The big earthquake shook you awake in the wee hours of the morning. Thankfully, everyone got out the house safely. But now, you must stay out of your home as the aftershocks have made it unsafe to be indoors. You’ve been busy setting up camp in your backyard and helping your next-door neighbor craft a tent out of survival blankets. You’re whipped.

And you just want a hot cup of soup and a cup of coffee.

When you’re in survival mode, one of the skills you need to know is how to start a fire. Cartoons that show people rubbing two sticks or two rocks together don’t show how difficult this sort of friction fire starting can be. When you’re trying to survive, you don’t have time for cartoon-inspired methods, no matter how cool they seem. You need to start a fire now and with minimum effort.

The best fire starting options for survival are simple ones. No matter how skilled you yourself are, you’ll want something that’s easy to do because you want any member of your family to be able to start a fire and make that cup of soup. And you may not have time to impart your wisdom upon Grandma and the kids.