A good quality glass magnifying glass is versatile. It will let you read a topo map, fine-printed instructions, or labels and books when your glasses are broken. It will help you find that last nettle or bee stinger, and scrape it out. But what it really excels at, is setting things on fire, any time the sun is out.
Every young boy worth his salt figured out this last use, which is by far the most important, while visiting the wrath of the sun on ants in the playground. If you have a magnifying glass and sunlight, you have a match that will last forever, half of most every day.
I've used and carried all kinds. My go-to choice is a simple 3x pocket magnifier. My latest is a 16X jeweler's loupe. I've used the former to set someone's boots on fire on a May afternoon; the latter on a clear day will make a solar point so hot I can melt laboratory glass. And have.
Just imagine what it does for making a campfire, esp. if you added fuel-soaked tinder*, or magnesium shavings*.
For all those reasons, you should have one.
But if you didn't bring a dedicated glass in your fire-making gear, you have options.
The flimsy plastic ones may suffice.
Eyeglasses will definitely do a good job.
So will a camera lens removed from its mount.
In a bind, any clear water bottle* full of water may even suffice.
And if you lack paper* and pencil*, you can use all of the above methods to burn a message into any piece of wood you can find.
Small.
Lightweight.
Multiple uses.
The very acme of a survival implement.
Nothing fancy. Just something a lot of people never thought about.
*The Sergeant Major notes "You will see this material again."
22 comments:
What is the leather-wrapped glass in the picture? That looks like something I would like to have.
In a demo on YouTube, I've seen the concave bottom of an aluminum soda can used to start a fire, after being polished to a mirror finish using a rag and a melted chocolate bar. Definitely easier to carry a glass though.
I've got one in the car, one in each go bag, and one in my home survival kit. All are 5x glass with the fake leather sheath.
John, this one seems to be the same;
https://www.survivalresources.com/leather-rimmed-magnifying-lens.html
I need to get a larger one, my jeweler's loupe does fire pretty easily (x5-x20) but isn't as useful for reading.
Thank you, JNorth. Will look into it. I like the bushcrafty-ness of it, hope it works as good as it looks. I am always a fan of more ways to burn things.
A guy named Ted Cash used to make an oval steel or brass tobacco box with a burning glass in the lid; I've got the steel one I bought from Dixie Gun Works back in 1980. It's a dull brown color now, and I keep my tinder, char-cloth, and flint&steel in it. Our little fur-trade reenactment group has fire-making contests right along with the shooting and woods-walking. Joining one of these groups is a fun way to learn primitive camping.
+1 to John Claye's comment - I'd like one of those!
I don't think I've ever started a fire with a magnifying lens as an adult, but this post makes me want to try it. Especially being a long time eyeglass wearer (wonder if bifocals make this easier ?) I have plenty of old eyeglasses that no longer serve a purpose - I see some 'science experiments' in the near future :^)
In any case - thank you for the post.
Aesop,
Any experience with fresnel lenses? They are available in credit card sized multipacks.
Opie Odd
Anon 4:06 AM here - answer about eyeglass lenses in my case appears to be doubtful. I am nearsighted and ear sighted lenses are not made to focus light to single point so would be difficult. Far sighted or reading glasses is a much better chance. Rats !! :^(
It appears I will need another lens to get this done.
Cheapo dime store reading glasses will work if: strong enough, tinder is dry and sunlight is good. Swiss army knife magnifier also works with same caveats. It helps to boost your tinder with char cloth or a ground up nugget of charcoal from your last fire.
Scientific supply stores sell fresnal lenses as big as 24"x36". At that size they will vaporize concrete, melt metal, instantly boil water, and are just generally unbelievably destructive in full sun. YouTube has videos of people melting all kindsa cool stuff. Good fun!
Thanks for the tip, CZ!
I'm doing some window shopping today.
And one of those monster Fresnel lenses is going on my Christmas list.
@aesop, keep and eye open for the old school rear projection tv on the curb. The screen assembly has a fresnel lens as one layer, and many of them aren't bonded together, just taped. There's also a couple of nice lenses and mirrors in there...
nick
I'll add that a water bottle sitting on the pile-o-stuff in my driveway melted thru several layers of tarp, and could have caused a fire. I didn't find it until after the damage was done.
nick
Luckily as an amateur sleuth, I already have one of these. Not a cool looking leather one though...
That's where I got my monster and I've melted a lot of crap with it...You have to be really careful though because you can burn yourself or othera really fast if your moving it around in bright sunlight...
Although my comment will be slightly off-topic, this blog post *IS* the most appropriate place for it! (AND, dare i admit that i listen to NPR???)
There was a report of large numbers of prairie dogs dying off due to bubonic plague, somewhere near Denver. Aesop, would you be inclined to comment on this? The report said there is a danger to humans.
Bubonic plague has been endemic to prairie dogs and other rodents thereabouts for about 600 years, circa Cortez and DeSoto. One course of doxycycline, and you're cured.
Bubonic plague ,,one course of Doxycycline GREAT TIP thanks
Not a concern for grid up medicine, but as it relates to grid down, pay attention to expiration dates on doxycycline. It is one of the relatively few antibiotics that becomes toxic as it expires as opposed to just reduced effectiveness like most other antibiotics.
for anyone that can locate one of those old rear-projection televisions that have become relics of the pre L.E.D. generation, there is a superb 'Fresnel Lens' within the T.V. right behind the screen mask. It will be the same size as the screen and thus is HUGE. It will magnify the sun's image into a 3 to 4 inch fireball that will ignite most flammables in an instant.
These old T.V's are often found for free as they are too expensive to repair and are set out on the curb to 'disappear' into the trashman's truck and the landfill.
If you see one, grab it before the neighborhood rowdies throw rocks through it and ruin it.
The lens works fabulously for seeing things in a big way or fire starting super quick.
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