You just cant survive in a camping trip without a fire. It will keep you warm and safe from wild animals, not to mention the ability to cook food. But you can get into a very unpleasant situation if the matches get wet or run out. Therefore, every self-respecting tourist must be able to make a fire without a single match. And it is better to know several ways at once.

Friction is one of the oldest ways to make fire. This method can also be called the most necessary, so it is unlikely to suit those who are not particularly assiduous. This method consists in rubbing one thing against another very long and intensively. This method works with such things as: – A rod and a plank. The rod is used as a rod and is inserted into a hole that is made in the plank. It is then rotated there intensely and from this a nest of chaff begins to smolder. You can do this with your hands, with a rope, or with chaff. The general gist of the action is about the same, but for such a method you need sufficient strength and stamina. – Wool. It is necessary to roll it on a wooden surface methodically for a long time so that it would turn into a semblance of a roll. This also takes a lot of patience. It is better to choose the thicker one, then everything will be easier. In all these cases, it is important to timely lay the cord and blow up the fire.

Sunlight is a tremendous source of energy and a universal lighter if you know how to use it. The essence of making a fire with the sun is also simple in theory – you need to focus the rays in one point and wait. You can do this by using: – Lenses. A simple magnifying glass, binoculars, or any magnifying glass will do. – Balloons and condoms. They should be filled with water and form a semblance of a lens. – Ice. The main condition is that it must be as transparent as possible. – Soda cans. A concave bottom of such a can can can make an excellent mirror, the main thing is to polish it well. For this purpose, toothpaste and even a piece of chocolate will do.

Chemical reagents

Surprisingly, some simple substances, when interacted with, can create enough heat to ignite a flame. Here are some of the combinations: – Sodium and water. Sodium is known to be a fairly soft metal that can be easily cut with a knife. It reacts violently with water. If you throw a piece of this metal into a container of water, it will melt from the heat released and turn into a white ball that will float to the surface and rush from side to side. During this reaction, there is a large release of hydrogen, which ignites easily. This experiment is also known as dancing fire.

Glycerin and manganese

These things can be found in any medicine cabinet and are often taken on camping trips. To get a fire, you need to pour manganese on a dry surface and add a few drops of glycerin. Smoke will appear, which will show that a reaction has begun. Then you need to add a couple more drops, but you need to be very careful not to miss a bright flash, from which you can set fire to the prepared bundle of grass or something else.

Manganese and antifreeze

For this method you will need another piece of paper or cloth. Dry manganese will be poured on them and a couple of drops of antifreeze will be added. Then all this is tightly wrapped and placed in the place of the future fireplace, and the top is covered with dry grass or bark. The reaction temperature is so high that the paper easily catches fire, and the prepared chaff is engaged from it. The main thing is not to overdo the antifreeze, because the more it is poured, the worse the reaction will go.

There are many other ways besides these, but the most important thing is to learn how to use them correctly. It is best to choose several ways, try them out and learn their execution to automatism, then you can be ready for anything on the road.

8 ways to make a fire without matches

Friction

This is not for the faint of heart. And it is probably the most difficult. There are different rubbing techniques, but the deciding factor in any technique is the type of wood you will use for the plank and rod.

A rod is a stick that is used to rotate and create friction. If by rotating the stick, you create enough friction between it and the plank to make the latter begin to smolder, then you can start a fire. It is best to make a plank of poplar, juniper, aspen, willow, cedar, cypress, or walnut wood.

Dry wood should be used for kindling.

Drill bit/hand drill

This is the most primitive method, primitive and very difficult. All you need is wood, your hands and unwavering determination.

1. make a nest out of chaff. In this nest, you will need to pour out the charcoals that will appear from rubbing. The nest can be made of anything that burns easily: dry grass, leaves and bark.

2. Make a funnel. Make a funnel in the lighter board, in which the rod will then be inserted, under the funnel you can make a cavity for the pipe.

3. Place the bark under the funnel. Smoldering embers should be placed on the bark, which are formed by rubbing the rod against the wooden board.

4. Start rotating the rod. Place the rod in the funnel on your board. The rod should be about 60 cm long. Press down on the board and start rotating the rod, clasping it between your palms. Move your palms in a quick rotating motion along the entire length of the rod. Continue until a puff of smoke appears.

5. Make a fire. When you notice smoke, tap on the plank to get the embers on the bark. Transfer the bark to the nest.

Fire Plow

1. Prepare a board for kindling.

2. Cut a groove in the board. This will serve as a track for the rod.

3. rub. Place the end of the rod in the groove. Start pushing the end of the rod along the groove.

4. Make a fire. Place a nest of chaff at one end of the plank, and during rubbing, lift the plank itself so that the embers fall there.

Beam drill

This is probably the most efficient way to make a fire. It allows you to achieve the necessary speed and pressure required for the emergence of embers and smoldering much faster and, accordingly, to make the fire faster. In addition to the rod and plank, you will need a block and a bow.

1. Find a pad. This will be needed to create additional pressure on the rod, which you will rotate with the bow. You can use a stone or another piece of wood as a shoe. For a wooden block, try to find a harder wood than the one from which the rod will be made.

2. Make a bow. The bow should be about an arms length. Use a flexible, slightly bent rod to make it. It should be strong enough. Pull the bowstring on the rod and everything is ready.

3. Prepare a board for kindling. Make a funnel, and under it a cavity for the pipe. Place the chaff, right under the funnel.

4. Place the bowstring on the rod. Fold the bowstring so that a loop is formed, put the rod through it. Place one end of the rod on a wooden board, and push the other end with the shoe.

5. Begin sawing. Using the bow, start moving it quickly back and forth as if you were sawing. You can say that you have a primitive mechanical drill. You need to rotate the rod quickly. Keep sawing until there are no embers.

6. Make a fire. Dump the embers into a nest of chimney sticks and blow gently.

Firebrand (firebrick, flint, chaff)

This is an ancient technique. It never hurts to take a flintlock with you when you go camping. Matches may get wet and you cant use them anymore, but you can still get a spark out with a flint and a firebrand.

If you dont have a flame thrower with you, you can easily make one yourself by using quartzite and the steel blade of your folding knife. You do carry a folding knife, dont you? Also, you will need charcoal. The charcoal will get sparks on it and it will smolder. If you dont have charcoal, use birch bark or chaff.

1. Take a flint and a charcoal. Hold the flint between your thumb and forefinger. The tip of the flint should protrude 5-7 cm. Hold the charcoal between your thumb and the flint.

2. strike. Use the back of the knife blade. Strike it several times on the stone. The sparks from the blow should hit the charcoal, which in turn will start to smolder.

3. Make a fire. Place the charcoal in a nest of chimney sticks and blow gently.

Lenses

This is one of the easiest ways to make fire. Any boy who has ever melted plastic soldiers knows how it works. If youve never melted your toy soldiers, then read on.

Regular lenses

To start a fire, you need a lens through which you can let sunlight in. Magnifying glass, glasses, or binoculars will do.

If you moisten the lens with water, the process of fire extraction will be accelerated.

Place the lens at an angle so that the sunlight hits it, and the beam is focused on one place. Put a nest of chaff in the place where the beam falls, and very soon you will get yourself a fire.

The only disadvantage of this method is that it only works in sunny weather.

In addition to the usual lenses, some other items can be used to produce fire with this method.

Balloons and condoms

Filling a balloon or condom with water will turn them into lenses.

1. Pour water into a balloon or condom and tie it up. In doing so, they should take the shape of a sphere (as far as possible). Dont make them very large, or youll have difficulty focusing the sunlight.

2. Squeeze the ball so that it gives you a clear circle of light. Try squeezing the condom in the middle so that it forms 2 smaller diameter lenses.

Balloons and condoms should be kept about 5 cm away from the trout as their focal length is much shorter than that of lenses.

Fire from the ice

The phrase reminds one of a school essay topic, but in fact, ice can help you ignite a flame. All you have to do is make a piece of ice into a lens and use it as a regular lens.

1. use clean water. The ice must be clear. If it is cloudy or has grains in it, you wont get anything. To get clear ice, pour water from a lake or pond, or simply put snow in a mug or container of some kind. Allow the liquid to freeze. For the method to work, a piece of ice must be about 5 cm thick.

2. Make a lens. Use a knife to cut a lens out of the ice. Remember that the lens is usually thicker in the center than the edges.

3. polish the lens. After shaping it, polish the lens with your hands. The warmth of your hands will melt the ice a little and make the surface smooth.

4. Make a fire. Point the lens at the sunlight. Focus the beam on the trout and wait for the fire to appear.

Aluminum can and chocolate bar

1. polish the bottom of the jar with chocolate. Simply move the chocolate around the bottom of the jar. Then wipe the bottom clean with a piece of cloth. Chocolate is a great polish that will make the bottom of the jar shine like a mirror. If you dont have chocolate with you, toothpaste will also work. Repeat this several times.

2. Make a fire. By polishing the bottom of the jar, you get a mirror. The suns rays will be reflected from the bottom and create a focal point. The principle is the same as in the telescope. Turn the bottom of the jar toward the sun. The rays, as in other cases with lenses, should be directed to the trout. Place the corns at 2-3 cm from the focus point. The flame will appear in a few seconds.

Although it is very difficult to imagine how you can find yourself in the middle of nowhere with an aluminum can and a bar of chocolate, this way of making fire is wonderful.

Batteries and steel wool

As with the jar and the chocolate, its hard to imagine that you wont have matches, but you will have batteries and steel wool. But you cant know anything for sure. After all, just for the fun of it, it can be done at home.

1. Pull out the wool. It is necessary to make a strip about 15 cm long and 1-2 cm wide.

2. Rub the battery on the wool. Take the wool in one hand and the battery in the other. Any battery will do, but its best to use a 9-volt one. Rub the side of the battery with the contacts on the wool. The latter will start to smoke and eventually catch fire.

3. Put a burning strip of steel wool in a socket from the chimney. The strip burns quickly, so hurry up.