We use cookies to make your experience better. To comply with the new e-Privacy directive, we need to ask for your consent to set the cookies. Learn more.
We use cookies to make your experience better. To comply with the new e-Privacy directive, we need to ask for your consent to set the cookies. Learn more.
admin admin 0 Comments
Building a fire is something that most people say they sort of know how to do, but they actually have no idea where to start. There is a primitive link between fire and man. This is exactly why I believe every man should know at least three distinct ways of building a fire without matches or lighters
Building a fire is something that most people say they sort of know how to do, but they actually have no idea where to start. There is a primitive link between fire and man. This is exactly why I believe every man should know at least three distinct ways of building a fire without matches or lighters. If you want to prove your manliness to the ladies, go on a 5-day hike through the mountains or fight wolves in the Siberian wilderness, this is a skill that you absolutely need to learn.
You never know when you might end up in an emergency situation, where the protection of a warm campfire is the only thing keeping you alive, so I have compiled a master-list of ways to build a fire, whenever and wherever you may find yourself.
Note: It’s always a good idea to have some sort of fire-starting gear with you. If you don’t, you will find several alternative (but more complicated) solutions at the end of the article. Or check out our coal and firewood logs products.
When you were younger, your parents probably told you that you should never play with fire. Even if you’re lost in the vast emptiness of the forest, with nothing but a knife, there are several precautionary methods that you need to take before making a fire, to make sure that you don’t accidentally cause a natural disaster. Here is a list of things that you need to start a fire and, also, to keep it under control:
If you’re wondering why lighter fluid didn’t make the list, I will tell you that it is usually frowned up. Quite frankly, it is dangerous and it will leave you with some very bizarre tasting marshmallows. Worst-case scenario, lighter fluid will help you successfully burn down the entire forest.
Have you ever heard about the fire triangle or fire tetrahedron? The Fire triangle consists of fuel, air and heat, and the fire tetrahedron consists of fuel, oxygen, heat and chemical reaction. But you probably didn’t know that if you haven’t grown up in the woods, or laid a fire before. So here’s some basic info.
Image Source: Wikimedia
Fire is the chemical reaction between two substances that trade electrons. To get a fire started you will need fuel and oxidizer (wood, potassium permanganate, glycerin etc.). The third thing you will need is heat. Have you ever tried to light a fire under a cold rain, or worse, with a cold rock? Not very effective, isn’t it?
The next thing you’ll need is an ignition source. Many people refer to it as heat, but I consider the ignition source a completely different entity. Next you’ll need a surface area, where your substances can continue to touch and react. The more surface area you have, the more your ‘things’ will burn. Lastly, you will need air to maintain your fire. Air is part of your chemical reaction, and a fire that is starved of oxygen will burn up really fast.
There’s nothing quite like cuddling up with your loved one next to a warm fire. To avoid the embarrassing situation of not being able to make your own camp-fire, here are a few essential steps that you should follow:
If there is a designated fire area, you should definitely use it. If there isn’t, you have to make one yourself to avoid setting fire to the national park. First and foremost, choose a place that is as far away from trees and bushes as possible. Setting your fire over grass, especially dry grass, is a big no-no. I strongly recommend finding a patch of bare earth to make your own.
Clear the area thoroughly to remove dead branches, bark and weeds. Once the fire bed is clear, gather some earth or mud and place it onto a ‘platform’ that is at least 4 inches thick.
PRO TIP: If you want to build a roaring fire you can dig two 3 or 4 foot holes approximately 6 feet apart from each other. Dig a tunnel between the two. Start your fire in the tunnel. This will enable wind to blow into it. This type of fire bed is commonly referred to as the DAKOTA FIRE HOLE (diagram below).
Image Source: GrayWolfSurvival
You will need the three basic types of firewood mentioned above to start a campfire: tinder, kindling and logs. A general rule of thumb would be to collect wood that breaks or snaps easily. Look for dry wood.
If you can’t get anything but green wood you will struggle with a lot of smoke until the wood dries out. You can also add some paper scraps or wool for a little extra spark. In terms of quantities, you should have twice as much tinder and kindling than logs
The secret to laying a great fire is allowing proper airflow (so that the flames have room to grow) and using proper fuel. There are several ways of laying a fire. Check out the four diagrams below for the most common ones. I’ll break down the basics for each of them.
Start by placing your tinder bundle in the center of your campfire site. Top it off with some kindling. Leave an opening in your tipi to enable wind to blow through it. This will keep your fire going. Add several layers of kindling to your tipi. Gradually decrease the size of your twigs. Use larger pieces of wood to surround your structure. Place a match under your structure. If the tipi was built correctly the tipi will light up. It will eventually fall. Once this happens, add some fuel logs to the fire and enjoy the flames.
Start off your log cabin fire with a typical tipi lay. You will need to work with a larger version of Lincon Logs to make this work. Use fuel wood to frame your fire on the opposite sides of your tipi. Set smaller fuel wood pieces across the first set of fuel wood (on the other sides of the tipi). Continue laying your campfire with shorter and smaller pieces in a pyramid shape.
This is probably the simplest type of campfire. Place two pieces of fuel wood in an “X” shape. Top it off with some kindling and tinder. You can also add some paper scraps between the kindling and fuel logs for an extra ‘oomph’. Light your baby up.
Note: this type of fire will burn out quickly.
Stick a long piece of kindling into the ground at a 30-degree angle. Make sure the end of your stick is pointing into the wind. Start placing tinder under your support stick. You’ll need lots of it. Fill out the spaces with smaller pieces of kindling around your tinder nest. Finish off the fire with larger pieces of kindling. This type of fire is similar to the tipi fire.
Here’s a really cool infographic that will teach you how to create a sturdy fire-pit:
Image Source: Country Stone
Once you are done with the fire you have to ensure that it is put out correctly. Failing to do so might result in wildfires. The following practices should kill your fire once and for all:
Image Source: lhr
Anybody can light a fire with matches or lighters as long as they have the correct fireplace set-up. But can you light a fire without an external fire source? Of course! For such a method to be effective you have to set-up a good tinder nest to nurture the sparks and embers.
FRICTION-BASED METHODS
This is one of the oldest tricks in the book. Prepare your tinder nest with dry plants and wood. Take a flint rock (the type of rock that emits sparks). Hold the flint between your fore-finger and thumb. Make sure at least three inches of flint extend beyond your fingers.
This method also works with a cell-phone battery.
Locate the terminals of your battery (the circular nodes at the end of it). Any battery voltage will do the trick, but 9-volt batteries are the most effective. Take a piece of fine steel wool and start rubbing your battery terminals against it. Through friction sparks will appear. When the steel wool starts to glow it’s time to blow on it to nurture your flame. Place your steel wool next to the tinder nest and continue blowing until flames appear. Once the flame is strong enough you can start adding larger pieces of kindling.
Alternative methods:
-
Here’s what you need to do to successfully start a fire with the help of a bow drill:
If you’re wondering how to start a fire in the most primitive way, then you should consider using the hand drill. All you need for this method is a stick, a tinder nest, tireless hands and lots and lots of patience and determination. Here’s how you can do it:
LENS-BASED METHODS
When I was younger I remember watching a cartoon in which the kids were setting fire to ants. I tried to do that too. Sadly I lacked the patience and the ants kept trying to run away for some reason. I was very surprised to find out that you can actually use a lens or magnifying glass to light a fire, by focusing sunlight in a specific spot. If you can insert some water in your lens the effect will be that much more powerful.
The concept is single: angle the magnifying glass so that it focuses sunlight in a very small circle on your tinder nest. Obviously, this method only works when you have sun, so lighting a fire like this during the night will be impossible.
This may sound strange, but you can actually make fire from ice. All you need is a lens-shaped piece of ice to focus the sun’s rays. This method is particularly useful during winter time. Here are a few tricks that will help you:
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to build a fire. This rather bizarre, yet extremely effective, method will help you generate a strong flame in no-time. All you need is a balloon (or condom), some water, and a sunny day. Fill up the balloon with water until it becomes spherical. Squeeze it into a shape that focuses the sun’s rays into a circle of light. Hold it 2 inches away from the tinder and wait. Once the flames form blow gently into the tinder nest.
I found this video on YouTube a while back and I was skeptical, but I have to admit that this method is pretty damn cool. To make it work you will need a chocolate bar, a soda can (or beer can) and the sun’s gentle rays.
In the video below you will find several ways of starting a fire using water, lenses and the sun. It will also show you how to start your fire using a flashlight as a reflector. The concept is similar to that of the soda can: simply focus the light into one point with the help of the reflectors.
OTHER METHODS
This method uses the same principle as the one with batteries and steel wool. But while this may enable you to create flames easily, it’s harder to make them last. The trick is to cut your gum wrapper small enough to burn, but wide enough to maintain the flame. 9V batteries work very well, but you can also use two 1.5v to make it work. Have your tinder-nest close-by to transfer the flames quickly.
Granted, some of these chemical reactions are impossible to recreate in the wilderness, but knowing them might prove useful someday. Some of these substances can be found in the first aid kit, others are harder to obtain. You can generate flames with the following chemical reactions without having to use a lighter or match:
Some of these chemical reactions are extremely exothermic so you should make sure that you’re standing behind as they combust. You should also prepare a big tinder nest to nurture the resulting flames.
The infographic below will teach you how to build a fire in the rain.
Image Source: ScoutMasterCG.com
By know you probably know how to start a fire. Below are a few extra tips on how you can create char cloth as well as a few recommendations of fire-starters that you should have with you.
I may have shared more than a few methods of creating fire, but you will probably be using only the first three or four ones. For this purpose you will need to craft your own char cloth. Simply directing a flame onto a pile of tinder or kindling won’t do much, but sustaining the flames with some char cloth will enable you to start a fire even under heavy rain.
Char cloth has been around for centuries. It is created through the process of pyrolysis, which basically means:
“Thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elevated temperature in the absence of oxygen.” – Source: Wikipedia
To make your own char cloth you will need sealable tin can, scissors, cotton, and nails. Since I don’t want to reinvent the wheel, you can read the full guide on how to create char cloth: here.
You should also check out this Prepper Stove guide from GrayWolfSurvival.