This is a re-post of a blog article I wrote back on September 10th, 2007 for my more general journal. I thought that since it was a topic very relevant and useful to this particular blog, I would re-edit and re-publish it here.
Perhaps as a general preface to this topic I should say that I consider the ability to produce flame one of the essential survival skills that all humans should learn. It is the one skill, unique to humankind, that has given man tremendous advantage over the animal kingdom. I daresay, if you cannot as a human produce a flame, you are still on a par with the rest of the animals. I cannot succinctly list the myriad uses of fire (in defense, for shelter, for building, for cooking, for sterilizing, for illumination, for signaling, for first aid, for insect repelling, etc, etc), but I must mention that not the least useful benefits of fire is just for the psychological (morale) boost, which must still be in some part of our hominid brains. Inexplicably, a nice crackling fire brings us immense comfort and a feeling of well-being. It beats back the night and makes us feel secure (knowing perhaps that all other animals instinctively fear fire). When I wander afield, I carry with me almost as many ways to produce a fire as I do illumination sources. My favourite because of their simplicity and reliability are StormSafe matches, carried in a watertight machined aluminum matchcase. These StormSafes (sometimes referred to as Lifeboat matches) will ignite even under water... LOL... which always amazes people.
1) Cigarette Lighter... lol.... ok maybe that's too obvious, and cheating a bit. I'll just say though that though I'm not a smoker, I have always carried a lighter around with me "just in case". An old Army habit. With a flick of my thumb, I have instant fire. Actually, the reason that I listed this is because, 2) the flint "striker" of a cigarette lighter remains useful even when the lighter runs out of fuel. I'm talking about the Zippo type or the cheap disposable Bics.
3) Butane Torch Lighter, an improved type of lighter, which has the added advantage of being able to ignite and burn in high winds and even rain. This is my preferred type of survival kit lighter because they remain reliable and ready without lots of maintenance (unlike a Zippo). Most use an electronic ignition also. Disadvantages: they do consume fuel more quickly, they are not great as a back-up illumination source, and they are not legal to carry on aircraft anymore.
Wood and Friction is the oldest method for making fire. Friction between two pieces of wood rubbing together generate enough heat to bring it to the ignition point (about 450 degrees F). There are several methods for generating this friction like 4) stick and groove (as seen in Cast Away), 5) bow and drill (as seen in White Water Summer), 6) hand rolling (as seen in Quest For Fire)
7) Flint (and Steel). Possibly the second oldest method for making fire. Flint naturally sparks when hit together or struck with a metal object. The hot sparks will readily cause dry tinder to smoulder and ignite. Note: 8) certain other rocks spark when hit together, like jade, iron pyrite, gypsum, and quartz (so remember it's not just flint), and 9) metals also readily spark when hit with another piece of metal. I carry a flint striker bar in the tiny pouch on the scabbard of my main knife. One stroke with my knife creates a dazzling shower of hot sparks.
10) Magnesium. This metal burns very hot, 18,000 degrees and shavings of Magnesium can readily be ignited with a flint or other spark source. Magnesium is a very lightweight metal and can be found in the composition of some very surprising things. For the inner McGyver in you, the wheels of old wheelchairs, as well as the support brackets of some walking canes, and the frames of some high performance bicycles were/are made of Magnesium. A small block of Magnesium is included in Air Force Survival Kits.
11) Bipolar chemicals. Actually, the common match (safety match or strike-anywhere match) is really a chemical reaction between two chemicals (most commonly red phosphorus and something else) with the addition of friction (from embedded glass in the striker surface). If you paid attention during high school chemistry class, you would know that there are many common household chemicals that can be used to readily cause flame, explosions or deadly gas clouds. For safety reasons, I shall not list them here. However, I will discuss one particular compound Potassium Permanganate (KMnO4 ), a strong oxidant, which is sometimes included in some survival kits. When Potassium Permanganate is combined with glycerine or a glucose tablet (ground up and mixed in), it will readily combust when friction is applied. KMnO4 mixed with anti-freeze (ethylene glycol) can also produce flame. Also, as an added benefit, KMnO4 can also be used to sterilize water and wounds. Remember, common chemicals like hydrogen peroxide (in higher concentrations than for first aid use) are used for fuel in things like torpedoes, and space shuttle thrusters.
13) Magnifying Glass. Basically, focus the energy of the sun with any lens to the ignition point of tinder or an accelerant. Yes, all of those misspent hours burning leaves or ants can pay off now. I have a field lens on my Swiss Army Knife, and a separate Fresnel lens in my wallet. 14) Also, certain eyeglass prescriptions might be effective. In a true emergency survival situation, you might consider the lens out of a camera, a camcorder, or the objective lens of binoculars. 15) Ice Lens. This is really a variation on the magnifying lens. Theoretically, it should be possible to shape a melting chunk of ice into an optical lens that could focus sunlight. I know this was tried on Mythbusters unsuccessfully, but the theory is sound.
Fire by Electricity. 16) Battery, along with a piece of wire or steel wool. Most easily done with a 9-volt because the terminals are on the same side, a common battery can be "shorted" with a piece of metal, a length of wire, or most effectively with steel wool. It will quickly heat up to the ignition point of tinder or paper. This also includes an automotive battery. Use caution! 17) Also a variation of the battery trick are small battery operated electrical devices that can be re-wired to produce a short. Any electric device that produces heat i.e. a heating fan, hot plate, hairdryer, toaster oven, does so by creating a sort of short which superheats a metal-ceramic coil. Even an incandescent bulb on a flashlight has two leads, or a filament, that will get hot enough to ignite tinder or paper. Many electronic devices, like a disposeable camera with a flash, have a capacitor in them, which stores an electrical charge. Touching it with something conductive should produce a spark and a good jolt (so beware!). The same goes for good ol wall outlets, in a pinch.
18) Ammunition. Pistol and rifle ammunition contains both combustible powder and a primer. One can use the powder alone (carefully remove the bullet from the shell casing) as a chemical accelerant, or, if the firearm is available, combustible "wadding" can be packed into the barrel of the gun and fired into the air. The smouldering wadding should fall to earth and can be used as a basis for a fire. 19) The primer can be used to spark other chemical accelerants also.
20) Soda Pop Can. This is an amazing method that I could not believe until I tried it. It requires really intense (unobstructed) sun, no trees, no clouds and dry tinder. Basically, the bottom of an aluminum soda pop can is a concave mirror which will focus the suns rays (about a 2.5" focal point) when cleaned and polished to a high sheen. On the TV show "Survivorman", Les Stroud used a piece of chocolate (American chocolate has a high wax content) to polish the bottom of the can. It's amazing, but it will heat tinder hot enough to smoulder.
Now the building of a fire is greatly enhanced by the choice of proper tinder and/or accelerants. Tinder. I will assume that people know the purpose of tinder for making fire (start small, build big). Just about anything dry and with lots of exposed (to air) surface area makes good tinder. Cotton balls, small chips/shavings of wood, dry dung from a grazing animal, dry fuzzy moss, pine needles, bird down, thin tissue paper, crumpled paper, and very dry wood. Tinder doused with some type of accelerant can improve your odds of igniting a fire.
There are any number of common objects and substances on ones person or around the house that are flammable chemical accelerants and might be employed to easily start a fire in a pinch, anything from rubbing alcohol to vegetable oil.
-wax, like candles or beeswax, burns. I thought I would mention it because it might be overlooked.
-besides various vegetable based cooking oils, don't forget animal fats (grease) burn readily also.
-Perfumes, Colognes, Aftershaves, many are alcohol based
-Hairspray and other products with aerosol propellants (like Lysol, insecticide, non-stick cooking spray, cleaning products)
-Mouthwash, breath spray, and Listerine breath strips,
-Any alcoholic beverage over 80 proof, (40% alcohol)-Acetones (nail polish/remover), Paint Thinners, Certain Marker Pens, and common cleaning products are flammable.
-Certain natural tree and plant resins will ignite readily, like camphor and pine tar. There are a number of chemical accelerants available on most motor vehicles. So if you get stranded in a vehicle of some type, you might consider:
-Fuel, gas or diesel. Note: it is actually a certain vapor/air ratio of these volatile fuels that will ignite.
-Motor Oil, perhaps in conjunction with a wick-certain Hydraulic Fluids (are based on vegetable oils or butanol)
-Grease (from wheel bearings)
And don't forget... 21) the electrical cigarette lighter in most cars, and the battery itself (see #16)
Inflammable dust (powder that is airborne) of most carbon (organic) compounds will readily burn or ignite, sometimes with very rapidly expanding gas release, as in the case of grain elevator explosions. I'm talking about flour, sugar, powdered non-dairy creamer (palm oil based), pulverized corn chips, and similar products. Try carefully pouring a packet of coffee creamer over a candle and see what happens. Airborne dust, plus a spark, equals a fireball.
I'm just disseminating information here (mostly just for my amusement). Hopefully you will never have to face a dire situation when you might have to start a fire without a match to survive, but if someday you do, maybe you will remember some of these ideas.
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