Like the placement of materials, there are a multitude of ways to light a
fire. The one you choose depends on your situation and your materials. There are
many more ways than the following, but these are common and work well.
Waterproof, strike-anywhere matches: The best! Be sure to store them
in a waterproof container anyway.
Regular matches: Stored in a waterproof container along with a
striker pad, these are better than nothing. Waterproof them by dipping them in
nail polish beforehand.
Cigarette lighter: Works with or without fuel.
Flint and steel: Aim the sparks created by scraping one against
another at a pile of tinder. The steel must be carbon steel, not stainless
steel. The flint can be replaced with any hard, sharp, rock edged item you can
find.
Battery: Used to ignite a gasoline soaked rag, depending on the type
of battery. To create the spark, attach a wire to each terminal. Touch the ends
of the bare wires together next to the tinder so that when it sparks, the tinder
pile will catch it and flame.
Magnifying glass, camera lens, binocular lens, or any convex glass:
When sun rays are concentrated through a convex lens before they hit the tinder,
heat is created that allows the tinder pile to smolder. Blow or fan the tinder
to help it flame.
Fire plow: This is the one that you’ve seen on old Westerns. Rub a
stick of hard wood against a base of soft wood, pressing hard. Heat is generated
by friction and the scraping produces small flecks of wood. The two together
create a spark. This takes practice, hard work, and persistence. It’s not easy,
but it’s simple.
Building A Fire When It’s Wet Outside
The worst enemy of fire is wood that is too wet to catch flame. One way to
combat this is to carry a few dry branches with you at all times in a watertight
container. Soak them in gasoline and they will get the fire started.
Trying to build a fire in the snow is a challenge, too. The best thing to do
to create dry base is use green logs. It is easy to break tree trunks that are
about 2 to 3 inches in diameter in extreme cold. Lay several of these logs side
by side on top of the snow. Add 1 or 2 more layers at right angles to the layer
beneath. Lay your fuel soaked twigs on top and light. The fire will burn down.