What are some different ways to light a fire?

[cjd3]

Over the years I have tried many different ways to start a fire while wilderness camping. For example, a few years back a friend and I headed into a wilderness area for a week of primitive camping. It had been raining for 2 days when we put in so we had a cold dinner and breakfast the next day. I was determined to get a fire going that evening to dry out some gear. (now day 3 of the rain) I split some dead wood to get to some dry wood inside the log. I built a small fire lay on a log base over the fire pit (now a small puddle)while my buddy held a small tarp over head. This trip I had brought a few 1-2" peaces of 1/2 and 3/4 inch hemp rope well soaked in wax. I lit one and placed into the tinder fire lay. It worked well and kept a flame going till the wood caught. To this day, he jokes that I can build a fire in a mud puddle. :D

I have also tried taking some dryer lint, stuffing into a egg carton where a egg would sit and mixing in wax making little molded fire starters. They didn't work as well as the hemp rope. The lint burned to quick and the wax dripped off. The hemp holds the wax better.


Not counting a Bic or Zippo or strike anywhere match, what are some of the ways you have lit a fire while in the back country or camping?

[TheCream]

When we camp in WV, it seems to rain about half the time or more. The stand-by way that we have always used to get a fire going is to take an old knife and shave off a good handful of birch bark from a nearby tree. That stuff lights very well. We have used the birch bark and a magnesium fire starter with good success in wet conditions.

[redcloud102]

One thing I have done in the past is to get some pine tree pitch and pine needles. The pitch works alot like the wax plus as it burns it drips while on fire :D. The pine needles are usually dryer since they are under the nice canopy of the tree :D. I then grab some dead low branches (that are still attached to the tree ) from the pines for when the fire bundle lights and pretty soon you get a nice toasty fire :D. Another tool I use is a hollow rubber tube about 2-3 foot in length so you can direct your breath on the fire bundle a little better and plus you don't have to get your face right next to all that smoke. I hope this helps a little ;).

[bowhunter1023]

Dried cow turds... :biggrin:

[jackalope]

Cotton balls covered in Vaseline stored in a pill container.

A length of steel wool and the batteries out of a flashlight.

[cjd3]

Cotton balls covered in Vaseline stored in a pill container.

A length of steel wool and the batteries out of a flashlight.

I have used the Vaseline/cotton ball one. How did the steel wool method work out?

[cjd3]

When we camp in WV, it seems to rain about half the time or more. The stand-by way that we have always used to get a fire going is to take an old knife and shave off a good handful of birch bark from a nearby tree. That stuff lights very well. We have used the birch bark and a magnesium fire starter with good success in wet conditions.

I have been told Birch bark will light even if its a little wet. Somrthing about its properties. Is that true too?

[ap0317ah]

I have been told Birch bark will light even if its a little wet. Somrthing about its properties. Is that true too?

Yes that is true. Birch bark has a naturally high oil content that makes it a good fire starter.
steel wool catches a spark it will glow red and can be used to iignite other fire starters like twine birds nest.

I have used flint and steel, bow and drill and one of those hot spark fire starters that baer grylls somethings uses with great results.
Tom

[Hill Hunter]

I have a neighbor who goes to Pow wows and part of his display is fire starting with a bow, he uses a cat tail stem for the rod and the stem from a Yucca plant for his fire board and just a small bow. He rolls the ember from the fire board into a nest of dry moss.
He can start a fire that way just about as fast as I can with a match.

[all me]

A gallon of gas and a lighter.ttt had to do it

[deerhunt45]

A gallon of gas and a lighter.ttt had to do it

N0thing to add...:confused: :nono:

The forum is Primitive Skills, Bushcraft and Survival. The query was about wilderness camping and packable items and/or primitive skills to start a fire :irked:

[dar_54]

I have built a fire with flint and steel before. pretty much any flint will work and the steel needs to be rough to make a spark.

[hunTer06]

some gas, a .223 tracer bullet, a rifle, and some wood. Thats how I do it.

[Deehntr56]

Over the years I have tried many different ways to start a fire while wilderness camping. For example, a few years back a friend and I headed into a wilderness area for a week of primitive camping. It had been raining for 2 days when we put in so we had a cold dinner and breakfast the next day. I was determined to get a fire going that evening to dry out some gear. (now day 3 of the rain) I split some dead wood to get to some dry wood inside the log. I built a small fire lay on a log base over the fire pit (now a small puddle)while my buddy held a small tarp over head. This trip I had brought a few 1-2" peaces of 1/2 and 3/4 inch hemp rope well soaked in wax. I lit one and placed into the tinder fire lay. It worked well and kept a flame going till the wood caught. To this day, he jokes that I can build a fire in a mud puddle. :D

I have also tried taking some dryer lint, stuffing into a egg carton where a egg would sit and mixing in wax making little molded fire starters. They didn't work as well as the hemp rope. The lint burned to quick and the wax dripped off. The hemp holds the wax better.


Not counting a Bic or Zippo or strike anywhere match, what are some of the ways you have lit a fire while in the back country or camping?

Propane Torch:biggrin::biggrin:

[Hoytmania]

I have used the steel wool with a 9v battery before.

[killa gorilla]

A gallon of gas and a lighter.ttt had to do it
Ive been waiting for that.:D

[cjd3]

Ive been waiting for that.:D

Ya. But so was 45. He's good.

[antiqucycle]

magnifying glass. if you have sun and dry material. muzzleloader, cap, paper, and black powder

[cjd3]

magnifying glass. if you have sun and dry material. muzzleloader, cap, paper, and black powder


O ya... Good one :D

[jackalope]

Camp Chili and cotton drawers.

[dannmann801]

I have used the steel wool with a 9v battery before.

OK, I'll ask...how do you actually do that?:confused:

I know steel wool is flammable, but how do you use the battery to light it? just touch the terminals to the wool?

[jackalope]

OK, I'll ask...how do you actually do that?:confused:

I know steel wool is flammable, but how do you use the battery to light it? just touch the terminals to the wool?


Yes.. You can do it with 1 9v battery. 2-C, 2-AA or 2-D batteries.. pull the Steel wool into a length.. Place the bottom of the battery on one end of the steel wool. Stack the other battery on top of the other (like in a flashlight) and touch the wool to the top of the stack.. Just rub it around for a sec and it will catch fire...

http://www.campfiredude.com/i/fire-battery.jpg
http://www.campfiredude.com/i/battery-steel-wool.jpg
http://www.campfiredude.com/i/fire-battery-steel-wool.jpg

[Hoytmania]

OK, I'll ask...how do you actually do that?:confused:

I know steel wool is flammable, but how do you use the battery to light it? just touch the terminals to the wool?

Yep thats how its done. Give it a try.

[cjd3]

Yes.. You can do it with 1 9v battery. 2-C, 2-AA or 2-D batteries.. pull the Steel wool into a length.. Place the bottom of the battery on one end of the steel wool. Stack the other battery on top of the other (like in a flashlight) and touch the wool to the top of the stack.. Just rub it around for a sec and it will catch fire...

http://www.campfiredude.com/i/fire-battery.jpg
http://www.campfiredude.com/i/battery-steel-wool.jpg
http://www.campfiredude.com/i/fire-battery-steel-wool.jpg


Nice example Jackalope.:D

[cajun hunter]

I have used the 9 volt battery and steel wool... better when used to ignite some sort of flammable fuel.. or something that will light very easily like pine straw. However the best method is Pitch from pine trees (turpentine} and pine straw.... then small stems, slowly working your way to larger ones. When I was a kid we used to take a Steens Syrup can, I guess about quart size, put a roll of toliet paper in it and fill the rest up with rubbing alcohol, pound the lid back on and when ready for use remove the lid and the toilet paper absorbs all of the alcohol making it a wick... light and keep warm. Candles are good too... as they are designed to stay lit, even if wet. But you have to have something to light them with.... I am sorry, this day in time anyone going camping in the deep wilderness without some sort of ignition source and a back up... well shame on you... hell you can buy these things for a dollar.. and there is no acceptable excuse for not having one. I do see your point in asking the question.. What if...? But fire starting items and back up should be at the top of everones list. You could even pull a bullet and light the powder but burns really really fast. Or perhaps cut a shotgun shell and burn that, plastic and all. I would imagine if you used rubbing alcohol and styrofoam peanuts... it would kinda break it down into a sort of paste which would make good fire starter. I know gasoling works well with this method.... remember Napalm... yep... thats what it is...gasoline and styrofoam. Anyway... just my thoughts... hope it helps.

[cjd3]

I have used the 9 volt battery and steel wool... better when used to ignite some sort of flammable fuel.. or something that will light very easily like pine straw. However the best method is Pitch from pine trees (turpentine} and pine straw.... then small stems, slowly working your way to larger ones. When I was a kid we used to take a Steens Syrup can, I guess about quart size, put a roll of toliet paper in it and fill the rest up with rubbing alcohol, pound the lid back on and when ready for use remove the lid and the toilet paper absorbs all of the alcohol making it a wick... light and keep warm. Candles are good too... as they are designed to stay lit, even if wet. But you have to have something to light them with.... I am sorry, this day in time anyone going camping in the deep wilderness without some sort of ignition source and a back up... well shame on you... hell you can buy these things for a dollar.. and there is no acceptable excuse for not having one. I do see your point in asking the question.. What if...? But fire starting items and back up should be at the top of everones list. You could even pull a bullet and light the powder but burns really really fast. Or perhaps cut a shotgun shell and burn that, plastic and all. I would imagine if you used rubbing alcohol and styrofoam peanuts... it would kinda break it down into a sort of paste which would make good fire starter. I know gasoling works well with this method.... remember Napalm... yep... thats what it is...gasoline and styrofoam. Anyway... just my thoughts... hope it helps.

Nice addition to the thread cajon hunter. What shocks me is the fact that many just starting out in the wilderness camping don't see the basics...
I once came up on a guy in SW Florida that had been wandering around for hours ( according to him) in a remote area, with a shot gun cradled in his left arm and a compass held in his right. (right over the shotgun) He was confused that the compass was not working... I asked him to hand me the compass and it worked fine. Even then it took him a min. to realize the barrel was effecting the compass. He was a nice guy but to think he admitted being lost for hours over a brain fart...

[hedgelj]

We could start a brand new thread for each of these methods:
Batteries and steel wool
Firesteel and some sharp metal object (hacksaw blade, knife, etc)
Flint and steel
Solar and magnifing glass/fresnel lens
Any other firesteel device (blastmatch, sparkie, etc)
Bow and drill
Matches and various ways to keep them dry
Firepistons

Tinders and/or ways to keep the ember going
Charcloth
Fatwood
Vaseline soaked cotton balls/dryer lint
Magnesium shavings
Gunpowder or blackpowder from your gun
Birch bark
Pine wood shavings
"Fire cone" when you make a piece of wood look like a pine cone to catch a flame easier
Alcohol pads
Sections of bicycle innertube
Tinder fungus

I always have a knife on me. If I want to know I can start a fire I normally carry a firesteel. My first aid kit always contains alcohol pads and I also carry some in my pocket to clean my glasses and they light up easily from the spark and last a few minutes to give me plenty of time to get the flame to a tinder nest.

However I also like Mg starters (just hard on a knife to shave) and charcloth.

[Steve]

The magnesium strips work great.

[jeffmo]

the most unique way i have ever seen a fire started was w/ some good tinder and some ice! same principle as a magnifying glass.
i lost $20 on a bet because i didn't believe it could be done.
fibers from milkweed pods,thistle down,and cattail tops are all good easy to find sources of tinder too.

[jeffmo]

two very good books that teach survival skills are:
Outdoor survival Skills by Larry Dean Olsen
and
Bushcraft by Richard Graves

the book by olsen is the better of the two and was the holy grail of text for the wilderness skills program at ohio u.