How to Make Fire

How to Make Fire Without Matches or a Lighter

There is a primal link between man and fire. Every man should know how to start one. A manly man knows how to start one without matches. It’s an essential survival skill. You never know when you’ll find yourself in a situation where you’ll need a fire, but you don’t have matches.

In a survival situation being able to start a fire can mean the difference between life and death. Primitive fire making is a bushcraft discipline that uses simple tools and natural materials to create fire. Having this in your bushcraft tool kit is an integral aspect of wilderness survival.

By being able to make fires quickly and effectively in any weather conditions, you will be better prepared for emergency situations. When someone in your camping group drops the matches into the river or the lighter gets lost along the way, you may need to know how to start a fire using natural or household objects to create friction or magnify the sun. Learn how to start a fire without using matches or a lighter by reading the methods below.

Supported languages:

- English

What awaits you:

● Getting Started

● Using Batteries and Steel Wool

● Using Flint and Steel

● Using a Magnifying Glass

● Fashioning a Hand Drill

● Making a Bow Drill

Tips:

-If the fire board doesn't stay still, shave the bottom of it into a flat edge.

-You should know how to Extinguish a Fire at the Initial Stages, Report a Fire and/or Put out a Fire before attempting to build one.

-If you don't have any sort of lens to complete the magnifying method, you can also fill a balloon with water and squeeze it until it funnels light in a small beam or shape a piece of ice into the shape of a lens.

-The hand drill method is the most primitive and difficult method, but requires the least amount of materials.

-For the bow method, use a spindle that's about 6 to 8 inches long, about half an inch thick, and as straight as possible.

-For your fire board, split a medium thick stick, make the hole with your knife, and burn it down with your spindle. Then cut the V-shaped notch from the side into your hole.

-Make sure the wood is extremely dry before attempting any friction methods.

-Cottonwood, juniper, aspen, willow, cedar, cypress, and walnut are ideal materials for creating your fire board and spindle sets.

-Nurturing an ember or spark into a flame is the most difficult part of starting a fire. Be sure to blow gently during this step.

-Strip the bark off the spindle for the hand drill to increase speed and reduce the number of blisters.

Good luck!