QUICK START A CAMPFIRE WITHOUT CHEMICALS, LIGHTER FLUID OR MATCHES

After you lay in a supply of grass, moss, punk or sawdust make a teepee
of sticks and limbs with an open door. Next take an old shredded SOS
pad and touch it across both posts of a rectangular 9 volt battery. Put the
flaming steel under your teepee and toss in the easily flammable stuff and away you go. siegfried schlagrule

How may times have I told you Nickyyyyyyyyyy...don't play with batteries and sos pads...

used to do that trick with the kids when we were camping in S. NJ.
would use some fine steel wool, and attach some phone wire to it about an inch apart.
then cover it with some light wood shavings, then bigger sticks and build it up all the
way to the full logs.  You couldn't have a fire in the fire ring until after 5:00 pm in those days
so at 5:00 pm, we would get out a 9 volt and attach it to the ends of the phone wire coming
out of the pile of wood, a little bit later, you would see the first wafts of smoke coming up out
of the pile.  No matches, no lighter fluid, it seemed like magic   

I'd rather pack a lighter than a 9v battery (but I guess every MD'er has one of those). The three best (non-wood) kindling sources: a wad of dryer lint, a tampon or a bag of 'cheezies'.

Durritos & Fritos are both highly flammable as well!!!
It's the cooking oil they're cooked in.
I always freak my friends out around a dying fire by throwing a few in, then asking them why we're eating these things?

Bran <><

After you lay in a supply of grass, moss, punk or sawdust make a teepee
of sticks and limbs with an open door. Next take an old shredded SOS
pad and touch it across both posts of a rectangular 9 volt battery. Put the
flaming steel under your teepee and toss in the easily flammable stuff and away you go. siegfried schlagrule

I carry 0000 steel wool in my survival kit this does work well

Most any untreated steel wool will work, (except maybe stainless), even with just a couple of "C" or "D" cell batteries. Pine needles are great for getting a fire going too. I always carry a lighter, but they do run out at the worst times. I also carry one of those cheap plastic magnifying glasses that folds into a vinyl case, (they scratch easy, but still work). 

There is a good page on other fire starting methods here:
http://www.campfiredude.com/fire-starters.shtml
I like the Vaseline and cotton balls idea. 


F.

I use a magnesium metal match,
scrape a pile off of the magnesium into a small pile and set a cotton ball or some fluff off of a cattail top onto the pile so that it is half covered, then use the striker on the other side with the blade of your pocket knife to throw a spark into the pile.
poof, nice hot start.
don't have to worry if the thing gets wet either.
Have carried one for 30 years.
They cost about $8 at wally world.

Here is another cool way to start a fire.
http://www.onagocag.com/piston.html

Make one yourself. or google: "fire piston"

GG~

this can be done with a cell phone battery also   

Aircrew survival instructors taught us to use small chunks of candles.  You can put a 1/2 inch diameter by 5 inch candle into your pocket survival kit.  Cut a 1 inch piece off of the candle and set it under your kindling pile and light it with a cigarette lighter or match.  The piece of candle will burn long enough to get the kindling started so you can slowly add larger materials to build up the fire.  This method helps you to conserve your matches and / or lighter fluid.

This reminds me of one of the things Indians used to laugh about concerning how the Eurowhites would build campfires in the wintertime.  They would say, "Indian build small fire; sit close; stay warm.  Whiteman build big fire; stand away from it and freeze."  Think about it.  They were absolutely correct.      We build big campfires, use up our materials faster, and can't get close because of the heat.  The Indians build small fires; sit close to it; and stay warm without using up their fire materials. 

HI short stack: Apol for the delay.  I simply use a very small fire at my feet, and one at each shoulder.  This keeps you nicely warm,  you will wake up every so often, so just stick another  small branch into each fire and go back to sleep.  I also built a small fence of vertical twigs up hill from my sleeping spot.  This would deflect the cold, descending, down slope, cold air around me and my small fires..

The Yaquis that I was living with, would burn up a tree each night, and not sleep as comfortable as I did..   hehehheh.

Don Jose de La Mancha

HI short stack: Apol for the delay.  I simply use a very small fire at my feet, and one at each shoulder.  This keeps you nicely warm,  you will wake up every so often, so just stick another  small branch into each fire and go back to sleep.  I also built a small fence of vertical twigs up hill from my sleeping spot.  This would deflect the cold, descending, down slope, cold air around me and my small fires..

The Yaquis that I was living with, would burn up a tree each night, and not sleep as comfortable as I did..   hehehheh.Don Jose de La Mancha

Sounds like those Yaquis could have learned something from the Apaches and the Plains Indians of the US.   

Nah  shortstack, they let the women take all responsibility for this.   The older men still hold on to the routine of sitting around making themslevs purty wnile updating their weapons and getting ready to defend their pueblo.  -  or just getting  drunk.

Don Jose de La Mancha

    

I carry alcohol hand wipes with me and a small tube of vaseline. I apply a small dab of vaseline to the pad, pinch the pad (at the vaseline) together into a v, set the wide end down, and and light it. The alcohol lights easy and the vaseline keeps it lit like a candle does, drying out anything wet in the kindling.

I did learn something from these posts. Love the brillo pad idea and the placing of the small fires makes alot of sense.

hair works great...save those wooly boogers from the Barber shop floor.

I carry a small pocket torch,  butane fuel,  it's good for about 30 minutes of burn time

I understand that in a pinch you can use your underwear and a match. It works because there be methane in your shorts??

I prefer to use dryer lint balls dabbed in vaseline and stored in a film can.

I think I saw Les Stroud do that too!
He's such a survival stud... seriously. Almost all of his stuff is practical, and not theatrics (like other tv "survivalists" )
I'm in the middle of reading Les' survival book that my girlfriend bought me for Christmas, and I'm really enjoying it alot!!!

Bran <><

 

No joke though, those antics can & will get a person killed.
If you can die from a minor scratch or wound out in the wilderness, what do you think jumping from trees & cliffs could possibly do to you?
And if the point to survival is to "survive" (i.e. STAY ALIVE)... any good survivalist would do all they can to take care of their person so they can get out alive and back to their loved ones.

Les put out a really interesting video as well called Off The Grid. He uprooted his family and moved out into the mountains, staying in a temporary shelter, while he completely renovated an old log cabin and turned it into his family's new home. He added solar panels, a wind turbine, and other amenities to make his family fully self-reliant & self-sufficient. Anyway, it's a neat video...


Bran <><

Yup

I use a magnesium metal match,
scrape a pile off of the magnesium into a small pile and set a cotton ball or some fluff off of a cattail top onto the pile so that it is half covered, then use the striker on the other side with the blade of your pocket knife to throw a spark into the pile.
poof, nice hot start.
don't have to worry if the thing gets wet either.
Have carried one for 30 years.
They cost about $8 at wally world.

Yup, leave it on your key ring.

Dear group;
Thus far, nobody has posted a method of quickstarting a fire faster than THIS guy!
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/TBLr_XrooLs" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/TBLr_XrooLs</a>
Your friend;
LAMAR

Dear Spooky;
It was a controlled exhibition at a University on campus, in order to show students the physical properties of liquid oxygen. Just relax, my friend.
Your friend;
LAMAR

If you are not in a pinch and just want to get a big one going. Take a roll of toilet paper and let it soak in some diesel fuel. It doesn't take much to soak a roll of toilet paper. That thing will burn like a candle for a long time. No kindling needed. Just criss cross some pallets and you are good to go. Or you can mess with some twigs and wax.

[Another trick I was taught by my ex-father-in-law (yes, we are still buddies, LOL!).He told me to carry cotton balls rolled in petroleum jelly and keep them in a 35mm plastic film canister with snap top. When you are ready to build a fire, pull apart one or two to expose the dryer cotton iside and put your tinder on top and buld your teepee from there.Use your fire source (military MRE matches work well) to light the cotton and it will burn hot, long and start your fire almost immediately.I have used it a few times and it works well. Even used it to light my grill when my ignitor went up GRRRRRRR!!!!!!AND its cholesterol free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

Another trick I was taught by my ex-father-in-law (yes, we are still buddies, LOL!).
He told me to carry cotton balls rolled in petroleum jelly and keep them in a 35mm plastic film canister with snap top. When you are ready to build a fire, pull apart one or two to expose the dryer cotton iside and put your tinder on top and buld your teepee from there.
Use your fire source (military MRE matches work well) to light the cotton and it will burn hot, long and start your fire almost immediately.

I have used it a few times and it works well. Even used it to light my grill when my ignitor went up GRRRRRRR!!!!!!

AND its cholesterol free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

some very good idea's and advise in this post. thanks much, take care and be safe out there.     ron

Flint and steel and char cloth.

Flint and steel and char cloth.

I thought I knew everything..... but I didn't know about char cloth  
Here is some info for those like me.

http://www.woodsmonkey.com/index.ph...id=41:how-to-articles&Itemid=63

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/r7uLVGrAt1M" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/r7uLVGrAt1M</a>

An old shoe polish can with a small hole punched in the top. this to make char cloth. place cotton or linnen inside and chuck it into a campfire . when the fire jet quits shooting out the top hole ,you are done. Do not usecotton blend T shirts ,it makes a mess . the can is sealed and can be carried in your possible bag. Also a five minute road flare works well and cut one open and use a chunk of the insides in a fire to start or  bring a burnt out fire back to life. 

An old shoe polish can with a small hole punched in the top. this to make char cloth. place cotton or linnen inside and chuck it into a campfire . when the fire jet quits shooting out the top hole ,you are done. Do not usecotton blend T shirts ,it makes a mess . the can is sealed and can be carried in your possible bag. Also a five minute road flare works well and cut one open and use a chunk of the insides in a fire to start or  bring a burnt out fire back to life.  

Good advice Bob  

heck never forget the good old simple trusty magnifying glass -- I got a lil pocket model

heck never forget the good old simple trusty magnifying glass -- I got a lil pocket model

I always have my jewelers loupe with me anyway for close up examination of rocks and minerals.
Plus I have used it on occasion for starting a fire  
The high power really concentrates the sunlight!

goodyguy, great idea and compact also. some pretty good idea's that you guys are posting.
thanks much and take care.              ron

 

Cut up pieces of old rubber inner tube, nothing gets a fire started quicker in wet conditions...east to pack and keep dry,

SS

Cut up pieces of old rubber inner tube, nothing gets a fire started quicker in wet conditions...east to pack and keep dry,

SS

Melt wax into egg carton cups, cut them apart and always keep a few in your pack.
Not just a good survival tool, the perfect fire starter for wet conditions.
these things will start and burn even when wet. They burn for a long time too.

How about using an electruc charcoal lighter....and one  e x t r e m e l y    l o n g   e x t e n s i o n    c  o  r  d....

Its quick, and uses no chemicals, lighter fluid or matches

8 pack of disposable butane lighters for $1.97 at Wally World.  Keep one or two in your glove box, pocket, fanny pack, tackle box, ect.  Beats waterproof matches, flint and steel, magnesium strikers, steel wool and batteries, etc., although the cotton balls, candles, etc. are good for wet conditions.

 I'm surprised someone hasn't posted this yet...you can start a fire with the reflector from a flashlight. Just place the tinder where the bulb would go and point it toward the sun. (Don't work very good at night though. lol)

Warning just don't pack the steel wool and battery too close to each other or you may not make it to the campsite. 

Happy fire building.

NJ

TN gizmo,  you posted -->you can start a fire with the reflector from a flashlight. Just place the tinder where the bulb would go and point it toward the sun. (
*****************
Overseas in WW-2, many used this tech to light cigarettes. Just put the 'tip' of the cigarette at the focal point, the hot spot.

However for just starting fires, a simple mechanical - non electric, pizo effect ok - propane lighter will work for a couple of years with normal care.  probably the simplest and best fire starter available.  Works day or night, rain or shine.

Don Jose de La Mancha