Prefered fire lighting method

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What would be your prefered method of fire-lighting?

  • Drill & Bow (Fire by Friction)

    Votes: 21 4.1%
  • Hand Drilling (Fire by Friction)

    Votes: 14 2.8%
  • Flint and steel

    Votes: 77 15.2%
  • Firesteel

    Votes: 254 50.0%
  • Fire Piston

    Votes: 6 1.2%
  • Lighter

    Votes: 99 19.5%
  • Match

    Votes: 29 5.7%
  • Other methods

    Votes: 8 1.6%

  • Total voters
    508

milius2

Maker
Jun 8, 2009
989
7
Lithuania
After I started learning bushcraft i never used matchess or lighter, firesteel or flint and steel works for me. I do start with flint and steel, but faaar not all attempts are success, but then I allways have some cotton with me and firesteel allways does the job. Allthough I'm lucky that I never had to start a fire in a proper rain, that would be a different story.

Great post! ;)
 

Rumi

Forager
What a great variety of skill and interesting approaches. I either missed it or no one has mentioned the short circuiting of a 12 or 9v battery in wire wool. I've tried or used most methods including bow drill and fire plough but not fire piston. I especially like my flint and steel and Swedish steel.

I generally process my own natural tinders from a variety of materials and have developed ways to light fires in some of the worst conditions that the UK weather can offer.
 
What a great variety of skill and interesting approaches. I either missed it or no one has mentioned the short circuiting of a 12 or 9v battery in wire wool. I've tried or used most methods including bow drill and fire plough but not fire piston. I especially like my flint and steel and Swedish steel.

I generally process my own natural tinders from a variety of materials and have developed ways to light fires in some of the worst conditions that the UK weather can offer.

Can you share with us what plant tinders you use Rumi ?
 

iamasmith

Forager
Aug 12, 2009
128
1
London
Interesting questing and interesting response by the majority. I guess they tuned into something I didn't so I put 'other method'.

If I need a fire in a hurry then I will use the easiest method I have to hand which is probably a lighter.

If I want to meet my ultimate desire in fire lighting then it's probably to shape my own fire piston and have it work for me.

In between I get a lot of satisfaction still from being able to make a fire with a bow drill and have the practical fallback of firesteel and magnesium blocks and shavers if things get wet.
 

T1Viper

Nomad
Sep 24, 2010
406
0
Ayrshire
After I started learning bushcraft i never used matchess or lighter, firesteel or flint and steel works for me. I do start with flint and steel, but faaar not all attempts are success, but then I allways have some cotton with me and firesteel allways does the job. Allthough I'm lucky that I never had to start a fire in a proper rain, that would be a different story.

Great post! ;)

Hi,

If you carry cotton wool coat it in a little bit of vaseline and put it in a ziplock bag before you leave, that way even if it does rain heavy you'll still be able to light a fire.

Tom
 

Andy T

Settler
Sep 8, 2010
899
27
Stoke on Trent.
i use a firesteel thats fitted into a wooden handle which has been wiped over with floor oil.......i think this has two advantages ...it helps preserve the wood and if im ever stuck for tinder i could always shave a bit off the handle
 
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JonathanD

Ophiological Genius
Sep 3, 2004
12,809
1,481
Stourton,UK
i use a firesteel thats fitted into a wooden handle which has been wiped over with floor oil.......i think this has two advantages ...it helps preserve the wood and if im ever stuck for tinder i could always shave a bit off the handle

Floor oil?! Where do you live. We have carpets on our floors.
 

Melonfish

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 8, 2009
2,460
1
Warrington, UK
i remember back in january we couldn't get our trang's lit it was that cold, so we used some fluff dipped in meths and lit that, took a spark instantly then managed to light the tranks.
firesteel all the way for that :D
@tomongoose i know what you mean about feeling like you've give up with a lighter. still it makes an appearence in my fire kit just because having a backup is never a bad thing.

also i voted firesteel because "air dropped napalm strike" wasn't an option :D
 

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