February 27, 2023, 12:55 – BLiTZ – News
Unforeseen circumstances often leave tourists without equipment for kindling a fire. A drink can spill in a backpack and wet matches, and a lighter can fall out of a torn pocket. The BLiTZ figured out how to start a fire without matches or a lighter.
The friction method is known to everyone from school lessons, so we will not dwell on it, but move on to ways to kindle a fire with the help of tools that could accidentally be lost in a tourist backpack.
Glass
Ordinary glass may be suitable for making a fire, for example, glasses or the bottom of an aluminum can from a drink:
Collect some dry twigs or grass in the forest. Stack in a mini stack. Position the glass between the sun and the tinder. Keep a close eye on the appearance of smoldering and smoke and try to fan the fire.
This is a common way of making fire without matches or a lighter, but it is possible only in dry and sunny weather.
Ice
In winter, you can try to start a fire with a clean and transparent piece of ice. It should be well processed and polished, and then used as glass in the manner indicated above.
Chemicals
To kindle a fire, potassium permanganate mixed with sugar or glycerin in a ratio of 1: 9, respectively, is suitable. These funds can be found in the tourist first aid kit. Also, instead of potassium permanganate, it is allowed to use potassium chlorate (1: 3), which is part of some drugs, for example, furacillin. Tinder is made from a piece of cotton wool, into which potassium permanganate and sugar are placed. Next, you need to rub it with a stick for a couple of minutes until smoldering appears.
Using chemicals to start a fire can be dangerous, so it’s important to follow the dosage and be careful when coming into contact with drugs.
Can of soda and chocolate
You can kindle a fire using a can of drink and chocolate. With a delicacy, you need to thoroughly rub the bottom of the tin to a shiny state. When the surface treated with chocolate resembles a parabolic mirror, it can be directed towards the sun and try to kindle the tinder.
Wool and batteries
Batteries can be temporarily removed from any device, and woolen cloth can be used as tinder. It is advisable to use a 9 watt battery. Stretched woolen material should be rubbed very quickly with a battery and wait for ignition. As soon as signs of smoldering appear, blow on the smoke and place the canvas on a more flammable material.
Condom
At the bottom of the backpack, a condom could also be lying around. It needs to be filled with water and used instead of a lens. Sunlight will be focused through the material of the condom onto the wooden substrate prepared as tinder. As soon as the tinder begins to smolder, the flame must be fanned.
How to find tinder
We offer the most flammable tinder options available in the forest:
This plant is often mistakenly called reed. You can find it near a pond or in a swamp. The most flammable part is down. Just tear it off and set it on fire. Also a good fire starter is a brown cob.
An excellent option for ignition is dry tree bark. To make a fire, it is necessary to break the bark into chips – in this form, the tree ignites very well. Especially often tourists use the bark of birch, pine, poplar.
This mushroom can be found on a tree. Dry tinder fungus should be cut off, its middle part taken, broken into small particles and used as tinder.
