Austria
Egg carton fire starters
Fire starters are convenient aids in Austria’s cold winters. Wood shavings lighted wood- and coal-burning stoves one generation ago. These shavings lighted spruce kindling, which in turn started burning bigger pieces of wood. Nowadays, it’s easier. Either commercially available or…
Swiss pine cones and their uses
The Swiss pine (Pinus cembra) goes by different names in German-speaking countries, such as ‘Zirbe,’ ‘Arve,’ ‘Arolla pine,’ or ‘Austrian stone pine.’ For generations, people have used the nuts of this particular pine species as food during the winter months,…
Brief historical overview of man’s use of fire
Mankind’s use of fire goes back an extraordinary length of time. From humble collecting and guarding natural fires to producing fire by sparks or friction took about 1,5 million years. For more than 500,000 years, mankind has been producing fires…
Is your firewood wet or dry?
If you are outdoors in boreal forest biomes worldwide, protecting yourself against wind and wetness is paramount. And to light a fire for warmth. The necessary firewood should be dry to burn hotter and with less smoke. But if you…
Finding direction with the Pole Star
Finding the Pole Star with the Constellation of Ursa Major Only in the Northern Hemisphere is the Pole Star visible, and its location is mainly indicated by the position of the two pointers of the Great Bear (also called the…