FIRECRAFT

Firecraft is about generating ignition for building a controlled fire

with ease and safety.

Your selected site should be away from the obvious hazards like dry grass and low branches.  If possible, build in sand or on stone.  A simple campfire can burn roots and smolder for hours, days, or even years, underground then erupt anywhere.

One facet of firecraft is the reason you are building a fire.  Warmth, cooking, protection, light and signaling are just a few.

Your fuel selections can include hard wood (leafy trees) or soft wood (trees with needles), brush, dried cow patties, coal, oil (from a vehicle) animal fat and a number of other things.  A supply of fire starter blox will help save a lot of time and effort when you need to light your campfire.

For kindling, use small twigs, bark, or wood shavings that you have peeled with your knife.  These all work well.  The drier the better for this.  They should snap in your hands when you try to bend them.
 
 

Firecraft is about the safe use of fire so, if possible, avoid using things like gasoline.  Its’ explosive nature can cause serious injury.  If you must use it, do so sparingly, never pour it on your fire. The flame may race up the stream of gasoline and ignite the container in your hands, or the blast of heat could scorch or ignite your clothing and char your skin.  This is not something you would want to happen at any time, especially if you are alone in the wilderness.  Always keep your firecraft safety in mind.  A book on fire building techniques would be a good thing to throw into your survival kit.

Choose a fire site that is reasonably protected from wind and weather with any hazards cleared away. Start by laying kindling at its base topped with small branches then larger chunks of fuel.

When laying a fire, the biggest mistake most firecraft novices make is in laying their fire too tight which limit’s the air supply and produces a smoldering affair with little or no heat, if you can even get it lit.  A classic teepee fire will give you one or two inch air gaps around kindling.  Lean small sticks over your kindling or lay out a crosshatched pattern around and over the kindling three or four layers deep.  Be sure you can get at the kindling and tinder during this initial set-up so you can light it later.



Firecraft tip: If your matches are damp, you can comb the head of the match through dry hair fifteen or twenty times.  This will draw off excess moisture and the static will further aid in drying the match. With waterproof matches this becomes unnecessary, but you don't always have them when you need them, so keep this tip in mind.

Carry other means to start your fire such as a couple of Bic lighters, a magnesium fire starter, a magnifying lens, which could serve other uses as well, and more waterproof matches.  None of these things take much space nor add significant weight to your survival kit.  It is much easier to be prepared in firecraft than to have to resort to more primitive means such as using sticks and friction which does work but takes a lot of effort.  Consider adding a multifunction tool (that contains a folding knife with magnessium fire starter and a signal whistle) to your survival kit.

A few extra items in your kit will make life a whole lot simpler when it comes to your firecraft.