If you are a camper or hiker, we are sure you know the importance of a reliable fire source.
While lighters, fire pistons, and matches are conventional fire sources, they can be rendered useless in the wild, especially if it’s rainy or windy. The good news is you have other methods, using which you can start a fire. In this guide, we’ll tell you all about how to make a fire in the wild with nothing.
So, without further ado, let’s begin.
How To Make A Fire In The Wild With Nothing ?
Sparks, friction, and the sun are a few of the best ways you can catalyze a fire without any matches. So, let’s look at these methods in detail.
Fire Bow
Using a fire bow is one of the most convenient friction-based ignition methods. Although you might have to put in more effort, it is fashioned out of readily available materials such as a fireboard, spindle, socket, bowstring, and curved bow wood.
Start by making your bow using a flexible wood piece and attaching a shoelace or rope on both ends to make the string. Then, get the fireboard ready by making a V-shaped incision and a depression that’ll collect the embers. Place a leaf underneath the board to amass the embers.
Then, loop the bow around the spindle and place it on the fireboard. You should hold one end of the spindle against the fireboard while applying pressure on the other end with a socket (can be stone or wood).
Once you start moving the bow backward and forward, you’ll notice smoke formation, and in another minute or so, the char dust will form an ember. As a final step, you can transfer the ember to the tinder bundle and blow on it gently until you see flames. That’s it, you’ve got a fire!
Hand Drill
Using a hand drill is one of the most primitive ways to ignite a fire. This method is quite similar to the fire bow technique, but instead of a bow, you’ll have to use your hands tirelessly to rotate the spindle.
Create an indentation in the fireboard where you can place the spindle. Now, use your hands to rub the spindle back and forth, pressing it downwards on the board to produce friction. The ember formed is collected on the leaf underneath the fireboard, and you can then transfer it to the tinder nest.
Fire Plow
Look for a piece of softwood (preferably cedar, juniper, or hibiscus) and cut a 6-inch groove right in the middle of it. Take another wood piece, which is at least 2-inches wide and has an angled head. This will serve as your spindle or plow.
Now, place the tip of the plow at a 45-degree angle on the fireboard groove and start moving it back and forth till you see smoke.
To make things easier, you can keep the tinder nest on one end of the fireboard so that the embers go directly into it as you keep rubbing. Once you notice a flame, blow the nest to have your fire.
Hard Rocks
Rubbing two stones against each other is one of the oldest and easiest methods to ignite a fire. For this, you will need a hard rock (preferably quartz) and a striker.
You can break one large rock into smaller pieces, but make sure each piece has sharp edges. Then, use a striker (or carbon steel knife) to strike the rock edges at a tilted (30-degrees) angle. Place the tinder nest beneath the rock so that it catches the flying sparks as you continue to strike the rocks.
Then, gently blow the nest to start a flame.
Ice
Creating fire from ice might be one of the best ways to get fire in the wilderness on chilly winter evenings. For this, you need a clear ice block and a knife that can mold the ice into a lens.
If you don’t find ice anywhere, fill a bowl with clear lake water and wait for it to freeze. After that, use the knife to sharpen the edges and create a lens.
You can also use your hands to polish the edges and then hold the lens against the sun. Keep in mind that you should keep the lens at an angle that directs a beam of light on your tinder nest. Soon, you’ll notice a spark and smoke as the nest finally ignites.
Conclusion
That’s it, folks!
We hope you now have a good idea about making a fire in the wild with nothing. The best part is that each of these methods is highly affordable, and you can easily find the required materials in the wild – from wood pieces to strings and stones.
So, next time you are on a camping or hiking trip, you don’t have to fret over matches or a lighter. Simply pull out a few tools from your backpack, collect some materials from the area, and make your fire!
