Thursday, December 30, 2010

Starting a Fire with a Car Battery

Urban Scenario: stuck in a situation without matches or a lighter; you need to build a fire for food preparation and warmth.

Solution:
 What you will need:
1. Car Battery
2. Jumper Cables or Electrical wire
3.  #2 Pencil
4. Tinder (cotton balls caked with Vaseline, or stripped dry tree bark work best) 

What to do:
Cut two notches on the pencil exposing the graphite.  Make the notches about an inch and half apart.  Connect the ends of the jumper cables directly onto each notch, then attach the other cable ends to the battery.  Place your tinder directly on top of the wood in between the the two notches of the pencil.  Graphite is an excellent conductor of heat and the pencil will become very hot.  With controlled blowing work with the tinder until it catches fire, be patient- it may take several attempts. 

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