(Bugout.news) In a survival situation having the skill to build a fire in a number of different ways will prove vital. Besides using fire for warmth, fire can be used to boil water for sterilization, to cook with, and for many other purposes.

Some people prefer to use a flint and steel as a fire starter. Others will choose a 9-volt battery and steel wool. Still others will stow waterproof matches in their bugout gear. All of these methods are good and in fact, when it comes to fire-starting, you should have some redundancy because it’s that important.

Another method is using a so-called “neck knife” – a small knife kit that hangs from your neck. Neck-knife kits come with a small blade which you can use to prepare kindling, a ferro rod you can use to create the spark necessary to light your kindling, and a sheath for holding a disposable lighter (many of which you should also have in your bugout bag).

Below is a short video demonstrating how to build a fire using two different neck knives and kits. Both knives were SHRADE Survival knives, and they each had similar qualities.

To prepare, find yourself some dry wood, preferably small twigs, and shear them as demonstrated in the video. Put them in a pile in a dry spot and use your ferro rod or other striker/spark tool to ignite the small wood shavings. Be prepared with additional twigs, tree bark or other kindling, so you can place them in the flames to build your fire once it starts.

Click on the video below and see how easy it is to build a fire using a neck knife kit and, as always, don’t forget to practice what you’ve learned.

H/T: Self Reliance Tactics