Fire finder
Which fire method suits you?
Tap what you have with you and what the weather is like. The fire finder shows which ignition methods make sense right now – and why others don't fit at the moment.
Ratings are deliberately cautious and follow our entries. How to do it properly is always in the linked entry.
Understand it first
The fire triangle
Fire needs three things at once: fuel, heat and oxygen. Take one side away – and the fire goes out. Try it!
All three sides are there: the fire burns.
Tinder
Very fine, dry material that catches from a spark or small flame: dry grass, birch bark, fine wood shavings, cotton, paper.
What do you have with you?
Your matching methods
Tap above what you have with you.
Then you'll see which methods fit – the best one first.
Next
Tinder and fire lays
Lighting is only the start. Whether a spark becomes a fire almost always depends on preparation: dry, fine tinder and kindling in several thicknesses.
Everything at a glance
All ignition methods compared
Tap a column heading to sort.
| Lighting with a lighter | Flame | with effort | with effort | with effort | no | Yes, main tool | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lighting with matches | Flame | with effort | with effort | good | no | Yes, main tool | |||
| Lighting a fire with a ferro rod | Sparks | good | good | good | no | Yes, main tool | |||
| Fire with a battery and steel wool | Ember | with effort | good | with effort | no | As a backup | |||
| Fire piston (compression fire lighting) | Ember | with effort | good | good | no | As a backup | |||
| Flint and steel with char cloth | Sparks | with effort | with effort | good | no | As a backup | |||
| Burning lens, magnifier and reflector | Ember | with effort | with effort | with effort | yes | As a backup | |||
| Fire with a lens of ice, a water bottle or a plastic bag | Ember | with effort | with effort | with effort | yes | Practise only | |||
| Fire with the pump drill | Ember | hardly | with effort | with effort | no | Practise only | |||
| Bow drill friction fire | Ember | hardly | with effort | with effort | no | Practise only | |||
| Hand drill friction fire | Ember | hardly | with effort | hardly | no | Practise only | |||
| Fire plough | Ember | hardly | with effort | with effort | no | Practise only | |||
| Bamboo fire saw | Ember | hardly | with effort | with effort | no | Practise only |
