Acquiring clear ice is the challenge. The first time that I made fire from ice I bought an ice block from a dispenser and then cut, shaved, and formed a lens using a pruning saw. My warm hands smoothed the surface.

I always had trouble trying to create clear ice at home. I was able to find clear ice at a nearby stream where I fashioned a nice lens but the same weather under which the ice formed was also cloudy and prevented the solar capability of sunshine.

While surfing the web I saw an advertisement for a clear ice making device for beverages that could make a sphere. I have used a glass sphere as a lens to make fire and so decided to acquire the ice maker so that I could demonstrate this remarkable fire craft method.

I acquired the clear ice kit and was happy with the resulting sphere. As I rubbed it in my hand the frosty surface became clear and usable.

Here are some observations and suggestions when using ice.

– Once the ice is exposed to sunlight it will begin to melt so the ice will begin to shrink and drip. Prop your tinder at the edge of an elevated support so water drops will miss the tinder and not pool next to it.

– While holding the ice lens be careful to allow full exposure to the sun’s rays to maximize the effectiveness of the focal point on the tinder.

– As with all optical methods it is best to select dark material for tinder and if it is fiberous, pinch it tight to create a flat surface on which to focus as there is no focus on fluff. The condensed material also transfers heat and helps to create a coal.

My next goal is to cut the ice sphere in half to increase the focal distance. It will be fun to have this capability for my personal use as well as the ability to demonstrate to others.

NOTE: Size/diameter makes a difference in an optical tool. Using a 2″ ice lens is difficult to ignite tinder. I used some charcloth with my tinder successfully. A 5″ ice lens for example would not require that advantage. Also, make sure that the skies are clear before you venture out to use this method.

However the hot wire of this article is heated by friction and can be accomplished by using simple materials found at home or perhaps with your camping gear. This method has been described in military survival manuals using wire, wood, and gun powder.

This is very similar to the fire thong method that uses natural materials, particularly a rattan vine used as a thong to rub a light dry wood to develop char that is heated by rubbing to create a live coal/ember.

The difference here is that a thin wire is used instead as a thong and is rubbed long enough to heat the wire so when it is removed and layed in contact with a pile of gun powder a flame results.

In this case the gun powder has been removed from a cartridge ahead of time to recieve the hot wire for ignition. Tinder is placed adjacent to the gun powder to catch and sustain the flame.

This is a survival method and removing a bullet from a cartridge to obtain gun powder can be risky so care should be taken, especially with center fire ammunition. I disassembled three .22 caliber rim fire cartridges by holding the casing by hand and removing the bullet with pliers.

Some years ago I got a personal look at the aftermath of an accidental
Spontaneous Combustion fire and soon afterwards I tried a similar set up to see if I could replicate it but I think that I didn’t give it near enough time for the heat to build.

Since then my research indicates a 6 hour time frame is common so I was inspired to try again. In preparation of this effort I bought some boiled linseed oil and a cotton mop head. I also gathered a few combustible cotton rags that provided insulation that is key to the process.

I took a small cardboard box and layed a cotton shirt at the bottom then drizzled some oil over it. Next I layed the cotton mop head on top and thoroughly drizzled oil all over it, both internally and externally. Next I drizzled oil on the rest of the rags that I layed on top, leaving a two inch opening in the center. Finally I lowered the box’s two end flaps over that. This project was conducted outdoors.

Keeping the oil soaked material somewhat bundled allows the heat caused by the drying effect of the boiled linseed oil in to build the temperature enough to ultimately reach ignition.

At 2.5 hours I checked it and felt that it had a slightly elevated warmth. At 3.5 hours it was very warm and I could see some very slight smoke emerging so I grabbed a chair to observe it as it progressed. Occasional breezes would increase the smoke a little more until after 1.5 hours I could not resist blowing on the thick smoke to coax it further. I sputtered and coughed with watery eyes but finally I spotted a small orange ember!

I was excited and could not wait for it to naturally reach full combustion on it’s own so I intervened and fetched a scrap piece of water pipe to use as a blow pipe and was rewarded with a spectacular flame!

This was a proof-of-concept project that made me feel like MacGyver! It would be a very odd circumstance that would require this method to start a fire but now I have it in my bag of tricks if ever needed.

I discuss fire methods using gum wrapper foil that generates enough heat to cause the paper substrate to burst into a flame.

One method that I learned recently uses two AA batteries and staples that can create a red hot point to ignite tinder so I decided to try it.

Apparently prisoners can purchase AA batteries at a commissary for various personal electronics. Staples can be acquired from various printed material.

To begin, one battery is held upright with the second battery Inverted next to it while placed on a metal surface. This creates a circuit in series that produces 3V. In prison, that metal surface might be the top of a sink or toilet. I used an Inverted stainless steel cup.

For convenience I used a rubber band to hold the batteries together. Next, I straightened out one side of each of two staples and used masking tape to mount one on the topside of each battery.

Then I tore off a piece of toilet tissue and placed the jagged edge between the staples so when I rotated the batteries together to touch the ends of the staples they became red hot and ignited the tissue paper.

The masking tape and rubber band are modifications of mine that make this method alot more manageable. The staples get hot to hold but the masking tape helps to buffer the heat while stabilizing them on the battery poles.

It took a little practice to use successfully. I prefer the gum wrapper foil method better but it’s good to know an alternative method when materials might be limited.

I often inspect the huge bin of glass for potential resources. I have recovered soup bowls, floral vases, thick bottom bottles that I use for flint knapping, and recently I spotted a sphere shaped bottle that I removed it’s label and filled it with water to become a solar lens with which to create fire.

In a previous article “Optical Fire Method Using A Vinegar Bottle” my optical fire tool came from a shopping trip, but this glass bottle originally came from a liquor store.

It may not be a practical tool for hiking but a fun part of firecraft and could actually save the day in an emergency. In any case, be aware of possible resources when you travel out and about.

Old downed pine trees are a great source for fatwood that is found where the branch emerges from the trunk and when the outer wood is removed it reveals the darker hardened resin that resides at the core.

As an alternative, many major grocery or big box stores carry fatwood fire starters next to the charcoal and briquettes where barbecue supplies are displayed. This would be a convenient resource for experimentation to gain experience of fatwood properties.

As I pursued experimenting with fatwood for cooking I learned that it is best to be conducted in a wind-free environment. I soon discovered that it needed a thicker/wider piece than shown in the photo. I tried to make a fuzz stick at one end but the material was too brittle and wouldn’t hold a curl, so I took another approach by laying the stick on it’s side, then taking the tip of my knife and plunged down to split the end several times, creating a small fringe. That worked well to lite and sustained the flame while heating up my cup. My cup was hand-held to maintain a constant distance above the flame as the fatwood was consumed and shortened in the process.

The cook-time is limited but a small packet of instant coffee added or just hot water can be very satisfying. One negative side effect is that the resin is very smokey and coats the bottom of the vessel that you cook in.

While small branches might be broken by hand or braced perhaps against you knee, there comes a point where extra effort for stubborn or larger pieces is needed. Leverage is the key and a double trunk provides the means.

In a more domestic application, bent metal rods or pipes can be straightened. Years ago I did maintenance work at some apartments and occasionally a tenant would back into a chain link fence and bend the top pipe rail. I would remove it and use a double trunk tree on the premises to straighten it out before replacing it.

You may find multiple tree trunks instead of doubles that would be suitable and in some cases narrow “Y” shaped branches, but tree trunks are the strongest and doubles are the most efficient.

This could be a staple in your kitchen that could serve dual purposes, culinary and optical. In fact, when emptied it could be refilled with water or any other clear liquid to renew it’s optical properties.

While my experiment was done in late October it still performed well at the sun’s latitude. I had to catch a trangent opening in the clouds to create an ember.

There are better tools to create fire but this just adds one more way to create a fire in an emergency. Next time that you go shopping you might pick one of these up to experiment with and see if you can create a coal. Keep in mind that a dark material works best as tinder and heats up quicker.

The plastic bag approach can be used in two different ways, as an air bucket or when modified as an air funnel.

When used as a bucket the bag can be held open while scooping air into it then quickly closing the open end. That end is held closed by one hand and directed over coals or at the inlet of a Dakota Hole. The other hand presses the bottom of the bag while the open end of the bag is carefully released.

As a funnel a plastic water bottle can be cut around the middle circumference and the bottle’s neck can be poked through the bags bottom corner where it can be affixed with duct tape. The neck can be held or taped onto the inflation or exhaust port on an air mattress or raft.

When the open end of the bag is spread open it automatically fills with air, then when it is closed quickly by hand it can be pressed closed to begin inflation. There is a commercial version called an “inflation bag” or “pump sack” that is used to inflate pack rafts.

In any case plastic bags can be a helpful tool while camping and should be considered as part of your provisional gear.

Most folks are familiar with the concept that maple trees are tapped to produce syrup. They are tapped in the early Spring when sap begins to flow and uses a spile or tube to reach the cambium layer that lies behind the outer bark.

The reason for tapping a pine tree for bushcraft is more likely for an immediate need and performed at any time and without special equipment. The outer bark must be penetrated so that sap can be released. As shown in the photo a simple “V” shaped notch can be cut by blade or sharp stone to accomplish this. Cutting the bark on a larger tree may take more effort but will have less impact on the health of the tree.

Of course sap may already be available by inspecting neighboring trees that may have been injured by storm winds or by other means that have left deposits on the outer bark. Any dried sap collected can be heated to liquefy for your application.

I invite comments by those who can share their experiences in harvesting pine sap.