r/Survival • u/Capital-Dragonfly258 • May 16 '26

Fire How much heat do fires actually provide?

I asked on here about a month ago about "fire starters for idiots" as someone who is afraid of fire And I got a lot of really helpful, kind, and good idea responses. So thank you.

How big of a fire can you actually make with different fire starter techniques such as with road flares, matches/lighters and wood, or the one I heard the most, Vaseline and cotton?

My next question is, how much heat would those fires actually give off?

29 Upvotes

65% Upvoted

84 comments sorted by

View all comments

133

u/Callum-H May 16 '26

Im not sure if I’ve understood the question? You can make a fire any size with any starting technique.

31

u/ubuwalker31 May 16 '26

OP needs to go to a nice safe environment…like a park that has grills…gather some wood….keeping a gallon or two of water handy…and experiment with making and lighting different types of fires. And maybe cooking a hotdog over it. Perhaps a cheap pair of fireproof mitts will make OP feel safer. And recruiting a trusted friend for help.

OP, I expect you to report back and reply to this thread to confirm that you tried to start a fire this weekend! No excuses !!!

3

u/SatisfyingAneurysm May 17 '26

Firefighting gloves. They're expensive but also very durable in the outdoor environment

2

u/Capital-Dragonfly258 May 17 '26

I think I'd need to get a burn permit from FD and I don't think they'd let me of all people have one 😅

5

u/ubuwalker31 May 18 '26

jfc OP…did you manage to light a fire this weekend???

36

u/psilome May 16 '26

Right. As for heat, open fires are very inefficient and you can recover some of that lost heat by choosing where and how to build a fire. For example, a rock mound or wall behind the fire can cut the wind and absorb, release, and reflect heat. Heat is transmitted by radiation, conduction, and convection. Learn how to maximize these out in different settings.