Fire starting for campers/hikers/hunters

I think the #1 chemical to have is potassium protanganate, because it has so many other uses, from use as an antiseptic to treating water.

Looks like combining potassium permanganate with glycerine or simple sugar (and friction) will start a fire easily:

MikeTF said:

What about ammunition as a fire starting source? Is that not a self contained fire starting kit when you remove the bullet? You have fuel (gun powder) and an ignition source (a primer). What do you think?

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It makes sense because a lot of hunters and others in the woods are likely to have a bullet with them, and knowing how to start a fire with gunpowder could be important.

I have no experience with this, and the few videos I ran across that even mentioned it, made it sound pretty difficult. Probably need pliers to remove the bullet, then a way to ignite the powder. In this case the powder is more of a catalyst than the ignition source. I did find one video that showed that with a magnifying glass (and cooperation from the sun), the focused beam of light can ignite gunpowder. Recall from other sources you may be able to use a glass jar or ziplock bag of water to do the same.

Check this video out at about 9:30:

Here's another 'tinder' trick: crush bark with a couple rocks, and using the ziplock bag with water as a magnifying glass:

Can jump ahead to about 3:30:

Jump ahead to 7:00:

Flint and steel fire starting was always difficult until an old timer showed me the correct way. If you hand someone a piece of flint and a steel striker they will do exactly what you see in most videos strike the steel against the piece of flint. Stop and think for a moment, you are gun owners, how does a flint lock work? In a gun lock that was state of the art for hundreds of years they strike the flint against the steel to throw sparks against the priming powder. A flint lock or flint and steel works by the action of the flint scraping a shaving of metal from the frizzen or steel which generates enough heat to cause the shavings to become red hot which ignites the powder or tinder. When starting a fire you want to replicate the action of a flint lock. Arrange your char cloth on your tinder so as to catch the spark then holding the steel strike down with the flint like you were striking a frizzen directing the sparks (hot shavings) to land on the char cloth. When you catch one and the cloth starts to glow pick up your tinder nest and breathe life into your fire.

If you pre-char slow match by lighting it then putting it out. You can catch a spark where it was lit before from flint and steel to relight your slow match when needed.

https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Bushcraft-Carbon-Survival-Starter/dp/B00BFI8TOA
Never leave home without it. I've started plenty of fires with this bad boy. The knife is exceptional and the stone works pretty well too.

So they did a few smart things. One they layered their tinder. Finer inside to more coarse out. They blew under the fire (while holding it). She did a good job making a birds nest, its more important when trying to get your spark into a certain area. The char material isnt efficient, to much time and un-necessary.

A few mistakes. After she got the fire going, she started blowing down onto the fire. That is a quick way to get burned or have smoke blow right into your face. Always blow under the fire. You need to get all the way down to the ground and blow. Never blow above a fire. One the flame is present you usually dont need to blow anymore, its just stoking the flames. If you build your kindling properly you shouldnt need to do that. She did a good job identifying material for her tinder. They didnt intend to keep the fire going, but if they were they should have had all their material gathered before starting. The last thing you want to do is to have to run and gather wood and let your fire burn out. They needed a lot more kindling and fuel near by.

Dryer lint is one of the best tinders around, its why houses burn down after all. I have bags of it to start fires while camping. I mentioned it earlier, but when I was camping with the boy & cub scouts and they were lost on how to start a fire. I told them I could find everything I needed within 15 feet of the fire circle. They didnt believe me. They were all running way into the woods and I told them to stop and watch. I walked to a fallen branch and brought it back and said here is all the kindling and fuel I need and broke it up and sorted it. Then I walked to some tall grass and grabbed a hand full and some dry leaves. I made a nest with the grass. Rolled the leaves in my hand until they were broken up real good and then put it in the nest. I didnt have any dry bark around, it would have helped me start the first time, but it wasnt necessary. Then I started used the flint and steel. I also started with a small fire and built it up. You dont need to start big, which she did. You can always add to a fire. I also prefer flint and steel, but I will also utilize a magnifying glass, the one on my compass specifically. I have never been good at friction fire starting, its pretty difficult.

I've heard of feather sticks, but 'fuzzy sticks', very cool technique.

.You can carry flint, steel, tinder, fancy matches, random chemicals, semi-pointy sticks, tp tubes, gelled alcohol, etc, and spend a bunch of money and time in the process.......or just one or two of these at $1.29 each:



Just saying.

I taught my cub scouts how useful dryer lint is in starting a fire. Everyone said, "really? " A boy who had never made a fire got it started on his first try with a flint and steel with the help of some dryer lint.

Matlack said:

I taught my cub scouts how useful dryer lint is in starting a fire. Everyone said, "really? " A boy who had never made a fire got it started on his first try with a flint and steel with the help of some dryer lint.

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We make fire starters out of dryer lint and paraffin wax Put in a paper egg carton.

You want to see fire. Pack a toilet paper tube with dryer lint and let it drink up as much kerosene as it can.

Put a bit of kerosene in a bowl and stand the tube up in it. Take it out when the kerosene line is just at the top of the tube.

When you stand that tube up and light it, you'll get a two and half foot tall flame. Beautimous!

This is better than my BLO tubes. And probably safer due to BLO instantaneous combustion when drying.

Very cool.

The other day while out fishing, I showed some of my niece/nephews how to use a ferro rod to throw some sparks, they were quite impressed.

If you want a light weight compact fire starter try a Lens Cleaning Wipe, those little foil packets with a damp towelette meant for cleaning glasses. They are moistened with alcohol and easy to light. I opened the packet unfolded the towel about half way and one shot with a ferro match and it was alight. It burned long enough that I easily could have used it to light tinder of small kindling. Try it out.

I will be including a few packets in my survival kits and glove boxes just in case.

Matlack said:

I taught my cub scouts how useful dryer lint is in starting a fire. Everyone said, "really? " A boy who had never made a fire got it started on his first try with a flint and steel with the help of some dryer lint.

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To be safe, use only lint from 100% cotton towels or clothing for this. Some synthetic blends will emit toxic fumes when burned. 100% cotton also catches and burns best.