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Step 4How to make fire (important!!)
An essential part of survival is the ability to create and sustain a fire as this will offer you the chances of cooking any meat you may have with you or caught, some light to perform various tasks with and the light will keep the bugs away, which is handy because midges, mosquitos and flys are a horror!!
Before you can even think about starting the fire you have to prepare yourself and this means gathering alot of different types of wood that you can use to build a fire up.
You will need different sizes of wood, BUT IT ALL HAS TO BE DRY!! this is critical other wise it will not burn (the only exception is when you are impaling some food onto a stick, then you want it live so it doesn't burn). the different types of wood/fuel you will need are-
1. Wood or bark shavings. (dry grass or paper may be used here but is not recommended as it burns far too intensely and as such will not last very long)
2. Small twigs. this will serve as building blocks to the main structure of your fire (this will be discussed later)
3. Slightly bigger twigs, but not too big. this will make it possible to stack bigger stuff on
4. Even bigger sticks. this again will lead on to bigger sticks
this cycle carrys on and on and on depending on the size of fire you want.
An exceptions of the above are pallet wood. often found in firewood dumps. this is good because it burns for a while.
You will also need a few big logs to put around the fire if you are not in a designated fire zone. This will stop the fire from spreading and causing any major damage.
Always remember to get more firewood than you will need. this means that you can stack it on if you need the fire for longer than expected or if you wanted the fire slightly bigger.
To make a fire you need 3 things. 1: Fuel, 2: Oxygen and 3. Ignition
We've covered number one. number 2 needs a bit more thought (surprisingly) because you need to create the right sort of structure for the fire so that the oxygen can get in and you also need to make sure not to put too much firewood on too quickly because this will smother the fire and put it out, much like a candle with a snuffer.
The structure that I like to use for my fire is a basic two sticks ontop of two others and then carry on.
This is done by laying two sticks parallel from each other than laying two on top of them and then building it up. This allows for good ventilation and the opportunity to put your fuel and ignition in the middle, in the heart of the fire.
There are a few other types but i find none of them to be as effective, but it is just important to remember to have a structure to have an air flow (co2 goes out o2 comes in) and to get the right size sticks next to each other so the fire can build itself up.
Now, the final section. ignition. there are a few different things you can use for this, including a steel striker (a carbonised steel rod struck with a key shaped piece of metal. this can be replaced with a knife or a key) this is the same concept as a striking two flints together, you can use matches (these aren't good in wind or water unless you have "monkey matches", these are wind and water proof matches. very hand but they burn incredibly quickly) and lighters, storm lighters or zippos are good because they are windproof too.
To light a fire create you fire with the kindlering in the middle in the middle and then start your ignition in there.
Congratulations. if all went to plan you now have a fire. =]
i like fire... lol
Before you can even think about starting the fire you have to prepare yourself and this means gathering alot of different types of wood that you can use to build a fire up.
You will need different sizes of wood, BUT IT ALL HAS TO BE DRY!! this is critical other wise it will not burn (the only exception is when you are impaling some food onto a stick, then you want it live so it doesn't burn). the different types of wood/fuel you will need are-
1. Wood or bark shavings. (dry grass or paper may be used here but is not recommended as it burns far too intensely and as such will not last very long)
2. Small twigs. this will serve as building blocks to the main structure of your fire (this will be discussed later)
3. Slightly bigger twigs, but not too big. this will make it possible to stack bigger stuff on
4. Even bigger sticks. this again will lead on to bigger sticks
this cycle carrys on and on and on depending on the size of fire you want.
An exceptions of the above are pallet wood. often found in firewood dumps. this is good because it burns for a while.
You will also need a few big logs to put around the fire if you are not in a designated fire zone. This will stop the fire from spreading and causing any major damage.
Always remember to get more firewood than you will need. this means that you can stack it on if you need the fire for longer than expected or if you wanted the fire slightly bigger.
To make a fire you need 3 things. 1: Fuel, 2: Oxygen and 3. Ignition
We've covered number one. number 2 needs a bit more thought (surprisingly) because you need to create the right sort of structure for the fire so that the oxygen can get in and you also need to make sure not to put too much firewood on too quickly because this will smother the fire and put it out, much like a candle with a snuffer.
The structure that I like to use for my fire is a basic two sticks ontop of two others and then carry on.
This is done by laying two sticks parallel from each other than laying two on top of them and then building it up. This allows for good ventilation and the opportunity to put your fuel and ignition in the middle, in the heart of the fire.
There are a few other types but i find none of them to be as effective, but it is just important to remember to have a structure to have an air flow (co2 goes out o2 comes in) and to get the right size sticks next to each other so the fire can build itself up.
Now, the final section. ignition. there are a few different things you can use for this, including a steel striker (a carbonised steel rod struck with a key shaped piece of metal. this can be replaced with a knife or a key) this is the same concept as a striking two flints together, you can use matches (these aren't good in wind or water unless you have "monkey matches", these are wind and water proof matches. very hand but they burn incredibly quickly) and lighters, storm lighters or zippos are good because they are windproof too.
To light a fire create you fire with the kindlering in the middle in the middle and then start your ignition in there.
Congratulations. if all went to plan you now have a fire. =]
i like fire... lol
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Mar 21, 2012. 1:45 PMblingblingdog
says:
i like fire more than you
Reply
May 15, 2011. 8:39 PMplznothanks
says:
Bear Grylls is the champ at this http://howtohacklife101.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-to-build-fire.html
Reply
1
Sep 28, 2009. 5:22 PMa_traceur
says:
I've never had it once keep bugs away! Those darn pesky bugs.
Reply
Sep 11, 2009. 1:41 PMocto137
says:
dude, wet and live wood can burn, it just makes too much unwanted smoke
Reply
Apr 17, 2009. 8:14 PM1jackeroo
says:
The tepee form is great especially when things are damp...heat rises, thus from the moment of ignition the sticks at the top of the tepee are beginning to dry. Furthermore the tepee fire is self feeding, as the wood in the middle (where the sticks all converge) burns up, the sticks slowly fall inwards and add fuel to the fire. Such a fire can be lit with one match and let be. In rough weather needing a larger or longer burning fire, I build a tepee fire and surround it with the "log cabin" type described above.
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