Beyond the Match: Creative Ways to Start Your Campfire

Campfires are an essential part of any outdoor adventure, providing warmth, light, and a cozy ambiance. However, starting a campfire can be challenging, especially if you don’t have matches or a lighter. But fear not, because there are many ways to light a campfire without matches. Here’s how to do it:

Heat source

This isn’t exactly rubbing two sticks together, but if you’re not in the wilderness, a car’s cigarette lighter, a hair dryer, a space heater, or anything that gives off an orange glow can likely light a piece of paper.

Your neighbor

Again, we don’t have to get too inventive yet. Last fall I made a torch with a branch, an old glove, and cooking oil. I wandered to the neighbor’s fire, asked for a light, and walked back to my campfire like I was a villager looking for Frankenstein’s monster.

Fire Plow

One of the oldest ways to start a fire is by using the fire plow method. This involves using a wooden stick and rubbing it back and forth on a piece of wood until it creates enough friction to create an ember. The best example I’ve seen of this method is from the Polynesian Cultural Center. He makes it look super easy, but it’s also worth noting that his coconut-based tinder is excellent!

Fire Bow

Another ancient technique is the fire bow. You’ll need a bow, a wooden spindle, and a fireboard. Wrap the string of the bow around the spindle, then use it to spin the spindle against the fireboard to create an ember.

Magnifying Glass or eyeglasses or binoculars

Focusing sunlight through a magnifying glass or a couple lenses can be used to create a hot spot on a piece of tinder, such as dry grass or leaves, to create a fire. Speaking of using a lens……

Ice

Clear ice can be formed into a magnifying glass lens shape and used to concentrate sunlight onto a piece of tinder. You better believe my bourbon ice ball maker has a second use.

Flint and Steel

Use a piece of flint and a steel striker to create sparks, which can ignite a piece of char cloth, a natural material that has been turned into a form of fabric that easily catches fire.

Battery and Steel Wool

Touching a piece of steel wool to the positive and negative terminals of a 9-volt battery will cause it to spark up and start burning.

Soda Can and Chocolate

The sun is your friend again. Rubbing chocolate onto the bottom of a soda can and then polishing it with a cloth can create a reflective surface that can concentrate the sun’s rays and create a spark.

Chemical Reaction

Mixing potassium permanganate and glycerin can create a chemical reaction that starts a fire.

Fire Piston

This one is new to me. It involves using a piston to compress air in a cylinder, which can ignite a piece of tinder or char cloth. Compressed air igniting a fuel source is how diesel engines work, so it shouldn’t be too hard. Give it a shot!

Lensatic Compass

A lensatic compass can also be used to focus sunlight onto a piece of tinder to create a fire.

Chemical Hand Warmers

Chemical hand warmers can be used to start a fire in cold conditions. Simply crack the hand warmer open and pour the contents onto a piece of tinder.

Now that you know some ways to start a campfire without matches, you can enjoy the warm glow of a fire no matter where your outdoor adventures take you. Remember to always practice fire safety and check with local authorities for any fire restrictions or regulations in the area you plan to camp in. Happy camping!

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