Camp Fires & Site Selection

Fire & Survival Fire has a strong positive psychological impact upon an individual in a survival situation, it is the most important survival tool after your personal wilderness knowledge.

Fire & Survival Provides: Warmth Feel protected Cooking Purify water Dry clothing Smoke signals Burn sticks to make spears. Repel insects

Fire Building

Identifying & Selecting Fire Wood The selection of firewood is generally a function of availability. Use what is legally available. In most regions of the country, there isn’t a lot of choice. Ideally, one would select firewood based on the following considerations: Softwood (eg. Pine, spruce and cedar) are convenient for use as tinder and kindling. They ignite readily and burn hot. Hardwood (eg. Maple, yellow birch, beach) are excellent for obtaining hot long lasting coals, providing a steady temperature for cooking and baking.

Selecting Firewood Cont’d Firewood selection should be based on the following considerations: Only pick wood that is already down. Remember …”rules are for fools. In rainy weather, when fires are necessary one might pick the fine dead tinder which is still attached in the undergrowth of a conifer. Collect enough wood to maintain the fire. Collect wood of different sizes and stack the wood according to size. This provides convenient access to wood as the fire is started.

Three Common Components of Fire There must be a balance of fuel, heat and oxygen to have a successful fire. When having difficulty starting a fire, it is often helpful to think of which component is out of balance and try to establish the proper balance. Fuel : Wood provides the fuel in campfires. The key is to have the correct size fuel for the amount of heat available. (You can’t light a 4 inch round stick of wood with a match.) Heat : Heat ignites the fuel and must be balanced with it. Large fuel will not ignite until the heat of the fire rises to a suitable temperature to thoroughly heat the wood. There is usually water vapor close to the ground. The fire should be ignited a few inches above ground level. Oxygen : there must be room for oxygen. Allow for ample air circulation and arrange the fuel so that oxygen can get to the fire.

Materials in Fire Construction Tinder: Fine, flammable material which will ignite from the heat of a match. Birch bark (collected from the ground), pine pitch or spruce pitch, and fine twigs. If the group must depend on fires it is important to have a plastic bag of these materials for a rainy day.

Materials in Fire Construction Kindling: Small diameter branches (3/4” or less) or split wood which will ignite from the tinder Softwood such as pine, spruce and cedar are very suitable for kindling.

Materials in Fire Construction Fuel: Firewood which provides coals and uniform heat for cooking. Hardwoods such as maple, birch, hickory and apple do an admirable job of providing good coals for cooking. Only collect wood that is already down. Collect enough to maintain your fire. Collect wood of different sizes.

Laying the Fire

Everyone has a favorite way to lay a fire. How it is laid is not as important as how well it functions. Does the lay of the fire allow for the proper balance of the three elements necessary for a good fire? When using a fire pit or if the ground is particularly cold or moist, it is helpful to lay a row of logs, bark or other material on the ground before the fire is laid. This insulates the fire from the cold and moister and allows the heat to be used for combustion Lay the smallest, most combustible material at the bottom. As heat rises, this will allow for the most efficient use of available heat

Lean-to By providing a bed of tinder and leaning tinder and kindling against a “lean-to support” or larger piece of kindling, an efficient fire can often be quickly built.

Teepee By building a tepee of kindling around an abundant supply of tinder, a healthy fire can eventually grow by gradually increasing the size of the outermost wood. At some point the tepee will collapse from its own weight. The challenge is not to let it collapse until the fire is large enough to sustain itself. To keep the tepee going until the outer wood ignites, continue replacing tinder and kindling as it burns.

Log Cabin A series of logs are criss- crossed log cabin style, allowing for plenty of oxygen and a place to carefully set cooking pots

Inclement Weather Suggestions Use your twiggy bag (a bag of twiggy’s, birch bark, and pitch etc.) Oozing pitch from conifer trees ignites under the most adverse conditions. Carefully scrape the pitch from the tree trying not to injure the bark Look for dry tinder under logs, boulders, at the base of large trees, and other dry areas. Carve dry wood out of the core of wet kindling. Build a tepee fire being sure to keep the center well stoked.

Lighting the Fire Don’t be afraid to use paper if it’s available. Remember that heat rises, so when striking a match; try to hold the lit end lower than the rest of the match. Light the fire upwind so the heat generated will be blown towards the fire and not away from it. Homemade or commercial fire starters made from paraffin and paper can be carried for lighting fires in moist or emergency conditions.

Features of Different Trees When Selecting Fire Wood Type of Tree Northern Hickory, oak, ironwood Birch-Black, Yellow, red, paper and white Sugar Maple Northern Poplar Characteristics Hot fire, long lasting, bed of hot coals that heat for hours. Oil in bark assists in combustion ignites easily, clear steady flame leaves good coals. Dry: gives intense heat with nearly no smoke, does not blacken utensils. Lasts well