Survival Fires
Basic Fire Principles Site Selection Fire Lighting Fire Building Fire Safety
Fire
The V Fire
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 …
Trench Fire
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 …
Tree Torch
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 …
Tinder Stick
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 …
Tinder Bundle
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 …
Teepee Fire
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 …
Stump Fire
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 …
Star Fire
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 …
Snow Base Fire
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 …
