The Ultimate Hobo Fire Kit: Vintage Fire Starting Tips & Tutorial 

Thanks so much for watching! Please leave a comment in the section below, and if you liked the video, a thumbs up! Also, check out our website at www.waypointsurvival.com where you can sign up for survival and bushcraft classes. While you're there, check out the required gear list!

50 of 74 years a hobo. Very impressed. One fire kit I always carried was water proof kitchen matches and a road/railroad flare. Boy scout trick = dip the head of kitchen matches in melted candle wax and store in 35 mm film canister. A flair could start a wet wood fire, or be used for cooking. Three rocks under a tin can pot, a small rock under the flair tip and the flame would deflect against on of the rocks and under the tin can pot. You could put the flair out in dirt, recap with the striker, and relight with a match. Had to be careful about relighting tho.

Your hobo videos always take me back to my childhood in the 50's. Today's thought was the Texaco station on the way to the city. We could buy both kerosene for our lanterns and glass oil lamps as well as white gas for the Coleman stove. Yes, we had electricity, but in northern Minnesota, redundancy was mandatory, especially in winter months. Of course, there were free maps to plan the next excursion always displayed in a rack on the counter. The picture in my mind is right out of Norman Rockwell's portfolio. Damn I'm old.

Man I can’t get over how awesome and badass these rugged bunches of survivors were. I wish all your videos were taught in school as basic survival skills in society.

Yum, edible candles. Make sure you extinguish the flame before consuming!

From Western Australia. I have similar made from my scouting days. Great to see our past kept alive. Thanks.

Another outstanding piece of vintage kit! I especially love the match safe. Today is my first weekday off in awhile and not only a new Hobo installation from Waypoint; Sarge’s haversack dump video hit my queue this morning as well. James I’ve got to believe there are thousands of old timers still wrapped in their red and black checked Abercrombie flannels looking down on channels like yours, Sarge and Blackie and it brings a smile to their unshaven faces. Although as men of their era they’d never admit it. God bless you and all the Waypoint sojourners.

It's really impressive how resorful the hobos were, luv the series

James, I think it would make for an interesting video(s) if you interviewed some of the commenters who were Hobos once upon a time.

I remember the Dutch Master commercials

well done sir

I’m glad you’re showing us how to make fire because to my knowledge that’s never been done before on all of RU-vid!

Hello from romulus Michigan brother thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise I can't wait to watch your video. Thank you for sharing and god bless

Great addition to your hobo series, James!

Another outstanding collection of things that make you wonder WHY don't they still make some of this stuff? Love it!

Vielen Dank ! Schon meinem Jungen zugesand, den Hobo Feuer Satz stelle ich mir zusammen.

Awesome fire kit. I use caramel and tootsie roll wrappers for starting fires in mine. Basically the same but saves you a little time from making your starting material.

Just wanted to say hello from Michigan's U.P. Keep the videos coming. I have used a few of your ideas in my own gear.

Pretty dapper lookin hobo today James.

4:03 Hey team it’s super important to follow the suggested ratio on wax/paraffin/naphtha and/or silicon sealant formulas. I recently sat down to craft several dozen corrugated cardboard/tuna can/wax hobo stoves and was reminded of this. Many candles sold today are not organic wax at all. Not only do they never melt down to liquid, in the case of my effort a percentage of saved candle bits emanated an airborne residue that required tremendous elbow grease and solvent to clean off nearby surfaces and also cost me my favorite shop pot. Talk about a humbling moment. I stood there thinking “I knew I should’ve done this outside.” The mess left a whitish film on everything within a six foot radius of my double broiler rig.

I love your hobo series, great information. 🙃

I love the Hobo videos.

That's the sharpest hobo I've ever seen.

thanks for the extra ideas , my fire kit just got bigger

I never would have thought to eat the tallow candle, but in a pinch it could be some calories. Always interesting and great presentation.

Good video ! Really like the little kit videos especially the lunch box coffee kit!

I love your hobo series. Well done!

Praise The Lord!

That’s a nice simple kit, thanks James

Another informative and enjoyable episode!

I love your hobo videos. When I was a kid in New York City in the 80s i was fascinated with how the city's homeless survived and thrived. I learned some of these tricks from them back then. Thank you for reminding me of my adventurous childhood.

Good video and have a great blessed day AMEN .

Waxed newspaper! Should have remembered that just from doing it when I was younger! I would LOVE to see a feature length movie, some day, where you use all of the things from this series... and develop a picture for the young of the good culture which was... hmmm. Sounds redemptive. Still wish I had the three trench lighters my grandpa brought back from the Big War, alas!

Thank You ,vor your Videos ... Greetz Stephan from Kiel ,North Germany ..! 👍😁🤘

I have two old shaving tins both cylinders. Tall one with a hinged top with similar striker bottom for strike anywhere kitchen matches. It is from old Gillette large round shaving stick. Smaller one is two-piece fits tight for small wood matches. I have a box of vintage lab tapers. Red and paraffin white They are too thin for candles + thicker than rope dipped in wax pot once twice. Very handy to light a lantern or a pipe from a fire source. Candles will be pricey in future. Do a segment on beeswax ?

Fantastic... You have nothing but great content.. thank you

Love the fire starting tin! I like to keep all my little go-to things for EDC in pocketable tins, so it’s no surprise that the ever practical hobos did too. Very inspirational 😊

Excellent information I have a similar kit

That match safe is a cool piece of gear.

Nice video! Love your channel!

Im going to soak a big wad of newspaper in that wax/alcohol mixture, maybe even some old oaperback books. Make something that guarantees survival in wet conditions.

I always carry several ways to start a fire ( even a lil bow drill kit ) . As always great info …thanks

Wow, that little match safe is pretty cool. I'm enjoying your hobo series. I hope this gets more people to be a little better prepared for everyday life.

James, although your kit is authentic, a very realistic reproduction Hobo fire kit can be housed in a similar-sized tin; Hobby Lobby has a very similar looking Brass Magnifying Glass (without the compass) for a reasonable price. Matches can be housed inside a small Mini-Altoids tin; add a candle stub, jute twine & waxed paper. Great video. Although I was late seeing this one, I trust that you had a very blessed Father's Day on June 16th. Thank you; and may God bless you & yours!

Awesome.

That compass is beautiful. So much nicer than the modern ones.

Awesome!! Love your videos!!

Excellent excellent 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽❤️ keep em coming Mr.James

Good Video, never heard of Mineral Spirits into the wax dealio.

Another good one. These videos not only teach a bit of history and how people did things 'back then' but could also come in handy, today. I'm probably not going to build out a firekit where I PLAN to use waxed newspaper as a firestarter but I do use other waxed items (like a homemade version of the Mini Infernos) and having the idea that, in the absense of other things, one could make waxed newspaper or waxed paper bags, etc. could come in handy. I am also a sucker for old/antique/ vintage things. That metal box is great and all the vintage equipment you have in it is really nice. I like things that obviously have a 'story'. Just imagine the tales they could share if that compass holder and match safe could talk.

The waxed items would really be good under damp conditions.

Many Thanks James !!!!

Very enjoyable video, thank you. I like the idea of the waxed paper. I normally carry postage stamp pieces of thin corrugated cardboard, dipped in melted wax. I don't thin the wax, just melt candle ends and dip the cardboard in it. I wait for the wax to fill all the air spaces. It burns nice and hot, for about 2 minutes.

Thanks James!

Yay

I love all the antique tools and objects you find and use.

I don't remember where I read that, but back at the beginning of the 20th century, hunters would slide an empty 12 gauge brass shells into an empty 10 gauge brass shell to make a water resistant match box. Some guy from the Marble Arms company saw that and designed the first waterproof match safe in 1900. Knife makers like Case XX & Ka-Bar found this invention quite interesting, implemented it in some of their hunting knives and patented in 1926 : the first commercial "survival knives" with a hollow handle were invented !

great kit

James, as always, another absolutely amazing video about the hobo ways and means. A Tip of the Hat To You and God Bless!

Do you make your own clothes? They look so authentic. What a neat kit. Thank you

Many of those old guys would have served in the military and possibly in WWI and II from which they would have valuable training and kit upgrades to military standard. I've seen that in many of your videos mentioned. Amazing how now we still have travellers many veterans themselves who exist on skills learned whilst in the corp. Thanks another great video. I have an old army smock I keep a Bic/throwaway lighter in the pocket on a bankline to a button and it's wrapped in tape. I have Bic's in all my bags and any outdoor pants pockets will have one. I don't like cords around my neck - seems to much of a danger for getting throttled by branches.

I have a made in occupied Japan compass burning lense like that. I wear it as a necklace. Great video

Awesome match safe!!!

Nice kit. The fancy vesta cases are nice in another case. Mine carries small strike anywhere, although I think I have to trim them to fit. A section of innertube will go a long way to waterproofing the whole kit.

Great little fire kit like the compass and modifying glass, could use that when I metal detecting in the woods ! Love making little tins kits like that I have a little fishing tin and fire starter one I carry and remember my father showing me the wax trick. He was an Eagle Scout in the early 50s he was a great woodsman he would have enjoyed your channel. 👍🐆🐆

Awesome video and very informative. I guess it is now a lost art, that is what I would call it. I am amazed though they didn't have a flint and steel just in case they didn't have a lighter or matches. Thanks for sharing, Jim.

Great, as usual! Thanks!

Been enjoying all the Hobo uploads, Love and Respect from England xx

Another great video. 👍👍👍

I love the hobo fire kit i will be making myself one thank you 👍👍👍🙂

Very informative video, really enjoyed it!

Great hobos videos thank you keep them coming

Cool kit

Always good

Thank-you James! Always interested in seeing improvised outfits and have quite a few match safes of vintage and also compasses. Your replacement modern compass design is actually as old as WW2, and was common issue in British E&E kits and to SOE agents. Keep up the good work.

Very interesting, thanks!

I recently tried popsicle sticks dipped in parrafin. It works better than a round twig or any match

another great historical video bud

Thanks for a very good video.

Every "old" thing is just awesome to me now

Amazingly simple technology that worked for the working man. Another superior video, much appreciated by my family.

Your brass match case was known as a vesta case, vesta cases are very collectible and come in hundreds of designs. Also your Kalamazoo trench lighter I believe is later than WW1, the Bowers lighters from WW1 were the round ones. The flatten or oval ones came later, more likely closer to WW2

Hello from Marion, Kansas.Great video.

Amazing! Thank you so much for showing us this excellent fire kit!

I got excited when I saw that RAF Francis Barker compass. But, I think it's a modern version. Great video BTW. Also, try waxing sawdust in an egg box. Tear off each compartment once it dries and they make great fire starters. Probably not hobo era, though.

Excellent video once more! The level of detail on the kit is amazing!

Bruh has gone 💯 % hobo crazy 🤪

Excellent video brother!

Interesting kit James , thanks for sharing YAH bless brother !

Been close year your fire rope video. I took anther piece to try out seems good hard light first time get burn relights good after few hours so still good first batch.

Great video James, thank you.

excellent good 👍

Very nice thank you😊

I saw or heard somewhere that you could rinse out the milk cartons that are made from waxed cardboard and cut them into some good firestarters.

I always find your videos interesting and informative! Thanks

I ❤ love your channel and videos ❤ I learn so much!! Sorry I'm late but been under the weather. Keep these videos and information coming pretty please. I truly love watching them.

Kool.

Very cool

In a push comes to shove situation ( there is nothing else to use ) Kerosene can be used as a antiseptic aid for minor cuts and scrapes.

As always a great video