Making fire in natural conditions. How to make fire without using matches or a lighter

Man has been using fire for many thousands of years, and the further, the greater the role fire plays in human life. At first it simply warmed, scared away wild animals, they cooked food on it, then it began to be used for the production of pottery, glass, bricks, metal processing, and today it delivers astronauts and cargo into orbit, and powers millions of cars.

Today it is extremely easy to start a fire using matches or a lighter. But has fire always been made this way? Even 70-80 years ago, in most of our country there were no lighters, and matches were in short supply, so in villages and villages, and even in cities, fires were lit without matches.

How to make fire without matches?

Today, few people know how to start or know how to start a fire without matches.

For many centuries, people used forged flint to start a fire without matches. Flint is a small flat forged metal plate. If you hit such a plate on the sharp edge of a stone, then microscopic particles will break off from the plate - these are the very sparks from which fire was made in ancient times. The stone used was flint, a natural mineral with very sharp edges. It was on these edges that the flint was “crossed”, “shredded” or “shaved” - hence the name “armchair”, which is older and more common in Rus'.

Sparks produced in this way fell on a special material - tinder. The tinder from the spark began to smolder, becoming hotter and hotter, and turned into a coal - a firebrand, from which dry shavings, grass, flax, moss or birch bark easily caught fire. In this simple way, our ancestors could deftly and quickly make fire without matches or a lighter.

Detailed instructions for starting a fire without matches

To make fire without matches, you will need:
- forged armchair (flint),
- a piece of flint,
- tin tinderbox with fabric linen tinder,
- a skein of jute rope for preparing dry kindling.

Cut 5-6 pieces of rope 10-12 cm each and unravel them into threads.

Divide each thread into separate fibers.

Crush the resulting fibers into a ball.

From the metal tinder jar, remove a rectangular piece of tinder (burnt matter) and place it on top of the flat part of the flint.

Then move the tinder towards the sharp edge of the flint so that the edge of the flint and the edge of the tinder match. It is important that the edge of the tinder does not overhang the flint, and that the edge of the flint is not visible from under the tinder. Take the chair and apply its long working surface (blade) to the sharp edge of the flint on which you have the tinder. We will call this position “initial”. Now lift the chair 15-20 cm up and, lowering it down, make a glancing blow to the edge of the flint.

At the moment of impact, when working surface The armchair, falling down, comes into contact with the sharp edge of the flint, particles of metal are pinched off from the armchair and scatter in the form of sparks in all directions.

Sparks hitting the tinder ignite it and it begins to smolder. Often one strike is not enough and it may take a series of 4-5 strikes before you see that a spark has hit the tinder and the tinder is smoldering.

Place the smoldering tinder inside the prepared lump of kindling and begin to fan it. Make sure that the flaming tinder is always in the center of the lump of kindling.

There is an ancient connection between man and fire. Every man should know how to start a fire. A real man knows how to do it without using matches. This is an important skill that can help you survive. You never know when you'll be faced with the need to start a fire and don't have any matches with you. For example, your plane may crash somewhere in the deep forests. Or you'll go camping and lose your backpack during a fight with a bear. But everything can be much more prosaic - even windy or damp weather can make matches completely useless. And it doesn’t matter at all whether this skill is useful to you, it’s so great to learn how to light a fire wherever and whenever you find yourself.

1. Making fire by friction

This activity is not for the faint of heart. And perhaps 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 board and rod.

A rod is a stick that is used to rotate and create friction. If, by rotating the rod, you create enough friction between it and the plank that the latter begins to smolder, then you can light a fire. The board is best made from poplar, juniper, aspen, willow, cedar, cypress or walnut wood.

Dry wood should be used for ignition.

Gimlet/hand drill

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

• Build a nest from tinder. You will need to pour the coals that appear from friction into this nest. The nest can be made from anything that burns easily: dry grass, leaves and bark.
• Make a funnel. Make a funnel in the fire board into which the rod will then be inserted; under the funnel you can make a cavity for tinder.
• Place the bark under the funnel. Smoldering embers should be placed on the bark, which are formed due to the friction of the rod against wooden board.
• Start rotating the rod. Place the rod into the funnel on your board. The rod should be about 60 cm long. Press down on the board and begin to rotate the rod, holding it between your palms. Move your palms in quick rotating movements along the entire length of the shaft. Continue until smoke appears.
• Light a fire. When you notice smoke, tap the board so that the embers that appear fall on the bark. Transfer the bark to the nest.

2. Fire plow

• Cut a groove in the board. It will serve as a path for the rod.
• Rub. Place the end of the rod into the groove. Begin to move the end of the rod along the groove with pressure.
• Light a fire. Place a tinder nest at one end of the board, and lift the board itself during friction so that the coals fall there.

3. Bow drill

This is perhaps the most effective method starting a fire. It allows you to achieve the desired speed and pressure necessary for the appearance of embers and smoldering much faster and, accordingly, make the fire faster. In addition to the rod and plank, you will need a block and a bow.

• Find the block. It 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 block. For a wooden block, try to find a wood that is harder than the wood that will be used for the shaft.
• Make a bow. The bow should be approximately arm length. To create it, use a flexible, slightly curved rod. It should be strong enough. Pull the string onto the rod and you're done.
• Prepare a fire board. Make a funnel and a cavity underneath for the tinder. Place the tinder directly under the funnel.
• Place the string on the shaft. Fold the string to form a loop and thread the rod through it. Place one end of the rod on a wooden board, and press the other end with a block.
• Start sawing. Using the bow, begin to quickly move it back and forth as if you were sawing. We can say that yours turned out primitive mechanical drill. The rod must be rotated quickly. Continue sawing until embers appear.
• Light a fire. Drop the embers into the tinder nest and blow gently.

4. Flint (chair, flint, tinder)

This is an ancient technique. It never hurts to take a flint with you when going on a hike. Matches may become wet and unusable, but you can still get a spark using a flint and wood block.

If you don't have a flint with you, you can easily make one yourself, for this you will need quartzite and the steel blade of your folding knife. You carry a folding knife with you, don't you? In addition, you will need charcoal. Sparks will fall on the coal and it will smolder. If you don't have coal, use birch bark or tinder.

• Take flint and coal. Clamp the flint between the large and index fingers. The tip of the flint should protrude 5-7 cm. Hold the coal between your thumb and the flint.
• Hit. Use the back of a knife blade. Hit the stone with it several times. The sparks from the impact should hit the charcoal, which in turn will begin to smolder.
• Light a fire. Place the coal in the tinder nest and blow gently.

5. Lenses

This is one of the most simple ways making fire. Any boy who has ever melted plastic soldiers knows how it works. If you've never melted your toy soldiers, then read on.

Regular lenses

To start a fire, you need lenses to pass through sunlight. A magnifying glass, glasses or binoculars - anything will do. If the lens is moistened with water, the process of making fire will speed up. Position the lens at an angle so that sunlight hits it and the beam is focused in one place. Place a nest of tinder in the place where the beam falls, and very soon you will make yourself a fire.

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

In addition to regular lenses, you can use some other items to make fire using this method.

Balls and condoms

Filling a balloon or condom with water turns it into a lens.

Pour water into a balloon or condom and tie it. At the same time, they should take on the shape of a sphere (as far as possible). Don't make them very large or you will have difficulty focusing the sunlight. 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 lenses of smaller diameter.

Balls and condoms should be kept about 5cm away from the tinder as their focal length is much shorter than lenses.

6. Fire from ice

The phrase reminds one of the themes school essay, but ice can actually help you start a fire. All you need to do is make a lens out of a piece of ice and use it like a regular lens.

• Use clean water. The ice should be transparent. If it is cloudy or has specks in it, you won't succeed. To get clear ice, pour water from a lake, pond, or simply put snow in a mug or some container. Let the liquid freeze. For this method to work, the piece of ice must be about 5 cm thick.
• Make a lens. Use a knife to cut a lens out of ice. Remember that the lens is usually thicker in the center than at the edges.
• 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 its surface smooth.
• Light a fire. Point the lens towards sunlight. Focus the beam on the tinder and wait for the fire to appear.

7. Aluminum can and chocolate bar

• Polish the bottom of the jar with chocolate. Just move the chocolate along the bottom of the jar. Then wipe the bottom clean with a piece of cloth. Chocolate is a great polishing agent that will make the bottom of the jar shine like a mirror. If you don't have chocolate with you, toothpaste will also work. Repeat this several times.
• Light a fire. By polishing the bottom of the jar, you get a mirror. The sun's rays will reflect off the bottom and create a focal point. The operating principle is the same as in a telescope. Turn the bottom of the jar towards the sun. The rays, as in other cases with lenses, should be directed at the tinder. Place the tinder 2-3 cm from the focal point. The flame will appear in a few seconds.

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

8. Batteries and steel wool

As with the jar and the chocolate, it's hard to imagine not having matches, but having batteries and steel wool. But nothing can be known for sure. In the end, just for fun, you can do this at home.

• Pull out the fur. It is necessary to obtain a strip about 15 cm long and 1-2 cm wide.
• Rub the battery on the wool. Take the wool in one hand and the battery in the other. Any battery will do for this job, but it is best to use a 9-volt one. Rub the contact side of the battery on the wool. The latter will begin to smoke and eventually catch fire.
• Place the burning steel wool strip into the tinder nest. The strip burns out quickly, so hurry up.

You never know what surprises life will throw at you. Therefore it is worth it. We present to your attention a post by Boris Zak, a lover of travel, trail running and running in general (who, by the way, has already told us about his own). Today Boris will tell you about 10 ways to light a fire. Some of them will seem useful to you, and some will probably surprise you. :)

A little theory. What is fire?

Fire is the main phase of the combustion process, which is accompanied by the release of light and heat. Fire can occur for various reasons: heat, chemical reaction, exposure to electricity.

So, to start a fire we need combustible materials, oxygen and high temperature.

Method 1. Start a fire using a condom

The condom is truly a unique thing; I think that all travelers have long appreciated this multi-purpose item. So, take a transparent condom and fill it with water.

Starting a fire with a condom

We use it as a lens, focus the beam on pre-prepared dry grass or paper, a little patience, and now smoke appears.

Method 2. Pepsi can

We polish the bottom of the jar and use it as a reflector. We direct the beam onto a sheet of paper or dry grass.

Method 3. Photo frame and cling film

Take a photo frame and wrap it in cling film.

Place the frame on the stand and pour water.

That's it, the fire ignition installation is ready.

Method 4. Steel wool and mobile phone battery

Steel wool is a weave of very thin steel fibers that looks like regular cotton wool from a pharmacy. The steel itself is 98% iron and 2% carbon, the proportions may vary depending on the type of steel. We prepare a “nest” of dry leaves and grass, put cotton wool in it and run the battery contacts across the cotton wool several times.

Method 5. Battery and chewing gum foil

Cut a strip of foil, fold it in half and sharpen the fold with scissors.

We apply the ends of the strip to the poles of the battery, and the main thing here is not to burn your fingers.

The same manipulations, only more clearly, are presented in the video.

Method 6. An interesting but expensive way to start a fire using IKEA products

Method 7. Ice

This method requires patience. Not only will you light a fire, but you will also stay warm. Take a piece of ice and, with light movements of the knife, shape it into lenses. Then we polish the surface of the lens with our hands.

Well, every child knows how to start a fire with a lens.

Method 8. Chemical reaction

Sodium is a silvery-white metal, ductile, even soft (easily cut with a knife), a fresh cut of sodium shines in the air and easily oxidizes to sodium oxide. To protect against oxygen in the air, sodium metal is stored under a layer of kerosene.

Sodium reacts very violently with water: a piece of sodium placed in water floats up, melts due to the heat generated, turning into a white ball that quickly moves in different directions along the surface of the water; the reaction produces hydrogen, which can ignite. This experiment is also called "dancing fire".

Method 9. Flint

Sparks are struck using a flint. The tool is compact, lightweight and can be used in any weather. On the Internet you can find a large assortment flint Which one you buy does not matter, the main thing is to learn how to use this gadget correctly.

Making sparks is not difficult, you just need to prepare good tinder. To do this, use dry, flammable material.

Method 10. Fire Piston

This pneumatic lighter was invented around 1770. It works on the same principle as a diesel engine. With strong compression, the air in the cylinder heats up to a temperature of over 300 ° C, which leads to the ignition of the tinder located at the end of the piston.

In order to reach a high temperature, a strong blow is needed.

Making fire is one of the most useful skills a person can have. In this article we will tell you what you can use to make fire in conditions wildlife. Survival in difficult conditions dictates its own rules that you need to accept and be able to adapt to them. Let's find out what you can use to make fire?

Fire can be made different ways. For example, with the help of sunlight, by carving, by drilling, by simple friction. Each of these methods of making fire also has some variations. If for some reason you find yourself in the wild, you will probably need to make fire. After reading this article you will understand how this can be done.

1. How to make fire with a condom

You will need to fill the condom with water, the bottle can also be filled with water. After which we receive a means for focusing the sun's rays. You look for a windless place, set the “lens” accordingly and just go about your business. Rest assured, the fire will already be burning by the time you arrive.

2. How to make fire using an iron can

Look at the bottom of a beer can - it is concave, and it can perfectly “collect” the sun's rays. But it is better to pre-polish it for high-quality focusing. After which this part of the jar can be used to make fire.

3. How to make fire using a piece of ice

Perhaps you have seen one of the episodes of the MythBusters program? There they just told and demonstrated how you can make a lens for starting a fire from a piece of a certain shape of ice. So in the episode the presenters used a round piece of ice. Thus, even ice can become a “source” of fire. If there is no ice nearby, you can make your own piece of ice of the required shape. Just take a bag, fill it with water, you just need the bag to take the desired round shape. Then you bury it under the snow and after a while the ice lens will be ready.

4. We make fire using the “blacksmith” method

If you have a nail with you, then simply find a material into which you can drive the nail. Next, simply drive the nail in for about three minutes, turning it periodically. It will get so hot that you can use it to light a piece of tinder.

5. How to make fire using flint carving

A piece of steel can be used as a chair, but only hardened steel. But it will still be more difficult to make fire using flint, although it may be found right on the road. If you are looking for flint, you need to find only very hard ones; soft ones will not work.

If the stone is hard, then it looks like glass, cloudy or even transparent. You are unlikely to get fire from a smooth stone, but if you break the stone into two parts, you will be able to get a spark from the sharp part. To determine which stone sparks the most, simply test each stone one at a time.

The tinder you will burn should be as dry as possible. Fine tinder can be obtained from wood fibers. For example, you can also use cotton socks. In addition, plant fluff ignites well. You need to make fire only in a windless place. It is advisable to hold the tinder over the flint.

6. Making fire by rubbing a rope against a stick

A pine one might work as a stick. A split is made in it, where the tinder is placed. But the tinder must be placed in such a way that there is space under the stick. The rope is better if it is made from natural fibers. You can make handles at the ends of the rope for convenience. Holding the stick with your foot, we “saw” it with a rope from below. Movements should be frequent and fast. Within a few seconds you will be able to see smoke. And later you can fan the fire out of it.

7. Making fire by rubbing a cotton ball

Between two planks lies cotton wool, which can be taken, for example, from an old padded jacket. Then simply “iron” the cotton wool with planks using sharp and frequent movements. After a while you will see that the cotton wool will begin to smolder. The method is quite simple, but at the same time quite effective.

8. How to make fire by rubbing two sticks together

Take a board and make a groove in it at a certain angle where you can insert a stick. Next, you need to press this stick and just move it until clouds of smoke appear. The abraded material will be collected in the appropriate place. Later the powder will turn dark Brown color. Some particles of powder will fly off and fall to the side, while they smoke, but no sparks are visible.

A fire can only break out in a place where enough powder has been collected and heated to high temperatures. It is important that air flows freely into the pile of powder. It is better to use planks and sticks from such tree species as beech and pine. For this method of making fire, you should not use aspen and linden.

9. How to make fire by drilling

A shallow hole is made in some part of the wood, into which a stick is subsequently inserted. The top of the hole needs to be covered with a stone.

Next to the hole you will need to place a material that will subsequently light up. It could be lint, moss, wick or tinder. The stick must be set in motion using a bow, which is placed on the stick using the overlap method.

Starting a fire using the standard method.

Before moving on to the question of how to light a fire without matches and a lighter, let's talk about standard methods breeding. Any survival kit must have matches or a lighter.

Matches can be of several types:
- wind and moisture resistant
- elongated with a long piece of wood
- non-grate matches that can ignite when rubbed against any surface

It is important proper storage and the use of matches:
— matches needed to be stored in airtight packaging
- if there are very few matches, then they can be split in half
- if the matches are damp, you can dry them by rubbing them on clean, dry hair
- always have a spare box of matches

A lighter may be more effective for starting a fire. Lighters are divided into alcohol, gasoline and gas. When choosing a lighter, you should not take the cheapest ones. Inexpensive lighters quickly evaporate alcohol and gasoline, and they can fail at any time. Always have a spare flint.

Procedure and rules for making a fire

To successfully start a fire, you must follow following rules and order:

1. To start a fire, you need to find tinder or a material that is easily flammable. Ideal for this:
- paper
- textile
- thin dry birch bark
- dry grass
- cones
- dry tinder

2. Prepare firewood and brushwood. The brushwood burns well. As soon as the brushwood flares up, you need to add firewood, which will be the main fuel. The brushwood must be dry. If the heat is high, then you can use damp firewood; the moisture from it will quickly evaporate.

3. You should be especially careful when choosing a place for a fire. The fire should be as far as possible from tents, dry trees, and buildings to avoid fire. If the place where the fire is lit is damp or covered with snow, then it is necessary to make an elevation of stones and earth.

4. Select the type of fire and arrange the firewood accordingly. In this case, it is necessary to ensure the flow of oxygen to the fire.

5. Get a fire and build a flame. Use matches, a lighter, or strike a spark and light the tinder, then light the brush. As soon as the brushwood flares up, you can set fire to thick wood.

How to start a fire using a lens

If you don't have matches and a lighter, you can start a fire using the sun and a lens. The sun has always been an unlimited source of energy, and on a clear day you can easily start a fire using a lens or even a piece of glass. To start a fire, you need to concentrate the sun's rays at one point. Concentrating the rays, ignite the tinder and build a fire.

If you don’t have lenses, then glasses, a mirror, the shiny bottom of an aluminum can are perfect, and winter time even a piece will do pure ice. Also suitable for starting a fire plastic bag filled with water. Using your hands, shape the bag into a lens shape and concentrate the sun's rays. To start a fire using ice, use your hands to shape it into a lens shape. If you start a fire using an aluminum can, it can be sanded down for greater efficiency.

Making fire by friction

The most ancient method of making fire is friction. When friction occurs, the surfaces play out and you can get fire. Since ancient times, a bow drill was used to produce fire by friction, then flint and steel began to be used. Currently, flint and alloys of some metals are used as flint. Main feature flint is that it is not afraid of wind and water; the sparks produced can reach 3000 °C. To successfully start a fire using flint, you need dry tinder, which can be a significant problem in some conditions.

In the absence of flint, you can build a simple bow drill. For a bow drill you will need a flat piece of wood, a rod and a flexible branch for the bow. A rod rests against a flat piece of wood and is driven into rotation by means of a bow. Friction arises as a result of which fire can be produced. In a flat piece of wood it is necessary to make a groove for the rod and a channel for removing coals. A branch 1 cm thick is suitable for the rod. As a bow string, you can use rope, laces, or a belt cut into thin strips. The rod is rested against a piece of wood and wrapped around a bowstring. Moving the bow back and forth with the help of a bowstring, we transfer the rotation to the piece of wood. As a result of friction, the temperature rises. You need to add tinder to the groove. As soon as smoke appears, the tinder is fanned until a fire appears.

In extreme cases, you can do without a bow, then you will have to rotate the rod with your palms. But this method is not effective.
Although this method of starting a fire without matches and a lighter is simple, it will require skill to start a fire. You may not be able to start a fire the first time.

Starting a fire using a chemical method

You can start a fire using chemical reactions. To do this, you can use the following components:
— Potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) and sugar in a ratio of 9:1
— Potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) and glycerin (strictly use 1-2 drops)
— Potassium permanganate and antifreeze. For this method, pour 1 teaspoon of potassium permanganate onto the paper and add a few drops of antifreeze. The paper is rolled tightly and covered with tinder. As a result of slow oxidation, heat is released.

You can use cartridges to start a fire. You have to be extremely careful with this method. It is necessary to remove the bullet, shot and hammer in flammable material (birch bark, cotton wool, moss). Next, we shoot into the ground next to the prepared tinder. In addition, you can ignite gunpowder using a chair.

The next method of starting a fire is quite exotic. You will need a battery and foil. The foil is folded in the middle to create a narrow place. Next, the battery poles are short-circuited using foil. Strong heating will occur in the twisted place, which will help build a fire.