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Bark Up or Down? Firewood Splits Norwegians

Started by Syt, February 22, 2013, 11:53:32 AM

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fhdz

Quote from: MadImmortalMan on February 22, 2013, 02:08:43 PM
I have a bit of a fondness for skills that would help me live independently of the trappings of modern society, so I kinda agree with Mongers. It's probably why I like to cook. Some things are universal.

Oh, I agree with you. But it doesn't mean technology has no value or is somehow less real, as Mongers is indicating. I mean - all the power could go out tomorrow, but for all we know all the trees could disappear tomorrow too, which would make firewood stacking a pretty useless skill.

My point is that there's value in all sorts of things. What you do for a living might not immediately be useful after an apocalypse, but the critical thinking skills inherent in your job would.
and the horse you rode in on

Grinning_Colossus

I agree with Mongers. When I take 15 minutes to get a fire going in the aluminum wood stove that serves as the only source of heat in my English classroom -- and all the kids are watching me and judging me since they've been out chopping wood and setting fires with their fathers since they were old enough to stand -- I feel like less of a man.
Quis futuit ipsos fututores?

derspiess

Quote from: garbon on February 22, 2013, 02:14:59 PM
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on February 22, 2013, 02:08:43 PM
I have a bit of a fondness for skills that would help me live independently of the trappings of modern society, so I kinda agree with Mongers. It's probably why I like to cook. Some things are universal.

What I do for a living would be of no utility or value whatsoever after the zombie apocalypse.

Can I sell you a bunker?

FOOD INSURANCE
"If you can play a guitar and harmonica at the same time, like Bob Dylan or Neil Young, you're a genius. But make that extra bit of effort and strap some cymbals to your knees, suddenly people want to get the hell away from you."  --Rich Hall

garbon

Quote from: derspiess on February 22, 2013, 03:07:16 PM
Quote from: garbon on February 22, 2013, 02:14:59 PM
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on February 22, 2013, 02:08:43 PM
I have a bit of a fondness for skills that would help me live independently of the trappings of modern society, so I kinda agree with Mongers. It's probably why I like to cook. Some things are universal.

What I do for a living would be of no utility or value whatsoever after the zombie apocalypse.

Can I sell you a bunker?

FOOD INSURANCE

Food insecurity.
"I've never been quite sure what the point of a eunuch is, if truth be told. It seems to me they're only men with the useful bits cut off."
I drank because I wanted to drown my sorrows, but now the damned things have learned to swim.

garbon

Quote from: Grinning_Colossus on February 22, 2013, 03:03:18 PM
I agree with Mongers. When I take 15 minutes to get a fire going in the aluminum wood stove that serves as the only source of heat in my English classroom -- and all the kids are watching me and judging me since they've been out chopping wood and setting fires with their fathers since they were old enough to stand -- I feel like less of a man.

Which of course, is tangential to my criticism of his comparison of starting a fire to the latest iPhone app.  Mainly that the people who are on their iPhones are less likely to be in places where an aluminum wood stove is their only source of heat. ;)
"I've never been quite sure what the point of a eunuch is, if truth be told. It seems to me they're only men with the useful bits cut off."
I drank because I wanted to drown my sorrows, but now the damned things have learned to swim.

11B4V

Quote from: Peter Wiggin on February 22, 2013, 02:13:52 PM
Quote from: 11B4V on February 22, 2013, 12:24:36 PM
You see, your're not prepared now........tisk...tisk.

I'm prepared by living somewhere it doesn't go below freezing  :cool:

If you say so.
"there's a long tradition of insulting people we disagree with here, and I'll be damned if I listen to your entreaties otherwise."-OVB

"Obviously not a Berkut-commanded armored column.  They're not all brewing."- CdM

"We've reached one of our phase lines after the firefight and it smells bad—meaning it's a little bit suspicious... Could be an amb—".

mongers

Quote from: garbon on February 22, 2013, 03:26:45 PM
Quote from: Grinning_Colossus on February 22, 2013, 03:03:18 PM
I agree with Mongers. When I take 15 minutes to get a fire going in the aluminum wood stove that serves as the only source of heat in my English classroom -- and all the kids are watching me and judging me since they've been out chopping wood and setting fires with their fathers since they were old enough to stand -- I feel like less of a man.

Which of course, is tangential to my criticism of his comparison of starting a fire to the latest iPhone app.  Mainly that the people who are on their iPhones are less likely to be in places where an aluminum wood stove is their only source of heat. ;)

Well my point was about learning and improving certain basic skills, there's nothing to stop those iphone users from also having the ability to light and maintain an efficient fire.

Somewhat tangentially, throughout most of recorded history and for perhaps thousands of years previously a large proportion of people have know hown to tend fires, yet it's almost within our lifetime that that knowledge is becoming less widespread, in some ways quite a change.

Garbon, did you learn how to make afire as a child ?
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"

garbon

Quote from: mongers on February 22, 2013, 03:33:21 PM
Well my point was about learning and improving certain basic skills, there's nothing to stop those iphone users from also having the ability to light and maintain an efficient fire.

Somewhat tangentially, throughout most of recorded history and for perhaps thousands of years previously a large proportion of people have know hown to tend fires, yet it's almost within our lifetime that that knowledge is becoming less widespread, in some ways quite a change.

Garbon, did you learn how to make afire as a child ?

But you're missing out on the need factor. Besides something like the fun of camping, barbecue, and fireplace - most of those iPhone users don't need to know how to light a fire. As such is unnecessary that's why a large proportion of people don't know how to tend them - as what's the point? People don't practice unnecessary skills unless they find them fun.

Well I was taught how to make a fire in a fireplace and a fire using a charcoal grill. If I was suddenly in the woods and needed a fire - I would be screwed but then the likelihood of me being in the woods (let alone in danger if I didn't have a fire) is pretty low. :D
"I've never been quite sure what the point of a eunuch is, if truth be told. It seems to me they're only men with the useful bits cut off."
I drank because I wanted to drown my sorrows, but now the damned things have learned to swim.

mongers

Quote from: garbon on February 22, 2013, 03:42:32 PM
Quote from: mongers on February 22, 2013, 03:33:21 PM
Well my point was about learning and improving certain basic skills, there's nothing to stop those iphone users from also having the ability to light and maintain an efficient fire.

Somewhat tangentially, throughout most of recorded history and for perhaps thousands of years previously a large proportion of people have know hown to tend fires, yet it's almost within our lifetime that that knowledge is becoming less widespread, in some ways quite a change.

Garbon, did you learn how to make afire as a child ?

But you're missing out on the need factor. Besides something like the fun of camping, barbecue, and fireplace - most of those iPhone users don't need to know how to light a fire. As such is unnecessary that's why a large proportion of people don't know how to tend them - as what's the point? People don't practice unnecessary skills unless they find them fun.

Well I was taught how to make a fire in a fireplace and a fire using a charcoal grill. If I was suddenly in the woods and needed a fire - I would be screwed but then the likelihood of me being in the woods (let alone in danger if I didn't have a fire) is pretty low. :D

Depends who's chasing you.   :P
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"

derspiess

"If you can play a guitar and harmonica at the same time, like Bob Dylan or Neil Young, you're a genius. But make that extra bit of effort and strap some cymbals to your knees, suddenly people want to get the hell away from you."  --Rich Hall

Malthus

Quote from: viper37 on February 22, 2013, 12:50:25 PM
Quote from: Syt on February 22, 2013, 12:25:51 PM
You guys are missing the important part of the discussion: bark up or down?
bark up, so the rain will flow around it instead of penetrating the wood.
You either put planks at the bottom of your stack, or you put the first row bark down.

We put planks under and old roofing on top and pile the wood any old way.  :D

If you don't cover your stacks, wood will get wet no matter which way you put the bark.

Mind you, you can cover a stack pretty well with birchbark weighed down with stones. My dad had a big campsite in a remote place near Lake Kippawa in the 1950s and build a few stacks covered in that way. We visited the same site in the 1980s - 30 years later - and found his old stacks; wood was still good. We used it.  :D
The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane—Marcus Aurelius

mongers

Quote from: Malthus on February 22, 2013, 07:22:42 PM
Quote from: viper37 on February 22, 2013, 12:50:25 PM
Quote from: Syt on February 22, 2013, 12:25:51 PM
You guys are missing the important part of the discussion: bark up or down?
bark up, so the rain will flow around it instead of penetrating the wood.
You either put planks at the bottom of your stack, or you put the first row bark down.

We put planks under and old roofing on top and pile the wood any old way.  :D

If you don't cover your stacks, wood will get wet no matter which way you put the bark.

Mind you, you can cover a stack pretty well with birchbark weighed down with stones. My dad had a big campsite in a remote place near Lake Kippawa in the 1950s and build a few stacks covered in that way. We visited the same site in the 1980s - 30 years later - and found his old stacks; wood was still good. We used it.  :D

That's uber-cool, craft knowledge FTW.    :cool:
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"

Viking

Quote from: Syt on February 22, 2013, 12:25:51 PM
You guys are missing the important part of the discussion: bark up or down?

With Birch wood and properly split and dried logs bark up. Though.. dried bark can be used as kindling..
First Maxim - "There are only two amounts, too few and enough."
First Corollary - "You cannot have too many soldiers, only too few supplies."
Second Maxim - "Be willing to exchange a bad idea for a good one."
Second Corollary - "You can only be wrong or agree with me."

A terrorist which starts a slaughter quoting Locke, Burke and Mill has completely missed the point.
The fact remains that the only person or group to applaud the Norway massacre are random Islamists.

Ed Anger

Stay Alive...Let the Man Drive

mongers

Quote from: Ed Anger on February 22, 2013, 07:53:52 PM
I turn my thermostat to "70"

Thanks that's reminded me to go and turn mine down, it keeps comming on this evening, I guess there's a high temperature gradient.
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"