Basic Survival Skills: Fire
If you’re new to the outdoors, this basic survival skills guide to fire is a good place to start developing your skills.
The world is a noisy place. I know I’m not the only person who feels that way. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of things. However, every once in a while, it’s not bad for us to slip away for some quiet time. You could even say it is important for us to do so. It also seems undeniable that the outdoors is a great place for finding stillness. This seems so obvious. People have been going on quiet retreats for thousands of years all over the world. In many cases, this involves going into nature. As great as the outdoors can be, anyone who spends time there should have some basic survival skills.
Don’t let the new Disney movies fool you, nature isn’t all love and harmony. The reality is that the outdoors poses some very genuine dangers. These dangers don’t have to stop us from enjoying the outdoors, but we do need some basic survival skills before we go adventuring. A few of the most basic skills are fire, shelter, water, navigation, food, and blade work. In this article, we’ll help beginners get off and running with some basic fire skills.
Basic Survival Skills: Fire
If you’re new to the outdoors or just want to brush up on the basics of fire, this article should be just what you need. In it, we’ll look at all of the basic things a person needs to know to create a solid foundation of fire skills. After all, fire is one of the basic survival skills everyone should know.
Fire Ingredients
Perhaps the first thing to know about fire is the ingredients it needs. There are three ingredients that fires need. Those ingredients are fuel, oxygen, and heat.
Fuel
Fuel is probably the most obvious fire ingredient. Even little kids recognize that fires need something to burn. When it comes to fuel, there are a few things to know. First off, fire fuel can either be found in the wild, or you can buy fuel like propane or gas. For the purposes of this article, we’ll look at the basic considerations for selecting fuel you can find in nature.
When it comes to finding sources of fuel for your fire in nature, there are a few things to remember. First, the best fuel is high and dry. High and dry means that the ideal fuel sources are off the ground and dry. Things lying on the ground are often too wet to make good fuel. Damp fuels are harder to get going. This is why you want to find things that are off the ground and dry.
Dead wood is an ideal fuel. In fact, some of the best fuel sources are dead branches. Dead branches are usually easy to find, and can often be suspended in the air. This keeps them off the ground and dry. Also, a good branch will have many different sizes of fuel. This will be handy once you get your fire going.
Oxygen
Along with fuel, every fire needs oxygen. The amount of oxygen depends on how strong your fire is burning. When you first start out, too much oxygen can put the fire out. However, once you get a good blaze going, adding more oxygen can be one factor that really increases the heat.
This is worth understanding, especially when the wind is blowing. There have been many large grass and forest fires that have gotten out of control because of windy conditions. The same can be true for your campfire.
Heat
The final ingredient to fire is heat. Once a fire gets going, this usually takes care of itself. However, it can be the most difficult part of actually getting a fire started. That is why you want a good ignition source. Later, we’ll outline several reliable sources of ignition.
Selecting a Site
Before actually starting your fire, you will want to have an appropriate site prepared. An ideal site for a fire is in an area of bare dirt, at least a few feet across, with no underground roots that might catch fire. You can also build a fire ring out of dry rocks or dig a small depression in the ground. Keeping a fire contained is a big responsibility. It is also a good idea to always have water on hand to extinguish the fire if it gets out of control.
Fire Structures for Beginners
Once you have selected an appropriate site, you can begin practicing this basic survival skill. Making a fire is something that is easier if you spend a few minutes planning ahead before you start. The last thing you want to do is be scrambling around when your tiny flame is trying to survive.
When starting a fire, you always need to start with small fuel first. This fuel is called “kindling.” One helpful thing is to separate your kindling into multiple piles before lighting the fire. You can sort them into as many piles as you want, but the following three are one proven idea. Separate your fuel into small, medium, and large piles. Small fuel is anything thinner than a pencil. It’s also not a bad idea to have most of the pile be about the thickness of the pencil lead. Small fuel like this will catch easily, but it won’t burn for a long time. Be sure to have a decent-sized pile ready before you begin. The second pile should be sticks between the thickness of a pencil and the thickness of your thumb. Finally, you can have a pile of sticks about the size of your wrist.
When it comes to structures for fires, there are lots of different options. As a kid, I learned the tipi and log house design. Recently, I’ve come to appreciate what I’ve learned is “The Stack.” To do this, just set a few larger sticks in a small pile. Then, start your fire a few inches from the base. Once you get your fire starter going, you can place your smallest pile of twigs over the flame. Set one end on the piled up sticks, and the other on the ground.
“The Stack,” is good for a few reasons. First, you can make it quickly. Second, if made correctly, the small twigs should be suspended over the fire starter. This allows the heat to move up through the twigs, without letting the twigs smother the fire starter. Finally, you can easily access the fire starter and add oxygen as necessary.
Ignition Sources for Beginners
Once you have your fuels sorted and ready, you are ready to start your fire. If you were to think about your situation, you might realize you have two of the three necessary ingredients to fire; fuel and oxygen. What you need to create manually is heat. This is done using ignition sources.
In the modern world, there are many different sources of ignition that have advantages and disadvantages. Perhaps the simplest, are matches. Strike-on-the-box matches have been around for a long time. Matches are good because they require less fine motor skills to ignite. If your hands are cold, this is good. The downside is that they have a limited burn time. Also, you actually need to practice lighting matches. If done incorrectly, you can snap a half-box of matches before you actually get one lit.
Perhaps the most common ignition source is the modern lighter. Bic lighters are simple, easy to use, and effective. They are almost universal in the woods. About their only downside is that it can be a bit touchy to get a flame going at times. Removing the child lock on the wheel helps this, but if your hands are numb it can still be a problem.
If you are looking for a very hot and reliable ignition source, the Torch Blue lighter is very effective. It has a big push-down button, which you stand a good chance of operating even if your hands are numb. These lighters also spit out a very hot flame. On the downside, they are pretty bulky. They also burn a lot of fuel. As a result, if you are camping for a long period of time, they might not be something you want to constantly use.
Although there is a tremendous variety of modern ignition sources, these three cover a lot of the bases of what people are usually looking for.
Starting a Fire
At this point, you are ready to start your fire. If you are a beginner looking to develop basic survival skills, I’d recommend using a fire starter of some kind. Fire starters come in many varieties but they all have the same purposes. Their purpose is to easily catch a flame from the ignition, and then extend that flame. There are many options you can purchase, and many will operate as advertised.
However, you can also make fire starters easily enough. Perhaps the easiest way to is to infuse cotton balls with petroleum jelly (Vaseline). Of course, these need to be created before you leave and placed in a container. To make them, simply rub petroleum jelly all over a cotton ball. It’s really that easy. These cotton balls easily catch a spark and give you some decent burn time.
If you’re looking for something a little better, you can try making what I call “Fire Pads.” Fire Pads are cotton pads that have been saturated in a mixture of paraffin wax and mineral oil. After they dry, they are extremely flammable and extend a flame longer than the cotton balls. However, they are more difficult to make.
Whatever fire starter you use, it is what you apply your ignition source to. As already mentioned, if you use The Stack be sure to keep your kindling off the fire starter. If you’ve done things right, you’ll probably see your smallest kindling begin to catch. At this point, you need to monitor the fire and understand if you need to add oxygen or not. Remember, adding oxygen can help a fire grow. However, if you add too much oxygen to a small fire, you can put it out. Long, slow, and directed breaths are the best. It really just takes practice to get a feel for how, when, and where to blow on a small fire.
As your smallest kindling burns, you can start to add the medium pile. Keep an eye on things, as you may still need to apply oxygen to really get it to take off. After adding your largest pile of kindling, you can begin adding larger and larger fuel.
Maintaining a Fire
Once you have a fire to this point, they are relatively easy to maintain. Continue to add fuel and oxygen as necessary. Heat should be easy to maintain if you provide the other two elements. Just be sure to keep an eye on it and keep it under control. Mountain men used to say, “The bigger the fire, the bigger the fool.” Even today, this is not bad advice. Once you’ve seen what a fire can do, you realize only a fool plays with fire.
It may be worth noting that in many public land areas of the West, fire restrictions are often in place during the summer months. This means that fires may be illegal. As a result, camp stoves are usually the only option you legally have to create fire.
Using a camp stove and lighter is the easiest way to create fire on a camping trip. If you have limited experience camping, it is the best place to start. If you buy the appropriate technology, know how to use it, and assemble it properly, you’ll be able to reliably create fire on a weekend trip. The downside is that the fuel must be purchased and packed. This increases your cost and packed gear while decreasing the time you can spend in the outdoors.
Fire is one of the most basic survival skills a person can have. Fire is useful for several reasons. Not only can it keep you warm, and cook your food, but a snapping campfire can be a comfort as well. Knowing how to build a fire, and safely maintain it, is one of the important skills you should develop before heading into the wild. Experiencing the quiet and solitude is great, but it also comes with the responsibility of taking care of yourself.