I'm interested in the chemical one because you can store chemicals seperate in a handy pack and then use them in an emergency.
And by emergency I'm not talking about a budding arsonist but a real emergency fire starting kit that you can hand out for anyone to use.
Ok... Since you mention it...
Potassium permanganate powder is a good one, (sold in chemists as a cure for athletes foot etc) but mixed with pure glycerine ...The more powder, the faster it reacts, so you can mix directly, and maintain a bit of control over its combustion time by adjusting the mixture (about 1 minute delay is pretty safe).. Petrol tends to burn too quickly for fire starting without tinder and controling the reaction is almost impossible, so I'd only use it as a last resort, or for offensive purposes
It's also useful to remember that ALL chemical reactions are affected by ambient temperature, so unless you know what your doing, they should be reserved for strict emergencies.
Cotton wool balls covered in vaseline also great fire lighters. Vaseline is basically napalm. Do not attempt to light a fire with vaseline on your hands.
Thanks for that. The problem with vasaline for what I am thinking of is it will dry out.
I'm thinking of making some fire starters and storing them for when needed. I can then hand them out, with instructions, to anyone to start a fire.
For the purposes of supplying a "safe" firelighting system, Soak a yard (or 915mm if you insist) of half inch sisal rope in a strong solution of saltpetre (potassium nitrate) overnight and air dry thouroughly for a week
Cut into 6" lengths and you have a "ship's" match the same as those used for firing cannons and muskets. When the very tip is spread out It will take a moderate spark to produce an ember that will last well, it gets hotter in the breeze and can be reused time and time again until the sisal is depleted.
I like the sound of that one. I think I'll give it a go when we get some decent weather.
4 ways to make fire using chemical reactions.
Chemical Fire #1
•potassium permanganate
•glycerin
•water
Add a few drops of glycerin to a few crystals of potassium permanganate. Accelerate the reaction by adding a couple of drops of water.
Chemical Fire #2
•acetone
•sulfuric acid
•potassium permanganate
Soak a tissue with acetone to make it more flammable. Draw sulfuric acid into a glass pipette. Dip the pipette into potassium permanganate so that the tip of the pipette is coated with a few crystals. Dispense the sulfuric acid onto the tissue. The potassium permangante and sulfuric acid mix to produce manganese heptoxide and fire.
Chemical Fire #3
•sodium chlorate
•sugar
•sulfuric acid
Mix a small amount of sodium chlorate and sugar. Initiate the reaction by adding a few drops of sulfuric acid.
Chemical Fire #4
•ammonium nitrate powder
•finely ground zinc powder
•hydrochloric acid
Mix together a small amount of ammonium nitrate and zinc powder. Initiate the reaction by adding a few drops of hydrochloric acid.
"Duraglit" used to be good for starting fires-anyone know if you can still get it??
All good ones uks, I just personally prefer a slower burn and I'm tight fisted when it comes to the less abundant chemicals such as concentrated acids etc. That can be used in circumstances where ordinary, household items won't do the job.. ;-)
You can produce saltpetre from urine. You can boil down urine to produce it. Urine can be used to produce improvised explosives. Another way to produce saltpetre is to urinate against a wall frequently, over a period of time. When needed, scrape the scales off of the wall, the scales are saltpetre. Kenneth Eames.