Every man should know how to start one. A manly man knows how to start one without matches. It's an essential survival skill. You never know when you'll find yourself in a situation where you'll need a fire, but you don't have matches. Maybe your single engine plane goes down while you're flying over the Alaskan wilderness, like the kid in Hatchet. Or perhaps you're out camping and you lose your backpack in a tussle with a bear. It need not be something as dramatic as these situations — even extremely windy or wet conditions can render matches virtually uselessly. And whether or not you ever need to call upon these skills, it's just damn cool to know you can start a fire, whenever and wherever you are.

Friction-Based Fire Making

Friction-based fire making is not for the faint of heart. It's probably the most difficult of all the non-match methods. There are different techniques you can use to make a fire with friction, but the most important aspect is the type of wood you use for the fire board and spindle.