Making Fire Without Matches

[Geof]

One easy way is to get the firry thistal seeds (C@W and Maccamob should have seen plenty of these). Dry them. One flash with a flint only from a cig lighter and there flameing.

For the stick rubing thing use Xanthorrhoea australis (grass tree / blackboy) seed head stalk.

From:
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_de ... ?ID=133554
I participated in this many years ago when I was a kid and it worked.
I have been told recently that these must be removed from the plant just as they are starting to become dry before the resin is suched back into the plant and then dryed with the resin still in them.
The person that told me said they chalanged one of their fellow indiginous teachers if he could do this and he had fire in about 30 seconds with these.
Probebly advisable to check if it's legal to get these before you go and grab one

As for daytime ever wondered why they don't have shinny satellite dishes .

[If]

This guy sounds like he knows what he's talking about http://www.uq.net.au/~zzdlittl/aussiefirebow.htmlPersonally I find parking the car in long dry grass after driving a few hundred kilometres is a far quicker and easier way to get a blaze going

[Mr Walker]

Couldn't help laughing out loud at the last suggestion. A co worker wanted to know what was so funny, and kindly pointed out that I had obviously got over the loss of our house and possessions in the Eyre Peninsula fire last year that was started in just this way. The glycerine and condies crystals works well. Back in the days of Guy Fawkes, this was an excellent time delay mechanism, when you needed to be well away from the scene of the crime.

[tttedzeins]

The firebow method has worked well for me on numerous occasions usually using a shoe lace and small branch from a tree for the bow.

[bigmickb]

Thanks for all these suggestions folks. I'm taking careful note of all of them, and I'll endevour to post pictures of my triumph (or failures as the case may be) when they happen.

[Geof]

One ABC tv yesturday or the day before they had a gap filler dream time story cartoon based on the Xanthorrhoea method.

[Fletcher Christian]

I finds te best method to be:<P>1) Mutiny<BR>2) Sail to Tahiti<BR>3) Terrorise the natives (gaaarrrrggghhhhh!!!)<BR>4) Buy yourself a bride or two and head of wit' yer mates in search o' paradise<BR>5) Burn baby, burn.<BR>6) GGGaaarrrrrgggggghhhh.<BR>7) Enjoy a lovely red from South Australia

[Map Monkey]

Sounds like someone favours choice number 7 a bit too much

Other ideas i have played with over the years included:

- the steel wool & 6/9v battery

- A "non-safety" match was fun to play with......we gained some of these pre-WWII types, you know, the old cowboy movie style ones, and they worked great. I'm not sure if the are possible to aquire any more due to their safety issues Swan Vestas (?), lucifer or similar.

- several chemical reactions, all of which are dangerous (mother in law had access to some fun stuff )

- how about a piezoelectric experiment......pull a lighter apart that contains the mechanism, or just use a gas stove piezoelectric one. The tech stuff behind the effect is great for a 9YO, and is fun to shock people If you are really into this stuff, you could do some research and link this to how a quartz watch works. (can't remember the finer points anymore )

- Link the piezo mechanism to a carbide lamp and make it a true science experiment Make acetylene gas from carbide and water

Oh, the good old days
::counts fingers, yep still there ::
mm

[Geof]

- how about a piezoelectric experiment......pull a lighter apart that contains the mechanism, or just use a gas stove piezoelectric one.

I use one from an old gas hot water service on my shellite hike stove. Works OK provided it's not freezing cold. I even tryed dunking it in a bucket of water to see if that would stop it and on removal and one shake it worked immediately unlike flint.

[russell2pi]

Though the best "emergency fire starting equipment" to carry is a couple of cigarette lighters in plastic bags, failing that I reckon one of the easiest is steel wool and a battery. Just short out the terminals of the battery with the steel wool. It will glow red hot and catch any tinder (or, preferably, flammable liquid) you put on it.
(9V, 6V dolphin or car battery, but make sure you get well away from the car battery using jumper leads or something as it gives off explosive Hydrogen gas!)

[TeamAstro]

I've done it using a 6" telescope mirror - just focus it it on a pile of leaves, or a bit of paper and "whoosh" - only takes a few seconds (mind you, a box of matches or lighter is considerably more portable ).

I agree. I always carry a telescope. Works a treat. Hint: carry a crappy eyepiece. (PS, binoculars also work but it takes longer).

clear skies, Astro.

[Map Monkey]

Must be a good telescope to be used at night as per bigmickb's original request

mm

[Hounddog]

A 9v battery and light steel works like a charm.

Even penlights will start a fire. I know that because I had one start in my pocket once when I was carrying a couple around with my keys.

[Bundyrumandcoke]

A couple I have used, most mentioned above.

I have made a campfire "Rocket" for a scout campfire many times. Tight wire from high tree branch to ground level in middle of fireplace. Rocket is pvc tube wrapped in kero soaked rag, suspended by 2 bent paperclips, lubricated with grease, and held up in tree by thin string. Small container of pottassium permanganese hanging under tube, with hinged cup of glycerine above. String to cup then to ground at base of tree. When fire needed, pull string (Hopefully out of sight of scouts) glycerine tips into pottasium, chemical reaction occures, lighting rocket, and burning through hold back string releasing rocket down wire to light fire. MAGIC, scout spirit at work. Especially spectacular the younger the scouts are.

I have used the petrol soaked rag and 2 pieces of wire on car battery before. It can also be done with car cigarette lighter.

These days I always carry an endless match when camping, thats the magnesium block with flint side.

[djcache]

Flint and steel.

Learnt how when I used to shoot black powder.

They had comps for kids to see who could light a fire fastest using a flint & steel. Still got them somewhere too. It's easy when you know how. Buggered if I'd work it out without being shown though.

DJ