last ditch Fire starting method(s)

Gaurdian_A1

Gaurdian_A1

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Today i was thinking of when i was just a kid i used to burn down anthills ( LOL) and start campfires with my magnifying glass..Its a thing most of us have done...But it got me thinking.

So today i went out with one of my hunting rifles and a pair of binoculars and successfully lighted my tinder using the scope on my gun and my binoculars using the same method as with the magnifying glass...(two different tinder piles)

It is a cool idea for those out hunting or hiking/camping...Even prescription eye glasses can light a fire.. Neat Idea, albeit totally dependant on sunlight but hey...:D

I will try to take some pics, i couldnt this time cause i needed both hands;)

Anybody have any other random, last ditch fire starting methods?
 
I kinda think of ' Last Ditch ' as fail proof option when I've exhausted all my other means.The method you describe would be low on my list because as you rightly state it's dependant on the sun.

I guess my last ditch methods are those giant tinder type matches that burn very hot for about 8 minutes, my Magnesium block/ferro rod combo and one that I don't have some sort of flare !
 
I worded the post wrong. Should have been Alternate firestarting methods. If somthing stupid happened out in the bush and all you had left was your binoculars and or your rifle..Permitting you have sunlight, you can create fire with realative ease..But if the weather doesnt permit, there is always friction fires..Bowdril, fire plow etc.
 
rarely spoken of... the infamous.... wait.. here it comes...

































Bic lighter?


I'm a smoker.. cant help but always have several lighters on me.
 
Bic lighters should be standard fire starting tools in every ones kit, for weight and size, even mini Bics.

Fire on demand is priceless.
 
Steel wool and a couple of flashlight batteries or one 9 volt will do. I keep steel wool in my tinder supply.
 
I said something to my 16yr old nephew the other day about playing with magnifying glasses to start fire, kill things, ect.. and he had no idea what I was talking about. Kids these days...
 
Skimo said:
Bic lighters should be standard fire starting tools in every ones kit, for weight and size, even mini Bics.

Fire on demand is priceless.
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Yeap , they are cheap , reliable and easy to replace, I keep one in every kit , bob , etc.

I like to buy the orange or yellow ones , easier to spot if they are dropped.


Tostig
 
I'm gonna look for a good Fresnel lens pretty soon, I haven't started fires with one for a long time, easily kept in the wallet I should think.
 
Skimo said:
I'm gonna look for a good Fresnel lens pretty soon, I haven't started fires with one for a long time, easily kept in the wallet I should think.
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I have one I carry, with a small bit of charcloth it's pretty dang easy, as long as you have sunlight that is. I have seen the fresnal lenses for sale at staples and other office supply stores. Chris
 
vehicle:

- run the engine and get the catalytic converter hot enough to ignite a handful of dry grasses. (or place a tinder bundle on exhaust manifold if accessible)

- drain the fuel filter (carbed engines, with underhood filter) onto tinder, use jumpers and battery to spark it alight

- jack up one drive wheel, attach webbing sling to wheel, and use it to turn a wooden shaft aka vehicle bowdrill, at high speeds. May require two people.

- road flares

- soak shredded seat cover foam in gas, use jumpers to ignite
 
I started fire using a cell phone battery, some fine steel wool, and some thin slivers of fatwood once. It was a bit of a pain but it worked.

I remember when I was about 9 my dad brought home a lens from one of the projectors where he worked. It was about 8 inches in diameter and almost 2 inches thick. He was all cool watching me burn ants, and light balls of paper on fire, burn a little grass and a few sand spurs...but all the fun suddenly ended when I swept the spot over onto the edges of the pages of the new issue of Field & Stream he was reading as he lay on the patio. Looking back on it now the look on his face when it caught fire was absolutely priceless :D ...but the look that soon settled on his face was terrifying to a 9 year old :eek: I didn't see that lens again for two years, didn't ask either :)
 
remmmm said:
Anybody know now many volts you need for this to work?
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Two 1 1/2 volt batteries held in series (end to end) will do it. Use just a few of the steel wool fibers and tease the battery top while the bottom is help firm at the other end.
 
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A small vial of gasoline for emergencies should work VERY well :D. I've used alcohol as my winter fire starter, works like a charm.
 
I once spend an hour meticulously creating a tee-pee of sticks and kindling then realised I had no tinder to take a spark from my flint. I gave up looking because I was running out of light so I doused the lot in trangia fuel and one spark had it literally roaring in purple and blue flames. WHOOSH!
 
remmmm said:
I said something to my 16yr old nephew the other day about playing with magnifying glasses to start fire, kill things, ect.. and he had no idea what I was talking about. Kids these days...
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I hear that! As a very young kid I burned my arm on accident just holding a glass. After that, I fried many insects and lit many fires with my old glass.

Most kids are clueless nowadays.
Magnifying glass? You mean the extra key on the mouse to make things larger on screen? :confused:
 
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