Start a Fire with a Gum Wrapper and a Battery

You never know when little tips will come in handy. For instance, if you need to start a fire but don't have any matches. There is a very simple way to start a fire with just a foil gum wrapper and a battery.

First, you make ignitor strips using the wrapper from a stick of gum. Shave a bit off of each of the sides of the wrapper, creating a bridge about 2mm wide in the middle. One strip can yield about three ignitors. Next, find a battery.

AA batteries are best for this application but AAA, C, or D will work as well. This trick is great for people who hike or camp and often use battery-powered flashlights.

Carefully hold the ends of the gum wrapper to the ends of your battery. Then, prepare for your wrapper to ignite. It happens very quickly as you will see in the above video demonstration by Quick Clips.