I teach that there are 5 ways to make fire, the categories are: friction, percussion, electrical, chemical, and optical. I usually have a bin full of these firecraft materials on hand for classes but for simple outings I keep these materials to a minimum so I have assembled a small kit in each category to use for spur-of-the-moment demonstrations.

Fire kits can vary based on your interest or needs, each one custom assembled for your purpose, perhaps for fire demonstrations, home emergency kits, Bug-Out-Bags, or car kits. Kit containers can vary from cloth or leather pouches, boxes, or zippered glasses cases to mention a few. Some kits may be historic in nature or just modern-day practical.

Small zip-lock plastic bags can be helpful for tinder containment and to guard against moisture. For kits that I use in remote areas when camping I use tools that incorporate blaze orange so that if dropped they will be easy to find. I also employ redundancy if some tools fail or are lost.

The advantage of kits is to have your tools and associated elements assembled in one place so it is convenient to use and can be strategic in cases of emergency. I would love to see comments on your fire kits.

Edith Marie Ferguson Carter, owns and operates Whippoorwill and organizes Daniel Boone Day each year with the help of other volunteers. There were many vendors and demonstrators including flint knappers, knife makers, and quilt makers among others. Other activities included Civil War reenactment, musicians, period theater actors and more. It was nice to hear live music throughout the day.

In my area I demonstrated primitive and survival skills. Because Whippoorwill Village has a bamboo grove, I collected bamboo stalks and emerging shoots then boiled the shoots in a bamboo pot that I made over my campfire. I also used a pair of clam-shelled tin cans that produced a perfectly baked potato. My cooking demos provide me with my day-time meals. I also had the opportunity to try on a bear hide that came from a neighboring county. It made me ponder the fauna of the early days of Daniel Boone.

A number of folks expressed to me that they look for the teepee and follow the campfire smoke to the Survivaltek booth. It’s always fun to connect with friends, both old and new. At the same time I get to learn new things when people share their experiences. This is a great annual event that I highly recommend.

The event was “sold out” with 400 tickets sold. There were numerous volunteers in attendance as well. I was surprised at the slower pace of previous years and I suspect that next FLT event will increase the number of tickets available as there is a greater capacity for Public participation.

I was able to demonstrate and teach flint and steel firecraft, optical firecraft, hobo fishing with a tin can, alcohol burner construction with a aluminum can, outdoor cooking methods and more. As usual, I enjoyed learning from others their experiences and techniques in these endeavors.

TIP is already discussing the prospect of scheduling another event for this Fall. You can keep up with their activities at http://www.turtleislandpreserve.com. I might see you there!

Aside from brushing elbows with the famous, I was able to meet many new festival visitors and demonstrated various ways to make fire using friction, percussion, and solar methods. For lunch I prepared fish for baking by covering it with mustard green leaves then covering that bundle with clay and placing it on coals. It normally takes about 45 minutes to bake with abundant coals but with the modest amount that I had generated the time had to be extended a bit. The results were great. I handed out chop-sticks to the adventurous folk who eagerly waited to pull off a piece of tender fish.

One of the fun aspects of this event is that I get to erect my Cheyenne style teepee and my 5 foot long fish “pillow” on a tripod. Both of these displays draw lots of interest for “photo ops”. I try to let the photographers get in their family photos too and occasionally become the photographer for them. Of course it is an honor to be a subject of their photos and I would like to thank all of the folks who share them with me as I get so involved that I forget to take me own photos of the event.

The Brushy Mountain Apple Festival is held the first Saturday each October. Perhaps I’ll see you next year?!?

During the Open House events, it’s fun to hear the rumble of the horse drawn carriage throughout the day, loaded with visitors and driven by Eustace Conway throughout the grounds. Eustace was recently featured on the History Channel program “Mountain Men” and thus has drawn quite a bit of attention. Although television tends to exaggerate events to increase viewership ratings, my experiences have been delightful, and I hope that the television series will help to increase awareness of Turtle Island Preserve’s purpose and offerings to the public. You can visit their website at http://turtleislandpreserve.org for more information.

In the photo you can see my new friend “T.J.” who shares survival skills interest. He has just achieved his first successful ember using the bow and spindle kit that I made. In turn, he demonstrated the cobra stitch method of creating a wrist band that conveniently stores about 6 feet of parachute cord for emergency situations. This interaction of skills and experiences by visitors is what makes this experience so delightful. I extend my thanks to Ann for capturing this epic moment of firecraft and to all the visitors who have sent me their photos to share.

If you plan to attend this event, please drop by and say “hi”. In 2 weeks I’ll be attending another event “Daniel Boone Day” at the Wippoorwill Village. Check out my calendar for details.

(after this was published, I was photographed during a cooking demo… CLICK HERE to see the Winston Salem Journal Photo)

Several streets are blocked off for this event. Survivaltek was located on the West end of Main Street on the lower level parking area where I was able to set up the Teepee and displays of survival crafts and products. Of course, firecraft demos were on the agenda as well as baking fish in clay. I over-heard many country folk who recognized the “rabbit gum” or live box trap on display. I also met other enthusiasts who shared their personal experiences. Meanwhile, I’m taking notes and adding to my knowledge base which I enjoy sharing with my website visitors and newsletter subscribers. If you’re in the area next year about this time, stop by Applefest and look for the Teepee…