There are incredibly-effective fire making survival tools on the market. So why invest time in learning the old-time methods?

by Leon Pantenburg

The big kid was one of those scouts who wasn’t particularly outstanding at any outdoor skill so far. But he was totally engaged at my flint-and-steel fire making seminar at a campout. He quickly grasped the basics, and got his first flame. Then a second, and a third. And so on. He became an assistant fire making instructor in our troop, and learned teaching skills.

Fast forward several years: The big kid became an Eagle scout and an assistant scoutmaster. He studied special education in college, and now teaches kids outdoor skills. Flint-and-steel fire-making are part of his curriculum, and one of the most popular sessions.

At the Georgia Bushcraft Conference 2024, I watched Johnny Speigel and Brian Boatwright teach friction fire making to kids. The youngsters’ rapt attention to the old time skill totally distracted them from anything on the internet.

DISCLAIMER: During a survival situation, use the quickest, easiest method to get a fire started. If gasoline is available and you have a flare, use them! Learn how to use these SAFELY!!!!!

While this post is about primitive methods, be sure to make and carry an effective fire making ignition kit. 

Here are several reasons why primitive fire making should be included in your survival/prepper skills.

All kids love playing with fire:

If they are like me at a young age, building fires is a fascinating activity that ties me in with the mountain men, Long Hunters, Lewis and Clark and other adventurers. It was one skill I learned that lead to other interests in the outdoors.

Teach them primitive fire-making skills along with fire safety, and you have taught them a life skill.

 Find rocks that spark:

Once you learn how to use flint and steel, it opens up a whole new world of geology. You find that many rocks can make excellent sparks when whacked with a hardened steel striker.

Subsequently, you’ll always be looking for rocks, and friends will start looking for you. I’ve gotten sparky rocks from around the world – flint from England, chert from Mexico and South Africa. I’ve picked up sparky rocks from roadsides, parking lots, vacant lots, creeks and rivers and just about any place that has rocks.

If you decide to advance to friction fire-making you’ll find yourself looking for the right woods, and the materials to fashion a firebow or spindle setup.

Recycle materials:

Part of the fun is making your own fire-making kits is using items that might otherwise be thrown away. Learn to make charcloth, and you’ll be including it in your survival gear. Use cotton from prescription bottle or make one of the most effective firestarter material ever.

Flint and steel and friction methods are reliable:

Matches and lighters are relatively new methods of starting a fire. The ancient Egyptians used bow drills thousands of years ago. During Biblical times, I’m betting that people used some variation of flint-and-steel.

It has been many years since I used anything but primitive methods to start a campfire. This includes during snow and rain storms. Once you learn a primitive method, it seems anti-climactic, or too easy, to use matches or a lighter to start a campfire.

Check out the striker and charcloth for flint and steel firemaking!

Builds confidence:

Fire-making is an important skill, and it is surprising how many people don’t have a clue. At one session with Big River Wild Adventures, a big city couple admitted that they had never started a fire, or sat next to a campfire.

A couple hours later, it was raining hard. We were sitting – very comfortably – under the tarp shelter they had made, around a fire they had started with flint and steel. Both of them exuded new confidence.

Don’t let your primitive fire-making end with the ignition. Learn how to build a campfire from that initial spark or flame. Learn how to make a feather stick and other aids to getting a fire going.

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