eat stick bread that is burnt black in spots, is gray from a smoky or flaming fire, or that is not well done inside. Practice until you can get it just right.

Twists

Twists are biscuits made by winding "ropes" of biscuit dough around a clean stick a half inch in diameter and of a convenient length and propping over the fire to bake.

After mixing the biscuit dough, shape it into a long sausage, one inch wide and 1/2 inch thick. Slightly grease the stick. Place the dough around the end of the stick in a spiral fashion.

The secret of making good twists is to prop the stick over hot coals so you will not have to sit and hold it like a fishing pole. Watch the twist very carefully and turn a little as soon as one portion takes on a golden brown. Adjust the height of the twist as the fire dies down or builds up. Do not expect to bake them in less than ten minutes. The goal is a well done, golden brown twist, not a blackened, raw-hearted one.

Dog In A Blanket

Spear a hot dog lengthwise on a long, pointed stick. Broil over the coals for a few minutes. Cover with a 1/2 inch layer of dough and bake the same as the twists.

-- Campcraft, MV Honor Series, Young People's Department of Missionary Volunteers, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

_______________________________________

--Happy Camping,

Sign up for my FREE Camping Newsletter.
Get details at Fire Without A Match

Know and practice the safety rules in camping

Generally speaking, camping is a safe outdoor activity. The hazards of camping are no greater than living at home. With that being said, however, carelessness and ignorance sometimes do cause accidents in camp or bring minor physical problems that might easily have been avoided. A camper who uses common sense is a safe camper.

As with all activities, there are a few rules that should be abided by in order to ensure a safe environment and a happy experience.

1. Do not hike or camp alone (groups of three or more work best).

2. Have permission of the landowner where you are camping.

3. Never leave camp without informing those in charge where you are going.

4. Always have a fire permit where required.

5. Certain hours for meals, hikes, assembly, bedtime, rising, etc. must be set when a large number camp together. The larger the number, the more strict these regulations must become.

6. In mixed camps, privacy must be carefully respected in regard to latrine areas, sleeping areas, etc.

7. Never swim or boat alone.

8. Never swim far from shore without a boat or raft and a friend near to give help if needed.

9. Never dive into unknown waters without first checking carefully for shallow spots and hidden dangers, such as logs, stumps, rocks, brush, etc.

10. When in a boat, do not change places in deep water, or if you must, keep body low, and decide who is moving where before you start moving.

11. If a boat should upset, just stay in the water by it and hold to its edge until help arrives -- unless the shore is near and you can swim to it easily. Remember, most small boats will not sink entirely.

12. Do not kill either plants or small animals.

13. Do not gripe -- regardless of the weather, the cooking, the insects, etc., keep from complaining. Complaining is catching, but so is a smile.

14. DO NOT PANIC -- regardless of the emergency, force yourself to remain calm.

Sign up for my FREE Newsletter. Get details at Fire Without A Match

The 6Ws For Selecting A Good Campsite

Do you know what the 6 Ws are for selecting a good campsite?

Every campsite is different and unique, but if you are able to find a site that takes into consideration the 6Ws, you'll have a pleasant experience.

Wind

On a hot day, a cool breeze is very refreshing. Early morning breezes can also bring freshness to your tents and campsites.

Strong winds, however, can turn a good camping experience into a bad one. Ever try to set up a tent with hard winds blowing? Have you ever put a stake into the ground only to have it uprooted by the wind? Strong winds are also a problem when trying to start and contain a fire. You don't need the wind blowing sparks throughout your campsite. For these reasons, you'll want to have some sort of shelter (a large rock or a line of trees) to protect you from stormy winds.

While you want protection from heavy winds, be sure that you're enough in the open to get the benefits of those gentle breezes throughout the day. This will also keep you safe from any tree branches that might fall onto your tent and cause damage to you or to your camping equipment.

Water

Camping beside a lake, ocean, river, or stream always adds a special touch of fun to your camping experience. As kids, we used to forget about the camping and focus on the swimming. You'll want to make sure it is a safe environment for little ones, though.

It's always good to be able to have plenty of pure drinking water on hand. Usually rivers and streams can provide this for you. If the water supply isn't pure and clean, you can purify it with Halazone tablets, drops of iodine, or boiling.

You'll also want to make sure that if a heavy rain floods the lake, creak, river, or stream you'll still be high and dry. Make sure any heavy rains will drain out of your campsite and not in.

Wood

If you are at a campsite that permits fires, you'll want to select a site that has plenty of wood nearby. If you know in advance that there is limited supply, be sure you pack your own. Never cut down standing live trees for firewood or shelter unless you are in a survival situation. It may help if you take along camping stoves to conserve the wood.

To find dry wood after a rain, look under leaning or fallen trees and inside hollow logs. If the rain was windblown, look on the side of dead standing timber away from the wind. Use an axe or camp saw to cut into the dead wood - the center of the wood should be dry.

Weather

Take into consideration what the weather will do to your camp. Is there enough shade to keep you protected from the hot summer sun? Will rain send streams of water under your tents or make the ground around them swampy? Will lightning be attracted to tall trees in your camp and electrocute you? Take a look around you and determine if your campsite is "weather protected". The time it takes to select a different site may be well worth your time in the end.

Wild Things

Wild things are all around you - ants, mosquitoes, gnats, ticks, etc. They can ruin your campout if you are not careful. With careful planning, you can avoid some of them. If you pitch your tents 10 to 15 feet above a stream or lake, you can avoid those insects that swarm down close to the water's surface.

Poison ivy and poison oak can ruin a good campout if they find you first. Take the time to check your campsite for these wild things, especially if you are sensitive to them.

Make sure you protect your food from wild animals. Raccoons like to dine on your week's supply of food. In some areas, bears are a problem. Know what kinds of wild animals are in your area so you won't be surprised unexpectedly.

Willingness

The last W puts everything into perspective. It doesn't matter how much you know about the other 5 Ws, if you aren't willing to apply them to your situation, it won't do you any good. If you are the leader of the group, take responsibility. Be willing to take the extra effort to be selective when choosing your campsite. It may pay off dearly when you are able to avoid a calamity because you were willing to move to a different location.

I hope these suggestions help you make your next camping trip a more pleasant experience.

--Henry Juarez
www.FireWithoutAMatch.com

Coming Soon!

"Fire Without A Match" is a brand new video and handbook project with the beginner fire builder in mind.

---

What You Will Get/Learn:

Video Demonstrations by Rodney East Discover the Rules of Three How to Make Your Own Char Cloth Six Ways to Start your Fire Without a Match Resources for your Own Fire Starters

---

Can I Really Do This?

Even if you have never started a camp fire before, you will feel at ease at the easy steps it takes to start a fire without a match.


Join Rodney East, creator of the Best Selling "Why Knot?" knot tying DVD, as he demonstrates Six Different Methods of starting a fire without a match.


Rodney shares with you a source of tinder found in your own pockets!


Find out what Chaga is and what source of wood is used to produce a chemical fire!

---

Comments from the DVD...

"It's nice to be able to make a fire with all natural material, but when it comes to survival situations, don't just rely on the native materials. If you've got something and it's life or death, use anything you have to burn." "All of these techniques that we've talked about, are just ways to make the heat. But heat is only one part of the fire triangle. We need air and we also need fuel." Rodney East

---

The Supplemental Handbook

The 21-page Handbook is designed to be a supplement to the DVD. It begins with an introduction to fire, and the elements necessary for fire to occur.

Section Two shows the necessary steps needed to build a fire. It gives an overview of the different types of tinder and kindling you can use.

Section Three covers six different methods to start a fire without the aid of a match. There are also resources provided to show you where you can locate some of the items we use to start our fires.

---

Screen Captures from the DVD

---

Why can't I just use my Matches or Lighter?

While matches and lighters may be quicker and easier, there are times where they, too, let us down. Sometimes matches get wet and sometimes the lighter fluid runs out. What will you do then? It's always good to have a backup plan.

This Fire Without A Match DVD and Handbook Set will help you develop a backup plan for starting a fire when your matches or lighters are not enough.

The Fire Without A Match DVD & Handbook Set
will be available on December 1, 2005 for $34.99 plus $3.99 shipping/handling.

Pre-Order Today and receive a $10.00 DISCOUNT*

You can Pre-Order at the
FireWithoutAMatch.com website.

*$10 discount (equaling $24.99 + s/h) is only available through

November 15, 2005!

Hurry and Pre-Order Today!

Five Different Types of Fires

Five Different Types of Fires

Council Fire

Also known as the log cabin fire, this fire is useful for a regular campfire circle. The two base logs should be about three feet long, with a diameter of from six to ten inches. When the fire circle has been cleared, the two base logs are laid on it about two and a half feet apart. The next pair of logs should be a little shorter and thinner. Smaller logs are then laid crisscross until three or four tiers complete the frame.

Build a tepee of tinder and kindling in between the first two base logs on the ground. Arrange heavier, dry sticks of varying thickness in tepee form around it, ready to flare up and set the heavier logs on fire when the fire is going good. Carefully feed sticks, small pieces of wood, and small, dry logs into the fire through the top of the framework as more fuel is needed.

Crisscross Fire

This fire, which can be built to almost any size, is a fine cook fire. It looks like a council or log cabin fire foundation. The crisscross fire is a series of tiers of thick sticks and small logs, set side by side. It blazes quickly into a bed of red embers and coals which are excellent for roasting and broiling.

Hunter-Trapper Fire

This fire is usually made by placing two logs, each three feet long and five to eight inches in diameter, about eight to ten inches apart so that the wind circulates between them. The fire is built between the two logs. A stick about three inches thick can be placed under one log about six inches from the end so more air reaches the fire.

Reflector Fire

The best baking fire is the reflector fire, which also provides quite a bit of heat on cold nights and provides protection for the fire against any prevailing wind. Logs four to five feet long are sunk into the ground at an angle. Two short brace logs are set evenly and a bit forward of the large posts. Between these are stacked four-foot long logs that are from six to eight inches in diameter. The fire is laid in front of the reflector. Bread can be baked in a reflector tin if it is placed on the other side of the fire from the log reflector.

Pit Fire

This type of cooking fire is used on windy days. Dig a pit and line it with stones. The fire is laid at the bottom of a pit and will stay lit even if there is wind at ground level.


Happy Camping,
--Henry Juarez

The Rules of Three

It is interesting to note that survival can be broken down into rules of three. These rules of three can be instrumental in providing a checklist or packing list for things to take on your next camping trip.

You can last 3 MINUTES without air.
If you are taking a scuba trip, you will want to pack plenty of air tanks for you and those traveling with you for the number of hours you wish to be under water. Another thing to consider is your altitude. Are you going to be high in the mountains where breathing could become a problem? Consider where you will be going and determine if sufficient air/oxygen would be present. If not, plan on how you will be provided with the amount of air you will need.

You can last 3 HOURS without shelter.
If you're hiking (or lost) and the sun is about to set, you want to make sure you have a good shelter to protect you from the cold. Make it just large enough to accommodate you and not much else. This is important, especially in cold climates, because your body heat may well have to heat it. Be extremely careful if you are going to use fire to heat the shelter, as most natural shelter materials are flammable! Plan ahead, and use common sense. If you are hiking in a dessert, you'll want a shelter to provide shade.

Most of the time, though, you’ll be trying to keep warm. Use everything you can think of for insulation. Crawling inside a big pile of leaves or pine needles is actually pretty warm and comfortable (do not attempt this near a fire). A large pile of fresh pine sprigs is not only a springy mattress, but is good insulation from the ground.

You can last 3 DAYS without water.
While you may be able to last three days without water, you will start to feel the effects of dehydration after only 12 hours or so. Your brain is made up of 70% water and will not think clearly without plenty of water. It is important to know ahead of time the kinds of water supplies you will have at the location you will be at. Is there a stream running through? Will you have to take water purifying items? Will you have to carry all of your water in with you?

You must drink plenty of water even if you do not feel thirsty. An adult should drink at least a couple of liters per day (more in hot climates). If you spent the night on high ground, then plan on moving camp. In most areas, just continue to walk downhill and you will eventually find water. Watch animals or follow their tracks. They will usually lead to water. Birds also tend to congregate near water. In dry areas, you may have to consider other means, such as a solar still. If you are getting water from streams or ponds, boil before drinking, or use water purification tablets or straw.

You can last 3 WEEKS without food.
Many people make food their priority. Even though your stomach may be growling of hunger, your body can last much longer without food than without water or shelter. Only after taking care of those needs first, should you worry about food. Will you be able to catch your food from the rivers or streams? Will there be game for you to hunt? Or will you carry all of your food with you? What about pots and pans? Will you have a stove to cook on or will you cook over a fire? Your camping location will determine what options you have for food. You will also want to consider dishwashing liquid, SOS pads, grill scrapers, aluminum foil, etc. Camping is more tolerable when your hunger cries are answered with enough food to sustain your activities.

With that being said, if you find yourself in an unplanned situation where you need to rely on your surroundings for food, as a general rule, avoid plant life unless you know for a fact that something is edible. Stay away from mushrooms and any plant that has a milky sap. Common edible plants include cattail roots, acorns, clover, dandelions, almost all grasses that are seed bearing and the inner bark of trees such as Poplar, Willows, Birches and Conifers.

The easiest rule to remember is that if it walks, swims, crawls, or slithers… thump it, and muck it on down! Small animals, fish and insect life are always your best bet (remember, do not eat spiders or anything else with more than 6 legs). Use the knife, hooks and line, make a spear, make snares with the 80lb test cord. Setting multiple snares and fishing lines in ways that you do not have to baby-sit them is a good idea. Check them from time to time for a catch. This allows you to "hunt" without expending much energy. Use your imagination! The facts are, ALL fur bearing animals are edible. ALL birds are edible with no exceptions. Grubs found in rotten logs are edible, as are almost all insects (6 legs).

You can last 3 MONTHS without companionship.
If you are alone for 3 months or longer you will either go insane or you will develop a relationship with God. Like Tom Hanks in the movie, "Castaway", you will have to invent your own Wilson, or you will turn to God for companionship. Human beings were designed to interact with others, so if you are going to live on your own for longer than 3 months, consider bringing a companion along or plan on having someone "show up" for a weekend or two to help you get through the loneliness.

These rules of three can provide any camper with the proper frame of mind when faced with survival situations. It is my goal that you will be able to benefit from these rules and memorize them. Some of this content was also taken from the FM 21-76 US ARMY SURVIVAL MANUAL.

Happy Camping,

--Henry Juarez