The versatile Brazil Nut (fire starting)

Mistwalker

Mistwalker

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Due to weather work was delayed one day...so...I took the opportunity to go out back and experiment a bit. Using only one match, a Brazil nut, and some damp wood I started a small fire...it was small but enough to let me know how much Brazil nuts could come in handy out on the trail, serving the tripple purpose of being edible, making a decent candle, and as a firestarting material under some circumstances.

The conditions were very damp after three day of precip. with the previous day's precip. being a wintery mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain.

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I picked my smallest tinder from some dead vines hanging above the ground

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and the rest from dead branches tangled in vines and other limbs

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I prepare my tinder and kindling as always, smallest to largest and ready to go

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then using only one match and a Brazil nut

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I light the fire, you can see all the steam.

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You can see the Brazil nut burning well and drying out the damp wood above it in this one

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I didn't do enough prep to actually get a good fire going as I didn't have that much time to kill and didn't want to have to put out a big fire, but it was plenty to let me know how well it would work in the future.

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I have yet to post any pics of this as my wife does not like the smell the burning Brazil nuts produces lol, but if one takes a smll piece of wire such as a paper clip and bends into a stand the will burn much like candles serving as an emergency source of light.
 
Wow i had no idea that the nut had so much oil in it.. It is one of the better and healthy nuts to eat as well. Another reason to carry nuts on hikes and backpacking.

Sasha
 
Cool Mistwalker :thumbup:

Old Hawaiians would use kukui nuts (from the candlenut tree) as candles, firestarting aides, and even as a timekeeper of sorts if I recall correctly. They would also use the oil from the kukui nuts to protect against the sun and sea. Great pics, love how you got that fire going with just the nut and the match.
 
We buy Costco's jars of mixed nuts regularly. The one nut in the mix I don't really care for is the, you guessed it, Brazil nut. Now, I have a reason to not eat them! Emergency tinder!!
 
CSG said:
We buy Costco's jars of mixed nuts regularly. The one nut in the mix I don't really care for is the, you guessed it, Brazil nut. Now, I have a reason to not eat them! Emergency tinder!!
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Lol, my thoughts too, I always eat them last. Now I keep a couple of small, sealed bags of mixed nuts in my shoulder bag or back ant time I am in the field. Food, light, or fire...hard to beat those three qualities in a s,all light weight package.
 
they're also a really good source of fat and calories, 1oz. contains 190 calories, 19 grams of fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 21 grams polyunsaturated fat, 7 grams monounsaturated fat, no cholestorol or sodium, 190 mg potasium, 3 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, 4 grams protien, and lots o' vitamins

in short, thier an outstanding trail/survival food
 
gruntinhusaybah said:
they're also a really good source of fat and calories, 1oz. contains 190 calories, 19 grams of fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 21 grams polyunsaturated fat, 7 grams monounsaturated fat, no cholestorol or sodium, 190 mg potasium, 3 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, 4 grams protien, and lots o' vitamins

in short, thier an outstanding trail/survival food
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That is awesome, they are great to have around

Hmmmm...., maybe I should buy larger quantities and feed them to the squirrels here on my land. The way things are going it could pay divedends in the future if I need to eat them.
 
iBlade said:
was it roasted or raw? I am impressed by the way.
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This was a roasted one out of a can of mixed nuts.

bigcozy said:
I wonder if roasting or drying it would take out the oils that make it combustible.
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The roasted ones burn better, a fresh one out of the shell is hard to light. I think this is because they loose so much moisture in the process. I have some drying to test....which I had forgotten about, thanks for reminding me.
 
Cool! I happen to like brazil nuts. I will have to try other nuts to see how well they work; brazil nuts have more oil than most nuts, so they may be one of the better ones for firestarting.
 
This is really cool. I love this board for this. I file little stuff like this away so that I can use it down the road.

I may have try a selection of these nuts (raw) to see what does the best.

TF
 
cashews will burn, as will pecans but they are harder to light, need to try a few others, I have acorns, hickory nut and walnuts all drying in their shells to test but so far only the brazil nuts have lit so easily in my studies
 
Mind if i ask you to take a pic of a brazil nut, but shave it into fine tinder and then light with a fire steel.....
 
I grabbed a Brazil nut out of the jar and went out on the porch to light it. Two strike anywhere matches later and the best I got was a char. Couldn't get it lit.
 
CSG said:
I grabbed a Brazil nut out of the jar and went out on the porch to light it. Two strike anywhere matches later and the best I got was a char. Couldn't get it lit.
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Did you hold it upside down to light it? It works better that way for lighting then turn right side up to get it to burn like a candle, upside down longer and then sideways for fire starting. I'll try to put it on video when I get a chance. I need to do some further tests anyway. Also and I didn't think about this factor....I had been playing with that brazil nut ever since a friend on another site had told ne about it that morning, I had lit it like three times. The first time I lit is was with a bic lighter but I don't remember it taking any longer then.

Temperature, age, and whether they are dry roated or just roasted may play a factor. I'll gather more data tonight I was getting bored anyway. This'll give me an excuse to go get a cup of coffee and another pack or three of Mixed nuts. The people at lays are ticking me off. For years I've bought mixed nuts and always had more Brazil nuts than I wished in the can or jar. Now that I know this will work I keep them in my bag and pack. Figures that the last couple I've bought and then later tried to play with....for instance trying that firesteel test with shavings of one... there were no Brazil nuts in the package even though on the cover and the ingredients list. Maybe they have become rare and expensive I don't know, I just know I'm going to get some funny looks here in a few minutes when I'm at the store squeezing on packs of mixed nuts to see if any are in it....eh who cares, won't be the first or last funny looks for me anyway.
 
Good bait for traps too.

What is cool is the concept to use all the resources at hand-- even burning your nuts if you need to :D
 
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