Introduction: Build a Fire in the Rain/Wet Condidtions

Fire is probably the third most important thing in survival but good to have when camping. Survival is not something that is ever likely to happen, not bad to know a few thing, but avoidance of survival is better. It isn't often that you actually need to have a fire, because when when your camping, backpacking, canoeing you usually have proper gear, and are prepared, but say your are unprepared.

- When your camping and don't have to carry this in a pack, I'd recommend to always have a blow torch and propane (just a tip).

Step 1: Tinder

First we will find the stuff to start the fire known as tinder. This is probably the easiest step of the whole process. I have listed types of tinder used but excluded leaves because they are going to be wet.

Tinder

*Pine needles- Pine needles can start a fire easy in rain because they don't absorb a lot of water and can be easily dried.

*Bark- Dry bark is found one the dry side of the tree (as you can see with the picture above). The under side of the bark you can scrape some small shavings off for some good tinder.

*Shavings- You can get wood shavings from inside of a (wet) stick by shaving the (wet) bark off for tinder.

Note~ I have learned to keep all of your findings in a bag or pouch in the inside of your jacket to keep it dry and to keep it warm to almost help dry the wood.

Note~ Birch bark burns wet because of the oils in it. 


Step 2: Kindling and Fuel

Kindling is not too hard to find, but fuel is harder to find that is why I would just collect a bunch of kindling and use that as my fuel to make a fire.

1) First find a nice spot where there could be some kind of minor cover such as brush, tree trunks, or boulders where there is a slant in the rock covering a spot for some dry material. (Example in Picture 2)

2) When your ready to start the fire you will shave off the bark and see if the wood is dry. If you have a lighter you can test if it's dry on a small piece or shaving from the log or stick, if the piece does not burn, then none of it will burn. You can also feather the stick (as it is called) as pictured above.

Note~ Ounce you think you collected enough wood for a good fire, double it, use this always.

Step 3: Starting the Fire

Now for the last step, you just find a spot for you fire and get it started, the hardest part of the whole process. Below are some possible places for a fire if it is raining. If it's not raining, but just wet, than put the fire anywhere it's half dry.

- Places where there is a big boulder slanted like a lean-to. (Shown above).
- You can also put a tarp between two trees above the fire (make sure it's high enough to not catch fire!).
- Build the fire on a good sheet of bark (Birch bark works best).

I hope you have learned something from this Instructables, and please comment, and correct me if I'm wrong about something.

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