No firepit? No problem
What do we do when we find ourselves without the camping comforts of a firepit and fire starter fluid? We asked Forest Technology instructor Chris Klitbo to shed some light on the matter.
Bring along basic supplies
Fire starter – carry two types of fire starter in a waterproof case and two sets of that in different locations – such as on your body and in your backpack:
- waterproof matches
- lighters
- fire strikers (high-carbon steel used for striking a spark; check out the video below)
Tinder – small material that ignites right away. Store these with your fire starter:
- cotton balls impregnated with candle wax and kerosene
- fine shavings of birch bark (perfect for wet conditions)
- paper-like fibres found inside the bark of a dead poplar
- powdered Coffee-mate on some bark
Gather some fuel on site
- twigs the size of a match and smaller
- finger-sized twigs
- wrist-sized sticks
- logs the size of your arm and larger
Fire it up
- gather all the materials you’ll need: fire starter, tinder, twigs, sticks and logs
- clear the ground down to soil or rock. Avoid building a ring of rocks as it can shield embers. If you do build a ring, take it apart when you put out the fire
- add increasingly larger pieces of twigs and logs wood as your fire burns
Put it out properly
Drown it in water – use enough to ensure all the coals and embers are cold. Dig through the fire. Mix it with dirt