Hobbies And Interests
Harnessing the Sun
One method that works well in a pinch is to harness the sun's rays with a makeshift lens. Objects that make good lenses include magnifying glasses, eyeglasses or even a water-filled latex balloon. Simply hold your lens up to the sun and angle its rays onto your kindling. The obvious pitfall is that if conditions are cloudy, you'll have to try something else.
Creating a Friction Fire
Friction-based fires, though they're a viable option in a pinch, typically are not easy to get started. Examples of fire-building methods that use friction include the hand drill, which involves vigorously spinning a wooden stick between your hands against a notched wooden fire board, and the fire plow, which involves quickly rubbing the stick back and forth on the fire board. Practice your friction fire-building skills in a non-life-threatening situation.
Using Flint and Steel
Unlike matches and lighters, flint and steel can withstand wet conditions. You'll also need a piece of charred cloth called char to catch the spark; natural substitutions for char could include birch or fungus. Hold the char between your thumb and the flint, strike the steel against the flint, and the sparks it produces will ignite the char.
More Obscure Methods
Other methods include polishing chocolate on the bottom of an aluminum soda can to create a mirror, which then can be used to focus the sun's rays. Another method is to rub the top of a battery on a piece of fine steel wool to start a flame.