Mountain Man Triathlon | Fire Lighting Challenge: Impossible?

In this video, we take a trip to Coal Creek for a good, old-fashioned "Mountain Man" competition. Competitors participate in the course of fire using their flintlocks and tomahawks, but intermixed are mountain man survival challenges like setting a trap, starting a fire, and casting ball.

Competitors are timed and their hits are scored to decide who goes home a winner.

In all seriousness, this is a friendly competition and an in-depth look at a classic muzzleloading match, lovingly called "The Mountain Man". Unlike a regular "stand and shoot" competition, mountain man competitions test your accuracy, endurance, and strength all at once.

Fire kits will be soaked, fingers will be pinched, and beards will be singed.

What is a Mountain Man Competition?

It is believed that the muzzleloading mountain man match started in the mid-20th century as a mixture of traditional survival skills and marksmanship. By the late 1960s and well into the 1970s, America was swept by “Rendezvous” culture and cinema screenings of “Jerimiah Johnson, " further pushing the mountain man life into American culture.

Regardless of region, almost all Mountain Man Matches have the same components, shooting for accuracy, tomahawk throwing, fire starting, and ball casting. In addition to points being counted for hits on target, many competitions are timed, with the lowest time making for a higher score.