![]() ![]() Also, matches can get wet, and lighters can malfunction in poor weather conditions. Matches or a lighter can be used, but the extra supplies can be bulky if you are on an extended trip. This is easier than going caveman and carrying burning embers in a char cloth! However, using the back edge of a knife (especially one with a 90-degree corner on it) is a more elegant and simple solution. It should only take three strikes to start your tinder on fire and Ferro rods typically come with a striker. A long Ferro rod means more sparks generated with each strike. There are countless versions of Ferro rods on the market, but I recommend carrying the biggest size within the limits of your camping or backpacking style.Ĭonsider my Iditarod story from above swollen and numb fingers have a challenging time with small tools. This could be focused solar radiation or sparks created by a Ferrocerium, or Ferro, rod. To start combustion, a source of heat is needed as the fire starter. Larger pieces of firewood will burn long into the night but with less intensity. Smaller pieces of dry wood will make for a shorter-lasting but hot fire. The last material to add will be the long-term fuel, in this case, pieces of firewood larger than kindling the actual size will be determined by the type of fire you seek. You will need numerous small pieces of kindling if conditions are wet. Kindling comprises dry pieces of wood about a foot long and less than your thumb in diameter. Please don’t buy tinder in a store, even Curated! There are so many options for you to gather your own tinder, which will save you money.Īfter your tinder has caught fire, you want to have kindling nearby. Tinder should be smaller than the width of ½ the width of a pencil but larger than a toothpick. There are so many things, man-made and from nature, which can be used as a tinder bundle, including birch bark, dry grass, wood shavings, small twigs, pine needles, fallen bird nests, dry leaves (not my first choice), cotton balls with Vaseline, cardboard, shredded toilet paper, wax with dryer lint, or any other item that can be dry, fluffy, and quick to ignite. Your pile of tinder is the recipient of the heat source, such as a spark, and is responsible for the initial combustion of fire. FYI, this article doesn’t describe taking a jug of lighter fuel from the back of your car when fellow campers are turned away, as much fun as that is! We need three types of material to get a fire going: tinder, kindling, and fuel. Dry seasoned wood is always best for a roaring hot fire if you have that luxury. ![]() Our campfire discussion is going to be based on good old wood. Let’s break this down! Fuelĭifferent fuel sources are used around the world, from yak dung and seal oil to standard wood. It can be considered an interconnected triangle that consists of heat, oxygen, and fuel. The science behind starting a fire isn’t complicated. Starting a fire in the best of conditions can be a challenge, and I learned that such a skill is critical to perfect. Even my steadfast leader, Ears, is snuggling closer to me for warmth, impatient for the flames to match the dancing of the northern lights above. My fingers stop working well as I fidget with my knife to make a feather stick for kindling, and nothing alights with ease. When you start a fire under -40℉, it takes forever to generate warmth it’s as if the very wood complains at being woken from its hibernation. Stopping and making a campsite means four hours of attempting to sleep in the scary cold, and the words of Jack London’s To Build a Fire scroll through my imagination. ![]() ![]() Constantly moving around on my dog sled, I can keep blood circulating enough to prevent hypothermia from setting in, but my fingers are already turning numb as they were previously frostbitten at the tips. Knowing that I have to camp out to rest the dogs, I feel a deep fear within. It’s officially -65℉, and I am on the Iditarod Trail traveling with my 12 dogs between Huslia and Koyukuk. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.” - Jack London, To Build a Fire “I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. ![]()
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