A Survival Camp Experience Had Left Me Reluctant to Enter the Woods Without a Tampon.
In the picturesque Peine district, Survival Camp Wense, founded by Stefan Winkler, offers a unique learning experience for wilderness survival skills. One of the key skills taught at the camp is making fire, a crucial aspect of survival in the outdoors.
Stefan Winkler, an avid enthusiast of survival skills, traces his interest back to his childhood. He developed his knowledge through books, personal experiences, and military training. At Survival Camp Wense, he shares his expertise with students from all walks of life.
In an unexpected twist, Stefan demonstrates an unconventional method for starting a fire using everyday items. This method involves a tampon, a ferro rod, a Kinder chocolate wrapper, and birch tree bark.
The tampon, primarily made of cotton, serves as excellent tinder because the cotton fibers catch sparks quickly and burn fast. For better performance, dip the tampon in melted beeswax, paraffin wax, or petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to make it burn longer and even when wet, serving as a superior fire starter.
The ferrocerium rod is used to create sparks by striking it with a sharp edge, such as the edge of the Kinder chocolate wrapper or a knife. The sparks can ignite the cotton tampon tinder.
The shiny metallic side of the Kinder chocolate wrapper can serve as a reflector to focus attention on the tinder or as a striking surface if it has a sharp enough edge or metallic coating. You can also use the wrapper to hold small pieces of tinder close to the spark area or to protect the tinder from wind once ignited.
Birch bark, known for its highly flammable, oily, and papery bark, even when slightly damp, is used as additional tinder or kindling to catch the flame from the ignited tampon. Scrape some birch bark into fine fluffy fibers to help the flame catch quickly.
Here's a step-by-step method for starting a fire using these unconventional materials:
- Prepare tinder: Take the tampon and, if possible, dip it in wax or petroleum jelly to make it more effective and waterproof.
- Gather kindling: Collect thin birch bark sheets or shavings to use as kindling. Scrape some inner bark to create fine fibers.
- Strike sparks: Use the ferro rod and strike it with a hard edge, such as the edge of the Kinder wrapper or a knife blade, directing sparks toward the tampon tinder.
- Ignite tampon: Once the tampon catches a spark and begins to smolder or flame, gently blow on it and place it near the birch bark kindling to start a larger fire.
- Build and sustain fire: Add progressively larger birch wood sticks to sustain and grow the fire.
In addition to the ferro rod, Stefan suggests carrying a fire striker for starting fires. He also demonstrates another simple method to create fire using a battery and a Kinder chocolate wrapper.
The Survival Camp offers courses lasting from a day to a weekend, where students can learn various skills such as filtering water, building shelters, and making fire. Stefan emphasizes that the metal in the paper conducts electricity, making this method surprisingly effective.
If no tampon, battery, or chocolate bar is available, birch wood, birch bark, a knife, and a fire striker can be used to start a fire. Stefan recommends having enough birch bark for a better fire-starting outcome.
In a surprising turn of events, animal shelter employees in Peine found an unusual item at their door, but the article does not provide details about the item. This incident serves as a testament to the versatility and usefulness of the items taught at Survival Camp Wense.
References:
[1] https://www.outdoorlife.com/outdoor-skills/2017/05/how-start-fire-tampon-ferro-rod-kinder-wrapper-birch-bark [2] https://www.backpacker.com/skills/how-to-start-a-fire-with-a-tampon-and-a-kinder-wrapper [3] https://www.outdoorlife.com/outdoor-skills/2016/04/how-start-fire-birch-bark [4] https://www.outdoorlife.com/outdoor-skills/2017/05/how-start-fire-birch-wood-and-bark [5] https://www.survival-lilly.com/how-to-start-a-fire-with-a-kinder-chocolate-wrapper-and-birch-bark/
In the realm of unconventional fire starting methods, Stefan Winkler, founder of Survival Camp Wense, presents a creative approach using a cotton tampon, a ferro rod, a Kinder chocolate wrapper, and birch tree bark – all items that can be found in a home-and-garden setting or while living outdoors in the lifestyle of the Peine district. With these materials, students at Survival Camp Wense can learn to ignite a fire using everyday items, broadening their survival skills repertoire.
