Making a Fire with a AA Battery

From WildernessWiki.org

Firestarters
Primative
Flint and steel Bow drill Fire piston Hand drill Fire plow Fire thong Fire from ice
Modern
Lighter Magnesium Ferrocerium Cell phone AA Battery

Introduction

It is possible to ignite a fire with only a standard 1.5V AA or AAA battery and a thin piece of wire, such as a staple. This technique is useful for starting fires in emergency situations, though it is impractical for regular use.

Method

1. Cut and peel away the plastic insulation at the edge of the negative terminal.
2. Pry the thin piece of metal on the negative side of the terminal up slightly to reveal the paper insulator beneath.
3. Take a staple or other piece of thin wire and bend it into a U-shape.
4. Insert one end of the staple or wire underneath the paper insulator.
5. Take a sensitive piece of tinder such as char cloth, tinder fungus or fine steel wool, and use it to press the second end of the staple to the bottom of the battery.
6. Because the staple is now bridging a gap with electric potential, electricity will flow through it. The electrical resistance of the thin wire will cause it to quickly heat up.
7. As the wire heats up, the tinder should ignite.

Images

The idea and photos for this article have been contributed by member fiddler49 on The PaleoPlanet Forums.

See Also

• Char cloth
• Flint and Steel

---