Return of the Survivor: Q&A with Steve Friedman

I always carry a small zip-lock bag stuffed with a mixture of dryer lint, candle wax shavings, and small pieces of wood kindling I find in the streets. Into this I also toss a small butane lighter. I once started a fire, with soaking wet wood, in the pouring rain on an overnight hike in the Catskills.

I teach in an college outdoor program and the frightening thing about those shows, especially Bear Grylls', is that many young people I teach are not filtering the good from the bad. Sure, pine tea is nice, but crossing a rapid on a log is not a good practice.

Hey guys, firefighter and backpacker here. The best tinder I've found so far is the same stuff that starts dryer fires and its unbelieveably light weight. Try dryer lint next time, it takes a spark like nothing else I've found.

Starting a fire with a light my fire firesteel is really easy and if you scrape off some of the flint without sparking it you can use that as a "magnesium" to start you fire.
Tip: buy jute twine and shred it to light but beware it lights like gasoline.

Once again BP shows it has a healthy sense of humor. Fun read. I'm glad he had his trusty sidekick. He's like Tonto or the guy from Lord of the Rings.

Learning to make fire without matches is a challenge, but don't give up. A great help for learning flint & steel are historical reinactors. I got a great kit w/ video from James Townsend & Son, who specialize in early American reinacting. The kit was so good I loaned it to my boss who swears he returned it..... The link is www.jas-townsend.com. (and no I'm not connected to them).

Don't forget that you can always toss in a bic lighter or two as a back up to any firestarting kit!

My 10 year old is able to strike a fire with true flint and steel and can do it with complete success! We keep a length of Hemp rope as emergency tinder that we completely untwist and add a little char cloth and it works every time. Very easy! Look it up online and practice ALL new skills BEFORE you go out into the field! Be familiar with the gear you choose to carry.

I agree with Tony. Do not rely on the 90% to be in your favor. You are more than likely going to find the 10% at sometime. It is best to learn and recognize the berries that exist in your area so you know what you CAN eat. If you do not recognize it, do not eat it. It could put you in a world of hurt that you really do not need.

Fire with no matches is actually quite simple if you got the technique down, but it is a challenge asking a novice right off the bat. In fact in Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, we have western red cedar to serving as the ideal bow drill wood. I do agree with the value of the one match fire ABOVE using a bow drill (matchless fire). It is a better skill to have, especially in a landscape where you can crawl under a log, have a fire and stay dry and warm enough with some insulation underneath (again western Oregon). Yet avoid relying on moss, one it is alive, so leave no trace is not helped here and two when there is even a lick of moisture in the air, you are not getting anything going. There are ways to harvest strips of already peeling cedar bark that is actually healthy for the tree and combine this with Western Hemlock twigs (prepared and handled in the proper way) and you have an Oregon fire that will even light in the worst rain. Also, the berry advice is bad advice, while these axioms and anecdotes are true, please don't really on it go get you past the 10% that is actually toxic. Remember, everything that can go wrong, will. That is part of the fun.

I also agree its all about the tinder,I tried lint from my socks, from Les, and vasaline cotton balls with the steel and after 3 or 4 tries,first 3 poor aim,I had a flame.

I agree with the statement "it's all about the tinder." That along with the proper construction of your materials, will almost always result in a lasting fire. A metal match is a great backup.

I agree with the first two guys. Fire steels have never failed me either. I have probably half a dozen spread around my gear. I think practicing until you can get it to work is a worthwhile skill and is time well spent.

I agree with Shawn. I actually don't even carry matches anymore. I find they're difficult to light, and if they get wet, you're screwed. I got a metal match for Christmas a few years ago (actually, the same one Bear uses) and I'm just now at the point where I need to get a new one.

"Which techniques from those shows failed completely?

Making a fire without matches. Even with a flint/metal gizmo that created sparks, I could not for the life of me make those sparks translate into a fire. "

Wow, with all due respect what survivalist CAN'T start a fire with a metal match? Matches will run out before a striker stops working. Plus it is almost indestructable & water proof. It's all in the tinder.