Finding matches & fire-starting suggestion

[soralka]

Hi, I would like to ask where I have the best chance of finding matches? I've been at both Camp Office and Trapper's Homestead, all the little cabins at Mystery lake, Deadfall broken shed.. I have three matches left and I don't want to die out of thirst at this point - I'm just about to make a bow

Btw, I have a magnifying glass but the weather's too bad.. I'm playing on Stalker, perhaps the weather's tougher in that mode?

Also, and this is not my idea but I'd like to humbly add my voice to the other players who suggested this, I really think it's almost necessary for this game to develop fire starting skill which would enable the character to start a fire just with sticks & tinder. For example, the character could be dependent on matches/lighter at first, but once the fire-starting skills exceeds e.g. 80, they could automatically learn to start a fire just using the nature's resources.

Thanks in advance for advice & consideration

[soralka]

P.S.: One more thing: just managed to start a fire outside, what do I need to carry it (well, part of it) inside? I don't seem to have the option of taking a torch, which I normally have when I start a fire in a stove.

Thanks!

[Scyzara]

Try to search the buildings in the northern part of Mystery lake. Here's one example for the many player-made maps available. Please don't click onto the spoiler tag if you want to discover everything yourself.^^

[spoil]Habitable structures (=potential places where you might find matches) are shown in green.

North of the unnamed pond is a small cabin and close to the clearcut area the forestry lookout. If you head into eastern direction from the clearcut, you'll find a logging camp with three trailers. Oh, and there's ofc. also Carter Hydro Dam in the north-east (which you better shouldn't enter without a burning flare or torch in your hand if you've never been there before^^).[/spoil]

Any of these buildings can (and most likely will) contain some matches.

[nicko]

P.S.: One more thing: just managed to start a fire outside, what do I need to carry it (well, part of it) inside? I don't seem to have the option of taking a torch, which I normally have when I start a fire in a stove.

Thanks!

from what i have found if your light a fire in a windy spot it won't let you take a torch, therefore try to building outdoors fires in the less most windy location you can find, then you can take a torch and start a fire inside with it. Also yes you need a sunny day to use the magnify glass like you have found out!

matches can be located anywhere- draws, gloves boxes in cars, in crates etc.

ps. there is a fire striker out there - I have only found it once on a random run. atm im on day 127 or so new run still not found a fire striker! the only one I did find was found in Hydro Damm, but then again it might be a random spawn object - I don't know!

[selfless]

Taking a torch inside is best but requires 20 minutes of fire remaining (and costs 20 minutes of fire). Fires can be started with torches or even flares.

[elloco999]

The dam usually has at least one pack of matches.

I'm also playing on stalker but I'm usually able to start a fire outside every other day or so. It only takes a few minutes of sun to start the fire. Make sure you stock up on firewood and when the weather is good enough, light a fire outside and use that to light a torch (or add enough fuel so you can take a torch from the fire) and use the torch to light a fire inside. Then boil as much water as possible. It's easy to boil enough to last you a week so if you have several days without sun that's not a big deal.

Like selfless and nicko have already said, you can only take a torch from a fire if there is at least 20 min of burn time left. And if you light a fire in a place that is too windy, the burn time will be limited to 9 min so that will not be possible. If you extinguish your torch after lighting the fire inside, you can easily use 1 torch to light 5 fires this way. No need to grab a new torch from the fire every time.