Top 5 Fastest Ways to Start a Fire

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There are many different ways to start a fire without a lighter, today I will be showing you five of the easiest ways to survive the bitter aphotic night outdoors. You can still complete these methods with the use of lighters or matches, however, this guide is built for those who don't currently have any way of creating a synthetic source of light.

1.  The Hand Drill Method

For this method you will need:

  • A flat piece of wood 
  • Knife 
  • Spindle/Stick
  • Tinder

The first thing you're going to want to do before anything is to create a small pile of tinder. You can also form a circle of rocks around the tinder if you have the time and resources to do so. The rocks will create a wall, stopping the wind from blowing the fire out. 

Next, you'll want to find a semi-flat piece of wood that you can drill a hole into, we'll refer to this as the fire board. After you find the fire board, you'll want a second stick that is much smaller than the first, but still thick enough so that it won't break under pressure.

Use your knife to sharpen one end of the smaller stick until it's about the diameter of a penny. Create a small hole in the fire board, so that the stick doesn't slide off while you create friction. Before you start creating friction between the boards you want to make sure that the tinder is close enough to the board that you will be able to transfer the embers to the tinder itself.

After everything is prepped, press the sharpened stick against the board, hold it between the palms of your hands, and spin it fast inside the hole cut in the board previously. Your hands should slide down the wood over time as you spin it and apply pressure simultaneously. This will create friction between the boards, then smoke, and finally burning embers.

Once you see glowing embers between the boards, place the rod into the tinder and slowly blow on it, igniting the embers, and fueling expansion. Once the tinder is burning, add bigger and bigger pieces of dry wood for the night.

2. The Battery and Steel Wool Method

For this method you will need:

  • Battery (9 volt works best)
  • Steel wool
  • Tinder
This is one of the simpler methods, however, not everyone has steel wool on them while camping. If you do, consider yourself lucky! 

Before you even create a spark, make sure you have a pile of tinder ready to catch fire. This is the most vital step in this process. 

9-volt batteries are the easiest battery to use while igniting a fire with steel wool because both the positive and negative charges are on top, relatively close to each other. This method can be executed with any type of battery, the smaller the battery, the harder it's going to be to ignite the wool.  

Start by gently rubbing the charges of the battery against the steel wool until it lights up. you can blow on the steel wool gently if you need it to burn brighter. Slowly place the steel wool in the pile of tinder, and watch it catch fire!

3. The Magnifying Glass Method 

For this method you will need:

  • Sunlight
  • Magnifying glass
  • Very dry tinder
***In order for this method to work, the sun must be out.***

In most cases, when you need a fire, it's because you want to stay warm during the frigid night in the woods. If you plan on sleeping while your fire burns out, this may not be the best method for you. 

The magnifying glass can be replaced with many things in this situation. You could use prescription glasses, a balloon or condom filled with water, and even crystal clear ice!
Create a small stash of tinder and angle the magnifying glass so that the sun beams through it, contacting the tinder (it may take a few minutes to find the perfect angle). Once you start to see smoke, hold the magnifying glass in place. After embers appear, gently blow on it and add bigger pieces of wood.

4. The Flint and Steel Method

For this method you will need:

  • Flint 
  • Steel (Knife)
  • Tinder
While most people don't carry flint while camping, it is very easy to come across in the woods. Flint isn't just a type of rock. Flint is mixed into most rocks you'll find along a campsite. They generally have an orange tinge to them. A great way to test if its flint is to strike it with your knife (or source of steel).

If sparks emit from the strike, then that rock has at least the littlest bit of a flint deposit mixed into it.

 Line the flint and steel so that the sparks shoot towards the pre-established pile of tinder. This is a tedious, and time-consuming process, but once one good spark comes in contact with the tinder just right the tinder will light, and you will be comforted with warmth and a source of light for the rest of the night.

5. The Flashlight Method

For this method you will need:

  • Sunlight
  • Flashlight
  • Tinder
***In order for this method to work the sun must be out***

The magnifying glass method is very similar to this as you will be using the sun and reflective properties to create fire. As long as this method is performed correctly, the flashlight will remain operable afterward.

We won't be using the entire flashlight, the only part we want is the silver reflective lining around the bulb. Most flashlights screw off, and the lining will come right out.

After you remove the lining from the flashlight, it should resemble a silver funnel, with one side bigger than the other. You want to stick a pinch of tinder through the small end of the silver lining and push it through so it emerges just above the bottom rim. 

Angle the silver lining so that the sun shines through the bigger end reflecting any light captured towards the center of the funnel. The rays will heat the tinder and ignite within a few minutes. Once you notice smoke, pull the tinder out the small end of the funnel and gently blow on it so the embers glow. Place the pinch of tinder in the remaining pile and watch the fire materialize! 



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