How to Start a Fire without Matches – Part 1
03-07-2016
Author: in RV Tips & Education
One of the best things about RV life is sitting around a cozy campfire on a chilly night. Even when you know how to build a campfire, getting it lit can be a whole different story. You can create a blazing fire with items you have on hand or find around your camping spot. Of course, you could just get a match, but what would be the adventure in that? Let’s look at some ways you can start a campfire without matches.
Friction Based
When I was a kid I loved cowboy movies. I was always fascinated how a cowboy or Indian could take two innocuous little sticks, rub them together for a minute, and Viola! Fire.
Two things about that. One, given the right materials and tools, you can make a friction based fire. Two, it isn’t quite as easy as it looks in the movies.
Friction based fire-making is the oldest method, but definitely not the easiest. Nonetheless, here are the steps – in case you need an Eagle Scout badge or want to impress your friends or something.
Two Person Friction Method
This is a little easier and you won’t work as hard, but you’ll need a buddy. You can use your hands to spin the spindle, but if you loop a shoestring around it and pull back and forth it is easier to spin. With this method, one person presses firmly on the top of the spindle to provide the pressure for friction. At the same time, the other person either uses their hands or the shoestring method to spin the spindle. Easier? Yes. Faster? Possibly. But at any rate, anything can be made more fun with you include a friend.
Bow Drill Method
This is considered to be the easiest of the friction fire making methods – but you can be the judge. It does do a great job of maintaining the speed and pressure that is required to produce and ember. Prepare your fireboard and spindle as you would for the friction method above, but you’ll also need a piece of sturdy string or twine.
Have you tried any of these methods? How well did they work? Do you have any tips for making these methods easier?
Friction Based
When I was a kid I loved cowboy movies. I was always fascinated how a cowboy or Indian could take two innocuous little sticks, rub them together for a minute, and Viola! Fire.
Two things about that. One, given the right materials and tools, you can make a friction based fire. Two, it isn’t quite as easy as it looks in the movies.
Friction based fire-making is the oldest method, but definitely not the easiest. Nonetheless, here are the steps – in case you need an Eagle Scout badge or want to impress your friends or something.
- Choose dry softwood. Aspen and willow are good options to use as the fireboard. Ideally, your spindle should be made from the same wood as well, but if that isn’t doable you can use a wood that is a little harder. It should be about two feet in length and as straight as possible.
- Cut a V-shaped notch in the long side of your fireboard. At the tip of the V create a small indentation so your spindle fits snugly but still has a little room. Set a piece of bark under the open area of the notch. Once the ember gets going it will fall on the bark.
- Place one end of your spindle in the indentation on the fireboard. Press it into the fireboard and roll it between your palms as fast as you can. Your palms should work up and down the spindle as it spins. Pressure and speed are the key here. Continue until the spindle tip begins to glow red – this is an ember.
- Tap the spindle tip so that the ember falls onto the bark. This action should be slow, deliberate, and gentle. Add some tinder so the ember can ignite it. Gently blow on it to get it to catch fire so a flame can start.
Two Person Friction Method
This is a little easier and you won’t work as hard, but you’ll need a buddy. You can use your hands to spin the spindle, but if you loop a shoestring around it and pull back and forth it is easier to spin. With this method, one person presses firmly on the top of the spindle to provide the pressure for friction. At the same time, the other person either uses their hands or the shoestring method to spin the spindle. Easier? Yes. Faster? Possibly. But at any rate, anything can be made more fun with you include a friend.
Bow Drill Method
This is considered to be the easiest of the friction fire making methods – but you can be the judge. It does do a great job of maintaining the speed and pressure that is required to produce and ember. Prepare your fireboard and spindle as you would for the friction method above, but you’ll also need a piece of sturdy string or twine.
- Secure the string at both ends of the spindle so that it looks like a bow, but leave some play in it so that it’s a little loose.
- Place the spindle in the indentation. Loop the string around it. Hold a rock or piece of wood over the spindle top so you can have more leverage as you apply pressure.
- Use a sawing motion to spin the bow back and forth, allowing the looped bow string to spin the spindle. Do this as vigorously as you can until is produces an ember.
- Tap your ember on the bark and add some tinder to create a flame.
Have you tried any of these methods? How well did they work? Do you have any tips for making these methods easier?
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Author: Stephanie A. Mayberry
