If your matches are wet, your lighter is out of fuel, it's a cloudy day, making your magnifying glass useless, and you don't have hours to waste trying to get a friction fire going.
Sounds like a pretty rough weekend in the woods. Luckily, if you've ever spent some time in a high school chemistry class, you can whip up a pretty handy little fire with just some regular household sugar and some potassium permanganate.
This is an easy trick that utilizes the chemical nature of the two ingredients to erupt a nice little flame that's more than hot enough to ignite any tinder you manage to get your hands on.
Check out just how easy this method is with the video on the next page.
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Rog Vaughn,
The correct spelling is dumbass. I figured since you are one you might like to know how to spell it.
Have a nice day
You can’t buy potassium permanganate! They won’t sell it to you!!
The only chemistry you need to know is how to scrape a magnesium stick and strike it’s flint. It will even burn in moist conditions.
Wouldn’t it be simpler to just take a few matches in a waterproof container? Or one of those spark sticks? Or a lighter?
oh ya like everyone carries a little potassium permanganate around in their back pocket
I always carry Potassium Permangenate.
Vladimir Uhlik Some Lowes stores have it, in the swimming pool/water treatment area.
Do NOT click on this. It’s a virus.
If I have that stuff I will just use the bunson burner
Sell it at several places in my area as pond treatments
Yep, I always have a good supply of potassium permanganate lying around the house or in my backpack
Drug stores sell it.
@david mollyk, what made you say that?
Ridiculous!!
Tell me What kind of animal craps potassium permanganate, so I’ll know what to look for. (Sarcasm).
load of crap, novelty at best. fire steel and chsrcloth or flint and steel with charcloth. Never failed me!
if you got time for all the click,click clicking,,go for it. waste of my time. i could of started a fire with bow drill by now.
Potassium permanganate and glycerin also spontaneously combust. If you don’t have them in your survival kit, add them then you won’t have to complain. DUH. Both are usually available at the pharmacy.. A word of caution; potassium permanganate is poisonious, so keep away from food stuffs.
Where do you get potassium permanganate? Never heard of it.
So if I have these 2 in my backpack on a hike, and they both open. And the friction of bouncing around causes them to ignite… #no backpack
Handy to know. Makes a nice fire but dunno about the stated purpose.
That’s stupid.
Ahhh decisions decisions…do i say$#%&!@*it or do i use my sugar to build a fire to make my hot cup o jo which will habe no sugar…the struggle is real! LOL!
Buy WATER PROOF MATCHES DUH
I think it’s called Red Iron and used in water filters for fish tanks
dang good thing I ALWAYS carry potassium permangenate in my front pocket.
Every backpacker I ever met had sugar? and potassium permanganate!?¿¿¿
Die hard dying. Nice job ya WANKERS
Where do I get potassium permangenate?
Lowe’s. In the water softener section
Heather Elliott check out
Trojan
Steel wool and ,9volt battery doesent matter how wet it will ignite
I purchased 1000 Bic lighters.
Lol
Joseph Brown
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Solar-Cigar-Lighter-Cigarette-Tobacco-Camping-Lighter-Windproof-Waterproof-/172158603677?hash=item281573d19d:g:ETYAAOSwiylXBJDA
I carry a Zippo.
Easier to carry a lighter
Easier to use a battery and some steel wool.
Dangerous stuff.
I would be very careful of using ghe PotPerm version for purifying drinking water; the version sold there is a “free-flow” grade that has additives to prevent caking when used in industrial applications such as pool-filter cleaning. You’re better off getting a small quantity of this stuff in laboratory grade crystals online.In addition, be aware of the MSDS for this stuff and use it very, VERY carefully.An MSDS can be found here: http://www.sciencecompany.com/msds/Potassium_Permanganate_MSDS.pdfOverdose is very, VERY easy and symptoms may not manifest for WEEKS.
Wear gloves when handling, don’t drink any in which the crystals have not completely dissolved, and definitely don’t ingest, breathe in any kind of high concentration.
The MSDS states that a fatal oral dose is only 10 grams, but studies show that non-fatal dosages can even lead to acute-onset Parkinson’s.
These studies recommend that if there is any possibility of overdose [and maybe in any case of ingestion], N-acetyl cysteine [available fairly cheaply online] should be taken immediately to attempt to counteract the effects, and then emergency medical care should be sought.
This stuff works well in the right amounts, but BE CAREFUL!
Better safe than sorry
I usually carry a small storm with me and light fires with the lightning. ..
Who the hell, is going to have potassium…… what ever he said?
So where do you find this potassium permanganate I never even heard of it until now
Ethylene glycol (antifreeze) mixed with KMNO3 results in a flash fire. Used by forest service for lighting firelines by helicopter, for controlled burns and fighting forest fires.
Idea….not hack
Michael Craig
Who comes up with this$#%&!@*
Oh that’s great, I just happen to carry around a 5lb sack of sugar with me everywhere I go. :0.
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I can show you how to start a fire with just a piece of cloth. All you need is some cloth… and some potassium chlorate w/ sulfur. Chances are better that you would have access to matches.
How do you get potassium Permangenate? It appears to be a controlled substance, even though the WHO says it is an essential chemical for disaster recovery.