Fire

Basic Fire Principles Site Selection Fire Lighting Fire Building Fire Safety

This V fire lay is a modified version of the long fire. The way the V fire is arranged allows you to either block strong winds, or take advantage of light breezes. During high wind conditions, the part of the lay where the two logs come together is placed in the direction from which the winds …

A Trench fire is simply a fire built in the bottom of a trench.  In situations where you are forced to use poor quality wood and when cooking is made more difficult because of windy weather conditions, building a trench fire is best.  Start by digging or scraping a rectangular trench that’s length runs in …

As an alternative to the traditional signal fire, you can create what the US Army calls a “tree torch”. If you can locate a tree in a clearing which has green leaves and is a considerable distance away from other trees (thus less likely to spark a forest fire), you can use it to make …

A tinder stick, or feather stick is a piece of wood that can be used as kindling It is made by shaving a stick (with shallow cuts) towards the end, making a head of thin curls. When there are not enough small logs and sticks around to use in making a fire, a tinder stick works great. It catches fire more …

The tinder bundle is the most essential element in making fire. It is used to blow the coal / ember from the fire set into an actual flame. Fluffy and fibrous materials are key. You want to fuzz up the material so it will ignite easily.  You want it to be soft and pliable. To achieve this, vigorously work the tinder between …

The Teepee fire is an efficient fire. It lights easily, burns well, and is fairly easy to start and maintain. The Teepee fire gives off a great amount of heat even if it is relatively small in size. Select an area for your fire. Depending on the conditions, choose the best site for your situation. How to build a …

A stump makes a great fire site, especially for cooking. Since they’re underground, there’s no source of oxygen to sustain the flame so the part of the stump under the surface won’t burn.To make a stump fire: Carve out the center of the stump into the rough shape of a bowl, including a channel cut on one …

The star fire, or (indian fire) is the ideal fire lay for conserving scarce fuel. Another advantage is that its low flame makes it safer than other fire lays for using inside a shelter. To form a star fire, make a small fire and arrange logs around the outside facing inwards to form the points of a star. The logs …

If you are in a snow-covered area the best thing to do would be to dig down to the ground and make your fire there. The snow walls would add more protection to your fire from the wind. If the layers of snow are too thick, you will have to build a platform for your …

You will have to choose what site to use before you build a fire. You want to select a site that is protected from the wind, sheltered and has a supply of wood or other fuel available. Your site should also be suitably placed in relation to your shelter (if any). There should be nothing nearby that could catch fire. …

No matter what you call it, windbreak, heat reflector or fire wall, this simple structure is used to direct heat, protect your fire and minimize wind. Reflectors can be built using rocks, snow, green wood, ice; basically any flat surface will work. Any fire style can double as a reflector fire, Just place the reflector wall behind …

Found in the middle of rotten logs, punk wood is in the process of rotting but hasn’t turned soft. It can be obtained by knocking or kicking apart rotten logs. It can be broken with the fingers but doesn’t crumble. Punk wood is very light in weight, but still fairly firm. If dried out, it …

Out of the many fire starters, petroleum jelly balls are one of the favorites. They are small, lightweight, and burn for a long time. They are also waterproof! The first ingredient is a material that is fluffy and fibrous like a cotton ball, dryer lint, cattail down, dried grasses, etc. This, combined with run-of-the-mill Petroleum …

A metal match, aka firesteel, is often confused with flint and steel. It is similar to the flint used in a cigarette lighter, but much bigger. Most metal matches are made from a mixture of metals and rare earth elements. The mixture is alloyed at a high temperature and then shaped into rods of various diameters. The rods …