Every respectable man should know how to start a fire, and every real man should be able to do so without the help of matches or a lighter.
Creating fire is one of the most essential skills anyone should have. Fire is not only crucial for cooking or keeping warm; it can also be a means of survival. Plus, when you’re out in nature, anything can happen. For instance, your matches might get wet, or your super-reliable lighter might break unexpectedly.
Many of us know from school physics that fire can be produced through friction or the energy of the sun. These are the most reliable and straightforward methods for creating fire. With a bit of practice, you can start a fire without matches in just a few minutes. AdmiGram.com shares the simplest and most reliable methods for making fire using available tools.
How to start a fire without matches or a lighter
Starting fire with a lens
If you have binoculars, glasses with positive diopters, or even just a magnifying glass, starting a fire is easy. All you need to do is gather some dry leaves or kindling and place them under larger sticks. Then, using your “magic glass,” focus the sunlight into a thin beam directed at the tinder. Once you see smoke, gently blow on it to ignite the flame. Any transparent plastic can serve as a lens if bent carefully.
Starting fire with plastic
If you don’t have anything glass on hand, plastic can come to the rescue. The only requirement is that the plastic should be as clear as possible. All you need to do is shape the plastic into a ball and fill it with clear water. This will create a basic lens. Any plastic bag, plastic wrap, or a clear plastic bottle will work. Interestingly, Eskimos make lenses from ice to start fires.
Starting fire with friction
If the sun isn’t out, the previous methods won’t work. That’s when friction comes in handy. You’ll need a dry log and a sturdy stick. Use a knife or rock to carve a small hole in the log. Then, hold the stick between your hands and vigorously drill into the hole in the log. The goal is to get the stick to smolder. Once it does, use it to ignite your tinder. This method requires some skill, but once you get the hang of it, starting a fire this way will be easy.
Starting fire with metal
If finding dry wood is difficult, a knife, axe, and rock can help. To start a fire with a knife and rock, you’ll need a handful of fluff, very dry grass, or tinder. Place the rock near your tinder and strike it sharply with the blunt end of the knife or axe. This should create sparks. Be careful not to let rock fragments or sparks hit your eyes. Once the tinder starts to smolder, blow on it to start a fire, adding small chips and shavings.
Starting fire with dry grass
For this method, you’ll need a log split in half and a small board that’s easy to hold in one hand. Wrap the board in stiff dry grass to create something like an old-fashioned bundle. The board should be inside the grass. Holding it in your hand, rub it quickly against the log as if you’re scrubbing. The friction will cause the grass — or materials like cotton, mattress stuffing, or dry leaves — to start smoldering. Then, just blow on it to ignite the fire and build your campfire.
image on top: Free-Photos / Pixabay
