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Alternative fire starting methods, chemistry 101

9K views 28 replies 17 participants last post by  jfountain2 
#1 ·
Here's one I don't hear very often but appeals to my lazy ways.

Potassium permanganate - also useful medical item

Glycerine - can have medical uses too.

Put potassium permanganate on whatever you're lighting, give it a squirt of glycerine and it ignites a few seconds later. My favourite method when windy or if I'm just being lazy, burns hot so can ignite tinder of dubious dryness
 
#3 ·
Not sure about USA but larger chemists stock it in the Uk, or you can get it cheap enough on eBay. Doesn't take very much to start a fire so its cheaper than a lot of fire dusts from pine bark etc.

I alway have 200g or so with me with couple of cheap squeeze food glycerine from supermarket. That's my go to fire starter, then lighter, then matches then fire steel etc
 
#4 ·
alternative fire starting methods

I've found that most people have no clue as to how to start a fire under non perfect conditions. One problem is they don't recognize good wood in the forest or anywhere and try to burn doddy wood, this is half rotten wood, like old pieces of Ponderosa. However all over the forest one can find old stumps that have been there for 40 years, they are a dark gray, have some yellow showing, this is pitch. I cut pieces off with my ax and keep slivers of this. You can hold a match to it for a second in wind, rain or snow and it ignites. My second choice from a match is a coleman piece of firestarter. You can strike the metal piece and sparks ignite the shavings from the back side of it and this ignites the pitchy wood.
Another great fire starter is a cigarette lighter, I have a bunch of them. They're cheap, and easy to use, don't get wet either.:thumb::D::D::D:
 
#7 ·
I use potassium permanganate and glycerine as a fire starter when I'm in cold weather and want a fire started quick. If my hands are cold and my motor skills aren't great it works wonders. i would stay away from the fumes for a bit, i dont know if it is bad but i dont want to take the chance. You can get potassium permanganate at stores that sell aquarium supplies and glycerine at wal-mart or Kmart. I put it in little 2 or 4 dram vials and put it in my kits...you don't need much to start a fire and it is effortless minus gathering your tinder and other fuel.
 
#12 ·
Neosporin: The Firestarter that treats burns.
With cotton, they can be used to treat injuries, then lit up for a fire.
Lip balm, earaches, eye colds, oral infections, soar throats, etc...

They also have a spray that you can apply to tinder to help get it going.



 
#13 ·
Neosporin: The Firestarter that treats burns.
With cotton, they can be used to treat injuries, then lit up for a fire.
Lip balm, earaches, eye colds, oral infections, soar throats, etc...

They also have a spray that you can apply to tinder to help get it going.



www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmIzigCwuY8
I'm a big fan of PJ and cotton balls for starting fires along with the classic steel wool and 9 volt battery. Another trick I learned was collecting "fat wood" (resin rich wood) from old hollowed out tree stumps. Just collect some, feather one of the sides with a knife, and with a little bit of practice you can light it with a ferro rod :)
 
#21 ·
I have been reading a bit on different ways of making fire.
There have been some "snide" remarks about using chemicals.
Apparently the "died in the wool" preppers and campers feel that this is "cheating" One even said that if you are gonna cheat why not use a Bic lighter.
The fire produced by potassium permanganate and glycerin or the PP with brake fluid makes an extremely hot fire that burns for several seconds. This fire is hot enough to easily ignite damp tender. It is much more efficient than a lighter. Survival is about making you situation in life easier not to do things using energy that you can't afford to spare.
Less than 1/4 teaspoon of PP and 5 or 6 drops of glycerin will provide a reaction in about one minute. PP with brake fluid only takes about 15 seconds.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not gonna throw my Bics away but am sure as heck gonna keep small vials of PP and brake fluid handy. (on opposite sides of my pack)

Bob
 
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