A to Z Challenge: F - Fire Kits

It's come to my attention most people do not know how to start a fire without the help of a match or a lighter. This is a skill that we have lost because of the convenience of these simple tools that easily create fire.

It's important to learn different ways to start a fire. You may not be able to get your hands on matches or a lighter when you are stuck outside. The fact is you might just run out of fuel or matches and the only way you can get a campfire or a fireplace started is by finding a different way to start one.

I keep a striker in my bug out bag. I also have one built-in to a bracelet that I wear. The bracelet works two fold. It is made out of paracord. You can unravel the paracord if you need rope for some reason. The striker is inside the latch which allows me to scrape a spark into a pile of kindling. 

I like to keep a Ziploc bag of cotton balls covered in Vaseline. These are great kindling to get a camp fire started. They will burn for a minute or two. If you build a campfire right you will only need a couple of strikes from your fire stick and a ball of cotton with Vaseline and you will have your fire started.

I've seen people use 9 V batteries with a scour pad. This pad is made out of metal and will ignite itself when you touch it to both contacts of the 9 V battery. It will actually burn for short amount of time. If you can get some other tender burning with it then your fire will start.

I've seen people carrying mirrors and magnifying glasses to start a fire. It's not as easy as other methods but if that's all you have at the time it will start a fire. You should have some jute string or some other kind of cotton material that will burn easily.

One of my favorite ways to keep a fire kit together is to pack it all as tight as I can inside of a Altoids tin. I will wrap the outside of it with some duct tape to keep the water out. The duct tape also comes in handy when I need it for something else.