Fire Starting Methods

We talk a lot on here about fire starting methods and materials but I don't think I've ever heard the answer to this question: Are fire starting methods dependant on anything other than personal preference and the availability of materials? I'm thinking particularly about using natural materials. A magnifying glass won't work without sunlight but, for example, would there ever be a time that you'd choose one friction method over another? When would you choose a hand-drill, fire plough or a fire bow, for example, if you had the right materials on hand for either? I imagine that temperature, wind, moisture and altitude might all play a role in any given method, making some more effective in certain situations than others.

There is a big difference between first starting for fun and fire starting in order to save one's life.

For fun I encourage people to play with all kinds of methods of starting fires (in appropriate places ... not in your parents' basement!!!).

I've worked with Scouts to expose them to all sorts of techniques, including use of a battery & steel wool, a magnifying glass, a sparker, .... and to use of several kinds of fire starting materials (tinder).

Unfortunately I have never used fire by friction. Not that I don't want to, but just haven't yet.

The sparker worked well IF the appropriate tinder is available. The battery/steel wool worked OK, but he had to be quick and a tad lucky to get it going. The magnifying glass was easily the most difficult since it had to be a good magnifying glass, the sun had to be bright in the sky, the boy had to hold it just right, and the tinder had to be just right.

For a survival kit my goal is to set myself up so fire starting is as easy - and as sure a thing - as possible, since the conditions are most likely not going to be optimal. Doug Ritter even recommends that we avoid two-handed methods where possible - makes sense since injury could limit use of hands.

For my survival gear I want proven and easy fire starting methods. I would prefer to use some kind of lighter, rather than a sparker. I certainly want to bring several back up devices - just to be safe. Since lighters can malfunction, I bring a sparker along - even though it is not nearly as easy to use as a lighter. The sparkers are simply and unlikely to malfunction.

Oh, I bring along some REI waterproof matches too, but I really have no plan/interest in using them. They are the backup to the backup.

For tinder, I tend to carry commercial stuff as a backup, and then Vaseline-coated cotton balls as my primary stuff, along with a few uncoated cotton balls to be safe.

For the sake of discussion, one method I would consider perhaps easier than any of the ones you mentioned, because I actually have some personal experience with it, is sparking some tinder fungus (or similar) alight and then using it to develop a coal that, when fanned, could start a flame in a big wad of dry grass. That seems to be less fidgety than the friction methods you mentioned, and it is easy enough to carry around some of the fungus once you locate a chunk. It doesn't take much of it, and it catches a spark pretty easily. Without the fungus, of course, one of the other methods you mentioned could be invaluable. My guess would be, as I alluded to above, that personal experience with a particular method would be of primary consideration. From what I've observed, there is a "trick" to being successful with all these methods.

I personally think about worst case scenarios and plan accordingly. If my system works there, then it should work anywhere without any extra thought. My personal worst case scenario is snowboarding off piste, high altitude, windy, raining and snowing. A hand drill or fire bow is not a sane option if I'm planning beforehand. I need something that can be self-contained around my neck. I have a fire starting kit that includes (at a minimum) a neck lanyard, a Peanut Lighter, a ferro rod, a scraper, and a waterproof tinder container.



I'm not sure what you mean when you say you're thinking about natural materials because, in the following sentence, you talk about using a magnifying glass. That is not a natural material and requires planning before the outing. While we're planning, we might as well plan to bring along easy fire starters (e.g., lighters and ferro rods) and optimal tinder (e.g., cotton balls and petroleum jelly). Even with a more primitive fire bow, I still can't figure out how I would go out into the woods in my birthday suit and construct a fire bow. Even the fire bow requires planning before the outing.

Fun question!

I guess in addition to preference and availability of materials, you could factor in: whether or not you have any other fire-starting choices; whether the current conditions make success with a given fire-starting method likely; whether you really need fire; and whether it makes sense to try to start fire where you are or to move to an area with better shelter, water, food, fire fuel, likely signaling success, or other survival pluses.

Edit: BYW fire from magnified sun can be done with a lens created from clear ice, a shined aluminum can bottom, some eye glass lenses, parabolic-shaped reflectors or reflector arrays, and probably a host of other ways of which I would be delighted to learn.

A fine question with some answers!

You need a handhold to position and put pressure on the top of your spindle, a spindle to spin in your hearthboard to create the friction leading to an ember, a hearthboard or equivalent to contain a socket or equivalent in which the spindle bottom spins, a shallow curved bow piece, and a bow cord to work back and forth spinning the spindle.

It is nice to have some relatively flat pieces for the hearthboard and handhold. Among other methods which must exist given the ingenuity of man, you can find a tree with a dry branch about 4-5 inches in diameter fairly close to the ground, use a rock edge to score a groove on the bottom of the branch a couple feet from the trunk, score a second groove on the top of the branch next to the trunk, break the branch straight down however you can, and at the broken end of the branch you will have relatively flat, sharp pieces of wood free from the tree and near the trunk a second such piece still attached to the tree. Break the second piece off. Choose one as a handhold and one as a hearthboard. Use a rock point to start sockets in each piece, or use naturally ocurring cracks and let the action of the spindle create socket-equivalents.

Try to find pieces of branches that do not need much if any work to use as a bow and as a spindle. You know, a slightly curved branch for a bow and a pretty straight piece about thumb thick for the spindle. Use rock edges and abrasive rock surfaces to shape notches or grooves on the bow to attach a bow string and to put a sharper top point and rounder bottom point on the spindle.

Typically the harder part is to find material to make good cordage. You pretty much need experience finding and processing plants for this. There are many possibilities: certain bark, dogbane, milkweed, stinging nettle, yucca and its relative, and on and on. You need to use good technique to carefully make a strong, multi-stranded bow string.

Now you have a bow-drill set.

This is an exercise done in many survival training and primitive technology training sessions.

Ray Mears shows to boil an egg with just a boot lace out in the woods.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPk28DiIWPU

Historically, I think it is interesting how when Europeans contacted native groups, how quickly the more "primitive" techniques (fire drill, plow, etc.) gave way to more technological means, even flint and steel were appreciably easier. Many groups that used the more laborious methods went to great lengths to keep the fire glowing and developed elaborate means to transport glowing coals.

I go for easy but try prepare for situations more in line with the potential worst case scenario. I will always have my knowledge and experience, but may not always the gear I would prefer.

I'm going to incorporate a mini ferro rod into each of my shoe laces.

Interesting! How? What are you going to tell TSA?

If you can make a fire bow, then incorporating this ferro rod into clothing or jewelery is child's play:
http://firesteel.com/products/FireSteel-Miniature.html
I don't know if I would have to tell TSA because I don't see where it's banned, but I do know that 1984 has just about arrived. Let's hope nobody shows TSA that video of the fire bow with a shoelace, because then TSA will ban shoelaces.

Just make something ornamental and no one will give a fuss. You could integrate it into a key fob, zipper pull or something similar. Too small to become viewed as a potential offensive weapon and you're good.

There is no guarantee, though... but it's cheap enough to treat it as "TSA disposable". Most likely, you'll do A LOT of flying before anyone gives you trouble. And if they do, you of course comply with their confiscation and move on.


Me, I've been carrying this thing on my key chain for ages, and I've had absolutely no troubles with airport security:
http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=374
Technically, it's a knife, but a 1" blade and a 1" handle isn't exactly your tactical folder.... Initially I would remove it and put it in checked luggage, but then I completely forgot it was there until I realized I've been flying three times with it... Since then I haven't worried at all, it goes with me on the plane.


I'm not advocating breaking any rules, but let's not the fear of TSA get totally out of perspective.


And no, the spyderco bug is too small to be much use for anything except for urban tasks like slicing up plastic packaging. Still, it's sharp and it's there.

While we're on the subject of TSA, they should be more concerned about the lighters and matches people carry-on legally:
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_multi_image_with_table_0099.shtm

As for all the primitive methods of starting fires, these methods do require materials too. Are there locations on earth where it's unlikely someone will be able to gather the necessary materials? I do want to get better at starting fires the primitive way. I also want to keep man-made fire starting materials always on me as a lifestyle.

Thanks all! The "spark" for my question came from building survival kits with our Scouts. Matches, lighters, ferro rods, mag sticks, magnifying glasses, steele wool .... we teach them all and tell them to always try to carry at least 2 or 3 methods on them.(After thoroughly teaching them fire building skills first, of course, so they're ready for fire lighting.) We want to teach them the easiest, most reliable method first. Once we've covered the 2 or 3 components they carry in their kits, what would you move onto next?

We used to start by teaching how to use matches and the steel wool/battery method. They're relatively easy for the inexperienced to figure out and use. From there we moved onto the magnifying glass and the ferro-rod (typically the BSA hotspark). Everyone would get a chance to try out everything. After that we would sometimes demonstrate making fire with potassium permanganate and glycerin (this was done more because it's a neat thing to see, rather than as a viable method for scouts). That pretty much covered one meeting when combined with teaching the safety aspects of it.

The next meeting would cover traditional fire starting methods. Bow drill, hand drill, hand drill with thumb loops, and flint and steel. From there the boys would try making smoke with both the bow drill and the hand drill. This meeting was also used to go over the importance of building a fire properly from tinder, to kindling, to fuel (as well as reinforcing the safety aspects). Sometimes this meeting would end with one of the leaders (or one of the older boys) making a fire using one of the traditional methods, and then letting the boys roast up some marshmallows over it.

One environment that comes to mind is any mountain range above timberline. You might have good tinder materials,but you are unlikely to find anything that provides decent, long lived fuel. This is one reason I have usually packed "artificial" means of lighting a fire.

Your approach sounds good to me. After that, you teach the primitive methods that you mentioned in the original post.

Here's my problem. If the primitive methods are taught with anything other than what's in the wild, then I don't see the point if we bring along supplies in order to perform the primitive methods. At that point, the primitive methods become entertainment mostly, and not true survival training. It's important for the Scouts to see that the primitive methods are extremely difficult, and practically impossible on a large percentage of the earth's surface.

After a failed attempt at primitive fire starting, it would be good to teach AGAIN how always to carry supplies for the easier methods. One example is tiny ferro rods ($.49) scattered throughout clothing and jewelery. You may laugh, but I've had a cocky kid tell me that all he needs to start a fire in the wild is a knife. That's a dangerous mindset.

I bet somebody is reading this thinking, well, simply the knowledge of the primitive methods is important. My response is if you're going to make the trek out there to the woods, then natural materials should be used. Otherwise, the Scouts can just read a book or watch the 359 videos on Youtube where people are faking the primitive methods just the same. I just saw a guy on Youtube fake a primitive method by using jute twine, a large 2x4 from Home Depot, a shoestring, a nice sharp knife and other stuff. The video received all thumbs up. Well, let's see. If I used a cotton ball, a ferro rod and a scraper, then I would be using less pre-made material than him.

On the other hand, if you can show Scouts how to use only materials from the wild to perform a primitive method, then that makes sense to me. The only materials that should be used are materials that will absolutely be carried 100% of the time. I guess a shoe string is OK maybe. For me, the purpose of the primitive methods are to answer the question, "How do I start a fire out here if I have on my birthday suit and nothing else?" I'm sorry if I sound harsh, but I believe a survival situation is way harsher.

So little weight and space is involved in carrying "modern" materials, even redundant techniques (which most of use seem to prefer - typical is Bic lighter, matches in a waterproof case, and ferro rod or something equivalent) that it is a no brainer. Add in the greatly enhanced ability to start a fire in adverse conditions - the kind of situation when you really, really need a fire - and the decision becomes a super no brainer.

The primitive techniques are cool, and interesting, but they fall in the category of "parlor tricks," in my opinion.

That's my only quibble with those who advocate planning on using primitive methods to start a fire. If your primitive method requires a modern forged knife, paracord or shoelaces & kiln dried wood it's not really primitive. Even making the concession for carrying a knife is kind of cheating- if you can have a knife, why not a ferro rod? I have tons of respect for those who can make the cordage by hand in the wild & create their drill set with a piece of sharp stone, but even that person would be hard pressed to do so when they're already lost- and out in the rain with the sun going down. Even such a noted primitive living skills expert as Cody Lundin advises people carry modern firemaking supplies & be prepared to survive.

Also, fire preparation is at least as important to consider as combustion. I'd rather have a fire steel, a cotton ball and a good supply of dry kindling and small fuel than a pair of Zippos and damp green wood. Or at least I'd feel a lot better with a good knife, axe and/or saw to go with the fire steel than I would with a blowtorch trying to light logs. In a leisurely camping setting where I have time to create tinder, kindling and a couple sizes of fuel I'd bet you a hundred dollar bill I could get a raging fire going in minutes. Having that quality preparation would even more critical in a survival situation when the chips were down. What do they say- the worse you need a fire the harder is to make?