Fire
We did not walk upright from caves to concrete jungles only to neglect carrying fire, the original technology.
Fire is useful for many things including survival firemaking, emergency light, paracord tip melting and fire spinning.
Lighter
The basic fire tool is a lighter.
Solo Gunmetal US Military Cold Weather Lighter $17
Good old-fashion Zippo and Bic lighters are poorer quality but in most occasions get the job done just fine.
Refueling: Refillable lighters are preferable to disposables but some carry disposables just to hand out to people while keeping their metal lighter for themselves.
Travel Restrictions: You cannot carry lighters with fuel on airplanes.
Fire As Social Gesture
Even if you don't smoke, carrying a lighter lets you produce fire for those in need. Put an intriguing sticker on your lighter to catch the eye of anyone who borrows your lighter. (Such as How I Quit)
Fire-making Methods
Assuming you have a fire starter like a lighter, flint and steel or a wood drill, you will need to actually nurture and build a fire.
There are a number of methods for fire starting.
First you need something thin and flammable, then you work your way up to larger and larger pieces until the fire can sustain itself on slow-burning fuel.
Toilet Paper Donut
"A great way to start a fire: Fuck tinder. Take about three feet of toilet paper and wrap it around your hand. Hold the top in about hal way, then flip it over on your hand and fold the bottom in about half way, making a donut. Set under kindling, ignite and get warm. And if you don’t carry toilet paper, you’re a savage, you can probably start fires with a hard gaze." —hagcel
Poor man's match
Take a single square of Toilet Paper, fold it into a triangle and twist into a tube, leaving one end open about 5mm, the other end closed tight.
Remove lint from your socks/jeans/sweater in small amounts and build up a small pile in the open end of the T.P. tube you've made.
Shield from wind, and light with any source that creates a spark (dead lighter for example).
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suggestions.
Fire good!
05:43:24 Fire is one of the most basic technologies, and like all such basics, it depends on what you want to do with it, and where you are.
Lighters are good in an urban environment, but if you are out in the boonies, you may need to light a camp fire quickly. This is a two part skill.
a-getting an initial flame - you can create this with a lighter, flint and steel or matches. Try to ensure you are out of the wind and try to get as much dry tinder together as possible. Good tinder includes: Birch bark, cotton wool (better if rubbed with petroleum jelly) very dry moss, grass, paper, the lint from your pockets, wood shavings, or even a cigarette. If you have a glowing ember, feed it with a little fuel and blow steadily and gently on it, as the added fuel catches fire.
b-building the fire from your flame. Always allow for ventillation to the growing fire, and always feed a small flame with the smallest twigs and leaves you can find, until it has properly established, then increase the size of the twigs as gradually as you dare until you get up to sticks and then branches and logs. You will always need around three times more small twigs and tinder than you think.
The only way to be really handy at making a camp fire is to get plenty of practice.
hope this helps