How can you make fire

[kihnspiracy]

Save some dryer lint. Fill in the cups of an egg carton. Pour melted candle wax over the cups. Cut the carton into individual cups. Place in ziploc bags. Presto, instant fire starter. Burns really well.

[LHS]

When I was in the Scouts, we used to roll up strips of cardboard into an empty tuna can, then pour paraffin over it. Burns like a sonofabitch for a considerable amount of time. It does tend to be heavier than most of the previously mentioned methods, but it started fires in really nasty conditions.

I was always partial to dry pine needles, pine cones, frayed hemp rope, and dryer lint. Dryer lint does burn fast, so you'll need to have some more substantial tinder to catch the flame. Any of the above will start quickly with a few magnesium shavings applied and sparked.

[Von Rheydt]

A goody for tinder is to make some charcloth and keep it in a small ziploc in your survival kit.

Charcloth only needs a tiny low temp. spark to get it glowing. Once it is glowing you put it into more substantial tinder to get that glowing and then hey presto set up the barbecue.

[titsonritz]

Poke around the online store/fire starting

http://www.survivalschool.com/

[Von Rheydt]

Poke around the online store/fire starting

http://www.survivalschool.com/

Interesting looking site with some nice odds and ends.

However, you can't learn to make charcloth by buying it. It only takes about 2 minutes to learn the theory of making it and about 15 minutes to make enough to last you for a few years.*

I personally like the way I saw the USMC learn fire lighting on their cold weather survival course. Show them and teach them how to make a fire bow/bow drill and when they can make fire with that they get a Swedish fire steel ............. in the knowledge that there is a fall back skill.

*Plenty of sites out there that show how it is done just google. BUT, ONLY USE 100% COTTON..... EVEN 98% OR 99% DOES NOT WORK.

[davey]

*Plenty of sites out there that show how it is done just google. BUT, ONLY USE 100% COTTON..... EVEN 98% OR 99% DOES NOT WORK.

I had a flint knapper show me how to use flint & steel using a re-enactors kit. I bought one. The "mountain men" were much more sophisticated than we give them credit. Some of the steel strikers I saw are very artsy. This isn't caveman stuff.

FWIW, this guy recommended making charcloth from denim jeans. Gotta trust his judgement - spark to flame in about 15 seconds.

[Von Rheydt]

I had a flint knapper show me how to use flint & steel using a re-enactors kit. I bought one. The "mountain men" were much more sophisticated than we give them credit. Some of the steel strikers I saw are very artsy. This isn't caveman stuff.

FWIW, this guy recommended making charcloth from denim jeans. Gotta trust his judgement - spark to flame in about 15 seconds.

Denim is good stuff. The thicker the cotton the better.

One that is used on courses in the UK is to get a 100% cotton (we call them tea towels) thing you use to do the drying up of dishes. I had an old metal pint paint pot with a push on lid that I used to put the cloth in and then stand it in a fire. You can use altoids type tins for small amounts and you can also stand the tin on the barbecue instead of a fire..........DO NOT DO IT IN THE HOUSE..........BAD, BAD THING.

This guy is US based and makes awesome steels, we used to order from him in the UK:

http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/firefromsteel/

There is also a guy who makes steels that are the size and shape of dog tags. Very useful.

[bigghoss]

thermite