OH SCHIST! Do you have OCAS SYNDROM?

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TradEddie

Trad climber

Philadelphia, PA

Apr 25, 2014 - 08:37am PT

Guilty as charged here too.

TE

mike m

Trad climber

black hills

Apr 25, 2014 - 11:53am PT

tTHIS sYNDROME SEEMS A LITTLE FISHY ACCORDING TO sTEVE a.

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Apr 25, 2014 - 12:24pm PT

So I treated The Brit to an FA in the Cascades. I figgered that since he had come
all this way it was the least I could do. While overconfidence has never
been my strong suit I'm saying that was the case this one time. You can
draw yer own conclusions. To say we went lightly for the FA of a decent
sized Cascade wall in October might be an understatement. It was a
glorious Indian Summer so why weren't painter's pants and T-shirts appropriate?
I suppose we could have gotten up earlier, too. Anyway, to cut to the chase,
we pulled onto the summit just in time to see the sun say "See ya, suckers!"
Hmmm, maybe we should have taken headlights. Not fancying the descent in the
dark or un bivouac au natural I proposed descending a different route, not
in the direction of our camp, in hopes of finding some bushes because I had
brought some 'tches! An hour or so later we reached the bush line. It being
October they were nice and dry so it might even have been a one match start.
To say I went OCAS on that fire all bloody night would be putting it mildly.
To say I was agog as the Brit curled up in his cagoule and started stacking z's
6' from the fire would also be an understatement. Maybe he didn't want
a spark to land on his cagoule? To say that we were knackered climbing back
to the summit and down to camp without any water or food would be poetic justice.

stunewberry

Trad climber

Spokane, WA

Apr 25, 2014 - 12:31pm PT

I have it bad.

Regarding bark, never burn ponderosa bark, it is where all the oil is and just spits, sparks, and smokes. Larch bark is better, it just sparks.

Spider Savage

Mountain climber

The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles

Apr 25, 2014 - 03:53pm PT

Larch bark is pretty good (tammarack). Heated my home in Pullman all winter on larch logs off of Moosecow mountain BITD. Never worried about the bark on those.

Some trees like the California Bay Laurel, it seems the bark encourages combustion. You can match light some of the smaller pieces.

Mostly bark, while attached to the log is a liability. Pines, cedars, fir, oak, especially redwood logs just cause excessive smoke, which is very bad style for anyone who cares about a good campfire.

True that bark, separated from the log, and dry, will act as perfectly good fuel in a real hot fire.

LilaBiene

Trad climber

Technically...the spawning grounds of Yosemite

Apr 25, 2014 - 03:54pm PT

They don't call it "tending the campfire" without reason. I don't need another syndrome!!!

Darn it, Spider, I had go read what a "log cabin" fire structure is all about. Trying to reserve room in the cranium these days for knots!

Tks for a good chuckle, Fritz. ")

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Apr 25, 2014 - 04:04pm PT

Met a guy at Indian Creek who had an active distaste for campfires....he kind of gave me the willies.

HighTraverse

Trad climber

Bay Area

Apr 25, 2014 - 04:29pm PT

Promethean
connecting with your inner self
you aren't entirely human if you don't
and it's not Just For Men
"even" my wife does it
even butt's in to do it!

Fritz

Trad climber

Choss Creek, ID

Topic Author's Reply - Apr 25, 2014 - 08:44pm PT

moosedrool! I suppose it just didn't seem right to use some of that vodka as "Indian-Magic." to start a fire? It's been 45 years, but we only managed to get a fire started on a cold wet Oct. night in central Idaho with a couple cups of Coleman fuel aka "Indian-Magic."

You do need to be carefull about the amount applied.

During this burning session at "the ranchette" brush-burning barrel, I filled the barrel with sagebrush trimmings, and leaves, then dribbled a little old chain-saw gas over the pile.

I tossed a match in from 5 or 6 feet back, and prudently ran for my life.

The gas had mostly dribbled down to the bottom of the pile, while I capped the gas can, lit the match and tossed it.

The bottom-up WHHHHOOOOOMP-explosion! blew everything in the barrel about 5 feet in the air.

Yep! "Indian-Magic" is pretty fun stuff, if you don't have great need for your eyebrows or hair.

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Apr 25, 2014 - 08:48pm PT

Moosie, yer a true Polak - you wouldn't waste a drop on starting the fire! :-)

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Apr 25, 2014 - 08:49pm PT

Still snowing, I'll play...C4 is a great fire starter, burns real slow so no running needed. You can also warm up your Dinty Moore Beef Stew with it.

Ricky D

Trad climber

Sierra Westside

Apr 25, 2014 - 08:49pm PT

So this is what my wife has!

All these years and I just thought she was some closet pyro who couldn't sit still for 2 minutes without f*#king with the goddamn fire!

Just let it burn would you - that's what fire is good at doing - it doesn't need your constant "help".

So now we have a name - is there a pill I can give her?

jgill

Boulder climber

Colorado

Apr 25, 2014 - 08:55pm PT

You have far too much time on your hands, Fritz. Try volunteer work.

;>)

Rollover

climber

Gross Vegas

Apr 25, 2014 - 09:04pm PT

So now I beg to ask...

When you start a fire...
Teepee or Log Cabin??

:)

LilaBiene

Trad climber

Technically...the spawning grounds of Yosemite

Apr 25, 2014 - 10:19pm PT

I'm still boggled by the log cabin thing...lol. Sure isn't how my Irish grandpa taught me how to build a fire, and I haven't let him down yet. ")

But (and I'm sure I'm going to get schooled but good, here) it seems to use an awful lot wood, no? And usually when it comes time to build the campfire, I'm exhausted, ravenous and cold -- just how long does it take to build one of those log cabin set-ups?!

Ricky D

Trad climber

Sierra Westside

Apr 25, 2014 - 10:29pm PT

Log cabin fires were THE go-to structures during my formative Boy Scout years.

Then our summer camp hired a kid majoring in Middle Eastern History.

He called them "Ziggurats" just to mess with us.

We burned his cabin down in response.