Fire starting with no tools

[Red beard]

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?

[RangerXanatos]

I'm not quite following you. A lot of friction fires are just tried to see if it works. I've done this with wood I didnt know what it was. But I did use a knife. With out a knife, fire by friction would be harder but still possible.

You may be able to find some type of high carbon piece of steel from your car to use on a rock to throw a spark. Would still be hard to find something to catch it on.

[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?

Hunter63 saying Hey and Welcome.

I would start with friction fire using natural materials.....hand drill, bow drill, fire plow.
Then spark with stone, (flint) and a striker of steel......or really primitive certain rock with throw a spark when struck together.
(very tough to do, char cloth very useful)

Now if it's a wrecked car ...some of methods,..... battery,... lens for directing sunlight, steel for striker.....

Go through all the listed methods.....Google each one and check out the You tubes.

Situations are very specific......so will cover a lot of ground, as far as what would be "Best" .....different condition, materials, area.....Etc.

OR.....Carry several methods for Bic', Ferro rods, magnifying glass.. or......Road Flare.

[Red beard]

I'm not quite following you. A lot of friction fires are just tried to see if it works. I've done this with wood I didnt know what it was. But I did use a knife. With out a knife, fire by friction would be harder but still possible.

You may be able to find some type of high carbon piece of steel from your car to use on a rock to throw a spark. Would still be hard to find something to catch it on.

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

[RangerXanatos]

To get a sharp edge I would go and smash rocks against each other. Around my area, quartz is about the only thing that can make an edge.

Then depending on the foilage, I would attempt the bamboo fire saw. It requires no cordage, would be easy to split, and minimal cutting. If bamboo is not available, I would try the bow drill and hand drill. Probably hand drill first and I would use some roots for cordage and tie thumb loops on the ends to keep a constant downward pressure. To try to keep from having to cut notches in the hearth, I would tie two sticks together and let it make a natural place for the ember to form. The bow drill would be done much the same. The hand hold I would make from another rock with a divot drilled in with the sharpened quartz.

[RangerXanatos]

As a clarification, I have never attempted a friction fire without some sort of cutting tool or man-made cordage.

[Red beard]

Hunter63 saying Hey and Welcome.

I would start with friction fire using natural materials.....hand drill, bow drill, fire plow.
Then spark with stone, (flint) and a striker of steel......or really primitive certain rock with throw a spark when struck together.
(very tough to do, char cloth very useful)

Now if it's a wrecked car ...some of methods,..... battery,... lens for directing sunlight, steel for striker.....

Go through all the listed methods.....Google each one and check out the You tubes.

Situations are very specific......so will cover a lot of ground, as far as what would be "Best" .....different condition, materials, area.....Etc.

OR.....Carry several methods for Bic', Ferro rods, magnifying glass.. or......Road Flare.

Yes... Will need to do more research...just looking for good video or page that has best explanation because I can't find one

[hunter63]

Good start here.....
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...rs-And-Tinders

Remember there is no "Best"...there is "Best right now with what I have to work with.....which varies"

[Lamewolf]

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.

[MrFixIt]

Try searching for "primitive fire making".
Those who came before us were successful survivors.

[DSJohnson]

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.

[Rick]

That's why God put pockets on pants. To carry essential stuff.

[kyratshooter]

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???

[jdbushcraft]

My parang, golock and Axe pull me straight to the bottom.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[madmax]

2 Bics in the truck. 2 Bics in the Subaru. 2 bics in the packs. Firesteels in the packs.

Given SOOL Il'd go with the battery and some gas.

[kyratshooter]

My parang, golock and Axe pull me straight to the bottom.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Just as they should!

Why would anyone need a parang, golock and axe at the same time but not have a belt knife or pocket knife and a small fire steel on hand?

Just because there is an axe, or one of those other monstrosities, in the bottom of the canoe does not mean that you do not need other cutlery always available on your person.

[DSJohnson]

When I am in my vehicle I have at least 3 or 4 'normal" methods to start a fire not counting using batteries, hydrocarbons, or lens/glass from the vehicle
When I am in the canoe or a boat I usually have my Benchmade folder on a lanyard, a mag block and ferro rod, attached to my body, not counting the two other knives on my person or the match safe and Bic.
Commercial air travel is where I am at my lowest level of "ready" Main reason I try to avoid it.

So for me anyway, either one of the poster's scenarios seem very far fetched. Where on the North American Continent would you not recognize Oak, Hickory, Cottonwood and Willows? I have made a bowstring from clothing before but my knife lanyard makes a great bow string.

[Rick]

My parang, golock and Axe pull me straight to the bottom.

y would anyone need a parang, golock and axe at the same time

Um...I think that's called irony. Good irony by the way. That's also the reason I no longer carry the canoe anchor in my pack. Learned that one the hard way.

[hunter63]

Well, boys....seemed we have failed again in providing a mythical scenario, with the BEST method to make something out of nothing, the secret method the we all know and won't tell anyone.

Secret.....Dollar Store 5 Bic's (or similar) 5 for a dollar........Buy a bunch, (a lot).... put one in every pocket, jacket, coat, bag, vehicle, tool box, pack, boat 4 wheeler......you own.

Then when you have a better stash of cash, do the same thing with mag bar/ fire steel/ferro rod, starters, put next to each lighter.

Now that you have a way to for sure make fire........and won't die just yet.
THEN play with all the other friction fire methods, (with local materials, haven't said where that is, so up to you) flint and steel/char cloth, burning glass, parabolic mirror, Mag light reflector, fire piston, battery/steel wool....until you are good at it.

Do this stuff NOW.......Before you crash your car, or sink the canoe.

[DSJohnson]

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!