Some people wonder what the obsession with fire is about. There are a lot of products on the market devoted to making fire. I think the only thing I see more advertisements for would be products for filtering water. And while I can understand water, fire is kind of an enigma to me. I mean you can’t go more than a few hours without water before feeling the effects, but fire? You could potentially go a few days without (depending on the circumstances of course). But fire seems to have captured the imagination of the Survival community and the public at large.
Don’t get me wrong, I think having the ability and or the skill to make a fire is critical in a time of disaster. It’s just incredible how many different products have come out regarding this topic. I also advocate that you should have more than one way to do anything. The reason for this is because if you only have one way to start a fire and that way fails then what are you going to do? That said, I have at least three different ways to start a fire.
The reasons for wanting to start a fire are fundamental. You are outdoors and have a need to boil water, cook food, stay warm, and boost morale. Just think of the movie Castaway and Tom Hanks’ jubilation once he finally started a fire. It can be a game changer.
When thinking about starting a fire one should consider under what conditions you might need to do so. For example, what are the weather conditions? Cold, hot, rainy, or windy. Also, what is the availability of combustible materials (wood, starter material) and is it suitable for building a fire? Is it dry or wet and do you have a way to process that material into a workable size? It’s not as straight forward as you might have originally thought.
So, what you want in a time of disaster is a “sure fire way” (no pun intended) of starting a fire. Most through hikers who spend a lot of time in the back country rely on small hiking propane tanks and a Bic lighter of some sort for boiling water and cooking their food. This setup is lightweight, quick, easy, and reliable in most weather conditions. Jetboil is a popular system which is very efficient, however it can be costly. There are other less expensive options if all you’re looking for is something to use in an emergency.
Like I stated earlier, I like to have at least three different ways of starting a fire. So, some form of butane lighter is one. Another would be a ferrocerium rod, and lastly, I carry a Zippo lighter with Lighter Fuel. Call me old school, but I really like Zippo lighters. And now that I think about it, I usually have some matches on me as well, so that makes it four (I guess I’m kind of obsessed too). In later blogs I’ll go into the pros and cons of these different types of fire starting.
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Here's a short video on one option for fire starting.
(These are my personal observations and opinions, yours may differ. Also, I sell and recommend certain products and services here and might be compensated for such recommendations.)
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