Step #1: Locate Your Area
Take into consideration where your shelter is set up (if you have one), along with nearby trees, low hanging branches, roots, dry leaves, etc. when choosing an area to burn at. Try to set up at least 10 feet from all flammable areas and objects if possible. If there are lots of leaves or pine needles, you're going to need to try and clear these out of the way as best you can with your foot or something.
Step #2: Prepare Your Area
There are two ways I suggest preparing an area to burn in. If you're not worried about being seen, follow the first option. If you are trying to keep low profile, I suggest following the second.
Option 1 - Above Ground Burning: After you've chosen and cleared your area, gather enough stones to make a ring that's at least 30 inches in diameter. Stones that are at least the size of a softball work great, but you'll just have to see what you can find to work with. If you can't find any stones, it's ideal to dig a circle about 30 inches in diameter and at least a few inches deep. This stone ring or hole will help keep the fire contained to that specific area. After this, you're ready to start building your fire.
Option 2 - Dakota Fire Pit: You'll need to dig two holes for this fire pit. However large the diameter of these holes are is how far apart the holes need to be from each other too. I'd go with about 9 inch diameter on each hole, and dig them 9 inches apart. This tends to be a good size for warmth and cooking on, you aren't trying to provide light remember, this method is for low profile. Dig each of your holes down about 12 inches deep and then make a tunnel by scooping out the area between them under ground. The top of the two holes should be the only above ground openings. After this, you're ready to build a fire in the bottom of one of the holes. Build it in the side that is farthest away from the direction the wind is blowing so the other hole acts as an air intake to keep the fire going.
Step #3: Tinder Nest
If you haven't carried something with you, like paper (shredded), dryer lint, sanitizing wipes of at least 70% alcohol, cotton balls coated in Vaseline, or a jute cord or rope that you can fray (there are lots of options), you'll need to find something in your surroundings. People also suggest charred linen, but I've honestly never tried using it. Never made it, never tried to find it somewhere to buy or anything. You can check into that yourself. Some great natural tinder materials are dry grass and leaves, dry cattail leaves or fluff, dry pine needles, shaved bark, or anything else that you can locate that's dry and catches fire easily if a spark hits it. Once you've found these things you need to carefully mold them into a bird nest shape, very carefully. Don't pack them together tight because it'll make it harder for oxygen to move through it and it won't light as well. Just set it to the side in a dry place once you have it ready. Put some extra tinder nest materials to the side too, you'll want to thread them into your kindling tee-pee later.
Step #4: Fuel From Fallen Branches
You're going to need to gather kindling and firewood in a few different sizes to build your fire and keep it going. Really aim for the driest fallen branches you can find. There may be plenty on the ground, but you can also look up into the trees for dead branches that have gotten hung up in living branches. If you have an ax or hatchet you could even split bigger logs into smaller sizes. As far as sizes needed, find twigs that are a quarter of an inch in diameter or less, some that are around an inch thick, and you'll also need some that are a couple inches (and up to wrist size) in diameter. Separate the kindling and firewood into three groups according to their thickness and set them near your fire pit so you can grab them to add to you fire as needed.
Step #5: Set Up The Kindling
Now that you've prepared your area, made a tinder nest, and gathered kindling and firewood, you're ready to start your fire. Using some of the thinnest twigs you gathered and some more of the tinder nest type materials, make a tee-pee shape in your fire pit. Be sure that the base of it has an opening big enough to stick your original tinder nest into, you'll start the kindling on fire by sticking the tinder nest inside the base.
Step #6: Start Your Fire
I'm going to cover a couple methods here, so I will just title them and get on with the process.
Flint and Steel Spark Method: (If you haven't bought the sparking tools)
Flint: You can find this almost anywhere in the world, but some of the most common places to find flint is on land that used to be under water, or near river and lake shores where there are a lot of rocks laying around. Some of the best types of rocks to use are quartz, chert, agate, jade, and carnelian. Don't worry about trying to learn which is which if you don't already know. If you find a rock, just strike it a few times with your striker and if sparks fly, it'll work. Since the sparks come from slivers of burning steel, you'll want to break the rock down a bit, the sharper you can get one edge of your flint, the better the spark.
Steel: You can use high carbon steel, alloyed steal, or even iron pyrite to create a spark, just make sure it's not stainless steel. A closed pocket knife works well, so do old files. If you're out in the middle of no where and don't have something to use as a striker, some rocks can be struck together and create a spark. You'll have to test strike some until you find them, but they are there.
How It's Done: Have you ever bent a wire hanger back and forth kind of fast and then touched the part that was bent? It gets Hot! It's kind of the same sense here... when the flint strikes the steel, the energy of the friction converts to heat and that's what makes the steel shaving hot.
More simply, I hold the steel in one hand and strike the flint (rock) in a downward acute angle against it aiming the sparks towards my tinder nest. You could hold the rock and strike the steel against it if you want, but it doesn't seem to aim the sparks in the right direction for me. You'll just have to see which is right for you, just make sure the spark is directed to your tinder nest (or char cloth if you are using one). Once your tinder nest starts smoking a bit from the burning embers (sparks), you'll want to blow on it to turn it to a flame. Once you've done that, set it under your kindling tee-pee and continue blowing until you catch the kindling on fire. Continue adding kindling, small sticks, and bigger pieces as needed in a small to large order to build your fire stronger. I can usually get a decent fire going with this spark method in 2 minutes or less. Practice can make you much faster, but 2 minutes is still pretty quick.
Battery and Steel Wool Method:
Easy one, if you happen to have them with you. (If you do carry these, don't keep them in the same area... especially not your pocket, you don't want to burst into flames anywhere near your crotch area.)
Battery: I'm told that any battery will work for this, but I've only tried with a 9 volt battery and it works super fast.
Steel Wool: The key is to find the finest steel wool you can.
How It's Done: I'd put the tinder nest under your kindling tee-pee first because this will go quickly. Touch both battery terminals to the steel wool and run it back and forth across the surface. The steel wool will catch the batteries 'electricity' and start turning red, blowing on it a bit will help the heat spread. This can be done in just a couple seconds, then stick it with your tinder nest. Blow on it until it catches a flame and then build your fire up like explained earlier.
Magnifying Glass Method: (or even a pair of reading glasses works in the same concept). All you need is the magnifying glass and your tinder nest... and the sun, this only works in the day time.
How It's Done: Simply hold the magnifying glass at an angle so the sun will shine through creating a bright dot on your tinder nest. Adjust the angle and distance your magnifying glass is away from the tinder nest, the smaller the dot you can create, the quicker it'll burn. As soon as it starts to smoke, try blowing on it a bit to help it turn to flame and make it spread. Then build your fire up like explained earlier.
There are also friction methods that can be used to start a fire. I find these very time consuming, but in a desperate situation you may need to try them anyway.
Bow Drill Method:
Rather than trying to write these instructions out for making a bow drill, because it's hard to follow without a visual, watch this video on making a bow drill. (I don't own this video)
Once you've made this bow drill, started using it, and have created the embers, you'll need to dump them off onto your tinder nest, blow on them until you can get a flame to start, and then stick it under your kindling tee-pee. Then you build your fire up from there.
Hand Drill Method:
Another friction method similar to the bow drill, is a hand drill. Exact same concept as the bow drill except you don't need a bow or the handhold. This may be the hardest method, I've still never been able to start a fire like this and I've tried countless times. Maybe you can do it.
According to those who have succeeded at this, all you do is copy the base board that you would for a bow drill, and use a (dry) stick that's about a half inch in diameter. You press the one end of the stick against the base board and quickly spin it back and forth between your palms/hands until it heats, makes an ember, and then you dump it out on your tinder nest and so on like the bow drill method. If you try this and succeed, please do come back and let me know.
Step #7: Putting Out Your Fire
Two easy ways. (1) Pour some water over it if you have access to some, of course, or (2) cover it with dirt and smother it out. Yep, those are self explanatory.
Before I go, I want to share one more thing. How to waterproof matches, because it's ridiculous paying so much for the ones in the stores. I don't know if there are different ways to do this, but here is the simple step-by-step to the way I do it.
Step #1: Melt down a small amount of candle wax in a can. Not a big green bean can or anything, something like a tuna or Vienna Weenies can.
Step #2: Dip a wooden match about half way into the wax (the striking side of course). Just dip it in and pull it out, it don't need to sit in there or anything.
Step #3: As soon as you pull it out of the wax start blowing on it... Quick! That way it cools the wax before it has a chance to soak into the head and ruin it.
Step #4: After you have waterproofed and cooled them, stick them into some kind of container. I use an Altoids can.
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OK, those are the few methods I am familiar with (and one I've repeatedly failed at). Since I did buy a camera the other day, I will be making some tutorial videos to upload soon, I hope you'll come back to check them out. Do you know any other ways to start a fire without matches or a lighter and have succeeded at them? If so, please comment below and share your experience and tips. Remember that I'm interested in checking out other prepper blogs and sites that I may not have stumbled across yet, so please share your favorites. Please take a second to subscribe, share this with others who may find this useful, and don't forget to comment.
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