Fire starting with no tools

[Rick]

I practice canoeing naked just in case.

[DSJohnson]

My eyes my eyes........

[DSJohnson]

Thinking about it. Unless I am going to the woods as far as my EDC goes, I do NOT usually carry any cordage in my pockets or on my person.

[Rick]

My eyes my eyes........

That right there folks is why they invented the ban button. No, really. It is.

[hunter63]

Wye yes, yes it is. I got it! and I actually know that feeling. Tump over your canoe (never my fault of course) and into the drink I go. Usually I have on pants with cargo pockets. At least 5 pounds of ballast there. My 1911 in a shoulder rig with two full mags under the other arm. Sheath knife probably on my belt and boots of course. The perfect way to go for a swim!

"Tump" must be a southern term......SIL and his family use it in Louisiana...
Always thought they were saying "dump".......
Interesting.

[kyratshooter]

Thinking about it. Unless I am going to the woods as far as my EDC goes, I do NOT usually carry any cordage in my pockets or on my person.

I usually count on my boot or shoe laces as cordage and I also wear belts woven from leather strips and 550 cord when out and about.

There are also things like "floss cards" that fit in the wallet.

There are also a lot of natural fibers you can twist some cord from. Every area has it favored fibers from nettles to basswood bark.

It does not take but a couple of feet of cordage to make a fire bow.

I also found a supplier that carries 1/8" and 3/16" fire steels. They are great for taping to a survival card in the wallet and I keep one in my keychain pill container, along with a cotton ball for tinder. The cotton ball also keeps my nitro pills from turning into powder as they rattle around.

http://usaknifemaker.com/ferro-rods-...14661c47ed8e9c

[Rick]

I tried to cut a fero rod in half with a hack saw. Darn near burned the house down.

[Duece]

Lmao i broke one once and tried to drill a new hole through it once it heated up all the dust ignited....good thing was on concrete floor not wooden work bench or something likd that was amazed how fast heated up and lit off
D

[kyratshooter]

I tried to cut a fero rod in half with a hack saw. Darn near burned the house down.

You nick them with the hacksaw and snap them in a vise just like breaking off pieces of a file.

I did cut one of the magnesium blocks in half once. Dang near took forever and I had a good pile of mag shavings at the end.

I mixed the mag shavings into some petroleum jelly and coated cotton balls with it for fire starting.

Ever see a cotton ball go up in a tiny mushroom cloud ?

[Red beard]

Red Beard,
If you fall into the river, by yourself, in country you are not familiar with, and you are now trying to start a fire this would be my thinking. First choice I would look at the rocks along the shore/bank of the river you fell in. Start with some of them, striking them against each other, looking for sparks, chipping, flaking, those kinds of qualities. When you find one that "knocks a spark" then you have a start.(I personally have never been able to start a fire with just two pieces of flint/sparking rock. The sparks seem never to last and do not seem to have any "real" heat to them.) If you can't find a rock that will make a spark you are back to making a fire by friction. That is way more about the knowledge you have in your head and the understanding of how "fire by friction" happens than the materials at hand. They are very important BUT not as important as a very detailed and through understanding of how you actually make the fire. It is very hard to give you the answer you want because of the limits you have imposed. No knife, no "tools" no cordage, no salvage. Pretty unrealistic.

Thanks for the explanation

[Red beard]

OK fellas we got one here!!!

Someone that has never seen Naked and Afraid, Dual Survival, or Survivorman and has no knowledge of the existence of You tube.

Also another of our friends that changes the parameters of the situation in each post. first we have a car, then we don't, now we have a canoe but we suddenly got naked when it tipped over.

And one that has not learned the second rule of threes; Always have three ways to start a fire with you, even when you fall out of the canoe, followed or preceded by by always have three cutting instruments with you, whichever you feel is more important.

Why is it that folks claim to be experienced in one area of outdoor activity and completely unable to transfer knowledge to another. One would not put all the fire building and survival gear in the backpack to be lost in a single stroke of bad luck, so why would one strip everything off their belt and out of their pockets when boarding a canoe???

Ok some of you guys are just simply missing the point.....first of all I always have a way of making fire on hand or in car or in pack....cig lighter fire rod Cotten balls and etc. I was hoping to receive a great link to a video or web page that can explain how to make a fire from nothing, like perhaps a Native American would....I am pretty sure they did not have a buck knife or para cord handy.....that's what I was meaning with nothing....the car/river scenario was unimportant to question, yet some of you guys can't get over that....

I do have basic knowledge of friction and bow making fires....yet I don't know how to make my own cordage or cutting tools...I have seen naked and afraid type shows and I have used youtube.....but as most of you know some videos are made pretty bad and don't help much...that's why I am calling on you all for some help...not to be ridiculed for asking a complicated question....

And if you still need a scenario that would leave me in a situation with nothing.....let's say I was taken prisoner and stripped of all belongings and I managed to escape into nearby forest....hope that is good enough....even though it's not important to my question....I can think of a million ways to loose your personal belongings so that's why I ask....and for that reason I would like to learn....you can think all you want that because you have this and that always handy to make a fire or survive, then you will not be prepared for the unforeseen .

[kyratshooter]

I am truly sorry that the TSA got hold of you on your way to work.

Problem is that the Native Americans did not make fire from "Nothing". They generally carried a fire kit just like we do, it just included a fire bow or spindle and some appropriate tinder.

https://archive.org/details/firemakingappara00houguoft

The Native Americans, or any stone age people, also have a sophisticated stone tool technology that they pass down from one to the other. They are also restricted to use of the materials at hand and much of our nation does not have good stone to chip. They had a vast network of trade to move that material from place to place and often substituted bone, shell or coral for flint.

So the answer to your question is that the Native Americans took out their fire bow and built a fire. Or they made a fire bow using the tools they kept at hand just like we do. Or they made the tools to make the firebow, which took some considerable length of time and a search for the materials needed.

None of them just snapped their fingers and fire, or even a fire kit, appeared.

If you do not know how to chip stone there are classes given on that craft at almost any archeological site in the nation, or they can point you to the nearest "Knap-in" where you can learn the craft.

If you do not know how to make cordage it is covered by many people in many books or you can go to the same archeological site and get a class in that craft too. Making cordage is considered a skill equal to knapping flint in usefulness to the stone age cultures. Making cordage is essential for creating snares and traps, not just fire bows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckqckOag2eI

After you have learned to pick up a sharp rock and twist dry grass, sinew or the inner bark of certain trees into cordage you will then need to know what wood in your area makes the best hearth board and spindle. We have dozens of threads on that subject with one in the primitive skills section just this week dealing with going from nothing to a chest high fire. In fact, your little tantrum knocked it out of sight.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...802#post460802

You did not even click on the thread that was already there and a partial answer to your question! You ignored everything we have offered, discussed and catalogued for a decade. Rather than making fun of you, are you not making fun of us?

The answers you want are already here, you just need to use the search function and read a bit.

What you are asking for now is a complete lesson in stone tool technology, fire kit making, cordage twisting and the biology of wood needed for fire building technology in a couple of quick sentences. It ain't going to happen!

[hunter63]

Ok I've been researching fire starting, most info I find is tool or item specific or even regional specific....let's say I am driving with family and car breaks down and I have nothing.....no knife no para cord no knowledge of rocks, no knowledge of of trees...how do I make a fire....I can make fire from car parts and I usually have some way form of fire making..... But let's say I have nothing ...what is my best option?...most videos or pages don't give enough explanation of how or what they are using....anyone have good explanation link or video link to help me?

You did not give a location of the area you are in....Material and methods will be different.

Ok sorry...I did a bad job of explaining....let's take car out of equation because although I haven't tried I am confident I can make a fire from car parts......but I do go backpacking and I am looking to to make a primitive fire and learn how....when I go backpacking I always make a fire using striker just for fun, even though I have a cig lighter and matches as back up....but let's say I fall into river and my pack floats away and I am left with nothing.....I need fire....how do I do it...what is easiest way or only way......if I need certain rocks....how do identify them.....if i need wood how do I identify it(although I can determine hard, soft, cedar etc) just looking for the best explanation

So now you change the parameters........?

Ok some of you guys are just simply missing the point.....first of all I always have a way of making fire on hand or in car or in pack....cig lighter fire rod Cotten balls and etc. I was hoping to receive a great link to a video or web page that can explain how to make a fire from nothing, like perhaps a Native American would....I am pretty sure they did not have a buck knife or para cord handy.....that's what I with nothing....the car/river scenario was unimportant to question, yet some of you guys can't get over that....

I do have basic knowledge of friction and bow making fires....yet I don't know how to make my own cordage or cutting tools...I have seen naked and afraid type shows and I have used youtube.....but as most of you know some videos are made pretty bad and don't help much...that's why I am calling on you all for some help...not to be ridiculed for asking a complicated question....

And if you still need a scenario that would leave me in a situation with nothing.....let's say I was taken prisoner and stripped of all belongings and I managed to escape into nearby forest....hope that is good enough....even though it's not important to my question....I can think of a million ways to loose your personal belongings so that's why I ask

Looked to me like given the information given, answers were serious and straight forward........so pitching a hiss isn't a good way to get any answers that haven't already been given.

So good luck to you...there is no magic answer.....and even the self proclaimed "Naked and Afraid" experts took days to make fire in some cases, and better than a day with a ferro rod starter, on one case.

[Red beard]

Thanks for the links....that is what I've been looking for. I do know native Americans did carry a fire kit and didn't snap their fingers lol.....I've done some looking on this page and youtube but I always seem to find the really bad threads and videos....I am new to this site and finding all the info can be a little overwhelming for a newbie, even when the answers are right there in front of my face....I go on many jeep forums and newbies always ask dumb questions, I usually point them to the right direction.....I clearly should of asked things differently....instead of saying nothing I should of said natural materials. I should of never mentioned car planes trains or canoe....my original post just asked for good links to get me started......thank you to those who tried to help


And I am from Illinois but spend most of my outdoor time in Missouri...

Sorry one more thing....part of the reason I asked my question is because like I said it can be hard to find the good threads....my first experiance on this site was when I searched to see if in a survival situation and not near fish populated streams could I eat creek minnows....I found one thread that was filled with everyone telling stories of eating goldfish as kids and I learned nothing...so I thought maybe I would ask for valuable links

[eaglescout123]

I love this one, always have a pack of gum with you. the kind that has foil wrapping. also have a AA battery. hold a piece of foil at each end, and touch them together to make a spark.
Gum also helps to clean teeth and protect against dry mouth syndrome.

[Rick]

Having been raised in Illinois and having spent a fair amount of time in Missouri I can't for the life of me imagine a scenario in which you would be forced to make fire from nothing. There are only a few locations in Missouri and none that I can think of in Illinois that you can't walk a couple of miles in any direction and hit a road. The chances of you being in one of the few places where you can't walk out, being naked and needing to start a fire from scratch is about nil. That's part of the reason you received some of the answers you did.

[Red beard]

I love this one, always have a pack of gum with you. the kind that has foil wrapping. also have a AA battery. hold a piece of foil at each end, and touch them together to make a spark.
Gum also helps to clean teeth and protect against dry mouth syndrome.

I believe that is called a prison lighter

[Red beard]

Having been raised in Illinois and having spent a fair amount of time in Missouri I can't for the life of me imagine a scenario in which you would be forced to make fire from nothing. There are only a few locations in Missouri and none that I can think of in Illinois that you can't walk a couple of miles in any direction and hit a road. The chances of you being in one of the few places where you can't walk out, being naked and needing to start a fire from scratch is about nil. That's part of the reason you received some of the answers you did.

We'll my friend me either.....I do like the idea of learning old ways and natural ways that's all...I will learn using knife and para cord first just to get a sense of it...but I like a challenge
And I do occasionally leave the country.....and I have been mugged in Thailand. So anything can happen

[Nochipforme]

Find some paper in your car - owners manual or other paper, put some gasoline (very small amount) on a piece of the paper and ignite it with a spark from a sparkplug wire. Done it many times.

Just hope you don't use the page that tells you how to fix your broke down car. That would be counter productive.

[hunter63]

Hunter63 saying Hey and Welcome.
There is an intro section at
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...-Introductions

Just hope you don't use the page that tells you how to fix your broke down car. That would be counter productive.

No worries my friend...read a owners manual lately?....Mostly full of "Thou shalt not's"....There is no, "This is what you do if this happens"
DW car has a line in the manual that says, "There are 7 things under the hood that are yellow colored....if it isn't yellow, don't mess with it."

Can't even find a chart or legend for the fuse block(s).....

Just a place to save warranty cards, and motor club numbers......

And 100 pages of your radio and Wifi........Besides if you die, some one else is gonna be looking for the manual.