Making a Fire in the Wilderness

Fire

Fire is a lower priority for survival in the wilderness than are water and shelter. It is useful for warmth, cooking, boil­ing water, and signaling. However, it can be labor intensive and difficult to build. Use the following steps:

1.  Gather dry wood: only downed wood no thicker than your arm. Gather small, dry twigs and leaves for kin­dling and tinder.

2.   Make a low-impact fire pit by clearing away brush, or use a dry river bed. Find a sheltered area out of wind and rain.

3.   Place paper and a small candle or fire starter in the fire area. First-aid gauze soaked with petroleum jelly-based lip balm or sunscreen may work for fire starter.

4.  Stack tinder (material that, if dry enough, should start from a spark).

5.   Ignite fire starter or tinder using matches or lighter, shielding from wind and rain if necessary. Without matches, you can create a spark using flint and a steel knife blade. Often flints are located on match contain­ers or come with your fire starter. Using a bow and drill

to twist a stick against a piece of wood is time consum­ing and difficult, but possible. With much luck, it may be possible to light tinder or fire starter with a magnify­ing glass that may be on your compass.

6.   Once lit, slowly stack on more tinder and then kindling.

7.   Blow on fire as needed.

8.   Once you are finished, douse ashes with water or dirt. Scatter cold, wet ashes and remove your fire ring or pit.