Fire
Start a fire with flint and steel
A high-carbon steel and a hard rock throw sparks that only catch on truly dry, charred, or highly fibrous tinder.
Step-by-step
Prep a tinder nest of fine, bone-dry material and a small pinch of char cloth or true punkwood in the center.
Hold the flint (or quartz/chert) in your off hand with a sharp edge angled up, char resting on top and pinched under your thumb.
Strike the steel down and across the edge with a firm glancing blow — you want shaved sparks, not chips of rock.
When a spark lands in the char and glows, transfer the char into the tinder nest and fold it closed.
Cup the nest and blow steadily from below until it flames, then set it under a prepared kindling teepee.
Tip: If sparks skip past the char, the angle is wrong. Aim the sparks straight down onto the char rather than out into the air.
Related outdoor skills
Educational reference only. Wilderness conditions change fast — practice in low-stakes settings, take a certified wilderness first-aid course, and confirm regional regulations before you rely on any of these skills in the field.