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Firestarting
UNDER CONSTRUCTION 1/22/2010
Seems easy, but it's not.
Lighters
Matches
Metal Flint
Flint & Steel
Primitive
Tinders
Lighters:
There are several types of lighters available to you. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses for use, so let's take a look at them.
"Zippo" Lighters:
survivor: "....Zippo's a good one. Whadya trade for it? "
Originally made by the Zippo Company back in the 1930's, the term "Zippo" general means a refillable fuel type lighter.
Refillable - You can refill using lighter fluid.
Windproof - These types of lighters will burn in the wind.
Hands Free Flame - This lighter, once lit, works without holding any buttons and can be set down if you need to without going out. This also makes me easier to use as a light source than any other lighter since there are not buttons to hold and you can keep your hand away from the flame.
Heat Source - This can provide you with a small temporary heat source (while it has fuel) in an emergency. This specifically is good in cases where the effects of Hypothermia begin before you can start a fire.
Not Child Proof - This lighter is not child proof like the modern Bic "safety lighter", so a child CAN get this to work without much difficulty. That might be a GOOD thing! (see below)
Simple to Use in a Emergency - This lighter is much easier to use than a Bic type lighter for children or anyone that has lesser physical strength in their hands. This also applies to people who are injured, in a state of panic or suffering from the effects of Hypothermia. In these situations, having a "non child proof" lighter is an ADVANTAGE. This lighter can also be struck without using your thumb.
Fuel Evaporates - The biggest disadvantage to Zippo lighters is that the fuel with evaporate out of the lighter in high temperatures. So you cannot leave in your car or in the sun. You MUST carry extra lighter fluid in it's refill container when you have one of these lighters for long term storage or long trips. This doesn't apply to daily carry, but does apply to storage and trips more than about a week.
Messy - Yeah, they can leak if you overfill them and it is best to carry it right side up. Their are belt cases specially made to carry a Zippo on your belt upright and they are recommended for carrying.
Repairable - Zippo brand lighters are repairable and their motto is "It works or we fix it free". You can easy replace the flint, flint spring and fiber fillings if they wear out. These parts can be found in most local drug stores.
Flint Spark - Even without fuel, the Zippo's flint will still spark and can be used to start fires.
Impact Resistant - Fuel lighters WILL take a beating and keep working. As long as the flint wheel works, this lighter will light regardless of how many dents or dings it has. Even holes in the lighter may or may not effect it working depending on if the wick is damaged and the lighter has fuel. Of course with a hole, the fuel will evaporate quickly, but the lighter WILL function if it has fuel.
NOT Waterproof - Fuel lighters are not waterproof, so if they are soaked, they will not work. HOWEVER, they can easily be disassembled and laid out to dry. Once dry, they can be refueled and will work.
Butane Lighters:
survivor: "....if you wanna start a fire after gettin' drenched, get the blue flame, baby.."
Butane lights look similar in appearance to "Zippo" fuel lighters, but they use butane fuel instead of lighter fluid and have a "blue flame" that "jets" out instead of a flickering flame. Butane lights have become more and more the replacement for the fuel lighters.
Refillable - You can refill with Butane fuel.
Wind Proof - Works in the wind and have even better flame directional strength than a fuel lighter since the fuel is under pressure.
SEMI-Child Proof - Butane lighters are a little harder to use than fuel lighters as they have to have a fuel "button" (striker wheel) compressed to be lit and requires you to hold the button down during use like a Bic lighter. This is hard for a child or other person with weak hands, but they are not called "safety lighters". (see the fuel lighter's Simple to use in an Emergency above.)
Not Repairable By the User - Even if you have a Zippo BLU lighter, it must be sent back to the manufacture for repair. This is because the lighter must be sealed to work properly.
Not Messy - No leaks and how you carry them does not matter.
Fuel Retained - Since Butane lighters are sealed, they do not evaporate unless under extreme heat like in long term storage in a vehicle. This is due to the nature porousness of the materials of the lighter. For the most part, they do not leak unless damaged.
Fuel Drain - Butanes use a button trigger to release the fuel to be lit. If this button is accidentally pressed while carrying the lighter, it will release it's fuel to the air and drain the fuel. Many lighters have a cover over their top to keep this from happening, some do not.
Impact SEMI-resistant - Butanes are SEMI-resistant to impact damage as their cases are usually made from some type of hard polycarbonate. BUT...if ANY damage cracks or penetrates the body of the lighter, they will not work.
Waterproof - Because the lighter is sealed, Butanes are waterproof.
Fuel Gauge - Most butanes have a window so you can check the fuel level of the lighter. This will let you "top it off" if you want.
Focused Flame - The Butane "jet" makes it easy to focus on what you are lighting. No loss of flame to the wind.
High Temperature - Butane burns at much higher heat than any fuel lighter, so this gives good ignition to hard to burn tinder. About 1900 degrees.
Disposable "Bic" Lighter:
survivor: "....don't give up on your Bic when it's outta fuel..."
Usually known as a "Bic" by the manufacturer, these are cheap disposable lighters that are used daily and discarded when empty.
Not Refillable - Use them and trash 'em.
SEMI-Windproof - Disposables are partially windproof, but due to the restriction of the flame may or may not give you enough flame to work with. Some have adjustable flames, others do not.
Cheap - They are usually between .50-$1.00 in price and Bic brand say 3,000 lights out of their models. This lets you carry several lighters for less than the cost of a cheap fuel or butane lighter.
Child Proof - Most disposable lighters are child proof and require manipulation of the safety latch to strike them. Some even have a toggle lock switch. This may be difficult to use by design.
Fuel Drain - Disposables use a button trigger like the Butanes to release the fuel to be lit. If this button is accidentally pressed while carrying the lighter, it will release it's fuel to the air and drain the fuel.
Toggle Lock - The advantage to the toggle lock is that it keeps the lighter from losing fluid if they are accidentally trigger while you are carrying them. If the lighter does not have a lock, you can use tape to lock the button in place for storage.
Fuel Retained - Since Disposable lighters are sealed, they do not evaporate unless under extreme heat like in long term storage in a vehicle. This is due to the nature porousness of the materials of the lighter. For the most part, they do not leak unless damaged.
Impact Damage - Disposables are not impact resistant and can easily be damaged by impact or crushed. If they are damaged, they will not work.
No Fuel Needed - Since they are disposable, you don't have to carry extra fuel. Since they are cheap, you can just carry several lighters with you.
Flint Spark - Even without fuel, Disposables will make a spark using the flint, so they can be used to start a fire. It is easy to removed the safety latch and flame guard to make it easier to direct the spark into your tinder. These will last a long time and save you if you have nothing else to start a fire with.
Waterproof - Disposables are sealed, so they are waterproof.
Matches:
In general, matches are a simple and cheap way for starting a fire. They can be common paper or wooden, waterproof & wind proof.
The advantages to matches vs lighters:
- not perishable
- not effected by temperature
- easy to protect (match case)
- simple to use
- cheap
"Strike Anywhere" matches have a white tip of phosphorous compound and are designed to be struck on "any solid surface". Also called "fiction matches".
They are now considered hazardous material for transportation and have fell out of favor due to the extra cost to transport them. The reason for this is that they will ignite if they impact something, even in their box.
"Safety" matches are "strike on the box" types of matches that are safe to transport and will not ignite due to impact. You MUST have the box striker to get them to ignite.
NOTE: If your matches get wet, don't panic. Get them out of the box (be careful not to rub their tips) and lay them out in sunlight to air dry. I have submerged the plain kitchen matches for up to 5 seconds in water, let them dry and they have worked on the first strike!
Paper Matchbook:
Paper matches or Matchbooks are very common today and for the common use of smokers, these work and are cheap. Many times they are promotional advertising items. Some military rations have a waterproof paper matchbooks in them, but these are harder to find for the average civilian and are not used much by today's military.
- Not Waterproof
- Not Durable
- Short Burn Time
- Easy to use.
- Very Cheap: about $.25
Wooden Kitchen Matches:
These are the common strike on box wooden matches. They have good burn times as the match is longer than a paper match and the wood burns slower than paper.
- Not Waterproof
- Cheap: about $.50
- Durable
- Medium Burn Time
- Can be dried if dunked in water
- Can be waterproofed
Waterproof:
Basically the same wooden match as the Kitchen match, but they have be treated to be waterproof.
- Waterproof
- Durable
- Medium Burn Time
- Harder to strike - due to waterproof covering on the head.
- more expensive: about $2.50
Wind & Waterproof:
These are the best of all matches that are available. Also called "Lifeboat Matches". Pictured is the best of this type, the NATO Mk.2 Lifeboat Matches. (NATO inventory #9920-99-966-9432)
Not only are they waterproof, but their long burn time (even in wind) makes them the best.
- Waterproof
- Wind Proof
- Long Burn Time
- hard to strike - due to covering on the head.
- Durable
- Expensive - $7.00 for NATO; $3.50 Cheaper versions
- Best Match available
Metal Flints:
*Ferrocerium Flint Rod
Metal flints are the most durable of all fire starters. They are waterproof, temperature proof, long lasting and hard to break. They represent the modern world's version of "flint and steel".
The number one drawback with metal flints is that they require some skill to use them effectively and they are much harder to use verses a lighter or a match.
Swedish FireSteel:
Probably the best of all metal flints. Scout model (red) is good for 3000 strikes and the Army model (black) is good for 10,000 strikes!
- Burns hot at 5500 degrees
- Best of this type
- Using a FireSteel Video
Magnesium Block with Flint Rod & Striker:
One of the most common and available.
- burns hot at 4000 degrees.
LOTS more coming............
Ironhand
Related Pages:
About Fire , Firewood , Fire Starting , Fire Places , Alternative Fire Starters, Heating Appliances
Seems easy, but it's not.
Lighters
Matches
Metal Flint
Flint & Steel
Primitive
Tinders
Lighters:
There are several types of lighters available to you. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses for use, so let's take a look at them.
"Zippo" Lighters:survivor: "....Zippo's a good one. Whadya trade for it? "
Originally made by the Zippo Company back in the 1930's, the term "Zippo" general means a refillable fuel type lighter.
Refillable - You can refill using lighter fluid.
Windproof - These types of lighters will burn in the wind.
Hands Free Flame - This lighter, once lit, works without holding any buttons and can be set down if you need to without going out. This also makes me easier to use as a light source than any other lighter since there are not buttons to hold and you can keep your hand away from the flame.
Heat Source - This can provide you with a small temporary heat source (while it has fuel) in an emergency. This specifically is good in cases where the effects of Hypothermia begin before you can start a fire.
Not Child Proof - This lighter is not child proof like the modern Bic "safety lighter", so a child CAN get this to work without much difficulty. That might be a GOOD thing! (see below)
Simple to Use in a Emergency - This lighter is much easier to use than a Bic type lighter for children or anyone that has lesser physical strength in their hands. This also applies to people who are injured, in a state of panic or suffering from the effects of Hypothermia. In these situations, having a "non child proof" lighter is an ADVANTAGE. This lighter can also be struck without using your thumb.
Fuel Evaporates - The biggest disadvantage to Zippo lighters is that the fuel with evaporate out of the lighter in high temperatures. So you cannot leave in your car or in the sun. You MUST carry extra lighter fluid in it's refill container when you have one of these lighters for long term storage or long trips. This doesn't apply to daily carry, but does apply to storage and trips more than about a week.Messy - Yeah, they can leak if you overfill them and it is best to carry it right side up. Their are belt cases specially made to carry a Zippo on your belt upright and they are recommended for carrying.
Repairable - Zippo brand lighters are repairable and their motto is "It works or we fix it free". You can easy replace the flint, flint spring and fiber fillings if they wear out. These parts can be found in most local drug stores.
Flint Spark - Even without fuel, the Zippo's flint will still spark and can be used to start fires.
Impact Resistant - Fuel lighters WILL take a beating and keep working. As long as the flint wheel works, this lighter will light regardless of how many dents or dings it has. Even holes in the lighter may or may not effect it working depending on if the wick is damaged and the lighter has fuel. Of course with a hole, the fuel will evaporate quickly, but the lighter WILL function if it has fuel.
NOT Waterproof - Fuel lighters are not waterproof, so if they are soaked, they will not work. HOWEVER, they can easily be disassembled and laid out to dry. Once dry, they can be refueled and will work.
Butane Lighters:survivor: "....if you wanna start a fire after gettin' drenched, get the blue flame, baby.."
Butane lights look similar in appearance to "Zippo" fuel lighters, but they use butane fuel instead of lighter fluid and have a "blue flame" that "jets" out instead of a flickering flame. Butane lights have become more and more the replacement for the fuel lighters.
Refillable - You can refill with Butane fuel.
Wind Proof - Works in the wind and have even better flame directional strength than a fuel lighter since the fuel is under pressure.
SEMI-Child Proof - Butane lighters are a little harder to use than fuel lighters as they have to have a fuel "button" (striker wheel) compressed to be lit and requires you to hold the button down during use like a Bic lighter. This is hard for a child or other person with weak hands, but they are not called "safety lighters". (see the fuel lighter's Simple to use in an Emergency above.)
Not Repairable By the User - Even if you have a Zippo BLU lighter, it must be sent back to the manufacture for repair. This is because the lighter must be sealed to work properly.Not Messy - No leaks and how you carry them does not matter.
Fuel Retained - Since Butane lighters are sealed, they do not evaporate unless under extreme heat like in long term storage in a vehicle. This is due to the nature porousness of the materials of the lighter. For the most part, they do not leak unless damaged.
Fuel Drain - Butanes use a button trigger to release the fuel to be lit. If this button is accidentally pressed while carrying the lighter, it will release it's fuel to the air and drain the fuel. Many lighters have a cover over their top to keep this from happening, some do not.
Impact SEMI-resistant - Butanes are SEMI-resistant to impact damage as their cases are usually made from some type of hard polycarbonate. BUT...if ANY damage cracks or penetrates the body of the lighter, they will not work.
Waterproof - Because the lighter is sealed, Butanes are waterproof.
Fuel Gauge - Most butanes have a window so you can check the fuel level of the lighter. This will let you "top it off" if you want.
Focused Flame - The Butane "jet" makes it easy to focus on what you are lighting. No loss of flame to the wind.
High Temperature - Butane burns at much higher heat than any fuel lighter, so this gives good ignition to hard to burn tinder. About 1900 degrees.
Disposable "Bic" Lighter:survivor: "....don't give up on your Bic when it's outta fuel..."
Usually known as a "Bic" by the manufacturer, these are cheap disposable lighters that are used daily and discarded when empty.
Not Refillable - Use them and trash 'em.
SEMI-Windproof - Disposables are partially windproof, but due to the restriction of the flame may or may not give you enough flame to work with. Some have adjustable flames, others do not.
Cheap - They are usually between .50-$1.00 in price and Bic brand say 3,000 lights out of their models. This lets you carry several lighters for less than the cost of a cheap fuel or butane lighter.
Child Proof - Most disposable lighters are child proof and require manipulation of the safety latch to strike them. Some even have a toggle lock switch. This may be difficult to use by design.
Fuel Drain - Disposables use a button trigger like the Butanes to release the fuel to be lit. If this button is accidentally pressed while carrying the lighter, it will release it's fuel to the air and drain the fuel.
Toggle Lock - The advantage to the toggle lock is that it keeps the lighter from losing fluid if they are accidentally trigger while you are carrying them. If the lighter does not have a lock, you can use tape to lock the button in place for storage.
Fuel Retained - Since Disposable lighters are sealed, they do not evaporate unless under extreme heat like in long term storage in a vehicle. This is due to the nature porousness of the materials of the lighter. For the most part, they do not leak unless damaged.
Impact Damage - Disposables are not impact resistant and can easily be damaged by impact or crushed. If they are damaged, they will not work.
No Fuel Needed - Since they are disposable, you don't have to carry extra fuel. Since they are cheap, you can just carry several lighters with you.
Flint Spark - Even without fuel, Disposables will make a spark using the flint, so they can be used to start a fire. It is easy to removed the safety latch and flame guard to make it easier to direct the spark into your tinder. These will last a long time and save you if you have nothing else to start a fire with.
Waterproof - Disposables are sealed, so they are waterproof.
Matches:In general, matches are a simple and cheap way for starting a fire. They can be common paper or wooden, waterproof & wind proof.
The advantages to matches vs lighters:
- not perishable
- not effected by temperature
- easy to protect (match case)
- simple to use
- cheap
"Strike Anywhere" matches have a white tip of phosphorous compound and are designed to be struck on "any solid surface". Also called "fiction matches".
They are now considered hazardous material for transportation and have fell out of favor due to the extra cost to transport them. The reason for this is that they will ignite if they impact something, even in their box.
"Safety" matches are "strike on the box" types of matches that are safe to transport and will not ignite due to impact. You MUST have the box striker to get them to ignite.
NOTE: If your matches get wet, don't panic. Get them out of the box (be careful not to rub their tips) and lay them out in sunlight to air dry. I have submerged the plain kitchen matches for up to 5 seconds in water, let them dry and they have worked on the first strike!
Paper Matchbook:Paper matches or Matchbooks are very common today and for the common use of smokers, these work and are cheap. Many times they are promotional advertising items. Some military rations have a waterproof paper matchbooks in them, but these are harder to find for the average civilian and are not used much by today's military.
- Not Waterproof
- Not Durable
- Short Burn Time
- Easy to use.
- Very Cheap: about $.25
Wooden Kitchen Matches:These are the common strike on box wooden matches. They have good burn times as the match is longer than a paper match and the wood burns slower than paper.
- Not Waterproof
- Cheap: about $.50
- Durable
- Medium Burn Time
- Can be dried if dunked in water
- Can be waterproofed
Waterproof:Basically the same wooden match as the Kitchen match, but they have be treated to be waterproof.
- Waterproof
- Durable
- Medium Burn Time
- Harder to strike - due to waterproof covering on the head.
- more expensive: about $2.50
Wind & Waterproof:These are the best of all matches that are available. Also called "Lifeboat Matches". Pictured is the best of this type, the NATO Mk.2 Lifeboat Matches. (NATO inventory #9920-99-966-9432)
Not only are they waterproof, but their long burn time (even in wind) makes them the best.
- Waterproof
- Wind Proof
- Long Burn Time
- hard to strike - due to covering on the head.
- Durable
- Expensive - $7.00 for NATO; $3.50 Cheaper versions
- Best Match available
Metal Flints:
*Ferrocerium Flint Rod
Metal flints are the most durable of all fire starters. They are waterproof, temperature proof, long lasting and hard to break. They represent the modern world's version of "flint and steel".
The number one drawback with metal flints is that they require some skill to use them effectively and they are much harder to use verses a lighter or a match.
Swedish FireSteel:
Probably the best of all metal flints. Scout model (red) is good for 3000 strikes and the Army model (black) is good for 10,000 strikes!
- Burns hot at 5500 degrees
- Best of this type
- Using a FireSteel Video
Magnesium Block with Flint Rod & Striker:One of the most common and available.
- burns hot at 4000 degrees.
LOTS more coming............
IronhandRelated Pages:
About Fire , Firewood , Fire Starting , Fire Places , Alternative Fire Starters, Heating Appliances
Zee-Man |
Latest page update: made by Zee-Man
, Aug 10 2012, 9:45 PM EDT
(about this update
About This Update
Added a link to how to video
- Zee-Man
5 words added view changes - complete history) |
|
Keyword tags:
Butane
Fire
Fire starter
Fire Starting
Firestarter
Kitchen
Lighter
lint
Matches
Rod
starter
Starting
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Swedish FireSteel
Waterproof
Zippo
More Info: links to this page
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P0LaND | Dispose that body (page: 1 2 3 4 5 ... last page) | 136 | Aug 20 2012, 6:13 AM EDT by White76Knight | ||
|
Thread started: Mar 30 2011, 6:19 PM EDT
Watch
We discuss a lot on how to kill zombies. What guns (or other weapon) we'd use, how we'd do it, and how awesome it would be.
One thing I've never heard is what you plan to do with that disease-ridden body once it's on the ground? Depending on the type of infection, this could be a biological hazard to anyone being too close to it. I'm seeing some sources that say rabies can last over 24 hours after the body was deceased. This could provide problems depending on where the zed was taken down at, and how many there were. Would you want the thing rotting in your back yard? How would you dispose of it in your area without risk of contaminating yourself? This may just be a common sense question, as burning is, no doubt, the best method I can think of. If anything else, I believe this should be a good thought for those who plan on rushing out, guns blazing with Drowning Pool playing in the background. |
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| brandon_a_boyer | Firestarting | 10 | Apr 29 2012, 1:49 AM EDT by brandon_a_boyer | ||
|
Thread started: Apr 27 2012, 6:27 PM EDT
Watch
TR and his gun thread got my gears turning on going back to basics.
Post a method of starting a fire other than lighters matches or flint and steel. Steel wool and a battery. Touching the steel wool to the battery contacts causes the steel wool to burn rapidly. Easily starting a fire. |
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| Zee-Man | Matches | 10 | Apr 21 2012, 1:54 AM EDT by ubersoldat | ||
|
Thread started: Apr 19 2012, 5:54 PM EDT
Watch
So this evening I'm having some fun making waterproof matches. Very easy to do if entirely tedious.
Having some old mostly burnt candles, I melted them using a jar in a water bath. I've used paper matches before but tonight it is stick matches. In the case of the paper matches I was sure to soak the paper part with wax first. After a moment of cooling, a quick dip coating on the head. It is the same process with the stick matches. Unlike the paper matches, the sticks are not getting soaked with the wax. I will do some testing to see if it really matters. Coating the entire match is important since prolonged wetness will soak through to the head. Don't forget to waterproof the striker paper. It is not just sandpaper but a reactive component. I think I will also do some wetness testing with matches in general. .
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