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Weird – and Not So Weird – Ways to Start a Fire
What are the most basic survival elements? I think just about everyone would answer that question with food, water and shelter.
But if you find yourself in a survival situation in the wilderness, there’s another item that could lay claim to being No. 4. And that’s fire.
Being able to start and maintain a fire in the wild is crucial for many reasons. Including heat, light, cooking and purifying water. As well as forming tools. Plus protection from animals and attracting the attention of rescuers.
Today I’m going to provide you with a number of ways to start a fire. We’ll start off with the more traditional tactics. But stay with me because we’ll also get into some weird ways to do it when you don’t have common items at your disposal.
Fire’s three friends
First though, let’s review a few things about fire. Just as we need fire to survive, fire needs things to thrive. They are fuel, oxygen and ignition.
Fuel for a fire is pretty much anything that will burn. The slower it burns, the better. For cooking, items such as wood, various grasses and dry manure work best. When you burn manmade materials, they often smell bad and can result in toxic fumes.
Oxygen keeps a fire going. And the air surrounding fire is usually adequate for that. Except for some situations when the immediate area is too tightly confined.
The way to intensify the heat coming from your fire is to fan the coals. But watch out for flying embers. They could singe you or ignite a nearby fire you can’t control.
3, 2, 1… ignition
Ignition methods are plentiful. But most of them are not easy to accomplish. The easiest ways to start a fire are by using a disposable cigarette lighter or a magnesium starter stick.
As far as fire-starting materials are concerned, you want to make sure you have tinder, kindling and long-term fuel.
Dry paper is great for tinder. But if you need to depend on what you find in the wild, you’ll want to gather some or all of the following. You’ll note that the key word is “dry.”
- Dry wood or bark that is finely shaved
- Dry grass or leaves, shredded if possible
- Bundles of dried bird or rodent nests
- Dry tree moss (also known as “Old Man’s Beard”)
- Dry plant seed fluff, such as cattail heads
Kindling burns more slowly and can keep a fire going for a while. It includes sticks, twigs, bark or dried grasses that have been bundled.
Other items used for kindling can also be effective. Such as gas, oil and steering fluid. But they need to be used sparingly and handled wisely.
Your best long-term fuel is logs. They will burn better and longer if you split each one several times. Dead branches also work.
Another item as effective as long-term fuel, if you can handle gathering and burning it, is dried animal poop. It goes by more polite names such as cow pies, buffalo chips, Texas road apples and smart pills.
Choose the right matches
Returning to our ignition methods for a moment, here are two items you should have with you in the wild. Even if they’re not your primary fire starters:
- Waterproof matches. You can find these at sports outlet stores. They work very well, although they’re somewhat expensive and should be rotated out every few years.
- Stick matches. They’re better than paper book matches, but need to be rotated out every six months or so. You also need to keep them dry.
As mentioned, your two easiest fire starters are magnesium sticks and cigarette lighters. A mag stick can be used about 100 times. They’re perfect for outdoor usage because they’re waterproof. And they don’t age or freeze.
Remember to practice using them BEFORE you have an emergency. Disposable cigarette lighters have many advantages. Including being cheap, lightweight and easy to use.
Now that we’ve discussed what works for fire starting, let’s mention what doesn’t – paper book matches.
When they’re even slightly damp, they’re useless. And even when dry they deteriorate quickly. Don’t let the fact that they’re free in most restaurants influence you to toss them in your bug-out bag.
9 unusual methods
As promised, here are some of the more unusual ways to start a fire. You may want to choose one of these methods if you don’t have the materials previously discussed. Or, if you’re the type of person who doesn’t like to do things the easy way.
9V battery & steel wool. Keep a container of lint from your dryer in your backpack. Fluff up your steel wool to get some air in it. Then touch it all over with the positive and negative terminals of a 9-volt battery to spark a fire. Continue to touch it in multiple places, then add the lint as tinder and blow on it softly.
Aluminum can & chocolate bar. Rub a candy bar on the bottom of an aluminum can until the can bottom shines like a mirror. With direct sunlight on the can bottom, it will heat up to the point where it can ignite your kindling when held against it.
Sandwich bag & water. Crush a piece of dry tree bark into a powder. Place the powder onto a solid piece of bark. Pour water into a sandwich bag until it’s half-full. Tilt the sealed baggie to the side and then twist it at the top, making it into a liquid sphere. Use the baggie as a magnifying glass over the powder until the sun’s rays make it start smoldering. Then press the powder onto your kindling.
Vaseline & cotton ball. Pull a cotton ball apart – but not completely apart – and rub Vaseline or petroleum jelly all over it. Roll the cotton back into a ball. Use a magnifying glass or reading glasses and the sun’s rays to heat the cotton ball, which will hold a flame well once ignited.
Gum wrapper & battery. While you’re chewing a stick of gum, cut the foil it was wrapped in into a bowtie or hourglass shape. With two fingers of one hand, hold the two ends of the foil against the ends of a small battery. The foil will ignite and you can quickly light your tinder.
Dead lighter & paper. Maybe you were planning to use a lighter to start a fire, but it died on you. Not to worry. Remove the lighter’s safety lock and slowly roll the lighter over paper, back and forth. As the steel wheel grinds down on the flint rod, flint shavings will be created. Form those shavings into a small pile and then flick your dead lighter repeatedly over the pile until it ignites.
Water bottle. We all know that water is used to put out roadside brush fires. But did you know that water actually causes some of those fires? Lay a clear plastic bottle full of water on its side with the cap on. Then place dark-colored tinder in the beam of sunlight that passes through the bottle. Once the tinder begins to smolder, place it into your fibrous tinder and blow on it softly.
Citrus fruit. Because citrus oils are flammable, you can set it on fire if you can generate some sparks. Take a citrus fruit such as an orange, carve out a hole on the top and clear out some of the flesh. Let the orange dry out. Now push a small rock into the hole and rapidly rub a tool such as a knife on it until it sparks.
Flashlight. After removing the top lens of a flashlight, pull out the reflective cone that the light bulb rests in. Put dried moss or grass into the spot where the bulb was and place the cone in direct sunlight. Eventually the sunlight’s reflection will heat the tinder enough to cause it to burn.
Friend or enemy… you choose
Just as fire can be your best friend, it can also be your worst enemy. Yes, it can protect you, but it can also kill you.
When contained, fire can be controlled and used however you want. But when it escapes containment, it can destroy thousands of acres of forest, land and buildings.
Fire can save your life, but only if you learn how to create it and control it.
Learn how to filter water for survival
Learn How To Filter Water For Survival
Here’s the truth— you won’t last more than a few days if you’re stuck in a survival situation without fresh water. Whether you’re experiencing a crisis in the wild after becoming lost or in your own home after a natural disaster, the body can’t go more than three days without H2O.
And seeing as our bodies are made of mostly water — up to 60%, to be exact — it makes sense that the wet stuff is critical for survival.
With that being said, while there are many survival skills that one should have under their belt, understanding how to filter water is arguably the most important. After all, a human can go for more than three weeks without food, but only three days without water.
Interested in learning more? We can help! Read on to learn everything you need to know about filtering water for survival.
But First, What’s So Bad About Drinking Contaminated Water Anyway?
Water is water, right?
Wrong! When you’re desperate for a little H2O, taking a quick sip from the pond may seem harmless, but there are actually a number of bacteria and icky parasites that can be ingested. Consuming them could lead to a serious infection or illness. Wondering what some of those itty-bitty organisms are and how dangerous they can be?
Here are just a few of them that are commonly lurking in unfiltered water:
- Giardia: Many people tend to become infected with this microscopic parasite via drinking from streams, lakes, or water that hasn’t been properly treated. The symptoms are not pleasant by any means and include nausea, stomach cramps and pains, diarrhea, gas, and dehydration.
Thankfully, this creepy-crawly can easily be filtered out of the water with something as simple as our Personal Water Filter.
- E. coli: This common kind of bacteria can also be easily extracted from water by using a top-notch water filter. If you’ve ever had — or heard — of traveler’s diarrhea, you can thank E. coli for that. Another E.coli strain can cause extremely severe diarrhea and, in some cases, can even be fatal.
- Campylobacter: The lesser evil of the three, this bacteria can cause stomach cramps, fever, and diarrhea. In most cases, accidentally consuming campylobacter can be handled at home, but you may need medical intervention if the pain becomes unbearable.
Hold Up – Does ALL Water Need To Be Treated?
Ah, good question!
We’ll explain:
In the wild, if you collect rainwater in a clean container, it’s generally regarded as safe. The same goes for snow that you’ve melted. H2O in the wilderness is also almost always safe if you’ve collected it via transpiration — as long as the plant itself isn’t poisonous, of course!
If you collect the water by any other means, though, whether that be from a stream, lake, pond, river, etc., it should most definitely be filtered and/or purified. You never know what might be lurking in the ground or upstream from your collection spot.
What’s the Difference Between Purification and Filtration?
Although many individuals tend to use these two terms interchangeably, believe it or not, they are not the same when it comes to decontaminating H2O. While both, of course, are better than doing nothing at all, water purifiers provide the most protection.
You see, a filter relies on a physical barrier, such as charcoal, to remove the undesirables out of the water. With the right filter, you can remove life-threatening bacteria and parasites.
What you won’t be able to take out of your water with a filter, however, is viruses.
When you purify your water, you are also working to remove all the bad stuff, but you’re doing so by using safe chemical methods, such as adding a little iodine or chlorine. When you do this method, you can remove not only bacteria and parasites but also viruses that are too tiny to be removed by your handy-dandy filter.
As a general rule of thumb, purifying your H2O is the way to go! But if you don’t have the necessary chemicals and you become dehydrated, it’s much better to use a good quality filter than nothing at all.
OK — How Do You Know If You’re Dehydrated?
Dehydration is a very serious concern, especially for outdoor adventurers! And despite what some people may think, it can occur in both the summer and the winter seasons, on a simple day hike or on a backcountry expedition.
Thirst isn’t always a reliable early indicator that your body is in dire need of water. In fact, many people don’t necessarily feel thirsty until they are already dehydrated. That’s why it’s of the utmost importance to drink plenty of water daily and increase your intake on especially hot days or when you’re exercising.
Dehydration tends to look different from person to person, but if you notice any of the following signs, stop what you’re doing and get your hands on potable drinking water as soon as possible.
- Extreme thirst
- Less frequent urination
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Seeing “stars”
Once you’re dehydrated, it can lead to many serious complications, including:
- Heatstroke
- Severe cramps
- Kidney problems (urinary tract infections, kidney stones, kidney failure, etc.)
- Seizures
- Blow blood volume shock
- Trouble breathing
- Fever or chills
And after roughly three days, it’s lights out. Needless to say, dehydration is an extremely serious thing, and everyone would benefit from knowing how to filter water in the event of a survival situation. You may never know when a disaster may strike, but you can be prepared.
How To Filter Water For Survival
So, without further ado, here are some of the top ways to filter water for survival:
Boiling Water
The oldest method in the book, boiling water, is completely effective at killing all living contaminants in just a few minutes. Now, boiling your water won’t remove certain non-living contaminants such as heavy metals, but it can remove many chemicals through vaporization.
All you have to do is bring water in a pot over high heat until you have rolling bubbles. Allow them to roll for at least five minutes before allowing the water to cool down for drinking.
For easily boiling, we recommend our Stainless Steel Round Wood Burning Stove. Not only is it extremely lightweight and compact, but there are no chemical emissions and no carbon footprint — what’s not to love?
Water Filter
One of the most effective ways to filter water is to make use of a high-quality water filter. While there are many different water filters on the market, we love our Personal Water Filter. Why? Because it begins with a layer of thick cotton and medical-grade, hollow fiber UF membrane, which eliminates 99.9999% of bacteria all on its own. After that, water will quickly pass through activated carbon and antibacterial beads for an even more thorough cleanse.
Plus, our personal water filter connects to standard-size plastic bottles for clean water storage and comes with a sanitary cap and machined metal carabiner. Lightweight and compact, our water filter is unmatched when it comes to filtering H2O and is a perfect addition to any backpack or survival set.
Solar Water Disinfection
Lastly, if you’re stranded and in need of potable drinking water, solar water disinfection might be your only option. This method uses ultraviolet rays over time to kill bacteria. You just need to be in a sunny environment and have a clear plastic bottle for this to work.
Take your clear plastic bottle and fill it up with water. Then, position the bottle directly under the sunlight so that the UV rays can work their magic. Make sure there is no shade anywhere near the bottle.
Leave your bottle of water in the sunlight for about six hours or two days if it’s cloudy.
Water World
The best way to beat the heat and avoid dehydration is to be completely prepared. If you go camping or hiking, always bring plenty of water as well as a filter. Nothing is worse than being stranded without potable drinking water. If you go too long without rehydrating yourself, it can lead to serious health complications and even death.
When searching for survival supplies, be sure to purchase from an honest and reputable company, such as Stealth Angel Survival. As the leader in emergency preparedness kits, supplies, and survival products, you can count on us to have everything you need to keep you and your loved ones protected.
Sources:
The Water in You: Water and the Human Body | USGS
How long can you live without water? Facts and effects | Medical News Today
Kidneys: Facts, Function & Diseases | Live Science
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Operation Homefront’s Back-to-School Brigade Program Provides School Supplies, Backpacks for Military Families
When we think about the women and men who serve our country in the Armed Forces, we usually focus on their sacrifice and bravery. And that’s as it should be.
But something we often overlook is the financial struggle many go through. Especially when they are transferred from one base to another. Sometimes this process involves buying and selling homes every year or two, and placing their children in new schools.
Every penny counts, and when the academic year rolls around, there are plenty of expenses incurred with school supplies.
That’s why Operation Homefront steps in with its Back-to-School Brigade initiative. This program provides fully stocked backpacks to tens of thousands of children of our military members each year.
Samantha Martin has been an Area Manager for Operation Homefront for the past 2½ years. She covers four states (the Carolinas, Tennessee and Kentucky) for the organization.
“It’s an enormous region, so you can image that we rely heavily on our volunteers,” Samantha said. “Volunteers are part of what allows us to use 90 percent of our expenditures on programs for military families. We have an extraordinary reach in our programs, from relief to resiliency to recurring support.”
Among Samantha’s responsibilities are managing and growing nationwide programs that impact service members and their families, as well as veterans. She conducts research and plans and coordinates all development and fundraising to support those programs.
She also develops and grows community relationships with clients, service providers, volunteers, military organizations or representatives, and corporations and businesses. In addition, she organizes and maintains volunteer programs, assignments, recruitment, training and retention.
“Just over the last two months, we were able to distribute about 30,000 backpacks filled with donated school supplies at more than 130 different locations in all 50 states,” said Samantha, whose father served in the U.S. Navy and whose daughter and son-in-law served in the U.S. Air Force.
“As you can imagine, there is lots of planning, execution and volunteer training to do to pull this off each year.”
Since 2008, Operation Homefront has distributed more than 450,000 of these backpacks, saving families over $50 million.
Included in the recent events were 800 backpacks distributed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, 800 at Clarksville Regional Airport in Clarksville, Tennessee, and 500 at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
“When many of us think of summer, we think of pools, popsicles and picnics,” Samantha said. “For military families, it’s PCS (permanent change of station) season and getting ready to start their kids in a new school.
“Military families have unique challenges. With the Back-to-School Brigade we try to ease the financial burden on parents and give the kids something to smile about. It’s very important to let them all know they have a support system.”
Each backpack is filled with items that children and teens from kindergarten through 12th grade will need for their school year.
These items include basic supplies such as pens, pencils, crayons, markers, notebooks, paper, scissors, glue, binders and composition books.
Since 2008, most of the supplies have been contributed by Dollar Tree customers in stores across the nation.
“We couldn’t do this without them,” Samantha said. “Dollar Tree stores make it possible for their customers to contribute supplies to the backpacks.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the way donations are distributed by Operation Homefront.
“We’ve changed our formatting,” Samantha said. “It used to be an expo-style event. It was very festive. We’d have tables of resources for military providers and a one-stop shop for school supplies and education needs.
“With COVID, we eliminated the indoor event and made it a drive-through. We also hand out flyers for our services and partner with other organizations who align with our mission and support America’s military families.”
4Patriots, which makes a monthly financial donation to Operation Homefront, provided 800 of its 72-Hour Survival Food Kits to the recent Back to School Brigade at Fort Bragg.
Operation Homefront is a national 501 (C)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive – not simply struggle to get by – in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.
Since 2002, thanks to the support of corporate and foundation partners, as well as individual donors, Operation Homefront has provided Critical Financial Assistance, transitional and permanent housing, and recurring family support programs and services to hundreds of thousands of military families each year.
That way, those families’ short-term financial challenges do not become long-term, debilitating issues. Operation Homefront provides financial relief pertaining to food, auto and home repair, as well as rent, mortgage, and utilities, among other needs to military families through their CFA program.
At its core, Operation Homefront serves America’s military families in their time of need because they have served all of us in our nation’s time of need.
Anyone wishing to contribute to Operation Homefront should visit OperationHomefront.org and click on “Ways to Give.” The nonprofit is also active on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, where you can stay up-to-date on their programs and events.
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