all right so we are out here with Randall "Rawhide" Wurst from worst case
scenario survival school out here at rock castle shooting center and Randy I
go over you go out on the internet there's a thousand videos on how to rub
two sticks together and start a fire and people bash this kind of fire starter
this kinds better oh I've got to buy this you just preach three always have
three types yeah and one thing I gained from you that you just don't see
anywhere else is how important just having a simple candle with you is
Randy: absolutely Karl: take me through first let's talk about
your candle and then take me through building a fire Randy: okay I'm going to use
this method here because a fire needs three things needs oxygen fuel and then
it needs Heat we're going to supply all that but how I make sure you get the
proper proportions that's how I build my fire so, the devil's in the
details now what I need to do is we're going to
start it with this small little candle now I have to protect the wick right
yeah but I have to make sure that's why I cut the shim that when I put this in
and i layer my wood across the initial part that the flame is going to touch
the bottom of the wood so I make a shim so that I can put it in and pull it
out and I check the height of it Karl: and we made this just from splitting it with
your knife and a stick Randy: yeah everything is done by the tools that I
have so the other thing is the people don't do is take the time to get the
proper size material to start the fire with so what we need is very small you
can see the size of this you need these small twigs to go across here because
we've got a surprise for everybody because anybody can light a fire when
it's dry that the technique is lighting it when it's wet Karl: while he's
building this every spring they find bodies up north where hunters
have gone out or hikers and that they end up dying and in the winter when the
snow melts that they find them huddled around matches bic lighters and big
piles of firewood and you can have all the most expensive little fire
starting tools but if you don't have the knowledge to use it
there's just no way you can learn as you go in a really terrible situation my
time you get hypothermic and you make the decision oh I'm lost I need to start
looking for shelter and Fire by then it's too late to be trying to teach
yourself how to use the sexy kit you bought at the mall right so it's not
just going off of hey this guy recommends I have to have this fine if
you want to spend your money on that fine spend the same amount of time and
money learning how to use it Randy: all right so I'm prepped for it Karl: all right and all
we're going to do is you're going to light it with the lighter that you made
out of old mint can and some some of your wife's old candles. I know Randy,
well the wind is bad here it's a little chilly outside um I don't know how
you're getting by without a heavy jacket things are a little bit moist but how
about if we had like the worst-case scenario how about if it was like a
total downpour water right now would this still work? Randy: yeah I'm going to put it
to the test if you don't mind Randy: you can even pour it on my candle because that's
the advantage of my candle it doesn't matter
all right so define total downpour Randy: pour it all in there Karl: all of it? Randy: yeah it won't
make any difference Karl: we soak this stuff in real good
oh no I'm out in the woods and it's raining boo-hoo-hoo I'm feeling sorry
for myself I can't find my pickup truck boo hoo hoo I'm just gonna suck my thumb alright.
Randy: we do have to protect our flame no
matter what we're using so I'm just letting some of the water drip off but
if it were actually raining hard everything's going to be wet simple
thing is to take my hat off and put over the top and now if I had a rain jacket I
could put over so I'm just going to let some of the water run off okay what is
an important part on this not only to have to protect my flame but it has to
be once he puts it in there Karl: I'm just sliding it in there
underneath Randy: the flame has to touch those little small pieces of wood that I
initially start in it so he's got to watch that and keep it from hitting
going out Karl: yeah that looks right you want check it? Randy: well i trust you man.
okay the flame's going Karl: that water's still just it is it's dripping this is this is wet
stuff here and to keep more rain off of it I literally could just lean over top
of her like it said put my hat on Randy: yep yeah I put yeah there we go
I've put my hat on one side because the wind's coming in I can see it moving the
candle doesn't matter what method you have you have to protect that flame and
that's crucial I don't care what method you use so if you're not protecting it
Karl: you're more of a log-cabin guy I'm more of a teepee guy Randy: yeah it's just a
different technique I'm I'm not going to criticize any of the other ones I use
what works for me
Karl: If you catch my hat on fire my wife's not going to be happy
Randy: yeah we'll hopefully we get that up off there before they're still so going you
put a lot of water on that sucker's pretty well wet but she's working on it
pretty soon she'll start smoking more Karl: you can see how damp the soil is we have two
days of solid rain but two days ago so I mean the ground is it's solid mud
already a lot of this road really was wet and has been soaking for two days
Randy: yeah it'll work it's just your preheating preheating preheating drying
the wood out that's what first has to happen as soon as it gets to a point
where it's dried out enough it will burst into flame because we have a
constant heat to my candles still burning there's there's not now we have
to be careful we're not getting a blown-out Karl: you sure you don't want me to
sprinkle like some gunpowder and stuff
No.
..little lighter fluid litter bit of oil, some of your oil?
No, that's what the we can laugh but that's what it's for I mean if I
need to get the fire going there's no cheating in survival okay
Karl: we're getting smoke already
Randy: I'll use what I got to do to get the fire going
Karl: Randy you have got a fire lit
Randy: I have not had this filming and I'm from Wyoming well
we had sub-zero temperatures in the wind If you don't believe me Karl you
can ask my horse Bucky because he's been there
there we go we're up to the third layer as soon as that catches a little bit
more I'll have you pull the candle up but I need that third layer to go and
then I know I got it I have to keep the constant heat on there and we have the
accessible fire going the only reason I'm pulling the candle out now I'm
keeping a continuous heat there are five layers on this once it gets to my third
layer I'm going to have Carl pull the candle out and we'll blow it out the wick has to
continually dry the wood out so that it can be ignited the other key factor is
its constant heat and that I gave it to proper size fuel and I gave it the
proper size oxygen that's why I use the Lincoln Log method there you go
completely soaked wood wouldn't be any different if it were raining cats and
dogs on us and what you just poured on it I have not had this method fail
Karl: Alright that's fire building with a homemade candle with Randel "Rawhide" Wurst out
here at worst-case scenario you're interested in picking more bits of
priceless information out of this man's melon learning all the great skills that
he has to offer you can reach out to him either through me personally or if you
go to the Rockcastle shooting center web site you can they'll get messages out to
Randy and you can get out here and partake in one of his worst case
scenario survival courses