The Kindling Bag.
Some things you just don’t read about in period journals, other events
are recorded but they are far and few between. We as Living Historians and
Experimental Archaeologists are given the job of reading between the lines and
filling in the gaps. For instance, what information do you glean from the
following quote:
“Fierce winds and blowing snow reduced the men to huddling among large rocks, unable even to start a fire.”
“Fierce winds and blowing snow reduced the men to huddling among large rocks, unable even to start a fire.”
Samuel Hearne, Canada,
1770.
I deduce from this
journal record that these men had no dry kindling, or, they had run out of
tinder. For one man to run out of tinder I might expect, but for two or more
men to neglect to collect more tinder seems unlikely. So I suspect the problem
was no dry kindling being available given the weather conditions.
A smart man or woman in this period under these sorts of living conditions is unlikely to make this same mistake twice. So I think it is safe to assume that at least some people would have made provision for carrying dry kindling with them in future and certainly to make sure their tinderbox was well stocked with prepared tinder.
A smart man or woman in this period under these sorts of living conditions is unlikely to make this same mistake twice. So I think it is safe to assume that at least some people would have made provision for carrying dry kindling with them in future and certainly to make sure their tinderbox was well stocked with prepared tinder.
My close friend the
late Arthur W. Baker and I shared many adventures over the years, travelling on
the Great Lakes in winter by boat and canoe, being caught in sudden storms
before we could reach shelter we have huddled under canvas and spent some cold
nights using our boat as a shelter turned on its side. We never failed to make
fire even under the most arduous weather conditions because we both learnt
early on how important it was to be well prepared when travelling in the bush
and never to take anything for granted. A week or more of wet weather can
reduce your tinder and dry kindling supplies to nought.
This bag was Arthur’s kindling bag. On short trips he may not bother to carry this bag with him, but on longer trips and certainly when he was travelling by water, he always carried this bag containing dry kindling. It weighs very little when packed, but is a little bulky, but well worth the effort of carrying it along.
Recently I did find myself in the position of having run low on supplies of
kindling which I carry in the bottom of my fire-bag. A week of wet weather
meant everything was at least damp if not totally wet, so I had to resort to
using a lot of tinder and fanning the fire with my hat to get it hot enough to
flame. Had I been carrying this kindling bag it would have made my fire
lighting much easier.
Maybe Mr Hearn did not learn the lesson the first time: “…rain began hammering down so heavily that, one hundred miles from the nearest trees, and with nothing available but moss, nobody could start a fire.” Samuel Hearne, 1770.
Maybe Mr Hearn did not learn the lesson the first time: “…rain began hammering down so heavily that, one hundred miles from the nearest trees, and with nothing available but moss, nobody could start a fire.” Samuel Hearne, 1770.
“In the woods we were under some
disadvantage, having no fire-works”. Journal
of John Woolman, 1720-1742.
There is also an Indian kindling bag in the United States National
Museum. Figs. 19-21.—Fire-making set and extra hearth. Cat.
No. 10258, TJ.S.N.M. Frobisher Bat.
Collected by C. F. Hall. 20, Moss in a leathern case.
Cat. No. 10191, U.S.N.M.
Collected
by C. F. Hall
Good idea. A little heart pine might come in handy.
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