6 Ways To Make Fire Without Matches Or A Lighter - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow

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• Fire Making

9 Quick and Easy Ways to Start a Fire by Yourself Download Article Learn how to start a fire without a lighter or matches Co-authored by Josh Goldbach and Mason Martinez, BA

Last Updated: November 18, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Steel wool & battery
|
• Char cloth, flint & steel
|
• Hand drill
|
• Bow drill
|
• Fire piston
|
• Magnifying glass
|
• Ice lens
|
• Resealable bag and water
|
• Potassium permanganate & glycerine
|
• Video
|
• Expert Q&A

|Show more |Show less X

This article was co-authored by Josh Goldbach and by wikiHow staff writer, Mason Martinez, BA. Josh Goldbach is an Outdoor Education Expert and the Executive Director of Bold Earth Adventures. Bold Earth leads adventure travel camps for teenagers all over the world. With almost 15 years of experience, Josh specializes in outdoor adventure trips for teens both in the United States and internationally. Josh earned his B.A. in Psychology from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. He’s also trained as a wilderness first responder, a Leave No Trace master educator, and a Level 5 Swiftwater rescue technician. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,130,554 times.

To survive in the woods, learning how to start a fire is essential. Fire offers warmth, protection, and a place to cook and sterilize tools in an emergency. However, matches and lighters can be fickle—and easy to lose or get wet! In this guide, we'll teach you 9 different ways to start a fire with common (and not-so-common) gear you should have in your pack!

Things You Should Know

• Start a fire without a match or a lighter by gathering dry grass, leaves, or sticks to make tinder. Create friction by rubbing a stick against dry wood to ignite a spark.
• Rub both prongs of a 9-volt battery against a piece of steel wool to create friction and ignite a spark. Transfer the spark to a pile of dry tinder to start a fire.
• Focus a strong beam of sunlight through eyeglasses, binoculars, and or a resealable bag filled with water at a pile of tinder to spark a fire.

Steps

1

Steel wool & battery

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1. Ignite a spark with a bundle of steel wool, a 9V battery, and tinder. First, begin by making a small tinder nest out of dry grass, leaves, or sticks. Grab a 9-volt battery and rub the two circular receiving prongs against a piece of steel wool to create friction. You may need to do this a few times before you see a spark.[1]
   • Gently blow on the steel wool to encourage the flame to grow and spread. Carefully transfer the steel wool to your tinder nest, blowing lighting until the tender catches.
   • Add larger pieces of dry wood to continue building your fire.
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2

Char cloth, flint & steel

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1. Place char cloth on a piece of flint, quickly striking a blade against it. Build a tinder nest using dry plant material. Take a flint rock and hold it between your thumb and forefinger. Use a piece of char cloth or lightweight tree fungus as charcoal. Quickly scrape the back of a steel striker or knife blade against the flint until sparks fly. Catch the sparks with the char cloth until it glows like an ember. Transfer the cloth to the tinder nest and gently blow it to induce a flame.[2]
   • Generally, you can find flint in the Southeast and Midwest along river beds or in limestone. Flint is often a black or grey color with a glassy look on its surface.[3]
   • You do not need to use char cloth. However, when striking your blade against the flint, aim the sparks towards the tinder so it can catch.

3

Hand drill

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1. Create friction with a spindle against a piece of wood. Find a piece of wood to use as the base of your hand drill, also called a fireboard. Cut a small, V-shaped notch in the center of your board with a knife. Place small pieces of bark beneath the notch. Then, place a .5-inch wide stick (spindle) into the notch. Rub the stick between your two flat palms, pressing firmly into the board until embers form.[4]
   • Transfer the glowing embers to your tinder nest. Blow gently to create a flame.
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4

Bow drill

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1. Make a bow using a flexible stick and string. Use a shoelace string, roots, or plant fibers to make a long string that attaches to each end of the flexible stick. Find a piece of wood for the base, carving a V-shaped notch with tinder or kindling placed over it. Place the stick in the middle of the notch, keeping it in place with a rock, while moving the bow back and forth in a sawing motion until a flame catches.[5]

5

Fire piston

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1. Add a small amount of tinder into a fire piston to ignite a flame. A fire piston is a small cylinder that compresses air to create heat. Insert a small amount of tinder or char cloth into the piston. Press the plunger rapidly to ignite the tinder. You may need to take a small stick or a knife to dig the flame out of the piston, transferring it to a bundle of tinder. Offer a slow and steady breath to nurture the flame.[6]
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6

Magnifying glass

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1. Use focused light from the sun to start a fire. Be sure it's a bright day with minimal clouds; otherwise, this method won't work. To create a fire with a magnifying glass, tilt a magnifying glass toward the sun until a small circle of focused light appears. Hold the lens over a small bundle of tinder until it begins to smoke and flame. You may have to try different angles to create the most focused beam of light possible. Blow lightly to nurture the flame.[7]
   • You can also use eyeglasses or binocular lenses if you don't have a magnifying glass on hand.
   • It may help to add a few drops of water to the lens to create a more intense beam of light.

7

Ice lens

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1. Use a clear piece of ice to create the shape of a lens. You may need to shave the sides of a piece of ice with a knife, cement, or a stone to create a circular shape. Use the warmth of your hands to melt the ice lens smoothly. Then, hold your ice lens perpendicular to the sun to focus a beam of light on your tinder as you would with a magnifying glass. Wait until you see smoke, then the tinder will ignite.[8]
   • Avoid dripping water onto the tinder, as this can prevent a flame from sparking.
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8

Resealable bag and water

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1. Use a resealable bag and water to create a lens. Fill a resealable bag half-full with water. Twist the bag until it forms a liquid sphere, and hold it into the sun. You may have to adjust your angle until you get a steady, strong beam of light, like with an ice or glass lens. Aim the light on top of the tinder and hold the bag steady until the tinder starts to smoke and ignites.[9]
   • You can also use urine if you don't have enough water.

9

Potassium permanganate & glycerine

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1. Potassium permanganate and glycerine create a chemical fire. Grab a flat rock and pour a quarter-size amount of Potassium Permanganate. Add equal amounts of glycerine and wait a few minutes. You can add a couple of drops of water to speed up the process, but wait for the mixture to burst into flames.[10]
   • You may want to take a step back for this one!
   • You can also use sugar instead of glycerine.
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Expert Q&A

Search Add New Question

• Question How do I find flint? What does it look like? Britt Edelen BA in English Literature, Brown University Britt Edelen comes to wikiHow after graduating in 2019 from Brown University, where he studied English and German literature and philosophy. While at Brown he contributed frequently to campus publications and worked in the university’s Writing Center. More recently, he has had several articles published in various journals devoted to literary criticism. During his time at wikiHow, Britt supervised and collaborated with writers and editors to continue producing high-quality content and promote wikiHow’s mission of enabling everyone to learn anything. Britt Edelen BA in English Literature, Brown University Expert Answer Flint looks shiny and gray and it almost feels like pencil lead. You can find it by looking around rocks. It should be easy to scratch off, but it shouldn't come off in chunks. It should come off in shavings. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 10 Helpful 51
• Question How long do the different methods take? Community Answer Using a hand drill takes 30+ minutes. A bow drill would take 5-10 minutes while using steel wool would only take 2-3 minutes. A magnifying glass would also take about 10-15 minutes. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 33 Helpful 184
• Question What if I don't have anything with me? Community Answer Then the hand drill is your best bet. Try to find a base log that already has a small hole, and a pointed stick. That should be all you need. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 60 Helpful 186

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Tips

• Make sure the wood is extremely dry before attempting any friction methods. Thanks Helpful 242 Not Helpful 79
• Cottonwood, juniper, aspen, willow, cedar, cypress, and walnut are ideal for creating your fire board and spindle sets. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 3
• Nurturing an ember or spark into a flame is the most difficult part of starting a fire. Be sure to blow gently during this step. Thanks Helpful 224 Not Helpful 95

Show More Tips

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

• Try to save leftover embers and keep them warm to start your next fire fast.

Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

• Be aware of sparks and embers that may fly off when creating friction. Thanks Helpful 117 Not Helpful 41
• Be sure to put out your fire using water or by smothering it with sand or dirt before leaving the fire site unattended. Thanks Helpful 108 Not Helpful 40
• Always remember to be careful when dealing with fire. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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References

1. ↑ https://www.wiredforadventure.com/how-to-start-fire-with-natural-materials/
2. ↑ https://www.mensjournal.com/adventure/bushcraft-how-to-start-a-fire-with-flint-and-steel
3. ↑ https://www.selfrelianceoutfitters.com/blogs/survival-blog/identifying-flint-in-wild
4. ↑ https://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/survivalist/2012/02/survival-skills-how-build-hand-drill-fire/
5. ↑ https://scoutingmagazine.org/2019/10/create-fire-by-friction
6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=228&v=sgKWwGv6y-E&feature=youtu.be
7. ↑ https://gosciencekids.com/index.html%3Fp=1540.html
8. ↑ https://www.primitiveways.com/ice-fire.html
9. ↑ https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gear/a22007/making-fire-with-a-plastic-bag/

More References (1)

10. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=24&v=hDct3tV12Ns&feature=youtu.be

About This Article

Co-authored by: Josh Goldbach Outdoor Education Expert This article was co-authored by Josh Goldbach and by wikiHow staff writer, Mason Martinez, BA. Josh Goldbach is an Outdoor Education Expert and the Executive Director of Bold Earth Adventures. Bold Earth leads adventure travel camps for teenagers all over the world. With almost 15 years of experience, Josh specializes in outdoor adventure trips for teens both in the United States and internationally. Josh earned his B.A. in Psychology from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. He’s also trained as a wilderness first responder, a Leave No Trace master educator, and a Level 5 Swiftwater rescue technician. This article has been viewed 1,130,554 times. 45 votes - 64% Co-authors: 75 Updated: November 18, 2025 Views: 1,130,554 Categories: Featured Articles | Fire Making Article SummaryX

To make a fire without matches or a lighter, try using a stick and a piece of bark. To start, gather some tinder and small dry, sticks, which you’ll use as a base for your fire. When you have your materials, use a knife or a sharp object to cut a small, v-shaped notch in a dry log or piece of wood. Then, place a piece of bark beneath this notch to catch the embers. Place a stick in the notch, and rub your palms together around it to roll it and create friction. Continue doing this until your bark starts to smolder, then transfer the bark to your tinder pile. You can also start a fire with a piece of steel wool and a battery. First, take a piece of steel wool and rub it against the 2 terminals on the end of the battery, which will create friction. When the steel wool starts to glow, blow gently on it to encourage the flame to spread. Then, transfer the steel wool to your tinder and add increasingly larger pieces of dry wood to build the fire. To learn how to use a magnifying glass to start a fire, read on! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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