Survival Guide Tip – Building a Fire

There are a few things one needs to know in case one is ever stranded in the wilderness and building a fire is one of them.

Fire serves a few important purposes and the ability to build one can make the difference between death and survival for a person lost in the wilderness.

This is such an important element that you should include materials to help you ignite a fire in your survival kit so that you can increase your chances of making it out of the wilds alive.



The first thing that you need to do is collect the different materials that you will need in order to build a fire. They should all be kept ready for you to use so that you do not waste time.

These materials can include dry grasses, leaves, twigs and animal dung.

If you take too long to build up the fire there is a chance that the spark you create will die out.

You should also identify the place you will do this, making sure that it is not exposed to the elements and also that it does not pose a risk to you and the surroundings.

You will need an ignition source to begin with, along with some tinder.

Most people out in the wilds carry a lighter or matches in order to start a fire.

If you are somehow separated from your survival kit you should be aware of how to rub two sticks together in order to start a fire.

Once you have created a spark, you should transfer it to some tinder so that it catches easily.

This should be dry and should also be sufficiently long so that you have enough time to get the fire going strongly.

You will need dried plants or tree bark for this purpose. You could also use dry pine needles for this purpose.

The burning tinder should immediately be transferred to the kindling in order to encourage the flame to grow bigger. You will need small dry twigs for this because they catch fire easily.

If the dry wood you find is big then you should chop or break it up into smaller bits so that it can take fire easily.

Once this is done, you can transfer the fire to the fuel woods you have arranged for this purpose.

There are a few methods of arranging wood in order to build a fire and you should use them according to the situation.

You can arrange the wood in the shape of a teepee or cone with some kindling in the center.

This helps to keep the fire going for long.

It is also useful if you have to work with wet wood. The logs should be arranged parallel to each other and in a pyramid shape, with each layer in a perpendicular alignment to the one below it.

The fire should be started at the top so that it works its way to the ground. This is ideal to use at night when you want to get some rest.

Use green wood for your fire at night so that it will burn slower and longer.

Try to get your fire to burn with a lot of smoke during the day so that you can attract the attention of possible rescuers.




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