If you're stuck in the wilderness with no emergency equipment, how do you start a fire?

Question

I'd never thought of making a lense to concentrate the sun.

Yes, a lighter would count as emergency equipment. I want to know how to start a fire using the materials around you.

Did you have to practice the "bow and drill" first? I didn't know you had to make sure there was no sap. Thanks.

These answers are awesome!

Thank you for explaining the "bow and drill" method better.

Answer 1

I always found great success with the "bow and drill" method. Google it. I've made fires in less than 30 seconds using it. (The trick is to use a wood that is dry and not resinous (no sap from the tree)

Yes, it does take a little bit of practice. The first time you try it is the hardest because you're wondering "is this really going to work??" But after you do it the first time, its easy from there on out.

Yes, you want to use a dry wood that does not produce a sap (ie. Pine, although it may appear dry is not a good choice because of its sappy nature) At the other extreme you also don't want to use a hardwood like Oak because it is...hard. I typically used Elm wood, but you can use just about anything that isn't resinous.

For a bow, I found a stick/branch that was about 2.5 - 3 feet long (type of wood or object doesn't matter) and tied a boot lace between each end of the stick. You want the string to be fairly taught, but with a little slack. Next I made the "drill" from another stick of the same type of non resinous wood -- I usually started with a stick about 8 inches long, 3/4" diameter...you want this to be as straight as possible so you may need to use your pocket knife.

Now you take a piece of the non-resonous wood and cut a notch into it thats sort of v-shaped (i highly recommend looking this up on google to get a visual aid as my explanations are probably rather ambiguous) you want this notch to be small -- the smaller it is the faster you will get your fire going.

Finally you need some sort of object to apply a downward force onto the drill. I used a small rock with an indentation.

So recap of materials needed: drill (wooden stick), bow (longer wooden stick with bootlace), rock for applying force, board/log that you will drill into with v-notch.

Now wrap the bootlace (from the bow) around the drill once towards the middle... kneel down and place one end of the drill against your non-resonous log at the notch and then place the rock on the other end applying a gently force. Now with the bow facing away from you, move it left to right. As you do so, the drill will rotate left and right as you move the bow back and forth. Doing so will create a friction that will wear away at the log/notch. This will create a grove that will make it easier for you to go faster back and forth with the bow. As you go back and forth the notch will fill up with the wood composition that you are drilling out. This will appear as a black powder. Keep it packed into the v-notch as well as you can. Once the notch is full, you will start getting smoke and eventually you will see a little coal ember in the notch. You take this and apply it to some kindling (crushed up dry leaves work well) and gently blow into a flame, which you then feed into twigs, branches, logs, etc.

It's quite impressive. Not something I use frequently but definitely a useful and practical survival tool.

Answer 2

A never fail fire starter.
Deadfall bark and a stick
you want a piece of bark the size of a football and a smooth stick. turn the bark inside up and start pealing the thin layers of membrane up and wadding them into a ball. then you take the end of the stick and scrape back and forth on the bark's smooth inner surface creating a groove. Then turn the stick sideways and start rubbing the stick inside the groove vigorously in a matter of seconds you will have smoke. Then put the membrane over the smoking groove and continue rubbing to flash point. The stick will ignite as will the membrabe and you have fire.
We used to race doing this on the res. Manhood thing between six little Comanche boys.

Answer 3

It's not easy
Find some flint rock. Find some dry kinder that will ignite easily, when the flint spark hits it. Cedar shavings will do, which you might get using the flint rock as a crude knife,
Use the boy scout trick of rubbing two sticks together, which I've tried with no success. Your best bet is to always have some matches, a lighter or a magnifying glass.

Answer 4

You could try finding some of those rocks. I think they are called flint rocks. Your whole object is to create a spark so anything to create a spark. The two sticks things is supposedly very difficult. Does a lighter count as emergency equipment?

Dude I've seen that ice thing on tv. I think it might have been mythbusters. Tough to do but it does work. Good answer.

Answer 5

Use your glasses as a lens to concentrate the sun's rays onto dry leaves and dry pine needles. Once you get a bit of smoke, gently puff on the heart of the fire until you see flame. Add tiny bits of pine needles or leaf, then small twigs as the fire grows.

If you don't wear glasses, you can focus the sun's rays through the edge of a watch crystal.

Remember to surround your fire with rocks and build it on bare dirt so it won't spread and cause a forest fire!

Answer 6

Vanilla Leaf (Achlys triphylla) is a plant native to the northwest and Japan. Indigenous peoples were known to hang bundles of the dried plants in and around their dwellings to keep mosquitoes and flies away. The plant can be rubbed on the skin fresh or dried to deter mosquitoes. I think its interesting that it often grows in shady, moist areas - the very places where mosquitoes can be the thickest. Sagebrush, Wormwood, and Mugwort (Artemisia spp.) are in the same genus (plant grouping). All of these species can be used as an aromatic smudge that is known to be a very effective mosquito repellent. The crushed leaves can also be applied directly to the skin. These species grow in the drier habitats of the west, including the plains, deserts, and mountainous regions. Pineapple weed (Matricaria matricarioides) is a common weedy species that grows all over North America. It can be found growing in lawns, edges of roads, and other disturbed areas. The aromatic crushed plant can be applied to the skin to help repel mosquitoes. Additional wild plants known to repel mosquitoes: Nodding onion (Allium cernuum) Wild bergamot (Mondarda fistulosa) Snowbrush (Ceonothus velutinus) Sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina) Cedars (Thuja spp.) Its important to note that insect repellents applied to the skin generally only last one to two hours. Frequent re-application is necessary. Also, when utilizing wild plants, internally or externally, always be sure to correctly identify the plant you are going to use. It is best to utilize field guides and work with someone who knows the plant well to avoid accidentally using a poisonous look-alike. :) hope this helps

Answer 7

Find a tree that was recently struck by lightening and is on fire, than transport it to your tribe in an odd sort of cindering nest, not unlike in the movie "Quest for Fire". Seriously though, some of the above answers are really awesome!

Answer 8

If you are in a winter environment you can take a chunk of ice and melt it in your hand into the shape of a convex lens and use that to magnify the suns light to ignite dry leaves.

Answer 9

2 sticks

Answer 10

Go find a boyscout and rub his legs together! lmao