Match heads are crucial for lighting matches, whether they are safety matches or strike-anywhere matches. These match heads produce fire or an open flame. However, lighting a matchstick can be difficult if you don’t have a striking surface, such as a matchbox.
Outdoors, lighting safety matches may be challenging without the strip on the matchbox. This is because the compounds in the match head only react with those in the strip to ignite. As a result, the white phosphorus produces a flame. You would have a better chance of lighting a match with strike-anywhere matches, as striking them on various surfaces, such as a rough surface, can produce flames.
This article will show you how to light a match without a matchbox in five unique ways. You can use a rock, sandpaper, a lighter, or a rough surface to create friction that will ignite a fire. Even if it’s your first time doing this, with a bit of practice, you will get it right after a few tries. All you need to light a match is a chemical reaction, and we will show you how to create one without a matchbox.
Method 1: How to Light a Match Using a Rock
Sometimes, we get stranded in dire situations outdoors, but rather than worry, one has to find a way to survive. You can use a rock if you want to light matches and do not have a matchbox. So far, if the match head is intact, then you can use this method to produce a match flame.
Follow the step below to light matches using a rock as a striker.
Step 1: Find the Rock
If you are outdoors, search your environment to find a stone to strike the match head against. A stone or rock should be easy to find, especially if you are outdoors. The ideal stone should be completely dry to create potent heat to produce fire. If the only rocks you find are wet, allow them to dry before using them. Also, it should be flat and relatively rough to produce enough friction to ignite the match’s tip when you strike.
Step 2: Position the Match
Take a single match and hold it in your hand. Place it firmly between your thumb and middle finger to grip the match stick. Also, you can use your index finger to press the match head to the rock for support. Striking the matches to create an ignition will need firm movements, so ensure your grip isn’t loose.
Step 3: Light the Match
Ready to get a lit match? Press the match head and swipe it across the rock with your index finger firmly pressing it. Ensure that the friction between the match head and the stone is strong enough to create a flame, even on a small scale. After you strike, the match produces smoke, then generates heat that will ignite a fire.
Of course, you have to be careful when lighting the matches to avoid burning yourself at any point. Remove your fingers as soon as you spot a smoke or flame on the tip of the match. That way, you keep your fingers away from the heat you just ignited. Now, you can use your lit match to burn your paper or wood or do anything you want to do with the flame.
Method 2: How to Light a Match Using Sandpaper
Another way you can light a matchstick without using a matchbox is by striking its tip on sandpaper. Sandpaper is the closest thing to a conventional striking surface and is a great way to create a match flame. So, the sandpaper is a makeshift striker that produces heat and, eventually, flame when friction occurs. Whether paper matches, safety matches, or any other type of match, you can get a lit match with sandpaper.
Follow the steps below to light matches using sandpaper as a striker.
Step 1: Prepare the Sandpaper
If sandpaper is around, ensure it is not extremely rough or smooth. The paper should be somewhere around the medium texture to friction well. If the paper is too rough, the match head may strike without producing an ignition. Also, if it is too smooth, you may use double the energy it would typically use to create friction. So, a balanced grit ensures optimal results when you strike the paper with the match.
Step 2: Position the Sandpaper
A sandpaper may look like the page of a book, but it can easily slip from your hand if you position it wrongly. Keep the sandpaper on a plain surface to ensure this does not happen. You can place it on the wall, the ground, or an object and keep it anywhere flat that will be comfortable for you to strike using your fingers.
Step 3: Position the Match Stick
After that, pull the match you want to use and hold it with your fingers. You can use your thumb, middle, and index fingers to create a solid grip on one end of the match. That way, when you strike the tip against the sandpaper, you will still retain control of the lit match.
Step 4: Light the Match
Before you do this, ensure there is no flammable material in the area, even a tiny piece. If you are ready to light the match, press its head into the sandpaper and pull it across. Strike it just like a regular striker, using the right amount of pressure. When you see smoke, it is a sign that it is slowly becoming hot. After a few seconds, the flame will appear and burn on the match head. Ensure that you control the flame to avoid getting burned.
Method 3: How to Light a Match Using Other Matches
The third method is using other matches, which is one of the simplest. The potassium chlorate in safety matches reacts with the chemicals in a striker to produce white phosphorus that turns into a flame. So, what happens when you strike a match against other matches? Easy, you can create ignition.
Follow the steps below to light matches using other matches as a striker.
Step 1: Clear the Area
Before you begin, you should clear the area if there are flammable materials other than the object of the fire. The last thing you want to do is mistakenly burn an item when the matchstick is ablaze. Clearing the area is vital because you will be holding up the matches in the air, and problems may arise if you don’t control the flames. So, ensure that the only thing in the area is the one thing that needs the fire you want to ignite.
Step 2: Arrange the Matches
After removing potential hazards, select at least five matchsticks for this process. You will use four as the striker, while one will ignite the flame. Arrange four of the match sticks in your fingers in a square shape. All your fingers should hold the sticks, using your thumb as support. Ensure to maintain a firm grip because you will apply immense pressure when striking the bunch. Also, your fingers should not be very close to the match heads to avoid getting burned.
Step 3: Strike the Match Head
Using one of the match sticks, create friction by twisting the match in the gap between the other four. Twist from the inside out using a good amount of pressure. Of course, if successful, you should notice the smoke that erupts into a flame. That means the match stick is ablaze, and the ignited match will ignite the others in the process. It’s okay if you don’t get it on your first try; with some practice, you’ll get it done.
Method 4: How to Light a Match Using a Zipper
This method is beneficial if there are no regular striking surfaces to create an ignition. It may be a party trick, but it is an excellent option if you are outdoors and have no alternatives. However, you must apply maximum caution when using this method, especially if the zipper is on your body.
Follow the steps below to light matches using a zipper.
Step 1: Choose the Right Zipper
We recommend using metal zippers because they can easily create heat. So, get pants with a metal zipper so you can easily stretch them. You can strike the matches whether you are holding the pants or wearing them. The important thing is keeping the pants in a way that allows you to have a firm grip on the zipper. For this method, use tough clothing materials like denim because it is difficult for them to burn in case of an accident.
Step 2: Stretch the Zipper
To prepare for the lighting process, open the cloth to reveal your zipper, but the zipper should stay closed. After that, stretch the zipper with one hand until it is straight. Continue stretching the zipper until it is flat on your body or the surface. Then, get the matches you want to use and hold them in another hand.
Step 3: Light the Match
To light the match, strike the match head downwards on the zipper. Do not apply excessive pressure when doing this; minimal pressure will help you achieve optimal results. So, ensure that the strike is as light as possible. Another reason you should control the pressure is to control the flame that appears. The match may slip from your fingers if you apply too much force and cause a disaster. Also, never strike upwards to your body; always strike downwards to avoid burns in case there’s an accident.
Method 5: How to Light a Match Using Your Fingernail
The last method on our list uses a part of your body to light a matchstick -your fingernail. So, your fingernail is the makeshift lighter that will work with a matchstick to produce heat. This method seems unorthodox, but it will create optimal results with patience and practice. However, this method will not work with a safety or paper match. It is only effective with strike-anywhere matches because it can use almost any surface as a striker.
Follow the steps below to light matches using your fingernail as a striker.
Step 1: Position the Match
First, hold the match using your most skillful hand, whether your left or right hand. Place it between your middle and index fingers, slightly below the match’s tip. It is better to hold it this way to control the friction between the match and the fingernail. Also, it helps in speeding up the ignition process. For this method, the fingernail we will use is the thumbnail, so position its edge towards the left side of the match head.
Step 2: Flick Your Fingernail
With deliberate pressure and speed, flick the fingernail forward to the left side of the match tip. The friction that your fingernail and the match tip create will produce a spark to ignite the match. Ensure that you drop the matchstick as soon as it gets lit to avoid burns. Also, apply extra caution when doing this because of how close your fingers are to the tip.
How Does Lighting a Match Work?
The potassium chlorate in a match stick is responsible for the ignition that occurs when in contact with a striker.
A safety match’s head contains potassium chlorate that burns hot when it encounters a lighter. After that, it will ignite when it rubs against red phosphorus. So, the red phosphorus on the matchbox causes the safety match to flame. However, you can only use matchboxes to light a safety match stick.
A match head will react chemically when in contact with the red and white phosphorus on the striker strip. So, it is challenging to light safety matches or paper matches without the strip. Lighting matches using various surfaces as a striking surface is possible mainly with strike-anywhere matches.
With enough friction, strike-anywhere matches can ignite even on a rough surface. The match head contains both compounds in a safety match and its strip. The potassium chlorate and red phosphorus produces white phosphorus when you strike the tip of the matchstick.
As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. That’s why we’ve created an infographic that visually summarizes the methods discussed in this article on how to light a match without a matchbox. Whether you’re in a survival situation or just curious about alternative ways to start a fire, this handy infographic will help you master the art of match lighting. So, before you go, be sure to check out our infographic below and keep it for future reference.
Final Thoughts
You can learn how to light a match without the box in dire circumstances by following the steps listed in this article. At first, it may seem impossible to make a hit with the matches, but with a bit of practice, you get that strike. Then, when you get the flames, you can blow it to put it out after use.
The tips we shortlisted are basic outdoor survival skills needed to light a matchstick. If it gets confusing, take each step one after the other and practice until you are perfect. You will still get optimal results using rock, zipper, or sandpaper.
