Quick fire starting tips

A good fire is an integral part of any survival situation. Whether you’re surviving in the woods, or just surviving some bad weather at home with a good book, having a warm fire is a must. Unfortunately sometimes we find ourselves without the proper tools to get a good fire going (matches). Here are two, out-of-the-box techniques for starting a fire without the help of matches.

1. Nine-volt battery technique: For this technique to work you will need 9-volt battery and some steel wool (or equivalent product that will conduct electricity). When using steel wool arrange your fire material/combustibles around and on top of a chunk of steel wool, make sure not to use all of your steel wool on the first try. When ready touch the 9-volt battery to the bundle of steel wool. The fine filaments that make up the steel wool will heat and then combust due to the charge presented to them by the 9-volt battery.

2. Cigarette/flashlight (some assembly required): For this technique you will need a cigarette, a flashlight, and a sunny day. Disassemble the flashlight and remove the lens, this is the piece that the bulb inserts into and reflects the light forward. Place your cigarette into the lens with the tip of the cigarette just protruding into the socket where the bulb would sit. Set the lens down in a position so that it is facing the sun. The lens will collect the sunlight much like a mirror, since it is concave in shape the light and adjoining heat will be focused on the tip of the cigarette. Watch closely, it may take some time, but when the cigarette tip is lit take a few puffs to get it going. Once it is burning insert the cigarette into your fire material. You can accomplish the same result by using a signal mirror to focus the sunlight onto the tip of the cigarette.

It’s important to remember that just because you don’t have the recommended tools does not mean that you can’t accomplish an objective. Take a few minutes and think about how things work, what they do, and why they do it, and you will be well on your way to generating abstract solutions to potentially serious questions.