Brief summary and explanation:
Fire is an essential element to your survival when stranded in an unfavorable environment. With materials supplied by nature you can create an extremely versatile tool aiding in your survival and rescue. . A may be used in sterilization, the hardening wood for tool production, cooking, warmth, light, signaling, and many more. Because fire is so versatile in its uses it is important you know how to light a fire with the limited supplies you have. There are three factors that are necessary to create a striving fire. These three factors make up what is known as the fire triangle. The fire triangle includes heat, oxygen, and fuel. Throughout this chapter, these elements will all be discussed in further detail including safety instructions, different types of wood, fire layouts, and different methods to ignite the fire. Safety First
A fire may be intriguing and helpful, but necessary precautions need to be taken to ensure safety. Fire spreads easily and if it is not properly handled it may cause forest fires. Factors you need to take into consideration are:
• Location
• Structure
• Control
Location
Before you a build a fire, you must select an appropriate location for your fire.
1. Find a location where the ground is bare and a non-burnable surface (dirt, rock, and gravel).
2. Keep the location of your fire away from grass, bushes, trees and other vegetation.
3. Be conscious of over hanging brush and branches while choosing your location.
4. Make sure there is enough space around the fire for people to maneuver around without it becoming hazardous.
5. If there are strong winds select a site against the side of a cliff to help control the draft.
Structure
The structure of your fire pit is extremely important in helping control the fire.
1. If the spot you chose for your fire is dirt, sand, or gravel dig a hole the desired size of your fire and approximately six inches into the ground.
2. Surround the border of the hole with large rocks to create a makeshift fire pit. The hole and rocks help prevent spreading of the fire and increases wind resistance.
Control
Learning to control your fire properly may help prevent forest fires and keeping your fire from going out.
1. In order to prevent the fire from spreading or going out you will need to designate shifts to watch the fire among your peers.
2. Create groups that alternate watching the fire.
3. If there isn’t a water source close enough to douse the fire when it gets out of hand prepare a large pile of sand or dirt next to the fire.
Types of Wood
The fuel for your fire is extremely important. Good fuel helps you start your fire easily and grow big, last long, and burn bright. There are three types of wood you will need for a fire:
• Tinder
• Kindling
• Fuel
Tinder
There are three types of fuel you will need in order to start a fire, tinder is one of them. Tinder consists of dried brush, grass, leaves, small twigs, sticks or any other dry small material that may be used to start the fire. The best tinder should be dry and really flammable, such as small strands of clothing, lint, or dried moss. Its good to have a lot of tinder for this is the fuel that starts your fire, a good amount of fire to have is two hat fulls, or four hand fulls.
Kindling
Kindling is another component you will need to start an efficient fire. Kindling is mainly composed out of sticks, small branches, and other small pieces of wood. Kindling is used to increase the size of the fire, and really get it going.
Fuel
The last and most important type of wood you need for a fire is fuel. Fuel is the substance that really gives your fire its energy. Fuel is basically anything large that will burn. Logs, stumps, or large branches are all suitable fuel. You should always keep a surplus of fuel near your fire site to keep the fire going. The more fuel you add to your fire the bigger and hotter it becomes.
Heat Source
There are multiple ways to get a fire started, but there are only three main methods. The three main methods are:
• Spark ignition
• Light magnification
• Friction.
Spark Ignition
Probably most practical way to start a fire is by spark ignition. This method may be easy, but you won’t always have the supplies to do this.
1. Find a sharp hard rock (preferably quartzite or flint) and a piece of steel.
2. Once you have these place the stone in one hand and on the other the piece of steel..
3. Strike the steal against the rock in a downward sliding motion creating sparks.
4. Repeat step 3 until sparks land on to your gathered tinder and fire ignites.
Light Magnification
In order for you to use this method, you will need two things a source of magnification and sunlight. Starting a fire using light magnification is best if attempted during the afternoon, when the sun is at its highest point. A source of magnification can be glasses or a magnifying glass.
1. Recognize when the sun is at its highest point during the day, and at that time get your source of magnification.
2. Use it to focus the sun’s rays into a small circular point on your tinder.
3. Wait until the rays heat up the tinder and ignites.
Friction
This is by far the most difficult method to start a fire, but it can be done with supplies found just in the wilderness.
1. You will need a small plank of wood approximately half and inch thick. The best wood to use for this plank would be softwoods such as aspen, willow, juniper, or cotton wood.
2. In addition, you need a spindle; this can be made out of harder wood.
3. Once you have your plank, cut a v shaped notch on the board and punch a hole on the adjacent side the same circumference of the spindle.
4. Place the board with the notch side down on a piece of dried bark.
5. Place the spindle through the top, and spin between the palms of your hand.
6. The tip of the spindle should become hot, and escalade into an ember tip.
7. Once this has been achieved transfer the ember tip on to the dried bark, and add tinder.
Fire Layout
Fire layout is extremely important when starting your fire. The structure of your fire needs allow enough oxygen to feed the fire, and at the same time allow the heat to accumulate and light the tinder. There are three basic layouts for making a fire:
• Lean-To
• Log Cabin
• Teepee
Lean-To
The lean-to structure is the only one that incorporates all three types of fuel into one.
1. First, you get some fuel preferably a log or branch, and lay it down.
2. Lean against the fuel large pieces of kindling creating a lean-to.
3. Under the lean-to place your tinder in the center.
4. Ignition of the tinder lights up the kindling above and then the fuel.
Log Cabin
The log cabin layout mainly uses kindling for its structure.
1. You will need several pieces of sticks about the same size.
2. Lay two pieces parallel to each other, as far apart as the length of the pieces.
3. Lay on top of them perpendicularly two more sticks that are parallel to each other.
4. Repeat this until your log cabin is at its desired height.
5. Inside the empty center place your tinder and ignite.
Teepee
For the teepee structure, you will need three large pieces of kindling along with several others in various sizes.
1. Take three long sticks and lean them on to each other, forming a teepee.
2. Place tinder in the center of the teepee.
3. Lay other sticks of various sizes over the teepee closing most holes.
4. Ignite tinder in the center.
A Review
Now that you know all the basics and the different components of fire building, I will summarize it all into six easy steps.
1. Select a proper location for your fire.
2. Gather your tinder, kindling, and fuel.
3. Create your fire layout.
4. Ignite tinder using method of choice.
5. Designate shifts for keeping watch of the fire.
6. Enjoy and utilize the fire, but keep caution.
