How to Start a Campfire Without Matches or a Lighter
The time to perfect your fire-making skills isn’t when you’re stranded in the wild. It’s right now. It’s especially important to learn the art of starting a campfire without using matches or lighters. What if it rains and your matches get wet? What if cold temperatures ruin your butane lighter?
Here are three ways to start a campfire using flint and steel, friction or a magnifying glass. Each method can be effective and all take lots of practice. But they’re actually pretty fun to learn.
PREPARE BY GATHERING TINDER, KINDLING AND FUEL
For all three methods, start by collecting tinder — fine, dry material that will easily burst into flame. Collect about two handfuls of something such as pine needles, the inner bark of dead branches, dried grass or slivers of wood shaved from a stick with a pocketknife.
Then create a separate pile of kindling — larger chunks of material that burn hotter and longer but need a little encouragement. Look for twigs about the size of a pencil.
Finally, collect some fuel — dead and downed wood no bigger than your wrist that you can feed the fire over time to keep it burning.
Prep your fire site the right way to increase the chances of getting the wood to burn. Start with a big, loose handful of tinder right in the middle. Arrange sticks of kindling around the tinder. Once you create a spark or get smoke from your tinder, feed with kindling until you have flames, then add fuel to get the campfire roaring.
METHOD 1: USE FLINT AND STEEL TO START A FIRE
You can buy ready-made flint-and-steel fire starters from an outdoors supply store or your local Scout shop, but if you happen to find yourself without one, try getting a spark by scraping the blade of your pocketknife against a piece of flint — a hard, gray rock that fractures easily.
Form your tinder into a nest about the size of a softball. Hold the flint just above the tinder and try to direct your sparks into it. Nurse the spark into a flame by blowing on it gently. Add kindling and fuel as needed.
METHOD 2: USE A MAGNIFYING GLASS TO START A FIRE
On sunny days, it is possible to focus enough sunlight through a curved lens to actually start a fire. You can try eyeglasses, camera lenses, magnifying glasses or the lenses from binoculars or telescopes.
Hold the lens so the sunlight goes through it onto a point in your tinder. Then wait. And wait. And be patient. It might take a while, but the tinder will eventually smoke and then burn.
METHOD 3: USE FRICTION FROM A BOW AND SPINDLE TO START A FIRE
In the old days, Scouts used to start fires all the time with a bow and spindle. You’ll need several elements to try this one yourself.
Bow: Any curved piece of wood.
Bowstring: Use a piece of nylon cord or a shoestring. You can also use a cord from a tent, pack or tarp.
Spindle: A piece of dry hardwood.
Hand block: Another section of hardwood, this one should have a depression carved into it to fit the top of the spindle.
Fireboard: A dry piece of softwood, the fireboard must have a notch whittled into it that will hold the spindle. Place some tinder under the notch.
Twist the bowstring around the spindle, then hold the spindle upright with the bottom end inside the notch in the fireboard.
Use the hand block to hold the spindle steady, and move the bow back and forth, twirling the spindle and creating friction as it rubs against the fireboard. Ideally, the friction will create enough heat to light your tinder.
LEAVE NO TRACE FIRE SITE
Even in a survival situation, try to avoid harming the environment when building your fire. Look for a spot from which a fire could not spread and where the surrounding area would not be damaged.
cool
That’s very cool
Do you need fuel for all techniques?
no! you don’t need fuel you idiot! that’s why it says ” how to start a fire without matches”
I have a flint’n’steel I am hopeing to use it this saturday
cool
theres another way. take any battery, and attatch steel wool to both ends. itll start to spark, and at that moment you gently blow it and add it to the tinder. itll be hot, but its either that or go without fire…
some swiss army knives have a magnifling glass on them
what if its cloudy? then your going to be out of luck. Thats why i stick with a good ol’ flint an steel
I have a real flint and steel and it is awseome.
Wow
Great Video with good techniques and detail. A video great for Wilderness Survival Merit Badge. I have tried a three techniques and they work.
Have you ever heard of the Scout Motto, Be Prepared? If so, you probably wont need these tips. Still good to know if you’re lost in the woods. Overall great video.:) 🙂 🙂
Scouting is also about learning HOW to be prepared so these tips are very helpful.
that is so cool
thats really cool now I know what to do if I ever get lost
awseome video!!!
nice tips
awsome
Wow
My scout troop went on a camping trip and one of our tenderfoots had gotten lost, he was gone overnight. He was not catching on with survival techniques as fast as the other scouts so I taught him in private classes. When he was lost he used a bow drill to start a fire, then he built a lean-to shelter to sleep on for the night. Thanks to this vidio I was able to teach him the skills that saved his life.
Wow that is smart. Kids
thats cool
awsome
I was a Boy Scout, am an Eagle Scout, and love building fires. Great job on the video guys! But I would have to say that there are many more than just three ways to build a fire. For those of you who want to survive anywhere, here are a few more methods =)
– Single(1) match
– Battery and steel wool
– Burning laser light
– Lighter
– Drop of water in jar/cup
– Fire from ice – the natural lens
– Pop can and chocolate – parabolic lens
Have fun!
Steel wool and a battery works too.
Man, I’ve got to try that!
AWESOME!
One word: WOW!!!
so cool
like you would not use matches.
Wow!
This is an EXCELLENT video! It teaches the basics of fire starting in a simple manner that is easily understandable. Great Job!!
awsome
The flint and steel is awsome I have started thousands of fires with the stuff.
i have tride to do the magnufine glass it did not work
Helpful I could do that on new years for a bonfire. But I do have matches, but they wont last longer than week.
this ia great i have to try this some time
whoops i mean this is great
way awesome!!!!
I have a magnifieng glass with me all the time.
Loved it, especially the flint and steel.
It looks so easy to them
i have the flint and steel but i prefer friction bow
I suppose a butane lighter wou.ld count as not using matches! 😉
HA,HA,HA!!!! Good one!!=)
they need to dig a very small wide hole and put rocks around it to make a fire pit ive seen so many flammable things aroud that. they should also put a little bit of green grass in there. the water in the grass will evaporate and the grass will burn longer.
This is really cool I want to try, but Remember: Even in a survival situation, try to avoid harming the environment when building your fire. Look for a spot from which a fire could not spread and where the surrounding area would not be damaged.
And be carefull with making sparcs from flint and steel
I have a flint and steel already and they’re really cool I tryed the first technique and it really works!
cool
sweet I’m so buying a steel and flint set for my next campout
There is another way to start a fire by using a battery and steel wool
cool but i dont know what flint rock looks like and where to find one
Now THAT Is A Skill I’ll Teach My Son!=D
awesome
cool but Remember: Even in a survival situation, try to avoid harming the environment when building your fire. Look for a spot from which a fire could not spread and where the surrounding area would not be damaged.
Yes a really good thing to remember.
A good tinder that I use is charred cloth.
And remember only you can prevent a forest fire.
Smart thnnkiig – a clever way of looking at it.
Great video!Next campout I’m getting a flint and steel set or use a bow saw like I learned here!
cool
That’s the smart thnnkiig we could all benefit from.