Quartz works? That is a pretty common and easily recognizable rock especially in Victoria as it was brought to the surface in large quantities as it is often gold bearing or at least an indicator. Never knew that will have to give it a try. So striking it with a tomahawk may produce a spark?
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If you can use agate jasper would be ok too
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Hey SG, if you want to follow the traditional path, Keith is your man.
If your looking at the more modern option that you can wear around your neck or leave somewhere handy, I can vouch for the ferro fire rods. I have a couple and whilst they can break, in my experience you’d have to be pretty hamfisted to break one. I keep one in the 4x4 and one in my bug out bag. I’ve used them heaps and I like them. Dry grass, gum leaves, fine wood sraping/shavings, a bit of cotton off your shirt, even belly button fluff will all take a spark from a ferro rod. Some people rub Vaseline into cotton balls and stick them into a water proof container. They make great fireballs (think petroleum based firelighters) to really get your camp fire going. The lint from a clothes dryer is good too.
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Or just cheat and use steel wool and a 9 volt battery.
Not bad from only a couple of sparks.
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Can of petrol and a match?
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But if your match is wet it wont work.
but then I guess if my battery is flat we are in the same boat.
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Not really into the day to day use of something like flint and Steel. However it does fascinate me enough to want to give it a try just once. I had one of those rods way back when I was a kid but it was tiny.
Hats off to Keith for taking it back hundreds of years but from a Prepper point of view the other is a better backup after the lighter and matches. I mean not many preppers would be looking at going back to the stone age they are all about modern ish guns.
F me have a look at a few more you tube vids you may change your idea of what is actually involved. Your not just going to go out in the bush and be able to find and make all this stuff.
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Absolutely right Ob. Just a matter of what you can find in your area.
Keith.
A tomahawk may not have a high enough content of carbon steel sungazer. The sparks are created by striking the steel, the rock shaves off tiny slithers of steel, these slithers of steel are the sparks. You can make a fire steel from a piece of broken metal file, files are high carbon steel.
Keith.
There are two main reasons why I do not recommend the Ferocerium Rod for survival purposes. 1) The rod itself can deteriorate & it can break, 2) Using modern fire lighting methods will not teach you good fire lighting skills, primitive fire lighting methods will teach you fire lighting skills.
More information Here: https://australiansurvivalandpreppers.blogspot.com/2014/03/buzzard-bushcraft-look-after-your-ferro.html
And here: https://woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com/2012/06/fire-steel-versus-ferrocerium-rod.html
Fat wood is where its at fellas, can be found naturally and works a treat, carry a stick whenever i go out
Many preppers that rely on modern technology will in fact, in a major shtf situation, eventually find themselves living a stone age lifestyle, IF they survive at all. It does not matter which period lifestyle you choose providing that period is 18th century or earlier. Equipping one’s self with 18th century equipment & skills will ensure that your comfort & living conditions never drop below that period style.
Keith.
I don’t see why not, that is what I do.
Keith.
Not native to Australia, no good in a long term wilderness living situation. Okay for camping.
Keith.
Well neither is char cloth and flint rock and a tin…pine resin can be found out bush however. I know i’m not planning or escaping from society to live in the bush any time soon, my tin foil hat is still in the wrapping at woolies. Has worked a treat for me but everyone does things differently and thats whats so great about this forum 
Coming from the king of improvisation himself 
i’ve seen this guy roll up to camping events with nothing more than a rifle tarp and a sleeping bag
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Ahhh its the steel thats so important not so much the rock. I dare to ask why the make such a big deal of they of rock then there must be heaps of rock types that would server the purpose. Like you have already indicated Quartz.
Whan i get some oxy -act bottles I will have to try and make myself up a bit of hardened steel.
@Gwion do you forge and dunk in oil there must be some risk of fire doing that?
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