Day 5: Using The ferro rod
Ferro Rod: The Ferro Rod is truly a space age material. Not to be confused with flint and steel. Flint and steel is literally a piece of hardened Rock and Ferrous or iron. In that technique you scrape iron off with a hardened rock or Flint and it oxidizes in the air creating a spark. The Ferro rod is ferro cerium and iron that oxidizes and creates sparks at a substantially higher temperature than just iron alone. The Ferro Rod creates a huge cascade of sparks making it much easier to start fire with than just flint and Steel. Often times your Ferro kit will come with magnesium on one side and Ferro cerium on the other side. As is often the case with the very familiar Walmart or boy scout kits. When this happens you scrape a pile of magnesium into your Tinder then ignite it with the Ferro Rod. The key here is technique. Everyone wants to use the knife hand to throw Sparks at the material they are trying to start on fire. when in reality it is easier to pull the Ferro Rod backwards and let the knife hand stay in the same place so that the location of your Sparks is predictable. That way you can move the knife hand on top of your petroleum and Vaseline or pile of magnesium or fluffed up cambium layer of the Cottonwood tree or whatever you are trying to start on fire and predictably put the spark where you want it. This technique is great for introducing children to the backcountry and Bushcraft techniques. check out this video for more
