Trial (and Survival) By Fire

When disaster hits and the power goes out, it’s imperative to have the skills and the know-how to survive. National Preparedness Month isn’t just about accumulating “stuff”; it’s also about accumulating knowledge.

One of the most essential skills in any wilderness survival course is building and sustaining a fire. Today, there are a wide variety of fire-starting options, but it is important to know how to get your fire started “the old fashioned way”.

Old fashioned can be a subjective term—today’s generation might think it means using a generic plastic lighter instead of a fancy, chrome-plated one. Well, we’re talking a little more rudimentary than that—three ways to start a fire using tricks humans have known for quite some time.

 

Friction-Based Fire

You might know it better as “rubbing two sticks together”—that saying isn’t just a cliché, it’s a legitimate skill; however, it is probably the most difficult of all. There are many different techniques to friction-based fire starting, but the most important thing to consider is your materials.

The basic materials necessary to start a friction fire are a spindle, tinder, and a fireboard. All three must be completely dry—we’re talking bone dry. If it is at all wet, it won’t work. Two ways to use these materials are “The Hand Drill” and “The Fire Plough”.

The Hand Drill 

Chances are you’ve seen the hand drill method before. It is the most primitive (and subsequently, most difficult) to do—but if all else fails, here’s how it’s done:

  1. Build up a small bird-like nest of tinder—anything that catches fire easily like dry grass, leaves, and very small twigs.
  2. Cut a v-shaped notch through the fireboard; then make a small depression adjacent to it.
  3. Place bark underneath the notch. This will be used to catch embers created from the friction you’re about to create between the spindle and board.
  4. Place your spindle (needs to be roughly two feet long) into the depression on your fireboard. As you apply pressure to the board, begin rolling the spindle back and forth between your hands, running them quickly down the spindle. Keep going. Eventually, all that friction will create an ember on the fireboard.
  5. Once the ember is created, drop it onto the piece of bark. Then apply your nest of tinder to the spark/bark, and gently blow on it to catch the tinder on fire.

The Fire Plough

This is the technique is a bit easier, though still takes some hard work (and some calloused hands). Tom Hanks made it work while he was “cast away” on a deserted island.

  1. Cut a groove into your fireboard. This is the track for the spindle.
  2. Place your tinder at the very end of the groove. Now rub the spindle down the groove towards the tinder.
  3. Be diligent—keep rubbing the your spindle down the board until you create embers. Once they start burning, blow gently to catch the tinder on fire.

Flint and Steel

It’s always a good idea to carry a flint and steel set in your emergency preparedness kit. And nowadays, you don’t have to go searching the hillside for both; you can get a handy pre-made set at SurvivalBased.com.

Here’s how they work:

  1. The newest flint and steel sets come with a block of magnesium to catch the spark—so step one is to carve off a small pile of magnesium (you can use the steel tool or a pocket knife)
  2. Take hold of the steel tool and quickly strike down the flint side of the block.
  3. If you strike it properly, a spark should ignite at the end of the flint. Aim this spark towards your pile of magnesium.
  4. When the magnesium lights, place your pile of tinder near the flame—gently blow if necessary.

Matches

Matches are extremely handy for starting a fire. While anyone can light a match, using that flame to create a strong fire is another skill altogether. Here’s how to light a fire using one match:

  1. Gather the three plenty of each of the elements of a fire—tinder, kindling, and fuel—as in more than you think you need. Better to be over prepared than to scramble for more once you’ve struck your match.
    1. We’ve discussed tinder, but to recap—charred cloth, birch bark, dry leaves or grass, paper, pine bark/needles, etc.
    2. Kindling includes small sticks and twigs, the kind of wood that will burn for a few minutes, but won’t last long.
    3. Fuel is the big stuff—the kind that takes awhile to light, but burns for a long time.
  2. Build a small nest of tinder; over the tinder, build a small tepee of kindling, leaving enough space for air to pass through; over your kindling build a tepee of fuel. This creates progressive levels through which the flames will spread.
  3. Once you’re certain you’ve created a quality tepee, the time has come to light the match (side note: store wood matches, not paper—they’re not as reliable). Light the tinder in several places, all while protecting the flame from wind.
  4. As the tinder burns quickly, it will transfer the flames to the kindling. It might take some light blowing to spread the flames. If you need to add more tinder, be sure not to smother the flame.
  5. Monitor the progress of the fire—in a few minutes, your fuel should be burning and you have a strong, sustainable fire.

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Being that it is the 21st Century, at SurvivalBased.com we recommend a much easier path to fire starting.

InstaFire is a safe, reliable and versatile fire starter and fuel source. For starting larger logs, it replaces tinder and kindling, lighting in less than one second and burning strong for up to 20 minutes—more than long enough to ignite your fuel. And because it burns so strong, you can use it even without additional fuel. InstaFire burns at nearly 1000 degrees, and will remain lit in strong winds or wet weather.

Most importantly, InstaFire is completely stable, non-combustible, and can be stored anywhere safely for over 20 years.

So once you’ve learned how to start a fire the hard way, make life a little easier and stock up on some InstaFire at SurvivalBased.com.