Making fire without a lighter – these methods work (Part 1)

A lighter is quickly taken out of the pocket, a short and almost automatic movement of the thumb is made and the flames are ignited safely in our hand. The power and comfort of fire is no longer anything special in our highly technological age and, accordingly, many people no longer appreciate the energy of the flame. The art of making fire, which was so crucial for survival in the early days of humanity, no longer seems to be of much value in the fast-moving modern world.

But what do you do if you are out in nature for a longer period of time and the technology you thought was so reliable fails or breaks? In such moments, you usually realise very quickly that fire is not just there to prepare the next meal, but can also have a protective effect. WOLFGANGS shows you how you can become a little more independent of technology in the future and manage to make a fire without a lighter.

Make a fire with plastic wrap and water

No matter how untouched and remote a region may be, in most cases you will come across water sooner or later and this fact is very advantageous for making fire.

Make fire with water? We know that sounds strange, but in combination with the right tool, you can actually create a fire this way. Unfortunately, due to increasing environmental pollution, this tool can often be found in nature - we're talking about plastic! A thin film or cling film is usually best for this task, as it is particularly thin.

Two approaches work particularly well :

• Hold the thin foil so that a slight bulge forms and you can fill this bulge with water. The foil is intended to serve as a water container, so make sure that the water does not spill over the side and flow away. Now, after filling, tie the two ends of the foil tightly together. In the end, you will have a kind of water balloon. The water is trapped and cannot escape.

OR

• Stretch the thin foil onto a kind of frame, which you can build yourself out of wood if necessary. The structure should look like a kind of picture frame. Now fill the middle of the slightly stretched foil surface with water so that it slowly curves inwards and the water rests on top, like in a bowl.

With both approaches, you create a kind of magnifying glass that reflects the sun's power onto one point. If this concentrated solar energy is directed onto easily flammable wood, branches or straw, a flame will appear after a certain amount of time. The only requirement for this great method is that the sun must be shining!

Make a fire quickly with a fire steel

The use of fire steel is the classic survival method and should therefore not be missing from our list. With this approach, a fire can be made even in shady conditions and this is exactly why the method is so popular with bushcraft enthusiasts and outdoor enthusiasts.

Making fire with flint requires a little practice and patience at first, but after a short time you will be able to estimate very well how best to let the sparks produced " grow " into a beautiful campfire.

On average, fire steel is enough for more than 12,000 ignitions - as you can see, you can't really go wrong with this purchase. This way, you always have a great emergency gadget on hand, which also weighs almost nothing and fits in any pocket. Absolutely perfect and recommended!

Making a fire with wood and hands

If the methods presented previously required very little physical effort, we promise you that you will definitely work up a sweat now. However, with the goal of making a fire in mind, this sweaty approach is definitely extremely worthwhile in an emergency. What do you choose?

Would you rather rest in one place and conserve your energy, or be able to prepare a meal, warm yourself up overnight and also benefit from the animal-repelling properties? So – pack your motivation and let's go!

When it comes to “ fire drilling ”, as this type of fire production is also called, you have two different approaches .

So you have the choice between:

• fire drilling by hand
• and fire drilling with bows.

No matter which method you choose, a fire board lying on the ground is essential for later success, so you should first search your surroundings for a suitable piece of wood. You should carve a depression into the board or look for a board with an existing depression. In the immediate vicinity of the depression, you should also carve a notch that extends to the outer edge of the board. Make sure that you always have a high-quality and sharp knife with you so that you can work the wood perfectly in such situations.

Next, you need to find a " drill " or prepare a stick to suit. A sturdy wooden stick or stick needs to be sharpened on both sides. The aim is to put the sharpened side of the drill into the recess in the fire board and then rotate it as fast as possible. If you are successful, these rotational movements and the friction generated will cause embers to collect in the recess, which can then be used to stoke the campfire.

Building a bow is particularly useful for turning the drill because this method saves energy and also reduces the strain on the palms of your hands. However, it is important to note that the bow must be built first. A string attached to both sides of the bow is also necessary for later fastening and turning the drill.

Here you have to think things through carefully and then decide. Do you want to invest a little more time in building and assembling it beforehand and make it easier, or would you rather try it out straight away by turning it by hand.