One of the most important things to have when hiking or camping in the woods is to have the ability to start a fire. It’s not only important because you’ll need to cook food or boil water, but also serves as a means of staying warm and a way to make a loud sound if you get lost.
What can you use, though, to start a fire? Obviously, lighters are a good idea but not always dependable. You should have at least five ways to start a fire. But first, you have to gather the fuel to burn, such as wood—dry wood and kindling. You’ll need to get a fire going fast the first time. This is why you should always carry some cotton balls with petroleum jelly on them .
Fire starting kits are great for hiking and camping, but how many of us actually have these at home? A good idea would be to keep a box in your house so that if there was ever a fire, you’ll be prepared.
Here’s a list of 10 things you can use to start a fire:
1. Lighters such as zippo lighter (lighter fluid) (due to their flint wheel and easy way to make sparks). But they tend to run out of fuel. They also need good ventilation and only work during dry and breezy conditions.
2. Matches (wooden or cardboard) – best to store these in a waterproof container, but sometimes they are affected by wind or wet weather conditions. They can be unreliable as well if the tip is moist.
3. Flint rock with a flint striker . An old military-style trick uses a flat piece of softer stone, such as a smooth river rock or a cattail with a small split in the end. Place a good pile of fuel on the divided and flick the flint against it. The spark from the rock will light your tinder quickly. Note: be sure to check your surroundings for soft stones that work before you go scrambling around for a sharp edge.
A great modern take on this is to use a magnesium fire starter . They’re cheap, safe, and reliable because they give off excellent sparks when scraped against a steel surface. Just shave off some magnesium with the knife and strike it in all directions until your pile starts smoking, and then add it to your fire.
4. Ferro rod . This is a special type of flint and steel tool that produces sparks by friction (similarly to how you rotate the tips of plastic lighters). The spark they provide is hotter than any other, but they need good airflow and lots of dry kindling to work properly. Also, they don’t work when wet.
5. Flint and steel (steel wool) – this is simply two pieces of metal rubbing together to create sparks. More reliable in most conditions, but can be difficult to get a fire started with this method if there’s no dry tinder around.
6. Battery + steel wool . Attach some steel wool to a 9-volt battery connector and rub the pieces together until you see a spark. This process can sometimes be tough, but will give off a lot of sparks if it works. Note: your steel wool should not touch the two connectors of the battery, as this would create a short circuit.
7. There are flashlights that has the ability to start a fire as well as a magnifying glass which only works when the sun is out.
8. Magnets . To start a fire, take a small piece of flint and scrape it against the ground next to some tinder until an ample amount of sparks arise from the friction. The sparks from this should ignite your tinder almost instantly.
in conclusion , it is very important to be well prepared when you go out. It would be good to carry a lighter, matches and ferro rod (there are really nice modern ones these days which are cheap too). Also consider lighters that needs refilling frequently because they’re not dependable if you’re in the wilderness for an extended period of time.
John Que Public 