Let’s be clear. These are not the preferred ways to get a fire going. If you would have used your noggin’, you would have a BIC lighter or strike anywhere matches handy, or perhaps a magnesium stick on your keychain. Any of these will work much better than the methods I am describing. But if you find yourself in a fix, need a fire, and don’t have a way to get one started, here are some unorthodox methods of fire starting that really work will help you stay warm and alive so you can be more prepared the next time:
1. Bottle of water
This works like a charm as long as the sun is shining, even on a cold, sunny day. At night or on a cloudy day, never mind. But a partially full clear plastic water bottle can serve as a lens to focus the suns light and ignite tinder or even paper. If your paper is white, darken an area with ink or dirt so the light/heat will be absorbed and not reflected. Fill your bottle with clear water, and tilt it top down an inch or two from your tinder until you find where the light coming through the bottle is the most focused. Within several seconds, you should see smoke, when you see smoke start blowing gently while keeping the bottle in position.
2. Battery and steel wool
If you have the materials, this is the fastest method. Raid a smoke detector for a nine volt battery-be sure to replace it when done-and check under the kitchen sink for extra fine steel wool. Fine will also work, just not as well. Coarse will not work; the individual fibers are too thick to get hot enough to ignite. Touch the live end of the battery along a small tuft of wool, and almost instantly you will see embers as the electricity heats the very fine “wires” in the steel wool. A few quick puffs should product a flame, but be quick about getting tinder in contact with flaming wool, as the flame will be gone as fast as it comes.
3. A soda can and either a chocolate bar or toothpaste
Say what? This one is kind of bizarre, but you find a 12 ounce soda can and use the chocolate bar or toothpaste as a polish. Gently rub, rub, rug the shiny bottom of the can with either substance. Chocolate is supposed to work better, but it pains my soul to see any chocolate in this world go to waste. Once the bottom is shiny as a mirror, that’s exactly what you have-a mirror that can concentrate the sun’s rays just like your water bottle. Aim at a pile of tinder, focus until it smokes, puff gently until the flames catch, then eat the rest of the chocolate bar while congratulating yourself on being clever. Until you remember that a butane lighter would have been twenty times faster.
4. Brake fluid and pool chlorine
Now for a couple that appeal to the mad scientist in all of us. And if you have these chemicals, it’s hard NOT to start a fire when they are combined. Brake fluid is self evident. The other ingredient is the chlorine granules you use to keep your pool or hot tub nice and clear. Take a small pile of the granules, arrange kindling wood above it (tinder not necessary, trust me), pour some brake fluid onto the chlorine, and stand back. It takes a minute, but you will get a nice hot fire. Don’t breathe the initial cloud of smoke, chlorine and your lungs don’t get along, but after that passes, build the fire as normal.
5. Antifreeze and Potassium Permanganate
Never heard of it? More people have this in their garage than you think. If you get your water from a well and have a filter to remove impurities, especially iron, this is what you use to regenerate the filter. It’s a powerful oxidizer, and reacts with the glycerin in common auto anti freeze to produce a reliable flame. Just like with the brake fluid and chlorine mix the two together and you WILL get a fire.
I hope you never have to use any of these methods, but they are available if you do need to. On second thought, by a six pack of butane lighters and stick one or two everywhere-your car, your kitchen drawer, and of course, your 72 hour kit. But reliable is boring, eh?
