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Backpacker Magazine – October 2010
Survival: Lost with...Only a Bottle of Whiskey
Put that hooch to good use with these tips for starting a fire, treating water, and even signaling for help.
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Tags:
- Survival |
- Food and Drink |
Start a Fire
To make wood more flammable, whiskey-soak it to the core, then wait a few minutes so the vapors disperse, reducing the risk of a fireball. In damp conditions, resinous woods (pine, spruce, fir, mesquite)—which have a lower ignition point—work best; avoid oaks and maples.
Nester also suggests filling a small can (like a tuna or Altoids can) with whiskey and lighting it. Or you can build a sand fire by scooping a cupful of dirt into a mound; it must be a dry substrate like sand, or clay formed into a small clay pinch pot. Then pour in a quart of whiskey. It should burn 10 to 30 minutes; as the flame dies, use a stirring stick to bring fuel back to the surface and add a few minutes of life. Although your sand fire won’t be hot enough to boil water, it can provide warmth, heat food, or help light a signal fire. For the latter, feed in twigs, then transfer the burning twigs to a fire pit. (Beware of wildfire hazard in dry backcountry areas.)
If you don’t have a lighter, pour out the whiskey, fill the bottle with water, and start a fire magnifying-glass style. With the sun at its zenith (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.), focus the sun’s beams onto some rotten, punky wood, dry cow pies, or elk droppings until you get a glowing ember. Nestle this in grass or dry bark, then blow it into a flame. If the bottle has broken, try a shard: Add one or two beads of liquid, then lie flat with your forearms supported, focusing the beam as per above, with the water-droplet side facing the sun. You must let the pinpoint of light concentrate for 20 to 30 seconds on the tinder before it will ignite, so keep still and be patient.
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Re: "Lab grade alchohol/ethanol" - please do not drink this. It is easy to get the azeotropic mixture of 95% ethanol through conventional distillation, but you have to add chemicals like benzene or acetone to get 200 proof ethanol. There is still residual (carcinogenic) chemical in the final product.
You can start a fire with hand sanitizer that comes in those little bottles... The stuff is 62 to 64% alcohol.... just squirt it on your wood chips, twigs, etc.. and light it with your lighter, etc...
Works well for trying to get damp twigs to start a fire...
Just DON`T RUB IT ON YOUR HANDS AND THAN TRY TO USE A LIGHTER WHILE YOUR HANDS ARE STILL WET... YOU`LL BE DISAPPOINTED WITH THE RESULTS..LOL...
Sorry but this article is a total joke written by someone who has never even been camping. 1.Whisky as a signaling device? STUPID waste of time. 2.Start a fire? NEVER. 3.Care for cuts? Urine would burn less!!! 4.Treat water???? So that you will get more dehydrated from the alcohol!!!!!!???????
After reading this, and the comments below, I tested Wild Turkey 101 Proof and Crown Royal 80 Proof and both lit up in a blue flame with a bic lighter after only a second or two! I would take the 101 proof with me, not only cuz it's more flamable but cuz I'd carry less to catch a buzz. If only I could get my hands on some of that kentucky moonshine!
I AM AN AMERICAN AND IT'S WISKEY TO ME AND OTHER AMERICANS
I'm curious where you're getting this 180 proof whiskey?
The whiskey I drink (Jack Daniels) like most bottled alcohol is only 80 proof. Now 80 proof means it is only 40% alcohol - you half the proof for % of alcohol.
I could throw burning matches in it all day long and never get a fire. The 60% that's water and rye flavor overpowers the burning capability of the alcohol.
I could use it to put out a fire but not start one.
well if i had to choose between freezing my but off in a snow storm or sitting by a toasty fire, im gonna dump every last drop of wat ever flammable liquid i can get ahold of. i can start a fire with natural tiner and a flint, but if ive got whiskey and im freezing its fire starter first, then its ok to sip.
Just wonder how often this scenario really plays out amongst Backpacker readers...
Why waste the whiskey?
All of the cute jokes aside, if you use an alcohol stove, it is well to use Everclear or the 190 proof Ethanol rather than denatured or methyl alcohol. In strong light, a yellow-flame flickering will show that the stove is still lighted. The deep blue of methanol is hard to see. And ethanol, spilled onto food or leaking anywhere is not a poisoning problem as is methanol. I am amused at the suggestion of pouring a 'quart of whiskey' into a sand or clay receptacle...that is an expensive fire! Who on Earth would waste a beverage in such extravagance!
As for killing bacteria, my backcountry physician ffriends tell me that it takes a 16 hour contact of alcohol solution to totally kill bacteria. In short, there are better and safer ways to disinfect water or treat injuries; leave the alcohol for use in stoves,but cooking times are long!
@ Ben....actually for both Americans and Scots it is Whisky. Canadians and Irish refer to it as Whiskey.
DO NOT pay any attention to the previous post about lab-grade alcohol. While it is possible to find lab-grade that is safe to drink, most is not. Usually methanol is added to the alcohol to make it unpalatable so you don't drink it. However, if you do drink it, it can cause you to go blind or die. So stick with the stuff from the liquor store...
While attending the university, I had the opportunity (student work program)to set up lab experiments for the Chemistry Dept. at a local Community College. We used a 100% (200 proof) alcohol in the lab...it was quite drinkable.
On summer breaks, my tendency was to spend a month in a high country base camp with a favored lady hiking, fishing & photographing...the 200 proof mixed well with powdered OJ.
quit drinking & still hiking
'nuff said
Btw, Johnny Walker would be "whisky," not "whiskey."
From now on I will carry a flask of Jack Dannels in my pack at all times!!! Its a new part of the ten essentials!
Hey Bates, I do! A liter that is, and make mine 151-proof 'Kleer or Rum if you please. I guess Kentucky is about the only state that still allows the 190-proof stuff.
Got a Fifth use for you all: Grain Alcohol powers my pet food can stove quite nicely. Had a run-in with a leaky white gas container in my pack once. Just once. Edible alcohol answered the question of what to eat when your food is soaked with fuel.
And, as observed earlier, a dollop in the evening takes the edge off trail aches too.
Great article, I always hike with a flask and never knew it could be so advantageous
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