Make a Lighter Out Of: Battery + Gum Wrapper

If you've been watching the second season of the popular Netflix original series "Orange is the new black" you've probably seen and wondered about these lighters. To answer your questions, Yes they are real and yes they work. Although not exactly how they are portrayed on the show. Even if you haven't seen the show, an understanding of battery and gum wrapper lighters could be a useful survival technique.

Step 1: Watch This Video!

I'll show you the steps and you can see this thing in action as I use it to start a small fire!

If the embedded video isn't working just click this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbwQ3zuOJw0

Step 2: What You'll Need

Just a pair of scissors, a AA battery, and a gum wrapper with a foil or metallic side. Keep in mind that this won't work with a gum wrapper made only of paper. A few kinds of gum that have partially metallic wrappers are "Wrigley's 5" and "Extra".

Step 3: Cut Your Strip

Simply cut a long thin strip from your wrapper.

Step 4: Fold and Cut

Fold your strip in half. Cut diagonally across the folded strip as shown in the picture. When unfolded, your strip should have a narrow spot right in the center.

Step 5: Light It Up!

Make sure you are connecting the metallic side (not the paper) to the battery. Hold both ends of the strip to both the positive and negative charges of the battery. The flame won't last too long, but as I demonstrated in the video, you can use it to start a fire if you're prepared. PLEASE BE CAREFUL. This instructable is meant as an explanation of how this is done, or as a technique to be used in a survival scenario where a fire is necessary but matches and regular lighters are not an option. When done properly it is fairly safe, but done improperly it can be dangerous (as with most things fire related). Thank you!

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