Fire keeps you warm in cold weather. It cooks food, purifies water, signals for help and keeps wildlife at a distance. It also matters on a camping trip or during a power outage, when starting a fire can be harder than it looks. There are many ways to make one, and each has strengths and weaknesses. This guide goes through the main methods, what they do well, where they fail, and a few specific products worth knowing. The goal is to help you choose a primary method and a backup, because a fire starter that fails in the wrong conditions is worse than none.
What makes a good fire starter #
A good one is reliable, easy to use and able to light in a variety of weather. Weight and size matter too if you carry it every day. Most real-world failures are not about the tool. They come from wet tinder, wind, cold hands or lack of practice. So when you read the comparisons below, keep in mind that the best method is the one you have used enough to trust.
Matches #
Matches are the common first choice. They are compact, easy to use and portable, and they give you rapid heat and a quick fire. A match burns long enough to ignite most tinder.
Not all matches are equal. Those with thick stems and the right amount of fuel beat the cheap ones. Waterproof matches are now widely available, and stormproof types such as UCO Stormproof Matches are made to resist wind and wet. They burn for up to 15 seconds, which gives you time to get the tinder lit.
Strengths: quick, hot flame; long enough burn for most tinder; lightweight; simple.
Weaknesses: a box runs out in a long survival situation; a gust of wind blows them out; ordinary matches fail once they get wet, so keep them in a waterproof container.
To use one, strike it on the striker surface in one swift motion and keep it close to the tinder.
Lighters #
A lighter is an upgrade on the match. You can click it repeatedly until the fire catches, and if wind blows the flame out, you click again. As long as the fuel tank is healthy, a lighter produces more fire than a full box of matches. Windproof and waterproof models are ideal. A basic BIC is affordable, reliable and easy to use, and it is the lighter many people carry.
Strengths: burns hotter and longer than a match; resists wind; one-click operation; compact; reusable.
Weaknesses: useless when the fuel runs out; a mechanical flaw can disable it; it is fragile.
Keep the flame away from your face and body while lighting the fire. Carry a backup, since a lighter can fail with no warning.
Ferrocerium rods and fire steel #
A ferrocerium rod, also called a firesteel or striker, throws a shower of very hot sparks when you scrape it with a sharp edge. The older version is a piece of carbon steel that you strike against chert, flint or a similar rock. These devices strike a good balance between convenience and lifespan. They are small, extremely lightweight and work in all weather, and one rod lasts a very long time before it wears out. The Exotac nanoSTRIKER XL is a compact example that suits backpackers and survivalists. It produces a high volume of sparks.
Strengths: very hot spark; lasts for very long periods; compact and portable; works wet.
Weaknesses: not as easy to use as a lighter, and it takes practice. The material does gradually wear down.
To use one, hold the rod close to the tinder and drag a sharp edge along it, aiming the sparks at the tinder. Fine, dry tinder is a must, because sparks do not light damp material.
Fire-starter cubes and gel #
Paraffin wax cubes and fire gel are made to ignite easily and burn for a long time. They are a good choice in wet conditions, when natural tinder is hard to find. Duraflame Firestart firelighters are one such product. They are odorless and easy to light, and each burns for up to 30 minutes. Place the cube under your tinder and light it. It burns long enough to catch the rest of the firewood.
Strengths: easy to light; long burn time; effective when everything is damp.
Weaknesses: you have to carry them, and they run out like any consumable.
Natural options #
Not every fire starter has to come from a store. Pine cones and birch bark both catch easily and have been used for this purpose for a long time. They are a good reason to look around before you reach for your kit, especially where you need to save your supplies.
Bow drill #
The bow drill is a rudimentary method that is still in use. It is what you reach for when you are stuck with almost no supplies. A spindle twists into a wooden base, and the friction produces an ember. You can make the parts from natural materials in the wilderness.
Strengths: works with nothing but natural materials; the parts are durable and easy to find; no limit on fire-starting potential.
Weaknesses: the method is complex and physically demanding, takes a long time to master, and success rates are low for beginners.
Learn it before you need it. Several online guides, including a well-known one on wikiHow, show how to build and use the set.
Fire plow and hand drill #
These use the same friction principle as the bow drill. A fire plow uses a baseboard and a spindle. You push the stick back and forth in a groove instead of spinning it, and the movement drives glowing dust into a trench at the end of the board. Once enough has collected, you move it into a bundle of tinder.
A hand drill spins a long, thin, straight stick against a wooden baseboard with a notch cut into it, with the stick set at right angles to the board. The baseboard is slightly more complex to prepare.
Strengths: you can do it with natural materials from the woods; simple to set up; broken parts are easy to replace.
Weaknesses: success depends on picking the right wood. It demands more time and effort than matches or lighters, and suitable material is rarely lying around.
Fire piston #
The fire piston is a relatively new method that is reliable, effective and compact. It compresses air to produce an ember from tinder placed in the inner part of the piston. Using it is easy. Put the fuel in, seat the cap, and push down in a swift motion. Open the device and the tinder is lit.
Strengths: compact; near-endless fuel over the long run; a good backup to a lighter and matches; works quickly.
Weaknesses: the right tinder is hard to obtain, and the device breaks easily, which makes it useless.
Other methods #
A few less conventional options exist. In hot, sunny conditions you can concentrate a beam of sunlight with a magnifying glass or a lens taken from a camera and ignite tinder. It’s an obvious choice when the sun is high, and useless when it is not.
Another method uses a thin piece of wire, such as a paperclip or steel wool, and a battery. Connect the positive and negative terminals of a battery, ideally a 9-volt, with the wire. It heats up and glows enough to light a tinder bundle. It works in all kinds of environments.
Quick comparison #
| Method | Best for | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | Fast, simple lighting | Run out; fail in wind and wet |
| Lighter | Repeated attempts | Fuel and mechanical failure |
| Ferro rod | All-weather, long-term | Needs practice and dry tinder |
| Fire cubes or gel | Wet conditions | Consumable |
| Bow drill | No supplies at all | Skill and effort |
| Hand drill or plow | Natural materials only | Right wood is critical |
| Fire piston | Compact backup | Fragile; tinder is hard |
| Lens or battery | Improvised options | Depends on sun or kit |
Safety #
Handle a fire with the same care you take to light it.
- Keep a water source nearby in case the fire gets out of control.
- Clear flammable material away from both the fire starter and the fire.
- Never leave a fire unattended, and make sure it is fully out before you leave.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for any commercial starter.
Choosing a combination #
Pick at least two methods and perfect them, so that each serves as a backup for the other. A lighter and a ferro rod is a sensible pairing, with waterproof matches for the pocket and a fire cube for wet days. Practice friction methods when the weather is good, so that you know them when conditions are bad. Over time, learn all of the methods. The more of them you know, the less a single failure can hurt you.
Related reading: the full survival skills guide; How to keep a campfire Going Tips and Tricks.