When I see threads like this, it gives me hope. There is nothing that WE as a TEAM could not face, and come out on top. You guys are all awesome. Happy new year!!!
I think STPNWLF's was pretty cool! Black5 had a sweet entry also! That fireplace too!! Erik had a solid entry also. I thought his construction was solid AF. If it was solely up to me, I would have one hell of a time picking between those 3 entries.
I liked the palm frond "cordage", but my vote goes to Black5 -- I was too lazy to pile up rocks for a fireplace and never made it back out to do some planned improvements.
I'm just relieved y'all didn't rip me apart for my first try. I learned that fireplace build from an old guy years ago. The top rock acts as a spark arrestor as well as a warming plate.
The only thing you have to watch out for with rocks is if they contain too much moisture, they have the potential to explode when they get really hot.
I was wondering that LOL Its hard to judge because I think all of the entries were really good for their respective climates that they were built in.
Can't really do that down here with the coral rock, as seven said to much moisture. You can make a fire circle with them, but they will crack/flake apart over time.
Yep. Familiar with sandstone. Small fire, thick rock. When it begins to feel powdery change it. I've seen thin sandstone 'explode in the middle of the night.
This is the fire that you need to have in my climate with the type of shelter I built. It will throw heat like you wouldn't believe. The logs should be 4 to 6 feet long.
I've got a stupid question about that long fire: When you start it, how do you get the whole length burning? Do you start a fire in the middle and both ends?
I like to start 3 fires over the span over the length of logs you want to burn. make sure you get a good coal base, then put two logs on either side of the fire with the long logs put on top. Burns like hell.
This is tougher than I thought it would be. I like them all, been trying to figure out a tie breaker system or something.
Erik built a good looking shelter with a bonus point for it staying dry after a light rain. Se7en gets bonus points for doing it in the snow and the raised bed, but the shelter looks drafty, it looks like you can see snow through it in a few places. STPNWLF gets bonus points for making cordage and building a fire. Black5 gets bonus point for waitaminute vines, the fire place and getting his wife in the shelter.
Now I have to go back and subtract points for all the smack talk making me have to hunt for the actual entries, I see 4 entries in 8 pages, I hope I didn't miss a entry in there somewhere.