Can you start a fire with water?

After being told it couldn't be done and that all video survivalists that have done it have used trick photography I new I had to try. It turns out it's quite simple.

What we're doing in this video is proving that you can create a coal using water. After that, it's up to you to take that coal and make a fire.

All you need is a piece of plastic wrap and some water and you can make a lens to focus the sunlight. The physics are all real. Feel free to ask questions and make comments!

I have the worldwide commercial distribution rights to this video.

All logos created by my company The Outdoor Adventure . Net and I have commercial rights to all still images, logos, and video.
Photos Editing : GIMP image editing software.
Video Editing : OpenShot open source video editing software.

[DaveBenhamMusic]

I actually discovered this many years ago while vacationing on a lake in Canada. We were staying on an island without potable water, so we were at a friends mainland cottage filling clear gallon jugs with water on a sunny day. A full jug was placed on a flotation boat cushion on the boat seat, and we left it there while we chatted with our friends. The sun angle happened to be perfect, catching the cushion on fire, with actual smoldering flames! My mother panicked, wondering what to do. I laughed and dunked the cushion in the lake!

[crazyYTgal]

oh i get it, you use the water as a magnifying glass!

[paulstephens]

I know nothing of bushcraft, but enjoy watching these videos. So, having watched this one I wondered if you curled a thin piece of twig into a circle and encased this in plastic wrap, then tighten it around the twig, twisting at the edge, put water in and twist tight. Would this make a conventional lens shape? Also easier to hold at the side to focus rays onto tinder.

[nythawknight]

Your son said, "Dad were on YouTube so don't screw this up." I can see how that works by magnifying the rays. Same principle with using a magnifying glass. You can also use plastic to make a solar still to get water out of soil in a dry stream/river bed or dry pond or lake and use plastic to get fresh water from sea water by condensation.

[bobloblaw]

Very cool, thanks for posting this without any cuts or shenanigans.

[ROBwithaB]

It is not only possible, but actually quite easy to do this. I find it strange that anyone would think otherwise.
A few things would have made it easier. Firstly, you don't need to have the sun directly overhead. In fact you don't WANT to have the sun overhead, because then the bottom-most point of your lens (where the water tends to collect) is directly above your target. Any leaking water is likely to extinguish the ember.
With a spherical lens, the angle of incidence doesn't matter; you don't need to try to align the lens in any particular orientation. So one could simply wait a few minutes for the sun to pass overhead, and try again form a different angle.
There are many tinders which would work far more effectively than paper, including many that can be found naturally. Many types of ibrous material can be rolled tightly between the hands into a small ball, of a diameter that roughly approximates the size of the focal spot of the lens. That way, none of the energy is being wasted.
Once these balls ignite, they tend to spontaneously combust from the inside out, and the ember grows in three dimensions, rather than two, which exponentially increases the heat available to ignite your eventual (fammable rather than smouldering) tinder.
Hope this helps.
Kudos for your patience, and on your civil replies to the negative comments.

[craigfishcake]

Make smoulder yes, make fire no. Probably useful if had some matches and no striker though.

[andrewpayne]

The 'no cut' shot made it interesting, as we could be sure there was no cheating.  I showed this video to my son.  Now, the next time we have enough Sun in Seattle, we have a new way to start our tinder going!

[lesterclaypool]

heres a hint fill the sink first then make the water bulb under water, ,,, no air

[flyrobin]

Very good video showing another option in a emergency ..Thank you

[TheoutdooradventureNet]

Thanks for the tip! I'll have to give that one a try and give you a shout out!

[TheoutdooradventureNet]

Estoy completamente de acuerdo. For me, the more ways I can start a fire, the more likely I'll be able to in an emergency.

[TheoutdooradventureNet]

Thanks for the tip. I try to keep my videos short, but the guy who challenged me didn't want me to make any cuts. He thought it was trick photography.

[TheoutdooradventureNet]

I agree. Although, ice is going to be harder as it's difficult to get it free of bubbles.

[TheoutdooradventureNet]

potentially. It's just harder to shape it like a lens as the plastic is thicker. If you can get it to work I'd love to hear it!

[TheoutdooradventureNet]

Thanks for the tip. I actually have made it several times and even did a video on it ages ago. I'd love to make more but I have a few constraints: I've moved, I don't have a balcony and finally my neighbours would have a fit.

[TheoutdooradventureNet]

Hi bill! I've heard of that happening in cars with a waterbottle, but only burning, not flaming. That's amazing!

[jimjasper]

I think the bigger worry would be finding clear enough water to even try to get this to work...

[Soulrider]

Dark paper or darker materials would work much better since the white or lighter colors will reflect more of the suns energy rather than absorbing it and heating up.  Dark colors will heat up much faster.  To those that ask, yes, a magnifying glass would work MUCH quicker as you'd be able to focus the light much, much quicker.  On a sunny day you'd start paper burning in a matter of seconds with a magnifying glass.  

Kudos in not stooping to the level of those that feel the need to leave comments that are crude, insulting or in no way helpful.  

[cyclonudista]

In a more realistic situation you would have no paper maybe, it would be useful to see if it works with dry leafs