Understanding how to make a fire is one of the best survival tools a person can have. A fire provides warmth, light, and comfort to a person in any environment. Whether you’re on a camping trip with the family or a week long backpacking trip, knowing how to make a fire is one of the best survival skills one can possess.
To find out how to make a fire is one of the most fundamental wilderness survival skills. Practice and learn different methods, so you know how to make a fire anywhere and under any condition. A fire can fulfill several needs. It can keep you warm and dry. You can use it to cook food, purify water and to sterilize bandages. It can scare away dangerous animals and its smoke can keep flying insects at bay. It is also an important way to signal for help.
Before you can begin to build your fire, select your fire location. Select it with care, a good fire location is important. First choose a site that is sheltered and protected from the wind and has a supply of wood or other fuel available. There should be nothing nearby that could catch fire, such as dry vegetation. Make sure your fire doesn’t get out of control. Safety is an essential consideration. Clear any debris away and start the fire on solid ground or on a layer of stones or on a flat shale rock. This will eliminate the possibility of a ground fire and leave no trace of the fire on the ground, except soot stones.
Remember: Never leave a campfire unattended. Be sure your fire is completely out before leaving camp. Check it at least twice. The best time to start preparing your wilderness trip is now with your survival kit at hand, before you head for the trails!
