Survival Fire Starters That Could Save Your Life

In disaster preparation there are few things more important than some sort of survival fire starter. In fact you have to put the importance of fire in the same category as food, water, and shelter. It can be the difference between warmth and bitter cold, between some cooked meat or fish or some grubs for dinner, it can ward off unwanted wildlife visitors, and it can provide a huge psychological comfort, particularly if you are in a survival or emergency situation alone.

For something as critical as this you don’t want to rely on just one method as a survival fire starter, better to have several. Here are five good ones.

1 – Matches

Good old matches. You can purchase matches specifically made for disaster preparation or you can use regular kitchen type matches – but you’re going to want to make sure they are waterproof and protected from the elements. Empty film canisters can work nicely for this, or you can use an element-proof Loksak bag, and you’ll want to keep them in multiple places, that way if you lose the bag or container they are in, you will still have a stash somewhere else you can use – All your eggs aren’t in one basket so to speak.

2 – Lighters

Lighters, again are a pretty straightforward survival fire starter, but the key again in disaster preparation is redundancy. Have multiple lighters; maybe a good one that you can refill with fluid, and one that is water and windproof, and a few cheap disposable types that you also keep in multiple places.

3 – Firesteel and Scraper

FireSteel and Scraper, or what can also be known as a flint, is another disaster preparation staple for lighting fires. This is essentially a tube shaped piece of metal, commonly magnesium or steel, that will cause sparks to fly when you drag a “scraper” down it. Nothing fancy, but very effective for what it is, and impervious to the effects of water. Even if you are in a very wet environment, or all your gear gets soaked, they will still work, and work, and work, they can produce up to 7000 strikes so they will last a long time. They’re easy to store, doesn’t take up much space, have no shelf life, and are about as practical a disaster preparation item as you can get.

4 – 9V Battery and Steel Wool

Now we get into a less conventional but nonetheless just as effective method of survival fire starting. If you take a 9v battery and a piece of steel wool (the finer the better) and simply touch both poles of the battery with the steel wool, it will produce fire. You just need enough to reach across both battery poles. This is easy to store, doesn’t take up much space, and easy to use if you need it. Just something to keep in mind if your other options fail.

5. Rubbing Two Sticks Together

This is about as conventional as it gets. To elaborate on the numerous ways to make fire using this “friction” method would take more space than this piece allows. There are several tried and true methods for starting a fire in this manner, the “hand drill” the “fire plough” and the “bow drill” to name a few. All require a good deal of elbow grease and are definitely not going to be your first choice as a survival fire starter, but suffice to say having the knowledge and ability to create fire in the event you lose all your stuff or are left with nothing is very useful knowledge indeed.

The Fire to Survive

Having the proper supplies and equipment can go a long way towards helping a person get through a survival situation, regardless of what it is. However they won’t take the place of keeping your cool, using your head, and maintaining a will to survive. No matter what happens, never give up.

Category: Wilderness Skills