5 ways to light a campfire

To start a home campfire, there are various improvised ways. To light the fire correctly, it is important to have enough tinder prepared (dry grass compacted well so that the ember spreads easily) and thin, dry firewood to not waste a flame that may have cost us a lot of effort to obtain. Whether you are in a place like the beach or the forest and want to make a campfire, one of these tips will surely help you.

1. Use a Lens

Starting a fire using a magnifying glass or lens is an easy method to ignite a fire without the help of matches. To create a campfire, all you need is some kind of lens to focus the sunlight on a specific point. A magnifying glass, eyeglasses, or binoculars' lenses work perfectly. If you add a little water to the lens, you can intensify the beam. Place the lens at an angle towards the sun to focus the beam on as small an area as possible. Put the tinder nest under this point, and soon you will have a campfire.

 Photo: 4.bp.blogspot

For this method, you only need a soda can, a chocolate bar, and a sunny day.

The first step is to open your chocolate and start rubbing it against the bottom of the soda can. The chocolate acts as a polisher and will leave the bottom of the can shining like a mirror. After this, the sunlight will reflect on the bottom of the can, forming a heat point; what you should do now is aim this light focus at the tinder to create the flame. Another option in case you don't have chocolate on hand is to use toothpaste.

Although it may sound strange or impossible, a condom can help you start a campfire. First, fill the condom or balloon with water and tie it. Try to make it as spherical as possible without inflating it too much, as this could distort the focal point of the sun's rays. Squeeze the balloon in your hands to give it a shape that results in a circle of light. Try squeezing the condom in half to form two small lenses. These latex objects have less focusing power than conventional lenses, so you should place them one or two inches away from the tinder nest.

Photo: todosupervivencia

This method is useful when camping during mountain trips. The first thing you need to do is take clear water; the ice should be clear and transparent. The best way to make a transparent ice block is to fill a plate or cup made of aluminum foil with clear pond water or melted snow. The ice block should be about two inches thick to work. Then you have to shape the ice; use a knife to give it a lens shape, always thicker in the center than at the periphery. Once cut, polish it with your hands until it is smooth. Finally, use your ice as a lens, pointing the heat focus on the dry tinder to create fire.

The most important thing in this method is to get good wood; keep this in mind before starting. The Indian bow consists of quickly rotating a stick with the help of a bow on another piece of wood. We will build the bow with a flexible branch and a shoelace, tying the ends to the ends of the branch. If we want the method to work, we must rub soft wood (friction stick) against hard wood (base platform). Now we must place the friction stick in the middle of the base platform and rotate it with the help of the Indian bow. When smoke starts to appear, add the well-compacted tinder so that the ember spreads easily and gently blow while continuing to rub to achieve a flame.

Photo: 4.bp.blogspot.

Take advantage of experimenting with these new ways to start a campfire on your next adventure and share your experiences with the community.

See also:

• How to set up a tent in 5 steps
• What should I bring in my adventure backpack?
• How to navigate with a compass