STRIKE ANYWHERE | SouthernPaddler.com

STRIKE ANYWHERE

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
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Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
Wooden kitchen matches are an invention of utter simplicity, and maximum utility. They start fires. Some do the job a lot better than others.

When it comes to "strike anywhere" matches, some do - and some don't. Even ones labeled as strike anywhere sometimes don't. Here's something I found out.

Ohio Bluetip "strike anywhere" matches need another match to light them - unless you carry the box around with you. Save your money.

Diamond Redtip "strike anywhere" matches do. They work the way we remember matches. Look for these and carry them in your match safe.
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
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Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
A word of wisdom that I once read in a little survival brochure: "If you plan to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together, it's a good idea that one of them is a match."

Another similar one gave advice about navigating in hte outback. "A good way to keep from getting lost - is to stay found." Meaning, keep track of where you are at all times. Navigating is answering - and re-answering - only three questions:
1. Where am I now?
2. Where do I want to be?
3. How do I get there from here?
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Kayak Jack said:
A word of wisdom that I once read in a little survival brochure: "If you plan to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together, it's a good idea that one of them is a match."

Another similar one gave advice about navigating in hte outback. "A good way to keep from getting lost - is to stay found."

I have never been lost when out in the woods ..... There were a couple of times the rest of the world was sure twisted around and had no idea where they were.
But I can guarantee you that I knew , exactly , where I was and how I got there and where I wanted to go. It's the location of the where that was in question.
 

JEM

Well-Known Member
oldsparkey said:
I have never been lost when out in the woods ..... There were a couple of times the rest of the world was sure twisted around and had no idea where they were.
But I can guarantee you that I knew , exactly , where I was and how I got there and where I wanted to go. It's the location of the where that was in question.

The good news is you can only go 1/2 way into the woods. Go beyond that and you are on the way back out.












:mrgreen:
 

islandpiper

Well-Known Member
Early on in my career as a KNOW IT ALL, i was working as a guide at a place in the Catskills. About my second day there i went out for a long walk after dinner and got turned around somehow. I stayed on the trail, or what i thought was the trail i wanted and walked till it was too dark to proceed, but knowing that UPHILL lay a road and the easy way back to my lodging i struck off UPHILL. After a rousing climb in the dark I finally decided to just find a soft tree to lean on till morning. I had been there a few minutes and was nearly asleep when the car ON THE ROAD I WAS TRYING TO REACH nearly hit me. One more step uphill and I would have been on gravel. The moral of this story is.....ALWAYS LISTEN TO JACK. :D :D :D

piper
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
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86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
I love our palaver and tales. My only point was that if you want a match that will still light by striking it up you thigh (wearing Levi's at the time) a Diamond red tip is a better bet than a Ohio blue tip. I like matches as my primary, and Bic's as my backup; others vary. Either way, it's better to have matches that light than ones what don't.
"If you want to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together, it's a good idea if one of'em is a match."
 

dawallace45

Well-Known Member
Many years ago I was hunting on a mates cattle property [ about 150 sq miles ] and I asked him if he'd ever been lost in the bush and he said , " I can't say that I've been exactly lost but I have been some what confused for a week or two " , I asked him what the difference between being lost and confused was and he said , " the difference is that I had plenty of tucker and my horses were in good nick and I knew roughly where I was and I didn't have to be any where special at any special time " , I then asked him where he was roughly and he answered , " Western Queensland " , [ A area some what bigger than Texas ]

So I suppose if you don't know exactly where you are and really don't care and have plenty of food and your means of transport is sound and you aren't running to a schedule then it just doesn't matter and being lost is just a state of mind

David
 

Kayak Jack

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
13,976
171
86
Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
I've heard that being lost is a state of mind. I suppose that, if we're having to calm ourselves down, we probably think we're lost, even if we're geographically not very far from either help or a way out. Knowing that we're heading in a general direction towards a known landmark, means that we're not completely lost (yet), just not sure of exactly where we are.
1. Where am I now?
2. Where do I want to be?
3. How do I get there from here?