I like getting back to basics as much as possible but fire by friction for a novice can take some time. I usually light the fire with a firesteel and the back of my knife but when I saw the Wilma’s Traditional Fire Lighting Kit I was fascinated.
The traditional design has probably been around longer than the Vikings and the kit contains everything you need to naturally start your fire.
I haven’t used Amadou before and the kit contains a ready prepared piece, along with wood shavings, a piece of fatwood and some dried grass as course tinder.
The hand-made steel felt solid and easy to grasp and the sizeable piece of natural flint had some razor sharp edges. I tried a few test strikes before using any of the precious Amadou. The sparks, thinner and cooler than my firesteel, were still sufficient to put a tiny hole in my trousers. [..read more..]
