Dry wood hiding places. If the area is damp, you may have to check the interior of logs, under ledges, and other places that are protected from wetness. Know your trees. Not all wood ignites equally. Depending on your locality, some particular trees start fires more readily. For instance, paper birch yields paper-like bark that, even when wet, often makes an excellent tinder. Look beyond wood. Although fire-building is usually taught in the spirit of building a fire in the wilderness, you may have to adapt. In an urban situation there may be no trees, so you may have to look at things like old books, wooden pallets, furniture, and the like to get a fire started.
Any battery voltage will work, but 9-volt batteries will ignite the quickest.
Another way to do this is to take a 9-volt battery and a metal paperclip and rub the paperclip on both battery terminals at the same time to create sparks. This is similar to how the wires in light bulbs and toasters ovens operate.
If you do not have a magnifying glass, eye glass lenses and binocular lenses work as well. Adding water to the lens allows you to create a more intense, focused beam of light.
