Hiking Firestarter

The "Hiking Firestarter" is a robust, fuel/flint-less and maintenance free pocket-carried device.

Construction:

Take a medium-walled pipe 6" long and 1" dia. and cut it in half lengthwise. Hinge one of the ends together, with a spring and detente such that the open ends are normally separated by 1/2" or so. Add a latch at the open end to keep it from coming apart in your pocket.

Inside the bottom half near the open end, attach a small nitride-lined bowl. Drill 1/16" holes around the bowl and up the sides.

To the upper half near the open end drill a hole sideways through it and attach a collapsible rotating handle on the outside and (high-ratio)gearing and dowward facing chuck arrangement pointing into the nitride bowl, on the inside..

Operation:

Open the unit up, insert a short half-inch diameter twig into the chuck and tighten. Place some tinder in the bowl. Close the unit. Hold the firestarter in one hand, squeezing it to press the twig into the bowl and crank like hell. The twig will spin around in the bowl (without abrading it) and the holes will provide oxygen while keeping it windproofed, while the tinder catches.

Of course if you can't find a suitable pipe and mechanism while hiking or have forgotten your drill, you can always fall back on the two-sticks method.