Mixing
Are there any natural materials that can be used as a magnifying lens (or to craft one)?
Clash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
I am currently stuck in the wilderness, and I have been out here for a while. I want to focus light. There are various reasons for wanting to do this, with the two biggest reasons being for vision and for fire starting. It does not need to be anything fancy, not even to help with the vision: my eye sight is just barely too bad to make out the north star easily, so a slight magnification would help.
Are there any resources that I can forage or anything I can create while in the wilderness for focusing light similar to a glasses lens or a magnifying glass?
Available resources
My glasses for my poor eyesight are either lost or smashed to pieces. All of my clear bags have long since been punctured, and I have no other clear containers for holding water in, otherwise I might try to use water to focus the light.
I am assuming creating glass from sand is not an option since I have seen backyard tinkerers with the proper academic knowledge and decent tools fail to create good glass. If you think this is an invalid assumption, then feel free to challenge me on that.
survival improvised-gear
asked 2 hours ago
Aaron
1,555217
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
I am currently stuck in the wilderness, and I have been out here for a while. I want to focus light. There are various reasons for wanting to do this, with the two biggest reasons being for vision and for fire starting. It does not need to be anything fancy, not even to help with the vision: my eye sight is just barely too bad to make out the north star easily, so a slight magnification would help.
Are there any resources that I can forage or anything I can create while in the wilderness for focusing light similar to a glasses lens or a magnifying glass?
Available resources
My glasses for my poor eyesight are either lost or smashed to pieces. All of my clear bags have long since been punctured, and I have no other clear containers for holding water in, otherwise I might try to use water to focus the light.
I am assuming creating glass from sand is not an option since I have seen backyard tinkerers with the proper academic knowledge and decent tools fail to create good glass. If you think this is an invalid assumption, then feel free to challenge me on that.
survival improvised-gear
asked 2 hours ago
Aaron
1,555217
I have left this somewhat broad, as I assume that is necessary to get an answer at all. If I am mistaken and this is not as difficult a task as I am thinking, please comment and I will narrow the question and/or split it into multiple questions.
– Aaron
2 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
I am currently stuck in the wilderness, and I have been out here for a while. I want to focus light. There are various reasons for wanting to do this, with the two biggest reasons being for vision and for fire starting. It does not need to be anything fancy, not even to help with the vision: my eye sight is just barely too bad to make out the north star easily, so a slight magnification would help.
Are there any resources that I can forage or anything I can create while in the wilderness for focusing light similar to a glasses lens or a magnifying glass?
Available resources
My glasses for my poor eyesight are either lost or smashed to pieces. All of my clear bags have long since been punctured, and I have no other clear containers for holding water in, otherwise I might try to use water to focus the light.
I am assuming creating glass from sand is not an option since I have seen backyard tinkerers with the proper academic knowledge and decent tools fail to create good glass. If you think this is an invalid assumption, then feel free to challenge me on that.
survival improvised-gear
asked 2 hours ago
Aaron
1,555217
I am currently stuck in the wilderness, and I have been out here for a while. I want to focus light. There are various reasons for wanting to do this, with the two biggest reasons being for vision and for fire starting. It does not need to be anything fancy, not even to help with the vision: my eye sight is just barely too bad to make out the north star easily, so a slight magnification would help.
Are there any resources that I can forage or anything I can create while in the wilderness for focusing light similar to a glasses lens or a magnifying glass?
Available resources
My glasses for my poor eyesight are either lost or smashed to pieces. All of my clear bags have long since been punctured, and I have no other clear containers for holding water in, otherwise I might try to use water to focus the light.
I am assuming creating glass from sand is not an option since I have seen backyard tinkerers with the proper academic knowledge and decent tools fail to create good glass. If you think this is an invalid assumption, then feel free to challenge me on that.
survival improvised-gear
survival improvised-gear
asked 2 hours ago
Aaron
1,555217
asked 2 hours ago
Aaron
1,555217
asked 2 hours ago
Aaron
1,555217
asked 2 hours ago
Aaron
1,555217
asked 2 hours ago
Aaron
1,555217
1,555217
I have left this somewhat broad, as I assume that is necessary to get an answer at all. If I am mistaken and this is not as difficult a task as I am thinking, please comment and I will narrow the question and/or split it into multiple questions.
– Aaron
2 hours ago
add a comment |Â
I have left this somewhat broad, as I assume that is necessary to get an answer at all. If I am mistaken and this is not as difficult a task as I am thinking, please comment and I will narrow the question and/or split it into multiple questions.
– Aaron
2 hours ago
I have left this somewhat broad, as I assume that is necessary to get an answer at all. If I am mistaken and this is not as difficult a task as I am thinking, please comment and I will narrow the question and/or split it into multiple questions.
– Aaron
2 hours ago
I have left this somewhat broad, as I assume that is necessary to get an answer at all. If I am mistaken and this is not as difficult a task as I am thinking, please comment and I will narrow the question and/or split it into multiple questions.
– Aaron
2 hours ago
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
up vote
2
down vote
It's possible to do it with ice that has been shaped into a convex lens. The ice needs to be clear and fairly large like 5 inches across. Obviously this won't work in the summer, and the cold temperatures won't help either, but it does look like it can be done.
See,
How To Start A Fire Using Magnifying Glass Made Of Ice
How Do You Start a Fire With Ice?
Starting Fire With an Ice Lens
Fire from Ice
Build a Fire with a Slab of Ice
All of the above links are for starting a fire with a magnifying glass made from ice, would be interesting to see if there are other materials that can do this as well.
answered 2 hours ago
Charlie Brumbaugh
39.8k14104228
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
2
down vote
It's possible to do it with ice that has been shaped into a convex lens. The ice needs to be clear and fairly large like 5 inches across. Obviously this won't work in the summer, and the cold temperatures won't help either, but it does look like it can be done.
See,
How To Start A Fire Using Magnifying Glass Made Of Ice
How Do You Start a Fire With Ice?
Starting Fire With an Ice Lens
Fire from Ice
Build a Fire with a Slab of Ice
All of the above links are for starting a fire with a magnifying glass made from ice, would be interesting to see if there are other materials that can do this as well.
answered 2 hours ago
Charlie Brumbaugh
39.8k14104228
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
It's possible to do it with ice that has been shaped into a convex lens. The ice needs to be clear and fairly large like 5 inches across. Obviously this won't work in the summer, and the cold temperatures won't help either, but it does look like it can be done.
See,
How To Start A Fire Using Magnifying Glass Made Of Ice
How Do You Start a Fire With Ice?
Starting Fire With an Ice Lens
Fire from Ice
Build a Fire with a Slab of Ice
All of the above links are for starting a fire with a magnifying glass made from ice, would be interesting to see if there are other materials that can do this as well.
answered 2 hours ago
Charlie Brumbaugh
39.8k14104228
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
It's possible to do it with ice that has been shaped into a convex lens. The ice needs to be clear and fairly large like 5 inches across. Obviously this won't work in the summer, and the cold temperatures won't help either, but it does look like it can be done.
See,
How To Start A Fire Using Magnifying Glass Made Of Ice
How Do You Start a Fire With Ice?
Starting Fire With an Ice Lens
Fire from Ice
Build a Fire with a Slab of Ice
All of the above links are for starting a fire with a magnifying glass made from ice, would be interesting to see if there are other materials that can do this as well.
answered 2 hours ago
Charlie Brumbaugh
39.8k14104228
It's possible to do it with ice that has been shaped into a convex lens. The ice needs to be clear and fairly large like 5 inches across. Obviously this won't work in the summer, and the cold temperatures won't help either, but it does look like it can be done.
See,
How To Start A Fire Using Magnifying Glass Made Of Ice
How Do You Start a Fire With Ice?
Starting Fire With an Ice Lens
Fire from Ice
Build a Fire with a Slab of Ice
All of the above links are for starting a fire with a magnifying glass made from ice, would be interesting to see if there are other materials that can do this as well.
answered 2 hours ago
Charlie Brumbaugh
39.8k14104228
answered 2 hours ago
Charlie Brumbaugh
39.8k14104228
answered 2 hours ago
Charlie Brumbaugh
39.8k14104228
answered 2 hours ago
Charlie Brumbaugh
39.8k14104228
39.8k14104228
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2foutdoors.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f20595%2fare-there-any-natural-materials-that-can-be-used-as-a-magnifying-lens-or-to-cra%23new-answer', 'question_page');
);
Post as a guest
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
I have left this somewhat broad, as I assume that is necessary to get an answer at all. If I am mistaken and this is not as difficult a task as I am thinking, please comment and I will narrow the question and/or split it into multiple questions.
– Aaron
2 hours ago